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 youve 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 - Walk, CREDIT moi, was in downtown Boston to see the ice sculptures being carved for First Night Boston to happen that evening. One complex sculpture was a three-masted schooner under full sail being chiseled by three guys at once. A neat show. There were vendors aplenty selling fried dough (my favorite), Italian sausage subs (another favorite), and oodles of cheap hats and glasses vividly declaring that one had spent a bunch on a cheap hat and glasses. 'Twas a happy crowd.
The Christmas tree is partially disassembled. It's been given one extra day at my request. I'm sentimental; the tree brings back happy childhood memories. It's still absorbing water; still holding tight its needles. Been a good tree. We both bond with our tree each year. Finished Project Hail Mary. Was a good read, particularly for a geek who enjoys the author's diligence at using real science to justify the Sci-Fi parts. DW and DS are both in line to read it next even though neither are Sci-Fi buffs. I recommend the book. Suggest reading it without reading any description or even reading the back cover. I reveled in each plot twist all the more because I had no idea what was coming.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with snacks. Dinner was black-eyed peas in the Southern tradition. Cooked with ham; served in a bowl over white rice. I skipped the ketchup that I added in abundance as a kid - just don't crave that much sugar. Evening snack included my last portion of a gingerbread cookie from a bunch gifted us on Christmas Eve. Each indulgence of the holidays that's completed helps us get back into a sane eating pattern.
onebyone - Neat to create such specific plans for decluttering. Donating 24 books is so much more doable than would be "do something about too many books."
Joy (gardenerjoy) - "Turkey shortage" catches me by surprise. Who'd thunk? Glad you've figured out a work around.
maryann A great three classifications "Finished, Wish list and Abandoned." I need to work on allowing myself to abandon a book without composing a PhD quality justification. Sometimes I've gotten what I wanted from the first chapter; sometimes my interest just whittled away. By-the-by, I came to understand why a middle school teacher would love Project Hail Mary. Tell your DS that I thought of him when in Boston as we followed the red brick path from Park Street to Faneuil Hall. Remembered with a smile that he'd be able to find his way about here.
curlyjax I hate, hate, hate being reminded that planks are so good for the body. Demonic invention, they are. Designed for the slim, in shape, folks who don't need to be working on their bodies. Wise to have goals for the year that can actually be achieved.
Readers -
Quote:
day 5Eat Slowly and Mindfully
There are two very beneficial reasons that it's important to always eat slowly and to pay particular attention to what you're eating:
When you eat slowly, your brain has time to register that you're full.
When you notice and enjoy every mouthful, you feel more satisfied when the food is gone.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 78.
Happy New Year! 2026, I can't believe it.
Work let out at 12 as expected and I zipped home to do a zoom with my younger brother. Then off to do a few errands, take a nap, cut up some foods like melon and cauliflower so I would actually eat it, and clean out the fridge.I played around with my new containers which are possibly not helpful sizes after all. I keep thinking there's a way to make everything fit perfectly but refrigerators are fluid. Is there really any point of taking baby carrots out of a bag to put them in a container? Weren't the mason jars supposed to be a solution too? I'm using way too much of my brain on this! ANYHOW-productivity was cleaning up the kitchen and shredding some documents. I have a ton to shred of my parents stuff as well as my own, but am reminded that at least going forward I'm getting much fewer paper documents, so at some point it will all be done. I was going to go over to BFF but her dog was sick, and I decided it was too cold to do anything outside, so a quiet NYE for me which is quite fine.
I was going to go to the gym today but woke up to snow that needs to be cleared. It's only a bit but that will be my arm exercise for the day. Later on I may venture out on the roads to get out of the house. I'm glad I started the weight training in the fall and don't need to make that a goal-it feels like an established thing I do. Even if I don't go for a few days,l do get back to it which is great.
Maryann-Great things to work on! I hadn't heard of library thing, thanks for mentioning it. DD stated she wants to read more this year which warms my heart.
Onebyone-great decluttering goals! I'll work on my bureau tops today at some point.
Gardenerjoy-thanks for your feedback on core workout. Interesting turkey facts!
Bill-that's great that you went to see the ice sculptures. I'm sentimental about Christmas trees too.
Today's Ad-vantage calendar: ( post its not removed during travelling days.) Better hair health.
I have dropped to 3 pounds from my low weight this month.Chatty swears it will be gone in a week. I will declare the calendar experiment finished when all post-its are removed. I am committing to a 30 minute climbing stairs today at some point.
I finished entering the old data in my new library system. I now have a wish list of over a dozen books to read. The next job is to add books i remember reading in hopes of sparking more Wish List books that will be categorized under the "retirement" tag.
BBE: The audiobook on Project Hail Mary is also a winner. Multiple voices. Curly and onebyone: God bless a clean kitchen.
I’ll watch the last half-hour of that after the Rose Bowl Parade. I think it’s being shown in many locations, but I’m enjoying NBC’s hosts on Peacock.
I worked out new goals for exercise in 2026. I’m thrilled that my goal for weight is maintenance. Yay!
Exercise: 60, 1830/1800 minutes for December
BillBlueEyes: I’m glad that Project Hail Mary worked for you. In March, we can look forward to the movie version starring Ryan Gosling.
onebyone: Looking forward to an update on your decluttering goals.
maryann: I just updated my To-Read Pile on StoryGraph. My problem is always having too many books to read. I’ve had to limit myself to 50 books on my TBR, or it just grows to infinity. I abandoned GoodReads when my TBR was over 800 books and was completely useless to help me find a next book. These days, I read 40+ books a year, so I don’t need a TBR greater than 50 when I won’t read all of those in a year.
curlyjax: We had a quiet NYE, too. That can be a nice calm way to start a new year.
Friday- The Reconquista ends centuries of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula (1492)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - Glorious event was a live performance of Handel's Water Music along with five Mozart pieces. Over the top splendid. I don't tire of Water Music; pictured myself one of the "Persons of Quality" on a barge alongside that carrying King George I up and down the Thames in 1717. The venue was packed although most attenders had gray hair. Baroque music doesn't seem to draw a younger crowd.
The Christmas tree was deconstructed and dragged to the curb. Enjoyed it to the very end. Our living room looks normal: no stockings over the mantel, no opened gifts waiting to be put in their place, no garlands of greenery about. Reminds me that I have a relative who left his Christmas tree up until the Fourth of July, much to the family's dismay. It looked awful. He didn't care - it made him happy.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with few snacks. Had to spend an hour in the morning shoveling the inch of icy snow. It was just little enough that with warmer temps the sun would have done the job. Dinner was the leftover quiche reheated in the oven. Did surprisingly well. Neat to have a treat twice. Conversation was trying to figure out the name of the surprise piece played at the end of the concert since the guest conductor was a man of many languages with an accent in one of them. It was by, best I could hear, "The Swedish Mozart". Mother Google says that is Joseph Martin Kraus. Now to figure out which of his music.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Can't get more British than a London parade with open carriages and Admiral Horatio Nelson watching over it all. Fun glimpse for a few minutes. Sane idea to limit your TBR list of books to the one-year doable. Yes, the movie of Project Hail Mary is on my list.
maryann – Your categorizing books reminds me that I carry a list of books that I "sorta wanna" read. I need to follow your example and move them to the "but not gonna" list to make room for the new.
curlyjax – LOL at "refrigerators are fluid". Not only that, they consume things that are absolutely known to have been put in them and spontaneously produce things no one admits to owning. Perhaps a life form.
Readers -
Quote:
day 5Eat Slowly and Mindfully
From talking to dieters, there's no question in my mind that eating too quickly and mindlessly is common among people who have a weight problem.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 78.
Exercise was indeed clearing off the cars and shoveling a few inches of snow-again thankfully fluffy and light. I decided it would be a good day to make a roast, so I went out to get one. They were all about 4-5 pounds and 44 dollars! DD doesn't eat red meat anyhow so I switched to the idea of beef stew instead. I happily putzed about prepping that and also playing with my new containers again. I decided the point of them is to be able to see the fruits and veggies all prepped and then I will be inspired to eat more. The stew turned out okay-I didn't have any worcestershire sauce which would have given it a zing-but I did put some red wine in. I bet the flavors will be better today. It's looking quite appealing in two mason jars plus I froze one small container. I ate too much of the leftover Christmas goodies but at least there are less of them each day. I listened to a book on tape while doing kitchen chores, and then several episodes of 'A Slob Comes Clean' podcast about decluttering which inspires me to do more. I got sucked into watching too many episodes of another murder mystery and then couldn't get to sleep- I need to hold firm with 10 as my bedtime and then reading for 30 minutes.
Maryann-I join you in a commitment to exercise today.
Gardenerjoy- thanks for sharing the London broadcast, that's quite a parade!
Bill-lovely way to welcome in the new year with such grand music.
Today's Ad-vantage calendar: Excitement for new wardrobe combinations. Another drift down on scale to post-traveling weight. It is never fast enough for me. I chose to go to church with DS instead of workout. My brain made it one or the other since one required a shower.
I woke up to DH in tears. Today is the last day the three of use will be in this house for Christmas. He took a picture of the Find Me app which shows all three of our phones under this roof. He took a picture of the last Christmas tree. Change is very hard on him. We live a dream life to many of our friends with children. One has lost a wife. One has lost a child. One has a 26 year old in the basement battling drugs and alcohol. Our DS is happier than he has ever been, working hard, in love. We are grateful but it is still bittersweet for DH. The new year brings us at the very least a new house.
I was going to head up to Tahoe but don't like that there are three days of storm brewing. I'll send off DS and then take down Christmas.
Curly: I have never made a roast in my life. The only red meat we eat is what DH BBQs. There are financial benefits to being an "assembler" rather than a cook. Joy: It is funny about books. The term encompasses junk fiction consumed in a day or ground breaking literature that takes a month to understand. The number itself means little. BBE: I am not as big a fan of Handel. Baroque is my game.
Diet Coaches/Buddies - True love (old married's version): In an attempt to organize, I moved the portable vacuum that's only used on the cars, from a grocery sized bag to a new Trader Joe's canvas mini-tote. Perfect fit. And now I had the quality grocery sized bag to add to my stable. Win, win. Until, "Are you going to use that?" DW asked as she passed by my office spotting the bag. While putting up the Christmas ornaments, their bag had split - again. It was a paper grocery bag with handles that had been stapled, re-stapled, and taped over the years. It carried the logo of a store that had changed its name 30 years ago! It comes down from the attic once a year to service the Christmas tree, otherwise sitting still with no wear. But I'd become fond of my new bag; it was a good one from Staples, typically overpriced, that I'd gotten FREE during a promotion - meaning that I would use it with a smirk because I'd won. I rather wanted it. "No, it's available," I answered, without any pause that would convey disquiet. And so our Christmas ornaments have a new home that should be good for 50 years. CREDIT moi for a micro attempt to service my marriage.
Was oddly startled about 5am this morning by the bright light hitting a west facing wall. Bright enough that I got up to investigate. That's how I came to know I was seeing the Wolf Supermoon. Glad to have seen that one.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with snacks. Dinner was chicken cooked inside to avoid the windy cold, with roasted delicata squash coins - a new recipe, and my green salad that was only possible because I'd made an emergency run to the supermarket for more lettuce.
maryann Thanks for reminding me to appreciate all that's working in my life. You do have some really neat stuff happening. I never tire of hearing that your DS is thriving.
curlyjax That would be a lot of roast for one person to consume. Good choice to make stew. Hard to believe a New England household can run out of Worcestershire sauce, LOL.
Readers -
Quote:
day 5Eat Slowly and Mindfully
How quickly do you eat? Do you sometimes feel deprived when you've finished eating? Have you had the experience of eating a reasonably sized meal and then saying to yourself, That wasn't much food at all . . . I'm still hungry, because you hadn't paid enough attention to the food you ate?
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 78.
More bonding at work yesterday as we were all in a non work mood. Everyone ate a haagen daz bar so I indulged too, ugh. I did go to the workout class after. We're continuing to push ourselves to lift a high weight as possible for one movement ie farmers carry where you walk around carrying two kettlebells. I really pushed myself to do 24 pounds in each hand but then my back hurt so that's clearly too high. But I am discovering I can lift more than I thought and will continue to do so. I'm so glad I found this gym and have stuck with it. At first it felt too small but now it feels cozy and I have a good feeling when I walk in the door..I had my beef stew for dinner which is quite tasty but not enough protein and was hungry soon after. I really need to finetune the whole 'get enough protein without eating too much of it' thing although mostly what I'm still over eating is junk really.
I slept fitfully but woke up quite late! I guess I needed the sleep. I need to get out of the house today even if its just errands, so will plan my day around that. I haven't done as much decluttering for the start of the new year that I wanted to, but mental health is important too and that means being out for a bit today.
Bill-true love indeed. apparently Dunkin donuts was giving away a free donut and mini donut tote bag yesterday- you could have grabbed one of those
Maryann-Change can be difficult indeed, especially as we grow older and many of those changes aren't for the good. A new house is a very nice one indeed.
Food ran slightly off rails last night with an extra Percect Bar and and a few left overs. I went from a losing day to a maintaining day. I did get in a 30 minute climbing stair session.
Yesterday was productive:
I put away Christmas.
I did all my laundry.
I went to the library and checked out 2 non fictions: the Art Thief and Kitchen Confidential. i want to read more non fiction.
Today I am going to read, take my chess lessons, take a walk even if it is 20 minutes, and head to Mom's to watch the 49er/ Seahawk game.
Curly: it is amazing how much stronger I am when compared to the perception of myself. BBE: I spent sometime on ChatGPT calculating percentages of successful young marriages (under 25). DS is completely in love. When figuring education, common faith, family history of long term marriages, and professional jobs, Dh and I believe the two lovebirds have a rosy future if they take the next step. I did not see "bag allocations" as a category but compromise certainly was.
Yoga with Adriene is doing a January program with four sessions. The first released this morning which motivated me to do yoga early in the day. That felt good!
I just ate my mid-morning salad for the first Saturday of the new year.
Maybe my 2026 Saturdays will start with yoga and salad. That could work well for me!
Sunday - Isaac Newton born (1643, Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, England)
Diet Coaches/Buddies - A part arrived via the postman that will make using my portable tire inflator a tad more friendly - a clip-on chuck to attach to the tire's valve stem instead of the screw-on attachment that comes with the inflator. Was quite cheap. In fact, there was one model that only cost 37 cents each in a package of ten for $3.70. Have no idea who would need more than one unless they manufactured the little beasties. Now I'm prepared to address that DW's tires self-claim to be underflated in this frigid weather. When I worked in a gas station during high school, I'd inflate tires for people. For FREE. After I washed their windshield and checked their oil. It's been seven years since I've driven an all electric vehicle so I don't know the state of service in a gas station these days. Maybe you gas car drivers are still getting royal service.
Eating was on plan, CREDIT moi, with snacks. Dinner was one more dip in the black-eyed peas with white rice, sauteed spinach, and my green salad. Gonna miss them when they're gone. They had the additional advantage of using the bone from the Christmas Eve dinner ham. Sucked off every morsel of meat and all the juices. Dinner was obsession with the Jeffry Epstein story in the Sunday New York Times Magazine:Scams, Schemes, Ruthless Cons: The Untold Story of How Jeffrey Epstein Got Rich. Lays it out in bitter detail. The man was a con artist and thief - all in addition to being a pedophile. So hard to comprehend how many savvy, accomplished, men got taken by that guy. Reminds me that I'd have little defense against him if he offered to take care of my finances.
Joy (gardenerjoy) - Always enjoy being reminded that you eat salads at times other than after dinner.
by Michael Finkel. I had to keep reminding myself that the story was real. LOL that there's no "bag allocations" category for marriage.
curlyjax The great joy eating a Hδagen-Dazs bar is the absurd spelling and gratuitous umlaut. Not to mention that it's delicious. Great idea to build up strength. No, I'd not heard of the Dunkin mini-tote. Good thing, I'd have raced out to get one before they went on sale online for a bundle.
Readers -
Quote:
day 5Eat Slowly and Mindfully
Research shows that there's a lag - up to 20 minutes - between when your stomach fills up and when your brain gets the message that you're full.
Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., The Beck Diet Solution (Pink book), Pg 78.
My plans changed yesterday to do a favor for DD as she's been feeling down for a bit. Main meal ended up being pizza eaten slowly over the day. When you're really hungry cut up veggies don't cut it..I did succeed in my quest to buy some snow sneakers (like boots but smaller and still allegedly waterproof) and used all my coupons at LL Bean so it ended up being free, score. I treated myself to some new workout pants and was going to investigate some other pants but ran out of steam. Partly because BFF texted me that she had to put down her dog;she had been quite sick for a few days and it turns out it was cancer. I went home and sobbed; such a sweet dog that I've known for years. I know BFF has been exhausted by the neediness of the dog (and the other one who died this spring) and I doubt she'll be getting another one, but its such a huge loss.
DD set off quite late at night to meet an online date, which had me worried and I didn't sleep well. When she wakes up she'll be needy again, sigh. I was going to an event this afternoon but will just putter about at home for a bit and then get groceries. The poinsettas etc are still doing fine but I'm tossing them out today, I cannot stand anymore Christmas stuff in the house.
Maryann-so great DS has a wonderful GF, that is huge.
Gardenerjoy-yay for salad and yoga Saturday!
Bill-your gas station story brought back memories. My times have changed.
Phone check in. More errors than usual which is saying something.
Nice evening with DH and Mom watching football. I stuck to plan with the addition of a few minor sweets- a bowl of cereal and a few chocolate covered strawberries. I can live with that. I got plenty of veggies in.
slept down at the ranch and today we will drive to Napa for lunch and a stroll for a date afternoon
Beck Diet For Life/Solution January 2026 Support, Discussion, Buddy/Coach
Thursday - New Year's Day
