The Beck Diet Solution is a psychological program, not a food plan. It provides a step-by-step program to learn specific techniques to stay on our diet, lose weight, and maintain our weight loss for life. The program is based on Dr. Beck's clinical research in Cognitive Therapy (CT).
The Complete Beck Diet for Life expands the earlier work and includes a food plan with suggested menus. From the cover:
With The Complete Beck Diet for Life you'll discover the 5 stages of successful dieting and maintenance. You'll learn how to motivate yourself, give yourself credit for every change you make, create time and energy for dieting, and handle hunger and cravings. Dr. Beck eases you into changing one step at a time. You'll master one task before moving on to the next. And you'll learn techniques to deal with challenging situations, such as sticking with ou plan at celebrations and dealing with "food pushers." With Dr. Beck's skills, you'll achieve a lifetime of healthful eating and lifelong motivation.
This is a place to discuss the Beck strategies and our daily efforts, to receive and provide support, and, for some of us, is where we serve as on-line diet buddy (coach) to each other.
If you’ve arrived from a search engine, you've landed at the site of 3 Fat Chicks (3FC), a remarkable place for those interested in a healthy life style, including mindful eating, exercise, and weight loss. More about the site, including how to register so that you can post, can be found here.
The books are available on Amazon through the 3FC store by clicking their names above; buying through 3FC helps to cover the costs of running this site.
You can find the list of previous (or more current) monthly Beck threads here on 3 Fat Chicks via:
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Trip to the playground with the (5 yo) DGD and her parents. She was in her 'loud' mode with both my DS and DDIL constantly having to get her to be quieter. At the playground she easily joined a group of three girls who clearly knew each other. She just blended right in. They climbed a small shed to take turns jumping off its roof onto the grass. She was right in the middle of everything. I've never seed a kid that could do that.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with some of the tree nuts set out for our DS gobbled as an afternoon snack. Dinner was pork chops taken outside on the patio. Veggie was sautéed spinach with the usual comments on how small the volume becomes after being cooked. Spent some time debating whether DGD's 'loud' was just a 5 yo's phase that will be easily outgrown or a problem that her parents need to be concerned about. The great thing about being a grandparent is that we have no responsibility so its only an interest as involved relatives.
onebyone - Super Congrats for resurrecting a chaise longue suitable for sitting. Good grief, got sucked down the rabbit hole of chaise longue vs chaise lounge. I suppose it depends on how French one feels.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - You are definitely winning at 'sibling-hood' when you're negotiating Power of Attorney. Sobering win that it may be. Wish your DB well finding the right antibiotic.
maryann – My idea of heaven: "cantaloupe from the packing shed ... Fresh blueberries ... Cherry tomatoes gifted from an organic farm." 1300 calories is a tight bound.
curlyjax – Love the notion of planning a trip to NYC with the same care as if visiting Constantinople. Buying workout shorts is a reward.
Readers -
Quote:
day 2Pick Two Reasonable Diets
If you like the food, you'll more easily find the resolve to make the required recipes and to eat the required meals.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 65.
Productive day. Had a good walk with collegefriend and we made tentative plans to do some close by day trips. We have gone away on weekends before but since her husband died money is a bit tighter; that's fine with me, we can spread it out and still have a day on the weekend for house stuff. I did go to Kohls and didn't find the shorts I want but did get some shirts, plus a pair of pants for work. A quick half sandwich from Panera-leaving some of the chips uneaten, credit-and off to Trader joe's where I saw my friend but she was too busy working to chat. At home I got some laundry done and booked a tentative hotel for Aruba in early November. I made a healthy dinner of salmon and corn on the cob, plus a nectarine which was quite disappointing -mealy mushy-and I have a whole bag of them- oh well.I did not eat any sugar all day except the sugar in the protein powder drink. I also was a most patient mom as DD was feeling quite poorly so scored some brownie points for that. We booked our flight to Aruba so I guess we're going. But that's it for vacations for quite some time!
Today I have a walk planned with BFF and need to get a bunch of planning things done for this week. I'm switching car ownership to DS tomorrow at an insurance agent and need to find those documents, plus helping him move his stuff; I need to find a garage in Somerville possibly for the day, or risk getting a ticket. Weds is busy with work, therapy appt and workout right after, then early thursday we're driving to the train station for NYC, so I want to get ready for that today. And look at a map of NYC as I again am clueless.
Gardenerjoy- hope DB gets better soon. Good to get his ducks in a row for POA etc-my brother needs to do that pronto.
Maryann-good twin-sies indeed! The line at Kohls was long, apparently everyone else had the same idea.Yay for that pound down. I'm jealous of that fresh fruit, ours is dwindling.
Onebyone-great job decluttering. I've managed to get rid of trash so far and that's in in the livingroom.
Bill-Some kids are quite loud-must be an extrovert! It's a gift to be able to blend in socially so easily-I was such a shy kid, it held me back in some ways.
I'm going to celebrate Labor Day by going to a rally hosted by folks in the Labor Movement. A new experience! For reasons I don't understand, the Labor Movement in Missouri is taking the lead in resistance to the redistricting plan. So, that's the theme for today's rally.
After that, I'll visit my brother in the hospital. He saw an infectious disease specialist who swapped out an antibiotic and ordered a CT scan to check for an abscess.
Food is going to be a challenge. I think I'll deal with it by simply keeping food at a minimum today. I can survive a day of eating less than normal, especially if it means avoiding street food and cafeteria food.
OP yesterday. I never grow tired of saying I was successful. Yeah for our team. Quiet day for a projected103 degree holiday. I promise myself a yoga class . Joy's Yoga with Adrienne. Actually I am not sure who recommended it. It has been so long now. DH's and my food is packed and logged.
There has been quite a learning curve this past month in managing food prep and costs. I am giving myself credit for allowing mistakes like food waste and super expensive solutions in a pinch. This is the cost of the complete lifestyle change on which DH and I are embarking. My food budget this month was double the average and I just tossed food away that could no longer serve us and couldn't be donated. It is a luxury to be able to afford this start up. I am grateful. Now I know better how much we will need and can rotate menus to avoid food waste. In two weeks, I will face the huge challenge of prepping all DH's food while I am gone to South Africa. I will cross that bridge next week.
For today, I need to double check travel plans and start a practice pack for Africa.
BBE: The critical information re DGD is not her loudness, it is that she socializes easily. This is a far more important characteristic. Still I would have her hearing checked. DS had to get tubes and we never knew until the Kindergarten hear test. Curly: Good Luck in the big challenge items. I remember the worry and anxiety following DD's move and those always went well. Onebyone: Good Luck on further organizing.
Gorgeous day here today. Optimum temp of 25c with a breeze on the cool side. That's my perfect kind of day.
Mostly I looked at it through the living room window as I continued with the really really really slow decluttering. I successfully.empties three bags of stuff and sort of put them away. I'm in a real bind at to where to put things I've gone through. I am trying to keep like things together. That's the best I can manage. My knee and leg and foot felt better today. I am grateful for that. Tomorrow I will decide aof I am heading to Newmakeit to check in on the class pottery. I'm not sure if it's all been fired and need to take a look. I also need to start making tiles this week. I have until the 24 the to complete a third of my mentorship project for show and tell.
BillBlueEyes: it feels good to hear about your DGD's confidence. I love it that she can join in with others easily.
Curlyjax: your NYC trip is coming up so fast and your week seems pretty busy right up until you leave. Do you have a particular destination there that you have to see?
Maryann: Great job cleaning out the pantry and writing up food lists and meals. That's solid groundwork for success. I need to do the same.
Gardenerjoy: I hope your brother's health improved today. Great job as usual planning your food and eating to accommodate your real-life circumstances. Again, another really necessary skill to practice. Credit
Tuesday - Great Fire of London begins in Pudding Lane, destroys 80% of London (1666)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Walked, CREDIT moi, taking the subway to Boston and then around and about the Labor Day Parade on Boston Common, Boston State House, and Faneuil Hall. Was as diverse a crowd as I've ever been part of. I've previously ignored that Unions especially celebrate Labor Day. Mingled among shirts signed with every pipe-fitting, iron working, teaching, union imaginable. Was startled to see a young teen with a shirt advocating B.U.T.S. "Boston Union Trade Sisters!" New one for me. Got to mingle about an impressive fleet of polished Harley Davidsons. Honking big motorcycles.
The handmade signs supporting every cause known to man were abundant and hilarious. Gotta love living in a free society where opinions are openly expressed. Unfortunately, among all the good feelings, I fell into a FREE donut handed out - a Dunkin' Donuts Boston Creme Pie donut. Haven't had one of those in years. The bright side is that I won't feel called to have another for a few years.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with only a FREE donut as an unplanned snack. Dinner was a salmon dish taken on the patio as we continue to enjoy the waning days of summer. Included yellow beans from the garden - among the last. Laughed at all the signs we had pictures of; even though walking together, we had different photos.
onebyone - Decluttering has the serious problem that moved stuff needs another place to go. Yay for a perfect kind of day.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Thanks for the reminder, "I can survive a day of eating less than normal." I tend to forget that feeling full every minute of every day isn't a requirement of life.
maryann – Kudos for being able to overcome your reluctance to let food go that doesn't serve your needs. Beck advocates that and I'm still working to make it an acceptable part of my life. Good to be reminded that a loud kid might be a kid with a hearing issue.
curlyjax – Congrats for leaving some chips uneaten at Panera Bread. Hope your adventures today shuffling your DS's car are unmemorable.
Readers -
Quote:
day 2Pick Two Reasonable Diets
Quote:
tip! Show the diet you plan to follow to a nutritionist or to your health-care provider to make sure it's nutritionally sound and appropriate for you.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 65.
I found my passport yesterday am, woo hoo! I had hidden it before I went to Hawaii too well. Plus spare car keys, and my engagement ring and DH's wedding ring. I hid them as they are sentimental items, not worth much to anyone but me. Probably the most important thing I did yesterday really.
I had a good long walk with BFF and her dog, then chatted for a bit at her house.The only sugar I had for the day was in one of her Fairlife protein drinks. Over the food budget a little but it was mostly OP. I'm not sure how many calories are in a real bagel egg, bacon and cheese sandwich (a real bagel as opposed to those bagel shaped blobs of bread groceries stores sell) and I'm not getting enough fiber in. i asked AI to make me a menu with 24 grams of fiber and 80 grams of protein on a 1600 calorie diet and it looked doable. I'm still ending up hungry at the end of the day before sleep-maybe that's a good time for 1/2 cup of yogurt or something like that.
Today's adventure will end up being only meeting DS to sign over the car to him, as he said one of his roommates has covid-although said roommate was moving stuff in without problems apparently. I cannot get covid before my NYC and especially not from DS, I would never hear the end of it from DD. So we'll meet at the insurance agency and he can stay outside with a mask, and sign anything out there. And then hopefully he can zip back to Somerville to get a temporary parking permit for a month, and then a real one when he has a utility bill to show them. It would have been fun to see his apartment but I can wait until another time, and I'm secretly relieved I don't need to drive there and back.
I also asked AI's opinion for things to do in NYC around Madison Square garden for a 4 hour time block and it came up with some good ideas plus reassured me that it was safe walking around there at night These are things that AI is quite helpful for.
Onebyone- I'm escorting DD to a concert-which I'm not going to-so we have a whirlwind trip of about 24 hours. Taking the train in from Boston which will be much more relaxing than driving.Glad your leg is feeling better. I hear you about trying to figure out where to put things.
That is the big news. I like not burying the headline. I leave in 10 minutes for Personal Training. Food is planned and packed for DH. I have eaten 1/2 cup strawberries because my PT says I need a few carbs when I do strength training.
Today is lots of puttering for a busy September. I am borrowing jewelry and a cowboy hat for a weekend event wedding starting Friday.
Curly: Yes I put my insurance plan choices in CHAT GPT and lst years actual spending plus DH's future focal point therapy for prostate cancer. It came up with the lowest premium plan. Of course. Because we kno DH will max the deductible and I won't most likely. (Knock on wood.) So helpful to have my thinking double checked.
According to the Scale Authorities my weight has wiggled down a pound. Now at 321.4. I began at 326.6 so this is my first 5lb loss (for the 16thousandth time it feels like but let it go...let it go). This is the day that counts.
What's working for me is closing the kitchen early or opening it up late. Basically having a 16ish hr gap between last and first meals. This is a fairly consistent occurrence so Yay me!
And to prove that small acts = big results over time, my decluttering goal for today is modest. I want to declutter this pile. What this really means is empty the bags and sort the contents and empty the two boxes and sort their contents and clear the floor where they were. I'll post an after picture when it's done.UPDATE: I decluttered the pile and it looks like this now. Credit.
I have some work to do around food today. I have hamburger to make into meatballs and hamburger to form into hamburger patties. Then I will freeze them.
I might drive up to Newmakeit this afternoon but odds are against that.
I just got a msg from my MFA application accountability partner. She's asking whether I have made a to do list of the steps I need to take to enroll in an MFA program in the fall. I haven't done anything so I will also make that list today.
Back later!
Completed cooking, decluttering, submitting a piece to an Art Show. Tomorrow= Newmakeit and tile making + YorkU to DOS list.
Today's theme has been running around taking care of things that I haven't been doing for the last few days -- groceries, libraries, gas. I'm done with all of that now. I had a bit of hiccup in food when I came home hungry from one of the errands. I'll work to keep the rest of the day in control. There's no need for a hiccup to become an avalanche. That metaphor is mis-matched, but I kind of like it.
Wednesday-San Marino, oldest republic still in existence, founded by St Marinus (301)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Excitement, I suppose, was a standard, scheduled, trip to the ear doctor. Exciting because he described my ear wax as like "wet peanut butter" with a concerned tone of voice. I left worried; hearing is important. Google search says that that phrase is often used to describe the common ear wax that protects the ear drum. So I googled "dry peanut butter". There are ample sites willing to explain how to stir back the oil that has separated from a container of natural peanut butter. I've stirred the oil back into the solids all my life without a FaceBook video showing me how. In my next life I'll teach a course on how physicians can avoid giving useless information to patients.
At the supermarket I had to buy lettuce and a cuke - the bounty of our garden has run its course. Didn't have to buy cherry tomatoes for salads since that's still happening.
Eating was on plan with no daytime snacks, CREDIT moi. Dinner of grilled chicken on the patio with the wonderful feeling of stealing another day from incoming winter. I regaled DW with the story of the CEO who stole an autographed cap from a young kid. But got caught on camera posted on the Internet. Swiftly identified. Tried justifying his actions to universal disdain. Had to go back on line to declare it to be a terrible mistake. DW pointed out to me that that's how morals come to exist in a society - the feedback of one's peers. Any story that avoids discussing current reality is welcomed.
onebyone - Making a todo list makes applying for your MFA sound real. Congrats on a decluttering step.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Great feeling to catch up on the minor tasks.
maryann – Love the notion of a wedding for which a cowboy hat is appropriate attire.
curlyjax – How exciting to find a whole trove of treasures. Interesting that it takes a utility bill to get a parking permit.
Readers -
Quote:
day 2Pick Two Reasonable Diets
Quote:
The Beck Diet Solution teaches you
how to modify your diet by working planned
indulgences into your overall plan. This can
help you stick to your diet long term.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 66.
I got a lot done yesterday. It took about an hour and half to get a car signed over to DS so he could get his parking permit for his new digs, but we got the new plates and everything, and didn't have to go to to the RMV so that worked out great. The agent was so nice, i've really had good experiences with this company.I stopped in a little cafe for breakfast to go and tried some "Asian coffee" -maybe Vietnamese? with condensed milk-I asked them not to make it too sweet, I can't imagine what it usually tastes like but woo that was sweet enough. And quite strong, really good.
Back home made rounds to the pharmacy twice-meds not ready yet- haircut, over to BFF to kill an hour while the pharmacy was closed and snag some extra screwdrivers, scheduled dental appt and new exterminator appt, check in with the accountant-my taxes still aren't ready I don't know what's going on-did some admin, made chicken tenders and cleaned up most of kitchen. And also spent a good hour listening patiently to DD. No formal exercise but today I'm going to my weights class again after work and my therapy session. Weight hasn't budged yet- i'm not tracking calories enough and probably having too many carbs even if the are healthier ones, but feeling better about my food choices (except the sweetened coffee but it was a new thing to try at least)
Maryann-OP is awesome!
Onebyone-great job on decluttering and everything else!
Last night I didn't close the kitchen before I ate about 600 calories over budget. My PT told me to just think of it as eating maintenance. OK. tomorrow is weigh in day and I am a little nervous. I have been trying a few food tweaks. I cut zucchini into sticks, sprayed olive oil and salt and pepper and air fried them. Easier and pretty tasty. This morning, I made smaller portions of yogurt which allowed me to use only one ounce of high protein granola and more blueberries. It is still satisfying. Today I am going to roast tomatoes and make a soup i saw on youtube.
Yesterday's fun was putting my picture into ChatGPT. I queried "How old is this woman." It came up with low 60s - my age. So much for looking younger. Than I asked if the woman was aging gracefully? Yes with some reasons such as becoming haircut, bright skin and welcoming smile.. Than i said to add AI generated same age women not aging gracefully. OK. I feel pretty good about myself now. Then mean me put a picture of my sister next to me in the engine. She is 5 year older but very slim/athletic. People have said I am older. Voila. Results: AI declared Sister was late 60s early 70s. Woo whooo. I do feel better about myself just because I have so many contradicting voices in my head and old tapes of judgment. I can deal with object info. I look good for my age. These things I can control about myself.
I felt a twinge in my lower back/SI joint when I pulled a heavy bag of library books out of the car. Note to self: Put library books in the back seat so that I'm not tempted to twist, pull, and lift all at the same time like I do when they are in the passenger seat. Fortunately, it improved in the first twenty-four hours with ice, naproxen, and a YouTube video that I've been using for SI joint pain for a few months.
The books are options to suggest to my book group during our annual book selection meeting later this month. I checked out a dozen books and I'm not allowed to suggest more than five, so I'll want to work on narrowing these down.
Dear Brother is expecting to be released from the hospital. They've decided it's not cellulitis (mostly because it didn't respond to antibiotics). They're trying diuretics (on the theory that it's lymphedema) and prednisone (on the theory that it's gout). But he can take those at home.
Beck Diet For Life/Solution – September 2025 – Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Labor Day - a Federal U. S. Holiday
These are things that AI is quite helpful for.