Beck Diet Solution - May 3

[newtricks]

I think 5 pages is a long enough thread, don't you?;)

If you're here for the first time, this is a thread discussing "The Beck Diet Solution - train your brain to think like a thin person" by Judith Beck. There is lots of information on the other thread and if you're unfamiliar with the program it is a good intro. http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=104238

Ellyn - I would love to hear your input whenever you can give it. I totally share your feelings of "I can't just talk about myself but don't have time to respond to everyone every time". But it sounds like a few other people feel the same way. I turn these issues over to people who are wiser than I in bb dynamics. I agree with Gina that I am inspired by every post and wish I could respond to each one but I can't. I *do* ponder them and they do support me. :)

I'm on Day 17 right now. But I'm going to adjust to all my other tasks for a day or two. All of a sudden I feel like the calendar pages are flying off the wall at me!! I started ww yesterday, and am working the exercise in and all of a sudden the whole "Create Time and Energy" has become an issue. I need to figure out how to keep all the balls in the air.

I also need some time to adjust to the calorie deficit. And figure out how to plan my food so I don't get too hungry. I know I know, I swear I've stopped treating hunger as an emergency but I do get pretty cranky. And that doesn't work for my interaction with my kids.

e.g., yesterday in the afternoon I had an unplanned whole wheat english muffin with avocado. Sounds like a lot but at the end of the day after my planned two taco and salad dinner I had the right amount of points. So I had not planned enough food for myself. I will certainly figure this out but just need some time.

On another issue - my mil who has lived with us for the last 10 years is moving into an assisted living/nursing home facility in North Carolina (where other family members live). This will be very draining and stressful. Dh and the kids will be very sad. I'm anticipating some difficult "oh this is so stressful I need to eat" days. And just really praying/ asking the universe/ pulling on my own internal resources to stay on track. :( I'm going to work on a mantra, I mean response card, for this because it's a really important issue. Our lives get very stressful and if the eating/exercise just falls apart every time it makes it even worse! That might actually be the mantra.

[newtricks]

Val - you said the "P" word!! :) Which I so relate to. I keep finding myself having floating feelings that I'm not doing this "right". And then when I think about what I've accomplished so far and give myself credit for them I feel better.

I don't know about you but what's tough for me is the feeling of "well if you're not perfect, then you're slipping, so the next day will be worse and the next day even worse, until you're back where you started" And seriously, right now, that is disorted thinking! (thank you Ellyn for my new favorite phrase) I've done all the steps, I've had great success with my food intake, I've started exercising again, I feel super strong, etc. etc. When I look at that I feel... relief. I've got to find that little person in my head who tells me I can't achieve what other people do!

[valchemist]

thanks for starting the new thread, barbara. I would have done it but if people who don't know my story saw me active on the pregnant thread and then starting a DIET thread, they would think I was some nut case.

I think it is a great idea to take a step back and just absorb all the changes and not worry about starting a new days tasks for a bit. and I know Beck would agree. sounds like you have a lot going on. good luck with it.

gina, I actually have a pretty good metabolism (and I am still nursing my 2 yo) so the 2100-2200 might even be too low. but I am going to try it and see how I feel. after writing my food plan for today and counting the calories up, it actually seems as though that range of calories will be good for me. for now. if I am feeling like I need to add more, then I won't hesitate to do so.

[valchemist]

Val - you said the "P" word!! :) Which I so relate to. I keep finding myself having floating feelings that I'm not doing this "right". And then when I think about what I've accomplished so far and give myself credit for them I feel better.

I don't know about you but what's tough for me is the feeling of "well if you're not perfect, then you're slipping, so the next day will be worse and the next day even worse, until you're back where you started" And seriously, right now, that is disorted thinking!

so true. this is how I was starting to feel. distorted is right! I feel I have made great progress on this plan so far. and I do feel it is a plan that is going to work for me. I have to work on giving myself credit and talking back to those sabotaging thoughts. so important!!

[gertdog]

Barbara, thanks for starting the new thread! Is there still time to edit your first post and add a link to the previous thread, so anyone reading for the first time can find it after it drops off the first page? Here's the link, in case time has run out on the edit option:

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=104238

Anyhow- it is Day 8 for me, which is about making time in my schedule. I've been half-dreading this task, and half-anticipating eagerly, because this will be really important for me and require some big changes. The time to plan meals, shop, and cook isn't an issue- I already do all of those things as part of my daily/weekly routine. But exercise- that's a big deal.

Right now, Ryan goes to daycare three days a week, but I put in a full work week so time is really, really tight. On the days he's home, I put in my hours when he's napping or in the evening after DH gets home. It's been worth it to me, though, because I get to spend more time with him, and financially we're pushing it just to pay for the three days a week of childcare. Exercise, however, is really spotty.

Walking combined with free weights and other at-home strengthening exercises will be my exercise of choice. And I need to figure out when! Here's where the big change comes in. I'm going to get up an hour earlier each day to exercise. DH has agreed to take care of Ryan in the mornings so that I can get out of the house to walk; I just need to be finished in time for him to shower and get to work. So, we'll see how it goes, but right now I'm feeling good about that plan.

Looking ahead- I see that tomorrow I'll be making my exercise plan, so I'm already halfway done with that task- yay! I'm leaving town in the afternoon, returning Sunday evening, so I think I'll do day 9 and 10 on Fri-Sat., then take Sunday (travel day) to just sort of process, then do day 11 (differentiating hunger and cravings) on Monday when I'm at home and can really focus on it.

[gertdog]

Ellyn, welcome and I hope you'll share whenever you have a chance!

Barbara, I hope all goes well with your MIL's move. That really will be a big change for your whole family- hugs to you, DH, and your kids.

Distorted thinking- that's a great phrase. Where's Gina? That phrase applies really well to her thought that she's a failure with the whole plan because she had a kid's meal at A&W on one day.

[newtricks]

Stephanie - thanks for the shortcut, I put it in. Your schedule is super tight, which tells me you're very good at time management. The early am exercising sounds great.

Val - Hee hee starting the pg thread and this one. yes, would cause some consternation w/out the background!

[Sarah45]

Hi ladies! I was drawn into you other thread about this book and am now completely intruiged. I reserved the book at the library and am number one on the list so hopefully I get it soon!

The thing that has resonated with me the most is the "eat sitting down" tip. I try to be really meticulous about my meal planning and most of the time I plan for the weeka nd enter it into Nutridiary to make sure I am getting all of my vitamins, protein, fiber, etc. What I definitely do, and don't account for in my daily planning, is munch while preparing dinner. A piece of cheese here, a crouton there - that stuff really adds up. Reading that on the other thread was kind of an "ah ha" moment for me.

So even if I don't get anything else out of the book (unlikely), that is HUGE for me.

So, THANKS!! :D

[SchauG]

I came here to tell you something but read your posts and wanted to respond first. I am getting so much inspiration and motivation from you!!

Barbara, congratulations on joining Weight Watchers!! You are an online member, right?? It is a great program and will work well with the Beck Diet. I just can't believe how helpful Beck has been. And honestly that is compounded by the people here. I am sorry about your mother-in-law. Remember that she is going to get the care she needs, she has family there, and you really deserve a lot of credit for aiding in her care for the past 10 years!! Maybe you could share your card that you make yourself about the move and the stress and pain that are going to come with it?? I am curious to see what you come up with.

Valchemist: you are so fortunate to have a good metabolism!! I have always had poor eating habits--until my mid 20's I hardly ate. I never felt hungry and didn't have a family so I didn't make meals. Once I had my kids I think my metabolism slowed and I ate more due to making regular meals. Now I have to learn to eat healthy. What is ironic, as I have mentioned before, is that I use to love that empty/hungry feeling. I think it energized me. (???)

Stephanie, I think you will learn to look forward to your morning walk. You deserve that time for yourself. Remember to praise yourself for getting up and taking care of yourself!! Also,you are right. I am going to explain in the next post. It kinda deserves it's own post. BRB

[SchauG]

Ok, I think I am finally going to believe once and for all that I don't have to be perfect and that making decent choices is not going to keep me from succeeding. I don't have to be perfect I just need to pick myself up and keep going. I have slipped but really I am eating better than I have in years overall even with the slips.

I got on the scale today and I am down 9 pounds!! The last time I got on the scale was 3 weeks ago. I can't believe it. Yesterday, I tucked in my shirt and did think to myself that my tummy was looking flatter but I figured the jeans were stretch jeans and let it go. I got on the scale today before my shower because I thought my stomach sure seemed flatter. YEAH!!

So, now my dilema is should I keep working my Good Mood Diet?? I think I am going to. Some of you are familiar with Weight Watchers Core which appears to be a sister of Volumetrics. I have done a little research and my standard breakfast and lunch are core and volumetrics based already. So, if I use one of those diets I will be able to figure out healthy dinners. The good mood diet is great but I was stuck on dinner. I ordered the Volumetrics Eating Plan from Amazon and it will be here on the 10th.

Later! Gina

I spend so much time here telling you about this that I still haven't read my day 5 and I have to get some work done!! OOPS

[gertdog]

Gina, congrats, that's awesome!! I weighed myself the first day of the Beck plan and figured I'd weigh in again the first day of WW, which will be in a week.

As for sticking with The Good Mood diet, if you feel that it's a) working for you in terms of weight loss and b) something you can work with in terms of meal planning etc. then why not keep at it? But if planning dinners for the diet is going to be a pitfall, then maybe one of the others will be better.

[valchemist]

stephanie, your exercise plan sounds like mine. I have to get up very early everyday to get out of the house to walk before the crew wakes up. and I am also doing weight resistance exercises at home, as you are.

welcome, sarah!

gina, great job on the loss! well, I think most of my good metabolism can be attributed to the fact that I have been nursing non-stop for 5 years. it isn't THAT great, though. just a bit above average maybe? and I know that it is slowing down.

as for me, my first day on the diet went well. I didn't follow the plan I had written exactly. but I was pretty close. and stayed in my calorie range.

I went to the beck diet solution website yesterday and emailed her to alert her to our little group. she sent this note back today:

Valerie,

Funny, we just came across your group’s bulletin board and threads this morning and we think it is fantastic! I’m so happy that you and the others are finding the book helpful.

Regards to the whole group,

Judith Beck

[Molli526]

Ellyn, when you have time to post, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Today, was so-so for me. I had some goods, and some areas where I could have improved. The big positive is that I haven't let it go totally,and I got a really good workout in.

[gertdog]

Alright, Day 9 for me: choosing an exercise plan. I'm planning to walk, and do some free weights and floor exercises for strength. I've decided for the first month, I'll follow Prevention's 28-day "Body Makeover" plan, which is really just 4 weeks' worth of walking workouts for beginners. I like the idea of having something specific to do each day when I'm starting out. Eventually, my goal will be to plan a week's worth of workouts the same way I currently plan a week of menus. Since I'm planning to get up earlier than usual to exercise, I'll also plan to lay out my clothes, shoes, equipment etc. the night before.

Later today I'll make up some response cards for the potential sabotaging thoughts I can see me having: I'd rather sleep/I'm tired; I don't have time today/other things are more important; and it's too cold/hot/rainy.

I had a good day yesterday- did not eat anything standing up. Forgot to eat my dinner slowly and mindfully- let myself get distracted by the television and suddenly my dinner was gone. Will focus on that today. Today brings a new challenge- travel. I'm headed to Minnesota for a work thing, so meals for the next few days will be restaurants, and on Saturday I'm at the mercy of the people hosting the work meeting (I heard via email today that they're planning on lunch just being "bagels or something" to tide us over til dinner at 6- this after a day that begins with breakfast before 7 AM. Great. Maybe I should work on hunger tolerance that day!). On Sunday I get to have brunch with Jessica from the CLBB. :D

Val, how neat that Dr. Beck responded to you!

Molli, that's great that you fit in the workout! And if you know what you need to work on then you're on the right track.

[emilyn]

Gina, what a great loss! I think if you can see that dinners are going to be a problem then it's ok to switch to core or volumetrics. I've done core before and there is a bit of a learning curve and you do need to plan ahead to make sure you have the right foods around.

I'm doing pretty well. I'm "starting" ww today, quotes because I've never really stopped, I just follow it better some weeks than others. But anyway, my weigh in day is Friday so I figured I'd start over today since my points reset. I planned out all my food for today, put it in the online tracker and then printed it so I can check things off as I eat them. I've never done this, usually I just wing it but I can see that it will be helpful. I think the weekend will be challenging because I don't plan much and I usually eat differently than I do on weekdays. Also we're going to a party tomorrow night and I don't have any idea what we'll be eating.

[slknight]

Just wanted to check in and say hi to everyone. I got my book today (after ordering it last Friday from Amazon - grrr). I'm going to try to read most of it this weekend and start with you all on Monday. :cool:

[newtricks]

Gina - 9 pounds!! What did you do to reward yourself? Are you doing the 5 pound goals?

Here, we'll throw a party. I'm mixing up cosmos and margaritas. Virtual so everyone can partake. :D Congratulations!

Val- cool!

Molli - keep focussing on the positive. Not chucking everything out the window is good.

Stephanie - good luck on your trip. Ugh, that bagel day sound tough. They're too much food and *yet* you're hungry two hours later. But yes, that might be a good day to test your hunger tolerance. How fun brunch with Jessica will be - she'll be very supportive I'm sure.

[valchemist]

another day here of not following my written plan. ack! I strayed even further today than I did yesterday. well, at least I kept my calories in the correct range, but to be honest, I don't much care about the calories! I am mainly trying to work on developing great thin-thinking habits by following the tasks and I have been slipping in that department. no where near off the wagon, though. I am not too discouraged, either. I think it is something I can fix. but I am going to take a day off from starting a new task to try to reassess why I am not following my food plan!

hi susan!

[eas11]

Hey all,

First, I wanted to report that I did get a response to my request for a 1:1 email diet coach and I know this will be a great way for me to go in terms of both giving and getting needed support :D I hope to keep up with this weekly thread as well, as much as possible, to read and post.

CBT calls the distorted thinking "automatic thoughts" which lead to the maladaptive behaviors. Before I started today, my Day 1- I had lots of those sabotoging thoughts.... I can't do this, I've failed over and over, I'm got lots of events that will interfere with my plans, what's the use...etc. So, I'm working to correct these with rational thoughts and give myself a pep talk!
Day 1=Hard. Thoughts, words, on paper are powerful. Wow. So, it's been a bittersweet day. I'm glad I finally started the exercise, but it's painful to face, easier to avoid. Gotta keep reading my response card!

Gina...rock on! great news.
Barbara, wishing you well during the stressful family time. Your mantra sounds perfect!

[gertdog]

Day 10 for me was yesterday, and I did set two goals. One is the 5 lb. goal Dr. Beck recommends. The other is to do all 28 days of the Body Makeover exercise plan from Prevention. I happen to be somebody who likes rewards :o :D so I made a little list of things that would motivate me. For the 5 lbs. I'll probably do something pampering- maybe a pedicure, maybe some splurg-y yummy scented lotion and body wash. Maybe something else from my list- something that just reinforces "I'm worth it- I deserve to treat myself and my body well." For the Body Makeover- when I get through that, I want to get myself an iPod Shuffle so that I can have music on my walks.

Yesterday at my all-day meeting was hard. I work mostly w/ non-profit clients- museums, nature centers and the like. So lavish spreads are not the norm. I met a colleague for breakfast- coffee and bagels- that was easy to eat slowly and mindfully. Lunch was minimal- cheese and crackers and some grapes at the back of the room. There were no plates and no napkins (??) so eating sitting down was a challenge, especially since everyone else just gathered around the table and talked and nibbled. So, I did eat a few bites standing, but I made sure I did so consciously- e.g. I decided to eat two crackers with cheese and a handful of grapes, and when those were gone I stopped. Dinner was at a yummy Italian restaurant, and I did a good job of having a single piece of bread, and eating my salad and entree slowly. And I left about 1/4 of my entree on the plate, which felt good.

Tomorrow I'll move on to Day 11; right now I'm off to meet Jessica. Yay!

For those who do Weight Watchers- I was browsing their online store and saw that they offer a 3-month tracking journal for something like $6. I ordered one and it arrived last week- I really like it b/c it allows you to write down your meal plans and check off points throughout the day, and it's compact and portable. It also has a page for tracking weight and body measurements. I've never warmed to online points tracking- I like having something I can glance at anytime, anywhere.

Hey Susan- glad to see you here!

Val, as I was reading your post, I was wondering- what makes you stray from the written plan. Then I saw that you're going to try and figure that out- I'll be interested to know what you come up with- could be useful insights for all of us! Keep at it- if you did it for one, two, or three days, you can do it most every day, right?

[valchemist]

ellyn, you have got a great start!
stephanie, you are really doing well in light of some tough situations. but I guess they are normal for you, so you HAVE to do well and get used to dealing with stuff like that.

I am lucky because I don't have to go out to eat. and in fact we rarely do. so I am always in charge. so why was the predetermined eating plan so hard?? tough question even for me to answer. maybe it was having all the food written out like that staring me in the face that was giving me problems. like, I always was moving on to the next thing on the list even if it wasn't TIME to eat it. I mean, I saw it there on the list so it was calling my name. or something odd like that.

today I am back to eating spontaneously, but guess what? I am doing far better today calorie-wise than I was on the previous days. (meaning, I have consumed less so far today than at the same time on the previous days of having pre-planned meals.) and not only that but I am feeling a lot more satisfied (mentally and physically) and I feel as though I am really back in teh groove.

here is a note that I sent to my coach. it is long and I wasn't going to share it, but since you asked, stephanie, I thought I should. just in case it may help someone. I am NOT however advocating the cop-out you are reading about in this post. I realize that I am NOT following Dr Beck's advice and I don't advocate it. I guess I am justifying it with my pregnancy excuse -- the fact that I am not trying to lose and also that I have certain hormones in my body now that can cause me to get extra cranky if I don't get my way.

ok, here is the note. I sent it to my coach this morning. I haven't been able to contact her much lately as she just moved and her communication system is temporarily DOWN. argh!

I have been going back and forth about things in my head.... thinking about how I can adjust this plan so that I don't fall down the slippery slope.

well, I would have had this internal conversation with you, but certain internet providers prevented that. so I am just going to tell you what my final decision is regarding how I am going to solve my problems.

it is going to sound like a cop out, but so be it!

well, following a PRE-DETERMINED eating plan is supposedly not optional. it is one of the cornerstones of beck's plan. she does say that eventually (like several months or even a year from now) you will not have to write down the food plan a day ahead. but she says for now, you have to do it. and I agreed with her reasoning.

but what it did for me was messed up my stride and made me feel as though I was failing every time I strayed. simple, you say (or she would say) -- then just don't stray! or if you do stray, stay close. well, I did stay pretty close the first day, but then had the two bars at night. the second day I strayed even worse and felt like I was falling off the slope. and then yesterday was basically a free-for-all. I wasn't even paying attention to anything. ugh.

now, certainly I could somehow get this predetermined eating plan thing to work for me. and I will definitely do it when it comes time for me to officially DIET after the baby is here. But for right now, I am going to cop out. things were going along so well and I felt like I was making a lot of MENTAL progress (MY goal) before I started the meal plan. and then all that progress seemed to screech to a stop. I need to work on the mental part without having the roadblock of the predetermined eating plan. cop out!!!

Day 16 task was to prevent unplanned eating. you are supposed to make a response card that says NO CHOICE (referring to the fact that you have no choice but to eat what is on your preplanned menu for the day). I did that task, but didn't listen to the response card!! ugh. she also says in that section that the no choice can also refer to certain rules that you set for yourself. here are the rules she has for HERself: 1) eat a substantial amt of protein, veg/fruit at every meal 2) don't eat any junkfood til after dinner 3) eat only raw veggies while preparing dinner 4) when eating out, eat up to only 25% more than I usually do when at home.

OK so, I was thinking, I can make a set of rules for myself for my "healthy eating for pregnancy" plan. and I can still have my NO CHOICE response card, but they will just apply to my rules, not to the fact that I have to follow a menu.

I haven't exactly come up with my rules yet, but I have a few in mind.

- I like the one about saving junkfood for after dinner, so I will keep that.
- I have found that I tend to really CHEAT at the very end of the day right before bed. I think I am going to make a no eating ANYTHING after 8 o'clock rule.
- I need to still watch my calories, so I will have a rule about sticking to a certain #. I have to determine what that # is. I am wondering if I really CAN do the 2200 or if I need more. that is a huge copout. of course the plan is going to be easy if you can eat all you want! but seriously, I do want to be sure I am getting enough food for my needs. now is not a time to be skimping on calories. on the other hand, I am certainly not "eating for two."
- I will be making a rule about the amount of fruits/veggies I am eating. I don't have any problems with whole grains or dairy or protein, so I don't need a rule for that.


meanwhile, today is day 17 which is "end overeating." this is a day where you think about how you can stop yourself from 1) eating more of a particular thing than you had planned AND 2) eating more of something even though your stomach is FULL.

the exercise is to scoop out a double serving of whatever it is that you plan to eat. and only eat half of it. leave the other half on the plate. I don't actually think that this particular exercise will accomplish the above two goals for me. (I never go out to eat so I am never given a huge serving on my plate, for example) I will do the exercise, though. just to see if it helps at all. I am not saying I don't have to WORK on the above two items... I do. just saying this particular method probably won't help. what I need to do instead is to just really pay attention to whether or not I am still hungry. I need to learn to stop when I am full. easy to say but not easy to do of course.

ok, so how is that for a NOVEL. that is what happens when we can't chit chat throughout the day I guess.

I am going on a walk shortly (already did my arm weights). while I am out I am going to further think about my new NO CHOICE response card. I will also think about the whole plan in general and give myself credit for all the stuff I have learned. I need a little pep talk here, so I am going to give myself one!!

[newtricks]

I am kind of still kind of "in the flow" meaning I'm following all the rules to date (I'm thrilled with that) but not going forward with steps because I'm adjusting to ww and planning my meals. But really, just thrilled with eating mindfully, sitting down, tolerating hunger, etc.

Val - wow so much good stuff (meaning good to think about, I know it's not fun!) in your post. It almost sounds like planning your food and writing it down caused you to then crave/desire it. Were you conscious of your thoughts? I only ask because it threw you off your groove so much that it might be worth exploring. And it's interesting that today, even though you've eaten less, you feel more satisfied. I don't think you're copping out though, you've given this a lot of thought and any kind of restriction when you're pg is very difficult!

Now, back to me :D but actually apropos to your post as well. I actually find the "No Choice" concept pretty freeing. I've noticed that there is a lot less chatter in my head about things I would normally be eating and then feeling bad about. I went to this fundraiser Friday night. I couldn't exactly plan my menu but I figured lots of salad and a little bit of other stuff. NO appetizers , NO dessert. So instead of trying to eat just a little chips and guacamole and yummy bar cookies (because really, who are we kidding there?) It was just a short little "nope" in my head. And my friend kind of pushed the desserts on me and still no. Really, I was very happy the next day.

I actually had a non-distorted thought pop into my head! I was trying to figure out some meals and stay in points and muttering to myself a little "this is haaard" And spontaneously I thought "so is being overweight" !! I mean true, isn't it? If I add up all the times I feel bad about it during the day, it must be worse than resisting food, planning meals, etc. But truly, had never put that together.

Gina - you asked me about a response card for stressful times so here's what I wrote down in full

It is even more important to stay on track during stressful times because:
- Doing well and sticking to the program is one area of control and accomplishment when other things are tough.
- going off plan will not make things less stressful and will not be comforting.
- It will be much harder to get back on track when my emotional energy is low due to the stress.

Stephanie - I was looking at the 3 month journal too. I've just been writing in a notebook but I like to check things off darn it! And I think it's easier to keep track of your bonus points, exercise points, etc. The i-pod is a great reward!

Ellyn - I'm sorry your first day made you feel bad. This is a great place to spill it though. Most of us have probably had similar experiences.

[valchemist]

Were you conscious of your thoughts? I only ask because it threw you off your groove so much that it might be worth exploring...

Now, back to me :D but actually apropos to your post as well. I actually find the "No Choice" concept pretty freeing. I've noticed that there is a lot less chatter in my head about things I would normally be eating and then feeling bad about.

I don't think I was conscious of what was going on. I don't think it was that I was craving the next thing on the list. I think I felt trapped by the plan and I panicked and thought I kept needing the next thing. don't ask me! it is weird.

I was HOPING and actually thinking the pre-planned meals would work for me as they have for you. that is great! that is how it is supposed to be. my head is just messed up. I think I could have figured out the preplanned meals at some point, but I decided to go this route, taking advantage of the "excuse."

happy to report that I finished the day totally on plan. I also was able to do the "eat half" exercise with no problem. still, I have to work on being able to stop eating when I am FULL. that is tomorrow's exercise (day 18, change your definition of full). but again, the task she asks you to do isn't going to benefit me, personally. you have to ask yourself, after you have eaten, "would I be able to go on a brisk walk now?" if so, you probably haven't eaten to the point of overfullness. I don't think this is necessarily so in my case. I can pick up and go for a brisk walk no matter how full I am! but again, I do still have to work on my definition of full... I have to eat til I am JUST full. that is hard. she gives reasons why people eat beyond the point of fullness and all of the reasons apply to me. oops!

[gertdog]

maybe it was having all the food written out like that staring me in the face that was giving me problems. like, I always was moving on to the next thing on the list even if it wasn't TIME to eat it. I mean, I saw it there on the list so it was calling my name. or something odd like that.[/i]

Val, thanks for sharing your thoughts about this. You know, I experienced the exact same thing when I was following WW a few years ago- I'd look at my meal plan for the day and say to myself, okay, I planned to eat a bean and cheese burrito for lunch, and I think I'll eat it now. And it would be, like, 11 AM and then I'd eat my planned afternoon snack at lunchtime and there I'd be at noon, with no points left to spend until dinner at 7 or 8. Maybe the hunger tolerance exercise will help me avoid that pitfall this time around.

Also- I don't think you're copping out. I don't think Dr. Beck's plan is meant to be totally inflexible- I assume if you were working with a therapist one-on-one, you'd be coming up with strategies that work for you. I mean, that's the goal in the end, right? A plan for managing food and behavior that is healthy and effective. If your strategy ends up working for you, it can only be a good thing.

It's interesting to read about your experience and Barbara's experience with NO CHOICE. In the past on WW, I've always known exactly what I was having for lunch and dinner, but have always left breakfast and snacks open, as long as they stay within my remaining WW points. I have a list of breakfast combinations and how many points they have (personalized for me- so, for example, a light english muffin w/ veggie sausage patty, 1/2 oz. cheese and salsa is 4 (?) pts.) I always felt it was important for me to be able to make some choices each day in order to feel satisfied- so I'll have to think about how to handle it when I get to that point.

Day 11 here- tracking hunger, desire and cravings. But right now I'm headed out for my first walk!!

[newtricks]

Ok, am I being a weenie? I forgot how time consuming ww can be and how much you think about food. It's fine. I just had to put that out there! Once I figure out points for the things I eat a lot it will go more quickly. I do love the recipe builder function. I just entered a couple of my dinner recipes for the week and got the points. so that's good.

Stephanie - I plan my food for the day in the morning. So I feel a little more like I'm eating what I'm in the mood for. Right now I'm eating the same bkfst every day though because actually too much thinking about what I'm in the mood for gets me in trouble! I do think the hunger tolerance thing will help with the eating ahead. Tolerating hunger is another thing that is really rocking my world. Now that I don't use hunger as a reason to eat (within limits of course) I eat so much less. But then I'm starved when I do sit down so it's pretty important to have a planned meal to look forward to and think about. Rather than thinking about what's in the fridge and what I could put together and what I'm in the mood for.

I'm surprised that I'm doing ok with the planned meals and all the restrictions because one of my problems with my thinking and eating is that I was restricted as a kid. So I would expect to be chafing a bit. Maybe at 45 I'm ready to move beyond the thinking I developed as a child?:rolleyes:

Val - I know I'm repeating myself but I could *never* have tolerated hunger when I was pg. It just made me nauseous. I agree with Stephanie, we're all going to personalize this a little.

Susan - How are you liking the book? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

[emilyn]

I'm finding it a little difficult to keep up with the thread, lots of stuff to think about here.

So far I like planning out ahead of time as it is something I haven't really done before. Yesterday, DF wanted to order takeout Italian for lunch, I didn't even think about it, I just said no, I'm not interested and I ate what I had in my plan. If I had thought about it maybe I would have caved and then tried to adjust the rest of the day and probably been unsuccessful. So there's one example where it helped. It's also helping me to see where I need to get in my healthy guidelines for ww, such as servings of fruits/veggies, dairy etc. (I need to work in more veggies at lunch) I'm allowing myself to swap out for even valued options, say I write apple and I want grapes, fine. I'm trying not to stray when they aren't of the same group of something I feel I need to get in, say a granola bar instead of a glass of milk is something I shouldn't swap. Well, it's a process.

[emilyn]

I'm bumping us back up, How is everyone doing?

I don't have much to say because I haven't made the time to read and figure out my next exercise. I'm supposed to be around day 18, changing my definition of full but I need to reread it. Exercise is going pretty well, eating is going pretty well. Like I said, I'm making some swaps in the plan here and there but for the most part doing well. I'm remembering to eat slowly and mindfully, I think that is my favorite thing, it's very simple but it really does help with feeling more satisfied. I was reading something in Women's Health magazine about how it takes 20 minutes to relize you're full but you shouldn't linger too long over a meal or you'll just eat too much. They said the optimum time was 29 minutes. :rolleyes:

[gertdog]

Emilyn, I agree- eating sitting down, and eating slowly/mindfully, are definitely great things for me to be learning and practicing.

I'm doing well with eating, and have gotten my first two days of exercise in. Yesterday I was supposed to be monitoring my hunger before, during and after meals, but I kept forgetting until I was halfway through a meal. So, I'm doing that task again today. Tomorrow is supposed to be hunger tolerance, but I think I'll swap that with the following task- tomorrow I have a lunch meeting. So I'll skip lunch on Thursday. And what was my first thought about skipping lunch? "Ooh, I'd better have a HUGE breakfast!" :rolleyes: I guess that's not the point, huh?

[srahndennis]

Ok, am I being a weenie? I forgot how time consuming ww can be and how much you think about food. It's fine. I just had to put that out there! Once I figure out points for the things I eat a lot it will go more quickly. I do love the recipe builder function. I just entered a couple of my dinner recipes for the week and got the points. so that's good.


I just had to comment on your observation about tracking. I know I do better when I write everything down but I find myself obsessing. I'm constantly thinking about what I ate or what I'm going to eat. It makes me crazy and stressed out.

[newtricks]

Tomorrow is my first weigh in at WW. So I read day 21 which is Get Ready to Weigh In. I am nervous that I'll be disappointed or that I'll get frustrated with my older metabolism. OK, that's out there.

I am very proud of how I've been eating. Still writing things down, still eating sitting down, etc. And I've been good -though not great - at working out (I consider 5/6 workouts a week to be great). I also enjoy the "spontaneous exercise" concept. I've been walking to dd's preschool and the Y and taking lots of trips up and down my stairs. Seriously, from the laundry room to the boys' room is 3 flights. I stayed on plan all week with a little indian food splurge on Sunday. When I say splurge I don't mean I ate everything in sight and 3 platefuls - I just don't think indian can be anything but a splurge right now. But even if that took a bunch of my 35 extra points I still didn't eat any exercise points.

All of the above is amazing. I have never done this well, so easily on any diet. Then there's the little voice right after I wrote this that's expecting me to fall off the wagon :( . I'm ignoring it right now.:) I'm sure there's a day for dealing with that somewhere down the line.

Emily - It sounds like you are doing really well - are you giving yourself credit?

Stephanie - I never did the hunger tolerance exercise :eek: . I get pretty hungry most days so I have to practice hunger tolerance every single day! Not complaining, I feel pretty good about it. I'll just tell myself "this is when you would grab X, isn't it great you're not eating those calories?" or something to that effect but less geeky I hope.

Stacy - I find I have to put myself in a food rut to keep from getting crazy. So it ends up just being dinner that I really have to figure out points for. But I'm still in the process of figuring out (remembering) what a good bkfst / lunch/ snack combo is.

[newtricks]

I forgot to ask:

Stephanie - How was brunch with Jessica? She seems like a very nice person.:)

[valchemist]

I am chugging along here. still on plan and feeling great! I am not doing the internal talk/giving credit as much as I should be... I don't have the conversations that barbara has for example. I only remember to give credit when I am checking things off or writing things down, for example.

I just put a triple lemon layer cake into the oven. I will freeze the layers so I can pull it out to fill and frost on mother's day for my mom. I will splurge and eat it, too. even though someone on this thread said you can't do that -- something to the effect of cakes and double bacon cheeseburgers are now verboten for life. well, perhaps for some people. but I know that I can do it!! that is the confidence that this plan gives me.

[gertdog]

I just put a triple lemon layer cake into the oven. I will freeze the layers so I can pull it out to fill and frost on mother's day for my mom. I will splurge and eat it, too. even though someone on this thread said you can't do that -- something to the effect of cakes and double bacon cheeseburgers are now verboten for life. well, perhaps for some people. but I know that I can do it!! that is the confidence that this plan gives me.

I hear you! Last night I wanted to make a nice dinner for DH and me- he had a long weekend with DS and I wanted us to be able to relax together. I made a favorite pasta dish, a caprese salad, and baked some bread. The smell of the bread baking was SO hard to bear! But I told myself beforehand that I could have one small slice warm out of the oven, SITTING DOWN (so that I wouldn't stand there picking at the loaf), and one more slice with dinner. And that's what I did. Any lifetime plan that works for me will have to be able to accommodate my love of cooking and baking- I just have to learn the difference between occasional indulgences and daily overindulgence.

Barbara, brunch with Jessica was lovely. We were joined by Kismet (Suzy) so I got to meet two BBers. They are both really enjoyable people- friendly, bubbly and fun. And the brunch place that Jessica picked was really good too. I ended up bringing my husband a jar of their homemade peanut butter- it was delicious.

[valchemist]

Just checking in...

yesterday was day 19 (stop fooling yourself) and today is day 20 (get back on track). both sections have concepts I have heard about/read before. but it is good to keep them in mind. the get back on track concept is a particularly important one, I think. I know we have all been there... I ate a chocolate chip cookie, so I might as well blow the rest of the day and start fresh tomorrow. what a joke. that makes no sense whatsoever. but we still do stuff like that.

I made response cards for both days. I will read them daily and especially if I need them... like after my lemon cake.

the "diet" is going well overall and I haven't missed a day of exercise since I started.

[Sarah45]

You guys are great inspiration :D I'm picking up my copy at the library today but with guests coming in for the weekend I don't know if I will get to it before Monday. I'm really going to try though.

I really hope that I respond to the book like you guys have, it would be great for my ego to take a few steps forward instead of always stepping back :)

Thanks for your posts!

[newtricks]

Any lifetime plan that works for me will have to be able to accommodate my love of cooking and baking- I just have to learn the difference between occasional indulgences and daily overindulgence.

This is so true! Val, I am not planning on cutting out anything forever but the amount and frequency of my indulgences will go down. Acknowledging those things as special treats that you take time for and enjoy (like your cake and Stephanie's bread) instead of eating mindlessly is the key I think. Of course I may develop distorted thinking like "well, I'm sitting down so it doesn't count" ;)

I weighed in today and I'm... Down 4.5 pounds! I'm happy, still overwhelmed with things but happy about that.:)

[eas11]

I have been sick the past 2 days with a GI virus, so needless to say, my attention to food has been a bit "off". Although my gut is feeling a bit better today, I still have a headache and fever and less appetite. I started the slow and mindful eating step yesterday morning and this virus sure helped me do that :mad: I'll not move ahead until I'm better and have a normal day of eating.

Since I'm home and have time to post, I wanted to share what I *did not* eat on Monday, which was the eating only while sitting exercise. Here were my opportunities to eat that I was mindfully aware were not an option as I was standing!
- Tasting fruit while cutting up in the a.m.
- Eating @ a meeting. There was fruit, bagels, spreads, cookies. I took a plate with fruit but held on to it until I sat down again. I was really mindful of how much others were (and I would have been) eating during the break, just standing around the food table.
-Stopped at TJ's. Passed up the demo of veggie corn dogs.
- Friends house, helping her setting up for a game night. We put out: hummus, spinach dip, cheeses w crackers, choc covered raisins, truffles, popcorn, grapes. As she was munching away, standing at the counter we put all the food on, I shared my step with her after her encouragement to try things. During the game, I ate my plate with grapes, crackers and cheese at the table. Yay for me :)


Jump in Sarah! I do hope you find this approach positive as well.

[cindy47031]

Eas11, sorry to hear of your virus. Hope you are feeling better.

I'm still lurking on this thread mostly, but wanted to share with you all a thought I had over the weekend.

I was noticing how well my DOG thinks like a thin person. She eats only as much as she needs and naturally maintains a healthy weight. She seems very mindful as she eats. Picks up a mouthful, drops it on the floor, then eats it one kibble at a time, and repeats. When she offered a special treat (like a piece of cheese or bacon) she treats it as a true celebration. Of course, she doesn't have to deal with the temptation of having too many pieces, that's my job to do for her. But in her daily meals, she follows this plan quite well, I think, often leaving food in her bowl. (Although she doesn't eat sitting down ;) )

So I am learning from you all, and from Peanut. Maybe if I just had a scientifically engineered meal that I could eat twice a day and have someone else measure out my snacks, I could be as healthy as my dog! Until then, I will keep doing my best every day, and following your inspirational success stories. After we move and I settle into my new life next month, I think I will get this book and read it.

Thanks for this thread! It's fun!

[Sarah45]

Well I got the book yesterday and began to read.

I think that one thing I need to overcome is the feeling tha they aren't talking to me. I found that the thoughts of how it didn't apply to me ("I'm not an emotional eater", "I don't have a problem leaving food on my plate", etc.) were crowding out what I was reading. Like the eating mindfully tip, I will need to read this book mindfully and really absorb what she's saying. While I may not be an "emotional eater", there is a reason that I have not been able to lose the 25 pounds I want to and this book may very well be the key to it.

And that, ladies, is Sarah's first lesson in her journey :)

[valchemist]

ellyn, sounds like you really were put to the test a few times and you resisted. good for you.

thanks for your thoughts, cindy. if only we were wired like dogs in the eating department.

looking forward to hearing more from you, sarah. I admit to wondering in my head and now out loud... if you don't eat emotionally (ie at times when you aren't hungry) and if you don't overeat, then what other problems could there be? I am sure I am just overlooking something obvious. anyway, those are two of my huge problems so I guess when I see someone without them, my interest is piqued.

I am doing day 21 (get ready to weigh) and day 22 (say "oh well" to disappointment) today. The day 21 concepts don't much apply to me now since I am not trying to lose weight which is why I am doing two days. (of course I will come back and review it when I am trying to lose the baby weight). saying "oh well" to disappointment isn't much different than the "no choice" section, in my view. but it does give a different take on it. and I like the thought that once you accept that you will have to be disappointed now and then, it make it easier. that is, rather than wallow in your disappointment, just say "oh well" and move on.

speaking of the weighing, I am actually down a pound or so (without trying). at this point in my other pregnancies I would have already gained around 4 pounds I think. That is because in the past I had just eaten what I pleased while pregnant. that really isn't the greatest idea! I am feeling much better eating mindfully and healthfully this time around. despite having lost a pound, I am actually starting to pooch out. this is very early! I know you pooch out earlier after you have gone through one pregnancy, but with pregnancy #2, I didn't start pooching til about 3-4 weeks later than now.

[Sarah45]

looking forward to hearing more from you, sarah. I admit to wondering in my head and now out loud... if you don't eat emotionally (ie at times when you aren't hungry) and if you don't overeat, then what other problems could there be? I am sure I am just overlooking something obvious. anyway, those are two of my huge problems so I guess when I see someone without them, my interest is piqued.

I won't say that I don't overeat, I obviously do - and with certain foods, all bets are off (pizza, great bread, just to name a couple). And herein lies what I think is part of my problem: I don't identify with being an overeater and so when I was reading, this little voice in my head was tellling me that I wasn't one and that part didn't apply to me. Just because I have no problem leaving food on my plate, and can turn down dessert, it does not mean that I didn't overeat when I ate a half pound of cheese while preparing dinner :o

[srahndennis]

Well I got the book yesterday and began to read.

I think that one thing I need to overcome is the feeling tha they aren't talking to me. I found that the thoughts of how it didn't apply to me ("I'm not an emotional eater", "I don't have a problem leaving food on my plate", etc.) were crowding out what I was reading. Like the eating mindfully tip, I will need to read this book mindfully and really absorb what she's saying. While I may not be an "emotional eater", there is a reason that I have not been able to lose the 25 pounds I want to and this book may very well be the key to it.

And that, ladies, is Sarah's first lesson in her journey :)

I started reading yesterday, too. Truth be told I've had the book for about a week and other than a quick glance, I haven't looked at. I think I was hiding from it!! :eek:

I was surprised at how much of myself I've seen in the book. And although I haven't read very far, it has had some effect already. I hear myself thinking, "No, don't eat that - it's not on your plan for today." A long way to go but it's a good start!

[southernff]

I'm just checking in. I'm such a doof! I don't know much about forums, so I was going back to the old one. I was the last post on there, I thought I might have scared everyone away!

It's great to see everyone's enthusiasm about BDS. I am was having a hard time completing a task every day. I was kind of getting stressed out. I finally decided that it didn't take me six weeks to develop the behavior (try 33 years) so it might take more than 6 weeks to change it. I don't move on to the next task until I I have the current one stuck in my brain. Since I have been blogging about it, I consider my blog post as my sign that I have thought about each task enough to write about it and then I move on.

I think there are a couple of reasons that it is set up in a time table.
1. people want to know how long it will take to be "cured" (more of marketing strategy)
2. people that have issues with food and exercise and making themselves do things need a time table to force them to do things. I guess if Dr. Beck said to do the next task when you feel like it, a lot of us might not do it.

thoughts?

http://southernfriedfatty.wordpress.com/

[valchemist]

I think that is a great point. you are right that it is probably given this neat and tidy timetable for people who are really anxious to zip through and make it to "THE END."

I admit to zipping through a task (or more) a day. but I will also admit that some of those things aren't firm in my mind and ways. I think it is great the way you are taking your time with each step. I think when I am done with the book, I may go back to the start and redo many/most of the days. (except ones like: choose a diet coach or whatever) I think that will really help me to stay focused and remember things and work on the tasks that never really gelled with me.

[newtricks]

I am back to working on the steps. Feeling very good about things with the loss. I have been so pleased with how very different this go round has been. It's definitely the idea that it's just my thoughts (not weakness, not some deep psychological issue, not a lack of willpower) that leads me to eating.

Day 19 is such a good example of this. she lists out all these excuses:
It's not a whole piece
I'll eat it only this one time
It's not that fattening
I'll make up for it by eating less later
It won't matter
I paid for it
It'll go to waste
I'm celebrating
yadda yadda (these are about half of them)

These are the kinds of thoughts that flit through my mind so often I don't even notice them and when I do they're so easy to ignore.

Sarah- to your point I don't see myself in *all* of these by any means. I, like you, don't have that clean-plate mentality for example. But I do see myself in some of them. And now I watch myself for my own. For example after my weigh-in yesterday something made me think along the lines of "well, I'm losing weight, so I can add some food in":eek: :confused: But this is a path I've gone down many times before, sort of adding food in until after a few weeks I'm no longer even dieting! So I ignored myself ;)

Another thing I've noticed is that when I'm in a "party" atmosphere but particularly at women's parties (I go to 2 bookgroups, bunko, and nursery school board meetings) with lots of snacks, I'll start eating and then tell myself "I can't resist" but also "I'm the fat one, I'm eating the most":( But I'm happy to report that I've been to a few of these events in the past 3 weeks and have *never* gone off plan. It feels good! Very good.

Val - you're going to be one of those cute "all-baby" pg women. I'm glad you're feeling so good. If I've said it once I've said it a 100 times you've got my full admiration!

Ellyn - those "game night" things are exactly what I was talking about before. I find it an immense relief when I pass up those overeating opportunities. And great job on hooking another "Beckie";) .

Cindy - You're so right. When my kids were little and other moms would talk about trying to get their kids to eat more than they wanted I would think sheesh, they're animals they know what they're doing! don't make them lose touch with their bodies.

SFF - you must change your name! You can't talk so meanly about yourself:) I agree that doing each task for a day gets a little overwhelming but it's a good structure for the book in the way that everything builds on itself. I was doing a step a day until the actual dieting started. then I had to go back and figure out the time and energy thing. And to Val's point this is a book that I see myself going back to for refreshers over and over.

[eas11]

...looking forward to hearing more from you, sarah. I admit to wondering in my head and now out loud... if you don't eat emotionally (ie at times when you aren't hungry)...

It was on TV recently that I heard someone describe this in a way that spoke to me! She said something to the effect of "I'm not an emotional eater, but I'm emotional about food".
That's close to how I perceive my feelings towards food! I may not generally "self medicate" with food when stressed, angry, sad, etc... but I sure am emotional about food! An example: today I walked in to Whole Foods, and boy- seeing all the beautifully displayed veggies and fruit- I'm always struck at how affected I am by the burst of colors, shapes, smells. I believe a result is that I give in to those emotions and often overbuy. Reading cookbooks like novels I think is another sign of being emotional about food :) Not suggesting here that the hobby is bad, but it can lead to some poor responses (behaviors) for some (me!)

Barbara, nah- my game buddy can, and does, eat standing up and any other way without consequence of weight gain. That's all the more dangerous of a situation for those of us who can't. Monitoring our intake while others...don't!
That can lead me to some really negative "poor me" thinking. Happily, this buddy is very supportive and was glad to hear about it. She knows how much I *HATE* to exercise and has offered to walk/workout with me.

Otherwise, well, I'm still nursing my funky tummy, better but still not right. Stopped at WF as mentioned above, to get more broth, a few bananas and potatoes. Gotta love the BRAT diet :( I hope I'll be eating more typically by tomorrow and moving ahead with steps.

[gertdog]

Yesterday and today went pretty well for me- yesterday I was in Ithaca for meetings and slipped out to get lunch at Wegmans- the store in Ithaca has a salad bar that I love called "Wings of Life"- it's unique to Ithaca. Anyway- walking through the prepared foods section was a good lesson in hunger, desire and cravings. Everything always looks good there! I stuck to my plan though- had the salad and a bottled water.

Today was Hunger Tolerance. Or it was supposed to be. I ate breakfast and thought "okay, I can do this, I'm skipping lunch." Fast forward to 12:15 PM; Ryan is sleeping and I look up from work and think "Oh, I'd better have lunch before he wakes up so I can sit down while I eat!" I go to the kitchen and put my lunch together- it's not until I'm halfway through eating it that it occurs to me I'm not supposed to be eating it at all! Oops. :o So, I decided that I just wouldn't eat again until dinner, which we eat around 8:00. Normally I'd have a substantial snack around 4:00, but today I didn't, so it was 8 hours between meals. And I *was* hungry, but I waited until dinner and felt pretty pleased about that. I'm going to count that as my hunger tolerance day.

I've been doing my walking but got some blisters today!

Re: seeing myself in the examples in the book- there was one toward the very beginning that made me laugh because it was so very "me":

"I know I shouldn't eat this, but I don't care." The whole "I don't care" mental response is how I sort of collapse in the face of stress. It's too much work to reason with myself, so I just say "I don't care" and eat whatever's in front of me.

Tomorrow I'm going to North Carolina for work- home again Saturday night and then I get to STAY home for a while! Yay!

[emilyn]

It's taking me more than a day on some of the steps too, sometimes because I'm not taking the time to read and process and others because it just takes longer to get it. I'm also finding that some of them don't feel relevant, like the step on cravings. I'm feeling strong right now so I haven't really practiced it, yet I know it will be key for me because I do tend to get really strong cravings or desires at times.

Last night we ate out, I planned what I was going to have but I did overeat a little. Yet, when we left I felt like I could take a brisk walk so I don't think that definition really works. I would really have to stuff myself to feel like I couldn't walk. Anyway, the victories, I did not touch the bread. I had just a little oil and a lot of vinegar on my salad. I left some of my steak on my plate which will be lunch today but not quite as much as I planned. I cut it in half as soon as it came but I did pick a little extra off after I finished what I planned. Another victory, we went to the movies and I didn't have any snacks there and I didn't panic because we'd be eating later than usual and stuff myself before we got there. Yes I was hungry at first but it did go away which I learned on the hunger tolerance day.

So I'm down .8 pounds this week, I wish it was more for the amount of effort I put in this week but it's headed in the right direction and I'm feeling good.

[boisewinesnob]

Hi guys. I didn't read every post on this new thead, but I just got the book from the library a couple days ago. I'm still in the beginning chapters and hope to get into day one today.

In the meantime I wrote down absolutely everything I ate yesterday and I did very well! Probably did not eat enough fiber/green vegetables, but at least I kept my calories in the range I want them to be. And DH and I walked both last night and the night before. Last night we walked around our neighborhood which has a really LONG steep-ish hill and the night before we went to the high school track and did 4 laps (a mile).

Since I'm not working I really should go out and walk during the day while the kids are in school and then go again at night with DH.

[gertdog]

Hey all you "Beckies", where are you? :D Out enjoying a lovely weekend, I hope!

I got back from North Carolina last night- pleased to say I ate well and exercised too! Okay, I'll admit I *had* to exercise- the workshop I was observing this time included a 2 mile nature hike, and I kinda had to hike in order to observe. It was quite nice.

Today is Day 14 for me- Plan for Tomorrow. Tomorrow I start WW, I have my dinner menus planned for the week and will plan breakfast lunch and snacks each evening for the following day. This week I really do need to plan- my parents are coming for a 5 day visit en route to a vacation elsewhere and we'll be eating out a few times. Luckily they like good food but are not overindulgers at all so I don't think I'll feel too pressured or tempted.

Suzy, how's the reading going? I think taking a couple of walks a day is a great idea.

[boisewinesnob]

Hi Stephanie :)

Sounds like you're doing great on planning. That was always a tough one for me, but now that I'm not working until July I should have lots of time to plan and no excuses!

I'm on day two pick a plan and back-up. I'm actually just going to count calories and my back up will be South Beach. I've lost weight successfully in the past on WW, SB and plain old counting calories. Since I will have no income for the next month and a half, I figured now would NOT be the time to pay for WW (I still have my old materials from them). I'm tracking everything on fitday so I can see if I'm low on protein or fiber or over in other categories.
For the day one thing I wrote out a card with my reasons for wanting to lose weight. Yikes. One reason was "I don't want to embarrass my kids" which I didn't think of until after I looked through her list. I wrote it right at the top; I grew up a thin kid and having overweight parents was embarrassing. How did I manage to forget that? :o

I didn't do really well yesterday b/c we went to my inlaws to give MIL her gift and of course she had some tiramisu that was really yummy. I took a VERY small piece (probably like 1/3 cup total) and never went back for more even though she had a huge amount of it.
Today wasn't super great either but I'm at least stopping myself from eating to the point of overly full. And I'm drinking more water.
Walking stalled for a day because with my change in eating I've had a change in um, ahem, bathroom activity. But I plan to go walking tonight :)

[valchemist]

glad to have you here, suzy! only 1/3 cup serving of tiramisu?? that is restraint!! and if your plan is just to count calories (that's my plan, too) then surely a 1/3 cup serving of tiramisu can fit into your day. I have done WW and SBD in the past, too. counting calories isn't ideal, but it is what works for me now.

stephanie, sounds like you are doing great. good luck starting the diet. you sound ready.

as for me, I am in that kind of "funky" feeling time of pregnancy. not morning sickness (yet), but just not feeling quite right... tired and cruddy, but not too bad. and having some eating "issues." like -- don't want THIS, do want THAT. also having some pregnant "starving" moments. I hate using all this for an excuse, but it is real and I have to deal with it. I am going to allow myself to loosen up a BIT during this funky time. I do want to try to stay fairly close to my plan because it will make it easier to get back on track once this cruddy feeling goes. so I am going to still do the eating sitting down along with a few other rules I have made for myself.

today is Day 23 (counter the unfairness syndrome). I have never really had a feeling that dieting is unfair, so this doesn't really apply to me. but I am going to pay attention to it today, just in case. (maybe I have felt it but just don't realize it? not sure)

[newtricks]

I'm here too. The last few steps have been ones that I'll probably need to go back to at some point but right now I'm doing ok. They are Counter the Unfairness Syndrome and Dealing with Disappointment. I'm just really feeling good and strong right now. I'm totally fine with not eating what I shouldn't eat. Believe me I find this totally bizarre!

I've never been able to make the connection *in the moment* between what I put in my mouth and my weight. I usually make it about five minutes later :o but not right then. Now that I have it's totally worth it to me to skip dessert, bread, extra calories, etc. or be hungry for an hour or so before dinner. So I'm not disappointed or upset. I also tell myself that those things are always going to be there, when I get to goal I can figure out how to work them in.

Yesterday should have been very challenging. Dh, the kids and I had brunch - a big buffet one - and then I went to dinner with my parents and siblings. At the end of the day I had eaten my daily points plus one of the weekly. One extra!!:D At brunch I ate a lot of salad and shrimp and had a virgin mary. At dinner I had gazpacho and a taco salad - but it wasn't one of those crazy ones. It was a salad with vegetarian chili on top and I didn't eat the chips.

Today is day 25 Identify Sabotaging Thoughts: "Eating doesn't happen automatically. Before you take thhat first bite of something you didn't plan to eat, you almost always have a thought or a series of thoughts. Once you identify and respond to those thoughts, you'll be better able to control your eating."

I realized right away that my biggest one was any variation of "I can't resist that". I immediately give away my power and give myself permission to eat when actually I really can resist things. And the worst thing is a) I think it so quickly, I don't even argue with myself and b) it reinforces a negative image that I have of myself, that I can't do things that other people can.

I think I also mentioned that as soon as I weighed in and had lost weight I started having these "go ahead, you're losing weight obviously you can afford to eat that":confused: That one has been the death of many a good dieting effort.

There's also a weird twisted one having to do with my identity as "the fat one". I don't quite have that one figured out. But it should have kicked in last night when I was with my mom and sisters. It didn't. :)

[emilyn]

Barbara, it sounds like you're doing great. I can identify with the feeling strong right now but thinking I'll need to go back and review some of the steps.

Val, your situation is unique, it doesn't seem like excuses to me. You need to listen to your body and do what you need to do (and it sounds like you are) so give yourself credit for that.

I didn't do really well yesterday b/c we went to my inlaws to give MIL her gift and of course she had some tiramisu that was really yummy. I took a VERY small piece (probably like 1/3 cup total) and never went back for more even though she had a huge amount of it.

On the contrary, it sounds like you did VERY WELL!

Stephanie, good luck with eating out. It helps to have that plan in place.

I feel like I'm doing pretty well still. Last night I had dessert and started feeling like I wanted to go back for seconds even though I wasn't hungry and didn't have the points for it so I went and called my mom and after that I no longer felt that urge. Today I ate some unplanned chocolate but it was totally satisfying and worth it and I adjusted the rest of my day to account for it so that's ok in my book.

[boisewinesnob]

Just to clarify re: tiramisu. I admit that I did well in that instance, but the rest of the day was not all that great so the tiramisu just added to it. :o

[TKay]

Hi all -
I am finally back. I have been really busy with family stuff and not checking in with you guys. Plus, my book didn't arrive at the library until this weekend, so I'm far behind most of you. I'm sorry to say I couldn't keep up with all the postings, so forgive me if I've missed something and ask a question that's already been answered.
Anyway, I started the book and love it. It makes so much sense. To tell you the truth, it's been kind of a relief to read it. As in, you mean I don't have to feel like food has this power over me for the rest of my life? Whew! It's really nice. At the same time, I am a bit nervous about not having food as a crutch. I know I will get through it. It has been really nice to remind myself that my cravings will pass. Or that I can resist something. I feel empowered by that even if I haven't been practicing it all the time. :rolleyes:
Okay, I've written my ARC and chosen my diets. Well, diet. I picked the Zone since I have had great success with that one in the past. It seems to be something I can make a way of life as opposed to a "diet" I am on. I didn't select a back up (which I suppose I still should) because I know this is the one for me.
Today is the day I am to start eating sitting down. This has not been easy. You know what I'm finding so far? I am putting off my meals. I don't want to take the time to sit and not be getting anything done! I am such a task-master. The more things I can check off my to-do list, the better I feel about my day. I guess I'll have to put "take care of myself" and "eat sitting down" prominently on my to-do list. ;)
I do have a question. I didn't see (at least so far) that Beck recommends you weigh yourself. Is that just up for personal choice? I am wondering if I should weigh myself now and then again when I begin my diet in earnest? As a general rule, I try not to weigh myself at all. It just depresses me. But I am curious if I'll lose weight just by being mindful of my eating during this first few weeks. I can't imagine that I won't. I can feel myself already resisting food more. Oh, okay, I did have burgers and fries with my kids last night. AND candy for desert. But that's okay. I'll just get back on that horse.
Thanks for letting this late-comer join in. I'm really looking forward to changing some poor habits. Oh, one more thing. I realized today how I've set such a bad example for my kids in terms of food. They constantly zone out when they eat--either in front of the TV, with a video game or a book. If I can catch their poor habits now and turn them into good ones, what a gift I'll be giving them. :D

[southernff]

I think one of the best things about BDS the the two weeks of planning it takes before you start a new eating plan. Every other time I started a diet it would be out of desperation on a Monday morning, with no planning at all. I would try to go without as long as possible. This time I was looking forward to starting a new plan. Because of the tasks leading up to day 15, I did not feel the need to have one last calorie-fest on Sunday night. Common sense was winning over uncontrollable eating for once in my life.

[TKay]

I think one of the best things about BDS the the two weeks of planning it takes before you start a new eating plan. Every other time I started a diet it would be out of desperation on a Monday morning, with no planning at all. I would try to go without as long as possible. This time I was looking forward to starting a new plan. Because of the tasks leading up to day 15, I did not feel the need to have one last calorie-fest on Sunday night. Common sense was winning over uncontrollable eating for once in my life.

I would absolutely agree with you. The planning stage is also kind of surprising. Like, "Oh, I don't start depriving myself right away?" :rolleyes: I think it's probably why this approach to weight loss is more successful. You really do get yourself in the right frame of mind to do it. It's retraining your brain and your thought processes. Even though I have started my "diet", I feel better about my relationship with food already.

[gertdog]

TKay- glad you are finding the book inspiring so far! She first has you weigh in on Day 15, and then weekly thereafter.

[newtricks]

I think one of the best things about BDS the the two weeks of planning it takes before you start a new eating plan. Every other time I started a diet it would be out of desperation on a Monday morning, with no planning at all. I would try to go without as long as possible. This time I was looking forward to starting a new plan. Because of the tasks leading up to day 15, I did not feel the need to have one last calorie-fest on Sunday night. Common sense was winning over uncontrollable eating for once in my life.

Southernff and TKay - I know, I think it's really key. I forgot about the Sunday night calorie-fest that has always preceded WW! It's because I was in a positive frame of mind. During the two weeks leading up to WW I made major changes to my diet just by cutting out all the food I eat standing up and because I cut out a *lot* of snacking once I started "tolerating hunger". But I wasn't restricted in the ways I am now, and I got a lot of credit in if that makes sense. I could give myself credit for every change I made because I wasn't making those changes all at once.

Actually Boise, I was thinking about you and your tiramisu ;) :p . I wonder if you might be trying to put too much together at one time. If you follow the steps you honestly don't have to worry about eating dessert at this point. You can eat kind of whatever you want as long as you're learning and using the skills she's putting in place now. (I'm only saying this because you seem to be a little discouraged or hard on yourself or something. If that's just how it's coming across or I'm out of line just ignore me.:) )

Stephanie - good luck tomorrow. The journaling and planning and figuring out points, etc was a little bit of a schock to my system but I'm in a groove now. Oh, and the new WW Mexican cookbook has a pretty good vegetarian section. Let me know if you're interested, I can at least tell you what's in there.

Emily - Kudos to your mom that you don't head straight to dessert after talking to her! (I adore my mom, but the food issues....) But seriously, you did exactly what you're supposed to do. I guess that's strengthening the resistance muscle.

Val - I hope you're feeling better soon. I don't really have the unfairness thing either. Because at this point in my life people are either struggling like me or I know they really work at their weight. As Ms. Beck has confirmed for me. Seriously, when I started working out consistently a couple of years ago I realized how much all skinny these women I knew worked out. I sort of thought they were just lucky but nooooo.

[TKay]

TKay- glad you are finding the book inspiring so far! She first has you weigh in on Day 15, and then weekly thereafter.

Ahh, thank you. I haven't read ahead. Thanks for the welcome, you guys. I'm really excited about making these changes.

[TKay]

I'm just going to use this spot as sort of a journal of my progress since nobody else has posted today. I got through my first day of sitting-down-to-eat. It was okay during the day. But at night, my dh was doing homework and I found myself eating in front of the TV without even realizing it. I was like, "Pause the show, pause the show! I have to finish my meal without the TV on." I sort of cracked myself up, but I do realize how deep these habits lie. Tonight will be a test to not eat with the TV again since dh will not be home.
I did well reminding myself to tolerate the hunger, the urges and the cravings. I wasn't trying to be too hard on myself from a diet standpoint yet, but was just aware of my food desires. After dinner, I did have a big bowl of popcorn. Everyone else was having these candy bars from the little league candy drive. I was going to let myself have a square, but I just put it off to see if I could do it. I ended up putting it away without having any. I was proud of myself for that.
Today is the day I begin my positive self-talk. I've only skimmed the directions, but I'm going to go read that chapter now. Anyone else around?

[gertdog]

I'm here. Day 1 of WW went pretty well. I ate what I'd planned and nothing more, w/o feeling hungry, and today is going similarly well.

Actually, I did have a very small oops moment- I was warming up DS's dinner of gnocchi. I cut a very small piece of gnocchi to taste and see if it was too hot for him- that part was deliberate. What wasn't planned is how I automatically reached out a moment later and popped another piece into my mouth! Just a reminder of how ingrained some of these behaviors are for me, I guess!

[potato_moose]

I'll join you, tkay; I just bought the book today. I haven't even opened the book yet and I already have my first rule

--I will not read ahead in the book

You see I have a tendency to read books like this in a single gulp, and then I have nothing "new" to read to help keep me motivated. I want each lesson to be fresh in my mind as I practice it.

[slknight]

I'm here! I didn't quite start when I wanted to last week, but I'm no Day 5 at the moment. Wow! I had no idea how much I ate standing up. :o I'm working really hard on this one.Today is to eat slowly and mindfully and I'm not sure how well I've done that. Today's been one of those "bottomless pit" days where I've been starving all day. Oh well, I'll keep working on it.

A few questions for those who are further along than I am:

1) How many response cards do you have? She always talks about "Read Other Response Cards as Needed" and I'm never sure if I'm supposed to be making a card or not. :confused: I guess you make one if you're feeling like you're having trouble with a particular task? I have the Advantages one and one to give myself credit. That's it. Oops, just realized I'm supposed to have one for sitting down too.

2) How are you using your diet journal at the beginning? She doesn't really say except to mark down how you gave yourself credit. Are you writing out all your commitments in your diet journal? I haven't wanted to write them in the book itself because I don't like marking up books. :rolleyes:

3) Any ideas where to find a diet coach?

Thanks!

[TKay]

Gertdog, sounds like you're doing great. I'm glad WW is going well. Funny about the oops moment. I was telling dh last night, "If I just stopped eating a bit of ds's crust here, a piece of cheese for myself as I slice one for him there...I'd probably lose five pounds right there!" The mindless stuff really adds up.

Potato_moose, I'm with you! I am having a hard time not skimming ahead. But I'm determined to do this "by the book" so I really grasp it.

Slknight, I was wondering the same thing about the response cards today. I guess I need strict and firm directions: "Make a response card now." :D I also don't really have a diet journal yet. You'll have to rely on somebody else for your answers. As for the diet coach, I was thinking this board could be my coach, but I haven't really read that far, so I don't know if it will work. I'll be interested to see what everybody else does. I have only skinned much of the previous posts--I couldn't keep up!

Glad I'm not alone over here today.

[potato_moose]

Ok, so I read the first section up through Day 1. Gosh it was hard to stop there! I'm glad you know what I mean tkay.

These are my reasons for being thin:

To be healthy
To look good in a swimming suit
To be able to wear my pre-baby pants again
To like the way I look in a mirror, especially unclothed
So my thighs don't rub together when I wear shorts
I don't want to weigh 180 by the time I'm 40
So I can feel good about the accomplishment
People won't make fun of how much I eat
My husband can stop worrying about me "letting myself go"
I won't have to buy new clothes (about 10 Lbs of what I need to lose is baby weight)
I'll have more energy to play with my daughter
I'll generally have more stamina


When Dr. Beck said I needed to not only have all this on a response card, but also posted somewhere I would be sure to see it, my very first thought was, "What if someone I know (husband, neighbor, in-laws, extended family) reads it? I'll be so embarrassed!"

So I wrote another response card:

Wouldn't it be ok for you to be embarrassed that someone you know read your Advantages Response card, if it meant you were going to be thin?


Ok, task for the day is done. Time to do something else now--I do have a tendency to hyperfocus sometimes!

[newtricks]

I am weighing in tomorrow which means I've been doing this for 4 weeks. time flies. I wrote my accomplishments for the week in my WW journal. They were: 1. Ate within points and actually left 19 of my extra 35. 2. Exercised 5 days. 3. Followed my Beck rules (except for planning exactly what I'm going to eat) 4. Am still journalling everything I eat. Everything!

Tkay - I kind of wish I had weighed in when I started the book instead of waiting the 2 weeks because I don't know exactly how much I've lost but that's probably obsessive! On the other hand, I only weigh once a week, not daily. How's the self-talk going?

Stephanie - the kid's food is absolutely a killer. I made chicken pot pie (frozen) for the kids yesterday and I kept catching myself reaching for some of the crust. And realized I always eat quite a bit of crust :o . Not yesterday though.

Slknight - I have my "reasons" response card and one about exercise. I think as time goes on, if I backslide I'll do some more. I think we're supposed to do them for the things we're struggling with. This is my diet notebook now! I also have a WW journal for the food. And you guys are my coach :p .

Potatomoose - Welcome! I think it's a good idea to not get too far forward. Because I found myself feeling like I wasn't doing everything and then when I looked at it I was thinking about steps I wasn't supposed to be doing yet.:rolleyes:

[newtricks]

Today was weigh-in. And I lost 2.2 this week for a total of 6.6 since I started WW. So I met my 5 pound goal! I'm scheduling a massage for next week as my reward.

My next reward is a new pair of jeans - or more likely some new shorts since it's getting kind of warm for jeans.

I'm working on Recognize Thinking Mistakes right now. (Is anyone applying some of this to other parts of your life? Now when I'm feeling uncomfortable in a situation I wonder if I'm thinking about it in a distorted way)

Here are my Thinking Mistakes-

All or Nothing thinking. When I started doing this I wasn't exercising and part of that was that I thought I couldn't do it 4/5 days a week so.... I didn't go *at all*.
Negative Fortune Telling - I keep worrying that I'm going to fail in this attempt and fall back into old habits. There is an upcoming chapter about this and I actually got a little teary reading it.
Exaggerated Thinking - When I tell myself I can't resist something or that it's "addicting" I give myself permission to eat it. I haven't done this since I started but it's a big one for me.

Dh and I are taking clients out to dinner tonight. (For any Central Jerseyans out there we're going to Roots in Summit :eek:) I have to plan very rigidly for the red meat and the red wine. I guess that's what the 35 extra weekly points are for.

[TKay]

Barbara! You achieved your goal! That's fantastic. I'm so proud of you. It sounds like you are doing really great. I can't believe you had so many points leftover. You are on a roll. Great job. You are my inspiration for setting my initial goal. I've been thinking of you and your five-pound goal and it's keeping me reasonable with myself. I'm also going for five-pounds to start. So thanks!

Potato_moose, great list. I love how you talked to yourself about the embarrassment of people knowing what you're doing. I feel the same way. Somehow I want to keep it to myself. First, because I don't want anybody keeping tabs. And then secretly, because if I fail, I fail in public. It's almost like if someone knows, I'm sort of accountable to them. I heard a therapist say once, you're only as sick as your secrets. I'm trying not to let this be my secret project, but it's hard.

I struggle constantly with the kids' leftovers. Or the gooey crusts of the grilled cheese sandwiches I make them. But you know what? I've been tossing them out instead (and then giving myself credit for doing so). I gotta tell you, I think Beck is really onto something with this program. I am actually feeling GOOD for not eating the crusts (or the cookies or the cheese or the granola bar or...).

Last night, I was so proud of myself for sticking with the plan all day. I'm not officially in my diet mode yet, but I've been following the book: eating sitting down (which eliminates my in-between munching). I've also been doing the self-talk where I say, you know, I really want that, but I can live without it. After dinner, I really wanted some chocolate. I told myself to wait awhile and see if the desire went away. After a half-hour, I still wanted a nibble of it. So I let myself have it. I took a piece of candy bar and put the rest away. And I felt great! I felt like I was nice to myself by allowing it. But also GOOD to myself by not going overboard.

Today is eating mindfully and slowly. I can't tell you how hard it was to eat breakfast slowly, sitting alone at the dining table! I think this book is going to change the way my whole family relates to food. Because I'm the one who cooks and feeds the kids, I set the tone for our food situation. As this stuff becomes more ingrained in me, it can't help by leach over into my family's life.

Btw, my seven-year-old ds was reading my list of reasons for losing weight (although I told him it was my list for eating and being healthy). He was very intrigued. We got to talking about exercise as being an important part of life. I told him about endorphins and how they make you happy. He laid down on the floor in the kitchen and started doing sit ups. He goes, "I feel happy already!" :D

[emilyn]

A few questions for those who are further along than I am:

1) How many response cards do you have? She always talks about "Read Other Response Cards as Needed" and I'm never sure if I'm supposed to be making a card or not. :confused: I guess you make one if you're feeling like you're having trouble with a particular task? I have the Advantages one and one to give myself credit. That's it. Oops, just realized I'm supposed to have one for sitting down too.

2) How are you using your diet journal at the beginning? She doesn't really say except to mark down how you gave yourself credit. Are you writing out all your commitments in your diet journal? I haven't wanted to write them in the book itself because I don't like marking up books. :rolleyes:

3) Any ideas where to find a diet coach?

Thanks!

I'm not really using the response cards so much, I have the advantages one and a couple others but I find myself just writing things in my journal and that works better. I like being able to look back at things and I don't really like the index card system.

I used it as a feelings journal essentially and for giving myself credit etc. I'm still using it that way as I do my food journalling online.

A bunch of us chose to use this board/thread as our diet coach. If there isn't someone obvious for the job you could do that as well.

Congrats Barbara on reaching your first goal!!

potato_moose, I like your response card for dealing with the embarrassment of someone seeing your advantages. I too deal with that and I continue to keep things essentially a secret to those around me. I have a post it at work to remind myself to give myself credit and it's hidden behind my monitor, I can see it but others won't. :o Something to continue to work on I guess.

TKay-everytime you toss those leftovers you're strengthening your resistance muscle, keep it up!

[emilyn]

I'm finding myself struggling slightly. Yesterday I developed a craving/desire for an english muffin after dinner, instead I got out my advantages response card, read it over, and resisted. Today, I brought 2 granola bars and ate both before I would normally be ready for a snack just because they were there. I put them in my plan and I'm ok for points for the day but it's not a good behaviour. I'm also feeling the pull of not exercising today and I know I just need to say to myself that skipping it is not an option but old habits die hard. I guess I need to read those advantages again and not let my brain even consider not exercising today. Could someone come on here tonight or tomorrow and ask me if I exercised? :rolleyes:

[gertdog]

I Could someone come on here tonight or tomorrow and ask me if I exercised?

I'll ask bright and early tomorrow morning. :) I've often heard the advice that if you don't feel like exercising today, decide to go for only 10 minutes. If you want to stop after 10 minutes, fine. But most people, once they've gone to the trouble of getting dressed/getting to the gym/etc. are happy to continue. So, commit to 10 minutes and see what happens.

I too sometimes struggle with eating food just because it's on the plan or right there staring me in the face. What I try to do is, after a meal or snack, glance at the clock and tell myself that I'm not having the next item on the food plan until x o'clock. Having that specific plan ("I get to eat a granola bar at 3!") seems to help me.

[TKay]

I'll ask bright and early tomorrow morning. :) I've often heard the advice that if you don't feel like exercising today, decide to go for only 10 minutes. If you want to stop after 10 minutes, fine. But most people, once they've gone to the trouble of getting dressed/getting to the gym/etc. are happy to continue. So, commit to 10 minutes and see what happens.

I too sometimes struggle with eating food just because it's on the plan or right there staring me in the face. What I try to do is, after a meal or snack, glance at the clock and tell myself that I'm not having the next item on the food plan until x o'clock. Having that specific plan ("I get to eat a granola bar at 3!") seems to help me.

Stephanie, I think that exercise advice is great. Who can't spare ten minutes to exercise? And once you're up and moving, you're bound to keep going. Even if you don't, at least you've done the ten. I'm going to keep that in mind. I hope it helps you, Emilyn.

As for the eating what's right in front of you problem, I too am having a good experience with making myself wait a set amount of time. I find that I can put stuff off--and if I can put it off for this long, I can put it off for that long. I'm amazed that I can actually accomplish this when not that long ago I was eating compulsively and mindlessly.

I had an especially hard time eating lunch today mindfully. I really wanted to just veg out to the TV or sit at the computer. But I didn't. I made myself eat slowly and deliberately. I'm strengthening that muscle, strengthening that muscle...

:D

Emilyn, I'm going to look to see if you exercised tomorrow. You can do it!

[newtricks]

I've been tossing them out instead (and then giving myself credit for doing so). I gotta tell you, I think Beck is really onto something with this program. I am actually feeling GOOD for not eating the crusts (or the cookies or the cheese or the granola bar or...).

Last night, I was so proud of myself for sticking with the plan all day. ....

I felt like I was nice to myself by allowing it. But also GOOD to myself by not going overboard.



I totally agree. I enjoy being proud of myself and doing things that are good for me. Especially since it results in weight loss ;)

and editing to say -
Emily - does it help you get to the gym if you think about how good you'll feel about yourself afterward? Or to think about the way you'll feel if you don't? I have to go there to get myself to the Y sometimes.

[potato_moose]

Emilyn--Have you exercised yet? I see you're in New York, but if I've calculated it right, it may only be 4p.m. there. Do you exercise after work? I'm leaving in an hour or so for my 2-year-old's doctor appointment. Do you have a response crafted specifically for exercise? Something like...

My "future self" (ie yourself in 4 hours) deserves the gift of putting my feet up and being proud that I exercised!

The future self thing works for me sometimes when I don't want to do something.
Ok, maybe I'm being a dork. Oh well...

After much hemming and hawing, I have decided to use basic calorie counting on the babyfit.com website (1500 calories a day) with the caveat of no more than 15 grams of saturated fat a day as my diet. I think that caveat will help me to make better choices when we eat out.

DH has ms, and keeps his saturated fat grams to no more than 15 a day to help control it; that's where I got that number. I can't be on any diet that calls for butter, beef etc (Protein Power, Atkins) and still eat w/ him. So my back-up diet will be The South Beach Diet. I've never tried it, but from what I can see on-line, it combines the low carb diets w/ heart-healthy proteins.

Wow! That took an hour for me to hash out! I feel good that I have a definite plan, though. Coming up w/ the backup was harder than deciding on the primary. I now know what to do if the calorie counting doesn't work, though.

tkay--loved the story about your son. I feel happy already! :)

[newtricks]

My "future self" (ie yourself in 4 hours) deserves the gift of putting my feet up and being proud that I exercised!

The future self thing works for me sometimes when I don't want to do something.
Ok, maybe I'm being a dork. Oh well...


You are so not being a dork. I love that!:)

[TKay]

After much hemming and hawing, I have decided to use basic calorie counting on the babyfit.com website (1500 calories a day) with the caveat of no more than 15 grams of saturated fat a day as my diet.
Wow! That took an hour for me to hash out! I feel good that I have a definite plan, though.

Absolutely! Having a plan really does make a huge difference. I know I can say, "Okay, I gotta get it together and lose weight." But putting a plan into action makes me actually do it. You could look at it as a "duh!" moment. But I prefer "aha!" :D

You're not a dork at all. I like the future self thing too.

[potato_moose]

You're not a dork at all. I like the future self thing too.

Oh, good :) that's good to hear! LOL!

I snuck a peek at day 3 and saw that it's "eat sitting down." I never get time to read BEFORE breakfast (2 year old, 4 month old, need I say more?) so I think I will go ahead and read the section for day 3 tonight after the girls go to sleep.

[emilyn]

Yes, I exercised. Thanks for the support. Those suggestions do generally help when I bother to think about them. I'm always fine once I get going, I even enjoy it for the most part, it's just the getting there that's sometimes difficult. I don't know why, do I forget how good I feel afterwards? :rolleyes:

And yes, I generally try to set a time when I can eat the next thing but I wasn't really being very mindful yesterday. So I'll try to remember that today.

[gertdog]

Good for you Emilyn! I just came on the board to post "Did you exercise?" for you. :)

I'm on Day 18 but haven't yet read what the task is- will have to do that when DS takes a nap this morning.

[potato_moose]

Yay Emilyn!

So I read the section on eating while sitting down last night. By 7a.m. this morning, I had already accidentally taken an unconscious bite while standing--I ate a bite of my cereal en route to the couch--and that was after reminding myself that "eat sitting down" included not fixing myself a cup of coffee to drink while fixing my face in the bathroom.

To remind myself, I made a paper bracelet to put on my right wrist that says "Sit Down!"

How did you all remind yourselves to do this at first? I think it's going to be harder than I thought it would be

Time to go read my Advantages Response card!

[potato_moose]

Potato_moose, great list. I love how you talked to yourself about the embarrassment of people knowing what you're doing. I feel the same way. Somehow I want to keep it to myself. First, because I don't want anybody keeping tabs. And then secretly, because if I fail, I fail in public. It's almost like if someone knows, I'm sort of accountable to them.

I wanted to add to this too, that if I tell people what I'm doing, then I really have to do it. It's a lot easier to back out of doing something, if nobody knows that you're doing it! It feels like more of a commitment if people know.

So I did post my A.R. list in our kitchen on the pantry, but I had to look away when I saw DH reading the list. I'm still embarrassed, but it's ok!

[RSC711]

I am so excited to have found this board. I bought the Beck book about 3 weeks ago, just before we went on a 2 week trip. I have been chomping at the bit ever since to get started. ( Ever notice how many of our "expressions" are food/eating related?). So, I really got started yesterday. Thank you all for being here. I am going to use the board as my coach because I just can't think of any one I know who can be non-judgemental and offer an endless ear. That's what is so terrific about this board, we can all write or read as we are able, on any schedule, as a much or as little as we can, without undermining any one because we aren't perfect in our attention or encouragement. I don't really have much time now, but I knew I had to sign on before I "forgot". I am going to check the board daily, if at all possible to keep myself going. I am 58, a mother of two grown children and a grandmother of 3. I always had this fantasy that I would one day reach an age at which I was no longer oppressed by weight and weight-loss issues. Now, I know, that just never happens -- not sure if that is the good news or the bad news. But, perhaps, I can turn the oppression part around even though it is now apparent I will have to stay concerned with these issues forever. Could be worse. Have a great day all.

[slknight]

Yay Emilyn!

So I read the section on eating while sitting down last night. By 7a.m. this morning, I had already accidentally taken an unconscious bite while standing--I ate a bite of my cereal en route to the couch--and that was after reminding myself that "eat sitting down" included not fixing myself a cup of coffee to drink while fixing my face in the bathroom.

To remind myself, I made a paper bracelet to put on my right wrist that says "Sit Down!"

How did you all remind yourselves to do this at first? I think it's going to be harder than I thought it would be


I have a sticky on the kitchen cabinet above the counter where I often grab things standing up. I also told DH about it, so we're trying to remind each other. I have eaten a few things standing up, but they have been more "planned" than previously. For example, eating something off my plate en route to the table is not as bad to me because it was already on my plate, kwim? The things I was eating standing up were *extras*. I would eat pieces of bagel off of DS's plate or a handful of cereal out of the box before putting it away - that kind of thing. That's the kind of stuff I'm trying to eliminate.

I'm on Day 7 which is changing your environment. I don't have too many changes to do here because we have been doing much better lately with keeping junk out of the house. DS and I usually go to Dunkin Donuts after his gymnastics class on Thursday, and I am proud to say that I didn't get a donut (although I did have a small nibble of his).

One thing I'm noticing is that every day I seem to add things to my Advantages Response Card. Yesterday, I was at a new doctor for my knee (early onset arthritis) and he asked me my weight. I was so embarassed. :o When I lose weight, I won't be embarassed to tell people my weight anymore. :)

[potato_moose]

I am so excited to have found this board. I bought the Beck book about 3 weeks ago, just before we went on a 2 week trip. I have been chomping at the bit ever since to get started. ( Ever notice how many of our "expressions" are food/eating related?). So, I really got started yesterday. Thank you all for being here.

Welcome! :) We're glad you have found us!

[potato_moose]

I have eaten a few things standing up, but they have been more "planned" than previously. For example, eating something off my plate en route to the table is not as bad to me because it was already on my plate, kwim? :)

I do agree, I just feel like when I'm trying to develop the habit I need to be extra good. It's so easy to "forget." And I feel like if I start making distinctions between "ok" eating standing up and "not ok" that it will be a slippery slope to a standing-while-you-eat free for all, LOL!

By the way, good for you for just eating a nibble of your DS's dounut. That's great! (and so admirable)

[newtricks]

I had to tell myself "Oh Well" today. (That's one of her tools for dealing with disappointment or discouragement). I went out to dinner last night and ate "pretty well" I thought for a NY style steakhouse. But I ate lambchops. Which I planned to do actually. When I added up all my points I had used up 30 of my weekly extra points!!:eek: On cold shellfish, salad, lambchops, asparagus, and berries w/ no whipped cream! I guess that is a lot of food when I put it like that but still... It makes me feel a little panicky almost to realize how careful you need to be. Forever.

But Oh Well ;) I went for an hour walk with a friend at least.

[Sarah45]

Hi everyone, I'm baaaack! :)

I decided to start the days after my weekend guests left on Sunday. I breezed through days 1-3 and felt I was on a roll. Well, its four days later and I have already "fallen off the wagon" :rolleyes:

So, I am starting again. I'm going to carve out 15 minutes, after I get home from work and before I exercise, to do my daily chapter. Starting today :D

[eas11]

One thing I'm noticing is that every day I seem to add things to my Advantages Response Card. Yesterday, I was at a new doctor for my knee (early onset arthritis) and he asked me my weight. I was so embarassed. :o When I lose weight, I won't be embarassed to tell people my weight anymore. :)


Ahhh, Susan, you're right! I forgot that one and am adding it to my list as well. I have my Advantages and some other responses on my PDA. This a.m. I turned it on in the car and read before walking into DD so that I would get coffee only and stay away from a muffin or bagel purchase!

Haven't posted much here- I'm working my way through the exercises.
Except, the EXERCISE exercise (Day 9) is a sticking point...I've not yet committed to a plan as I hate to exercise:eek: I know I have to do this. I know I have to do this. I know I have to do this. Did I mention I hate to exercise? Oh well, I gotta do it, I know. I will take baby steps and probably walk for 1/2 hr (1 1/2 hr or 2, 15 minute walks a day) and add 5 minutes each week up to 45 minutes, then add some strength training as well. I feel like I'm really whiney and silly about this and I should just get my lazy a** out there:(

I have put off my Hunger Tolerance Day until Monday as I am leaving for NY tomorrow and the travel plus weekend with my sister are not good times to concentrate on that daily challange. I'll be hard at work on differentiating between hunger/desire and dealing with cravings! I love NY...Pizza, Italian Ices, Black and White "cookies", oh my.

Also, anyone else finding the need to slow down with a few of the days before moving on? Some days I feel like I'm not giving the days challange enough thought/time/effort and need to focus before adding yet another step. So, between 3 days of illness and taking extra days for a couple of steps before moving on- looks like the 1st 2 weeks will be 3 or so!

Nice to hear about everyone's success, as well as your realizations about negative thinking and responses- those are helpful as well. RSC711, welcome, and I hear ya on the aging thing. I'm 51 and mourn that I am STILL dealing with weight and now related health issues. But, now's the time to change our thinking and destructive behaviors!
Enjoy the weekend, looks like it will be a wet one in the northeast :(

[Sarah45]

Morning everyone! I reread day one last night and took a second look at my ARC list. Like some other folks here, simply having the list is embarassing for me but I need to get over it. The fact is that I want to lose weight and shouldn't be ashamed of the reasons for doing so. My first step is posting my list here.

1. Be healthier
2. Feel better/more confident about myself and my abilities to stick with my goals
3. Feel more like "me"
4. Fit into clothes better
5. Prepare for pregnancy/motherhood
6. Feel sexier
7. Look fantastic for my brother's wedding and our Hawaii anniversary trip next year

I know I don't have a huge list but these really go to the heart of why I want to lose weight and are definitely "big picture" (except the last one). I am sure I will add more small picture reasons/goals as I go along.

I stuck this list in my purse and have also listed it on my Google Notebook so I can access it anywhere I am near a computer. My Palm Pilot is also set to remind me. I also posted it inside the notebook I use to do all of my menu planning so I will see it everytime I go to make up my week's menu.

That's all for today, hope everyone has a great weekend!

[valchemist]

I just wanted to check in here and say welcome to all the new people. I have enjoyed reading your posts.

I am officially OFF plan til I can get my legs back. I am just trying to survive here with the tired and cruddy feelings I am having. it may be lasting a few more weeks if this pregnancy is anything like the first two, but I will be back when I am feeling better!!

[potato_moose]

Newtricks--It sounds to me like your dinner at the steakhouse deserves at least partial credit. From the list of what you ate, it sounds to me like you ordered carefully, and from a health standpoint, was a pretty darn healthy dinner :)

Eas11--Glad to hear that you're still working through the exercises. Would it be easier for you to get out there and exercise if asked less of yourself? Maybe start w/ one ten or fifteen minute walk and build from there? I know what you mean about hating to exercise. It's not a habit I have had in several years, and since I'm not to that part in the book yet, haven't started yet. But I'm trying hard not to dread it. The first day isn't bad for me. It's the day after that, and the day after that...

I'm already having trouble juggling all of the "habits" I'm developing in my head. I almost made myself a bracelet that listed "Read ARC, Sit Down!, Give Credit! But then I decided I could remember it ok. I can only imagine it gets more difficult as the number of habits you are trying to learn increases.

Sarah45--I don't think it matters how long the list is. What matters is that each item really speaks to you as a reason to lose weight. I'm glad you're back & re-committing yourself to the program :)

Valchemist--I can totally empathize w/ you. I have a 2 year old and a 4 month old so it hasn't been so long ago that I was pregnant, too. How far along are you? Is this first-trimester-nausea issues or I'm-so-pregnant-I-can-barely-move issues? Good luck! Come back to us when you can!

Ok, giving myself credit...

--I'm proud of myself for visualizing each item on my ARC, rather than just reading it through w/ out thinking about it.
--I'm proud of myself for remembering not to take a bite of my cereal this morning until I sat down, LOL (it was close, though, the spoon was halfway to my mouth).
--I'm proud of myself for reading my ARC more than twice a day.

[leightx]

Hello everyone! I've been reading your posts for a couple of weeks, and decided to order the book from Amazon. It got here a few days ago, and I started Day 1 yesterday. I, like many of you, have always struggled with weight loss. It's not that I have a hard time losing weight when I'm "dieting" (some of my friends struggle even when they're on plan), it's just that I have started and given up so many times now. It's really embarrassing. I've never actually made it to my goal weight, no matter what that weight is - and it has changed over the years. And I think it's that predetermined attitude of failure that is my biggest hurdle. I'm reluctant to start a new diet (hate that word, but that's what it is), because I've already convinced myself that there's no use, since I'll just fail anyway. :( I feel like I know exactly what I need to do to lose weight, and it really frustrates me that I can't force myself to do it.

Anyway, obviously I'm the perfect candidate for this book, and as I read just the first few chapters I had a lot of "a ha!" moments. I wrote my ARC (picking up some ideas from your posts here - thank you!) and I'm going to post mine as well:

Advantages RC
1. I’ll look so much better.
2. I’ll feel better physically (more energy, more fit).
3. I’ll feel like I’ve accomplished something important.
4. It will be easier to play with the kids, garden, & exercise.
5. I’ll be healthy and stick around longer to enjoy life.
6. I won’t feel self-conscious or embarrassed about my weight.
7. I’ll be able to wear smaller sizes, and more stylish clothes.
8. Shopping will be fun because I’ll look better in clothes.
9. I’ll be happier when I look in the mirror.
10. I won’t dread having my picture taken.
11. It will be setting a good example for my kids.
12. My weight won’t keep me from doing things (seeing old friends, wearing a bathing suit in public, etc.)

Today I need to pick a diet plan, and I'm not sure what to do there. I've had success at WW, and with Body for Life (BFL). SBD also appeals to me - it's similar to BFL, and I think that both of those diets require eating healthier foods than WW. Of course, you can decide to eat those same healthy foods on WW too...but I usually don't! ;) My biggest hurdle with WW was writing everything down, but it looks like from reading posts here that I'll need to do that anyway. I also didn't like some of the meetings, but having that accountability was helpful. Maybe I can have the same sort of accountability here though. Sigh...

Anyway, hello to all, and please know that by sharing your thoughts and experiences here, you are motivating me and giving me all sorts of good ideas! :)

Leightx

[valchemist]

pm -

I am 8 weeks along and having the first trimester food "issues." usually they disappear at 12 weeks for me, so I am hoping to get back on plan then. even though I am only 8 weeks, I have a definite belly. to the point where my 5 year old who was not going to be told about the pregnancy til later asked me, "mommy, why is your belly so big? is there a baby in there?" good thing there is, or I wouldn't have been too happy with the comment! anyway, I decided to confirm her suspicions. my 2 year old doesn't know or care at this point. she will once the nursing comes to an aprupt stop in 7 months or so!!

[RSC711]

Today it is cloudy and rainy and I always struggle with days like this. Everything is overwhelming today, too many people to take care of and too many things to do. There, enuf said -- enuf whining--I have to remind myself that if my life were less abundant, family, friends and materially speaking, I wouldn't have a lot of the issues I have with juggling everyone/thing! So, aren't I the lucky one. I have had some success, even last night when we went to a charity gala. I managed to eat mostly sitting down and strictly limited the bread, sweets and alcoholic drinks. I am exercising, but not regularly enough. But I have remembered to read my Advantages lists. I've made three copies of them and keep one by the bed, one in the book near the kitchen and one in my pocketbook. Thanks for the warm welcomes and lets give ourselves all a pat on the back for showing up today. Sometimes that is the hardest thing to do. All you mothers of young children and mother-to-be, how I admire you for paying attention to your own needs too. I know how challenging that time of life can be to scratch out even a few moments for yourself. Way to go women! I think I will go walk the treadmill and read a chapter. TTFN

[newtricks]

Newtricks--It sounds to me like your dinner at the steakhouse deserves at least partial credit. From the list of what you ate, it sounds to me like you ordered carefully, and from a health standpoint, was a pretty darn healthy dinner :)


Thank you, that's how I feel - and I was giving myself credit. I AM giving myself credit;) . But it was still a whopper so that's what kind of got me, how very careful you have to be. But a few reads through my advantages list was very helpful to make the connection to why it's worth it to be so careful.

re: you're question about keeping all the habits in your mind. The real biggies come in the first couple of weeks - sitting down, tolerating hunger, giving credit, etc. A lot of the later ones build on those or strengthen those.

[newtricks]

Sara - I know, it feels very vulnerable for people to read your list (I mean irl, somehow, I'm very trusting of you guys!) It's interesting though how similar many of our reasons are if you go back and read everyone's. And many of my friends have similar issues/thoughts about their weight so I'm getting more comfortable with it.

Leigh - Welcome! I share and struggle with your "predetermined attitude of failure". It's part of my self -identity in a way :( . When I read back through my posts it comes up pretty often. I too saw *a lot* of myself in the book which then gives me hope and confidence that I can change my thinking and everything else. I will say that in the four weeks that I've been following this program I have done everything that I'm supposed to and I haven't done things I wasn't supposed to. Consistently! It's very different than any other attempt I've ever made.:)

RSC - I would bet that all of us read your post and said "I hear ya" in some way. Did thinking about and acknowledging those feelings help you? It made me think that I should be prepared for those days when "it's all too much" and remind myself that eating won't make anything better.

[newtricks]

Except, the EXERCISE exercise (Day 9) is a sticking point...I've not yet committed to a plan as I hate to exercise:eek: I know I have to do this. I know I have to do this. I know I have to do this. Did I mention I hate to exercise? Oh well, I gotta do it, I know. I will take baby steps and probably walk for 1/2 hr (1 1/2 hr or 2, 15 minute walks a day) and add 5 minutes each week up to 45 minutes, then add some strength training as well. I feel like I'm really whiney and silly about this and I should just get my lazy a** out there:(


Ellyn - I ran into a friend at the Y once who doesn't work out very much and we got on adjacent machines. About 10 minutes into it she turned to me and said "see, I hate this. All I can think about is how much I want to get off.", then she stopped. And I had an "ah-ha" moment! I realized that I had wiped my mind of thoughts like that because whenever I start watching the clock I will talk myself into getting off the machine earlier than I intended. I wonder if it would work if you tried to just be neutral about exercise? "I don't love it but I know I need to do it so I'll just go do 10 minutes" Also, maybe just be "in the moment" with your plan - instead of feeling like your working up to something (because then you feel like what you're doing isn't enough). What you're looking towards (45 minutes walking and strength training) is great but so is making a concentrated effort to walk 15-30 minutes everyday, especially if you're not doing anything right now.

OK, one of you would pm me if I were being preachy wouldn't you? Everything I read makes me think and inspires me so I hope it's not obnoxious!

[potato_moose]

OK, one of you would pm me if I were being preachy wouldn't you? Everything I read makes me think and inspires me so I hope it's not obnoxious!

I'm not often on-line during the weekend, but just hopping on to say hi. I don't think you're being preachy at all. Everyone likes to know that their posts are being read & thought about. The worst thing is when you post and NOBODY even acknowledges that you posted. We don't want anyone on this thread to feel invisible.

I felt a little guilty giving myself credit yesterday for eensie things like reading my ARC and sitting down to eat. Then I decided that part of giving myself credit is not belittling the small things, so I stopped feeling guilty.

For this weekend, I nearly decided to just practice the first 4 steps and wait to start a new one until Monday. Then I realized that one of the reasons past diets haven't worked for me is I "take the weekend off" and undo any calorie deficit I might have managed during the week. I decided that "taking the weekend off" from doing Dr. Beck's steps would be setting myself up for future "taking the weekend off," so I didn't.

Today I'm eating mindfully & slowly. Somehow I managed to actually do that, while juggling a fussy 4-month-old. You know what, though? I did feel more satisfied when I was finished.

I gotta run. Probably won't be back on until Monday. Continue on, ladies, we can do it!

[TKay]

Hi all - Just a quick note from me. I sort of fell off the map on Thursday when I had to have sudden oral surgery. Long story short, I had a tooth that had been bothering me off and on for weeks. Turned out it was badly infected all the way up into my sinuses. Nice. Had to have it pulled and am now going through the healing process before getting an implant.
Anyway, I have been sticking with the plan as much as I can, just not posting. I've been taking pain pills, but will likely be done with those today. Then I will feel more like myself again. Forgive me for not being here to offer support to everyone else. I've been with you all in spirit!
Okay, off to the second little league game of the day. I'll check in more in the next day or two--and catch up with everyone's progress. I'm glad my assignments have been "find a coach" (that's this board) and "clear your environment" (which I already did). I'm still in good shape.
Cheers!

[gertdog]

TKay, hope you're feeling like yourself again soon!

Barbara, sharing your ideas and insights is not preachy at all. Stop with the sabotaging thoughts about your contributions to the thread! :p

Sarah, I've taken more than one day w/ some of the steps. I agree, some of them require a little more focus/time to master. I'm still mastering the "eat sitting down" thing- it isn't automatic yet, I still have to think about it every time I do it.

I had a very good day yesterday. My family is here visiting and we went out to dinner last night. I saved my flex points all week, but also wanted to follow some of the guidelines from the Beck tasks- such as eating slowly and really noticing when I'd had enough to eat. I planned to have a small glass of wine, a dinner salad (the salads at the place we went are excellent) and half an entree. DH and I agreed in advance that he'd order dessert and I'd have 2 or 3 bites. As it turned out, we didn't have time for dessert (dealing with disappointment!) as we had to get DS from the sitter (parents' night out at daycare, so we had to be back by 10:00). But otherwise I was really pleased. I savored the wine, loved the salad, and had no trouble leaving half my entree on the plate. I ordered an asparagus and creme fraiche ravioli, partly because it sounded delicious, and partly because I could count the number of ravioli and know exactly how much was half! :o And I still have a few flex points leftover, based on my estimates.

I think I did a lot better combining the Beck tools w/ WW points than if I'd been relying on WW points alone- I felt satisfied rather than deprived, and very pleased that I'd made a decision in advance and stuck to my plan.

[TKay]

Stephanie - that's fantastic! You did a really great job of managing your food/points at dinner. What an accomplishment. I'm so proud of you. Imagine, going out to eat and having points leftover! Who knew?
I agree that the Beck program really enhances whatever weight loss efforts you make. I sort of fell down yesterday. Okay, not really since I'm not in my diet mode yet. But I felt sort of defeated and uninspired. I'd been so into the Beck thing and I just had this, "Oh, forget it. I'm not gonna lose this weight anyway" mood. I'm sure it has to do with me taking pain pills for 24 hours and sort of being down for the count with my dental surgery recovery. I'm going to give myself credit and just try to get back on that horse today. It's discouraging to not be constantly motivated! :(
Onward!

[RSC711]

Here I am, already faltering in my resolve to adhere to the Beck plan and ww points. Every morning I start out firm in my resolve and by evening I am so shaky it would only take a puff of wind to blow me off-track. We went to the funeral of a family friend -- only 53 -- such a waste. Several people eulogized his zest for life and to living every moment. I was ready to use that as an excuse commitment to have cheesecake for desert. Lucky for me my dh isn't quite so weak willed. I just don't know what is going on with me these days. Well, at least I got here to the board to read a bit and post. I haven't posted my list of advantages to losing weight yet, so I think I will now.
I will not make myself sick by eating too much food
I will be able to wear anything in my closet, any time I want
I will feel that I have accomplished a watershed goal
I will feel and be healthier
I will feel better about wearing a bathing suit when I go scuba diving
I can wear any style of clothing I feel like
I will feel in control
I will no longer be consumed my thoughts of "what will I eat next/now..."
Eating slower will allow me to really taste my food

I can hear myself yelling enough already. Kudos to all of you who have had even a little success. Celebrate yourselves for your committment.[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

[leightx]

Happy Monday everyone! :)

RSC - have you tried to figure out why you're faltering? Are you forgetting, or making a conscious decision to stray from the plan? I'm personally thinking of using post-it notes (even though I'm embarassed!) to remind me to look at my ARC, give myself credit, etc. Would that help? Maybe making a commitment to check in here for accountability would help too? Knowing that other people want you to be successful can be pretty motivating!

It's funny - did anyone watch Grey's Anatomy last week, when Meredith kept insisting that Christina HAD to get married, since it meant that Meredith was going to be ok? I think that way sometimes too - it's almost a relief to stop by this thread and see that Barbara is still going strong, because her success means that I can do it too. I see a lot of myself in each of your posts, and I have hope that I'm not really so special or challenged that I can't do the plan like everyone else. And now I hope that's not putting undue pressure on anyone!! :p

Tkay - the dentists stuff really stinks! I went through a similar experience last year, and it's just no fun at all. I think giving yourself credit for the tiny things right now is really important.

Stephanie - I'm glad to hear you're having more success combining WW and Beck - I still can't decide if WW is my 1st plan or my backup. Dinner sounds delicious, and I really applaud the fact that you ate half and that was that! It's so hard for me to stop when the food is that good. I often just want more and more and more - even when I'm physically uncomfortable. I think that exercise (leaving half) will be easy to do at home - but I think I'm going to make a point to go to a restaurant and push myself to leave something really delicious on the plate. I usually don't have a problem at home, especially because I know there's always leftovers...

Potato moose - good for you for giving yourself credit for the small stuff! I have the same issue (it seems silly - I should be doing this stuff automatically, etc.) so it's been rather enlightening to discover that that attitude is actually hurting my ability to stick to a plan. It was definitely a lightbulb moment for me!

Barbara - I'll echo what others here have already said - of COURSE you're not being preachy! :) So much of what you (and others in this thread) say really resonates with me, and I go back and read it several times just so it sinks in. Give yourself credit for that!

Val - congrats! :)

This weekend was a bit of a challenge for me - I was supposed to work on sitting down to eat on Saturday. Breakfast and lunch were fine - and I did force myself to sit when I normally wouldn't have (we were busy cleaning out the garage, and I actually stopped to eat rather than just grabbing something). But that night we had a birthday party at a friend's house. The food was all around the island - and NO ONE was sitting down. So I ate at the bar. :( I'm not exactly sure what to do in that situation - it would have been really awkward to ask for a plate (it was mainly just finger food - chips and dip, etc) and then go plop down by myself at the table. Any suggestions? It's almost like sitting down puts this importance on eating that I found kind of awkward / embarrassing in a party situation. Does that make sense?

Anyway - I did fine the rest of the weekend. It was interesting this morning - I contemplated having leftover cold pizza for breakfast while I was feeding the kids, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to put it on a plate and sit down at the table. It just seemed wrong not to eat it out of the pizza box while standing at the island! So I put it back into the fridge, and made myself a proper breakfast (egg beaters, salsa, and some sliced apples) and sat down to eat. :)

Slowing down and eating mindfully is going to be a struggle for me. Our entire family eats waaaaaay too fast - I don't know why! And I have a terrible time sitting down without the computer or a book in front of me (when I'm eating alone, that is). So breakfast was a bit excruciating for me - instead of reading, I kept daydreaming, which was just as distracting. Argh. I did manage to stretch breakfast out for 7 minutes or so, and I drank water between bites of food, which really helped. Also, I did actually feel full before I was finished, so I stopped myself from eating the last 2 apple slices.

One other thought - I'm struggling a bit with having all of these exercises / tasks, and I keep having sabotaging thoughts like "now I have even more rules to screw up!" I know that's so incredibly counter-productive, and I'm hoping that practicing giving myself credit will help, but does anyone else worry like that?

Leigh

[LakeMartinGal]

I know I'm not a regular on this thread... I have the book, but I haven't even picked it up to read, yet!:o

But, Leigh, I was struck by one thing as I read your post about the party... you were uncomfortable at NOT having the ability to sit down and eat! Not all situations are going to be tailor-made for the perfect following of the rules! I think you should give yourself credit for doing the best you could in the situation, and also for being aware that it wasn't what you wanted to do!:D

[potato_moose]

Here I am, already faltering in my resolve to adhere to the Beck plan and ww points. Every morning I start out firm in my resolve and by evening I am so shaky it would only take a puff of wind to blow me off-track. [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

Ok, I looked back through the thread and you said you started on 5/16/07, is that correct? So you are only on day 6, right? Maybe what you need to do is stop counting points for a little while and focus on Dr. Beck's steps. Are you feeling overwhelmed because you are trying to do too much, too soon?

[TKay]

RSC - Don't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself credit for getting your list done! That's a great step. Don't forget that it took a while to put the weight on. It will take a while--and some changes--to take it off. You're doing just fine. The goal of this program is to change the way you think about food. That won't happen overnight. You can do this. Hang in there and keep checking in with the bb. It will really help. I know it helps me to know I'm not alone. I tried to get a friend to do this program with me, but she wasn't up for it. It's okay. I have all of you guys. Don't be too discouraged. Just keep doing the best you can and little by little, you'll get there.

Barbara - Ditto what everyone else said! No preachiness at all. :D

Leigh - I don't think what you did at the party was a bad thing at all. You were aware of it, and that's what matters. That shows that you have already changed your relationship with food! You know the importance of sitting and eating and you were uncomfortable that you couldn't do that. Bravo! I think it's okay to stand and eat in a situation like that. Just being aware is enough (IMO). What does everyone else think? Maybe if you could at least eat slowly and mindfully--possibly with water between bites? That might help keep it from turning into a munch-fest.
Also, congrats on sitting to eat during your garage clean-up! That's huge. It just goes to show how much we just shove food in our faces when it's convenient (maybe I'm just speaking for myself here). And stopping your breakfast when you were full? Who'd have thunk? :D

I feel like I'm getting back on the horse today. I do much better during the week when I have more time to myself. When my family is around on the weekends, it's harder to not eat in front of the TV or just shovel it in mindlessly. I feel my resolve returning just having dh off to work.

I have chosen my exercise routine. Walking half an hour a day. I am going to cut myself slack on the days when we have Little League since I am very pressed for time on those days. The season is coming to a close, so this is a temporary thing. I used to be an avid fitness buff, so I feel like the walking routine is my first step back into fitness. It's something I really enjoy and something I'm likely to stick with. It helps me clear my head and offers good stress relief. I will do this until it is no longer challenging. Then I'll add some jogging and trips to the gym.

How is everyone else doing?

[potato_moose]

I think that exercise (leaving half) will be easy to do at home - but I think I'm going to make a point to go to a restaurant and push myself to leave something really delicious on the plate. I usually don't have a problem at home, especially because I know there's always leftovers...


But that night we had a birthday party at a friend's house. The food was all around the island - and NO ONE was sitting down. So I ate at the bar. :( I'm not exactly sure what to do in that situation - it would have been really awkward to ask for a plate (it was mainly just finger food - chips and dip, etc) and then go plop down by myself at the table. Any suggestions? It's almost like sitting down puts this importance on eating that I found kind of awkward / embarrassing in a party situation. Does that make sense?

Anyway - I did fine the rest of the weekend. It was interesting this morning - I contemplated having leftover cold pizza for breakfast while I was feeding the kids, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to put it on a plate and sit down at the table. It just seemed wrong not to eat it out of the pizza box while standing at the island! So I put it back into the fridge, and made myself a proper breakfast (egg beaters, salsa, and some sliced apples) and sat down to eat. :)

Leigh

I like your idea about going to a restaurant so you have to leave something yummy on your plate. I will have to do this, too. I've ALWAYS been a member of the clean plate club, even though it was never something my parents required.

The situation at the party sounds tough. Was there anyone at the party you knew well enough to take aside and ask if they would come sit with you? Someone who knows what you're doing and why? That doesn't help the fact that there were no plates, though. :(

I laughed out loud when I read your comment about feeling weird eating cold pizza on a plate!

April

[potato_moose]

Ok, first things first, giving myself credit...

I made muffins for breakfast Sunday morning. I'm really proud of myself for filling the bowl & spoon w/ soapy water so I didn't "lick the bowl."

I'm also really proud of myself for eating my allowed muffins slowly, savoring every bite.

I get an "A for effort" for trying to eat lunch & dinner slowly. I didn't succeed 100%, but I sure tried.

Sunday we went out for dinner. I'm not dieting yet, but I am trying to be careful, trying not to overdo it. I ordered a taco salad w/ no shell, no cheese, no sour cream, extra salsa. I'm really proud of myself for sending it back when it came to the table covered in cheese. (I don't like to rock the boat, so in times past I probably wouldn't have said anything)

My challenges:

When I'm eating and have things to get on to and do I can feel myself getting impatient & wanting to say "Just this time I'll eat at my usual pace."

Also, I find I'm already having to practice my hunger tolerance (of which I am not very tolerant) because of the eat sitting down rule. This morning turned kind of hectic so by the time I had the chance to sit down and eat breakfast & drink some coffee, I had been up for 2 hours already!

So I made these response cards and posted them in two places around the house:

--It seems inconvenient now to eat slowly & savor my food when I have other things to do. But I am building habits that are designed to help me feel less deprived when dieting gets rough.

--It's hard to wait to eat until I have time to sit down. But if I eat while running around, I won't notice it, won't enjoy it, and I'll be tempted to eat again when I have time to slow down. It's better to wait.

Arranging my environment--I hid the popcorn (a huge temptation for me) and a bar of dark chocolate in a dark corner of an upper cabinet where I won't see them. I even hid the popcorn salt because of the association w/ popcorn! I also threw away the last of a bag of tortilla chips that I figured were probably stale anyway w/ out tasting one to make sure it was stale! (the only reason they had time to get stale is we didn't have any more salsa ;) )

April

[newtricks]

I had a good weekend. Dh was travelling (that's NOT the good part) so I went to a cocktail party solo. A group of us had arranged to go out to dinner afterward so I ate.... one passed hors d'oeuvre. One. One!! I used to eat a lot at parties but since I've started this I've been to receptions, book groups, bunco, parties, etc and just ummm, had fun without eating. :confused: And I don't feel deprived - I feel proud of myself. Oh, and this was fun - I ordered a salad for my app at dinner. It came with lardons of bacon which I ate one of. My friends noticed and all picked them off my plate. I just have *never* been the one who was controlling herself or eating appropriately. Or at least I've never felt that way.

That's not to say everything is perfect. I will admit to a certain amount of "self-medicating" with food previously. So now, sometimes I just have to feel annoyed or hurt or whatever. Which is probably all good.

And right this second I can't find my book!:eek: :D It's somewhere I promise and I'll start doing the steps again.

[newtricks]

OK, so many posts I apologize for not addressing everyone specifically but I have a few thoughts (natch ;) )

Leigh's example made me think of how many of us are pretty hard on ourselves and kind of, perhaps, just watching and waiting to blow it? (also RSC's example where I think you were bummed at yourself for wanting cheesecake which you didn't in fact eat if I'm reading that right) Because clearly we all live in the real world and sometimes we'll be at parties where we can't sit down and there's not "perfect" food. Can we prepare ourselves for that kind of thing? As I mentioned, for the moment I'm choosing not to eat at parties but that's because most of those foods are pretty "red-light" for me. But I do go out to dinner so my plan is to have salad and 1/2 an entree (stole it from Stephanie!). Now, I can't get too enmeshed in whether or not I'm eating 25% more than I usually do or exactly how many points it is. I'm making every effort and I'm eating in a way that is new to me so I'm not going to throw it all in because I'm not perfect. :)

I have to run. I'll try to come back later - Potato Moose we were posting at the same time but I do a lot of plate-rinsing so I don't eat my kids food by mistake!

[TKay]

Potato Moose and Barbara (and others), I've started the put-the-bowl-in-the-sink before I eat whatever it is trick too. I also put soap in it so as not to temp myself. I also have to do this with crust I cut off my kids' sandwiches. It immediately goes bye-bye or it's just too tempting. I hate throwing out fresh fruit or produce. But lately, if my kids don't finish theirs, I toss it. I used to eat their leftovers, rationalizing that it's fruit and I'm supposed to get 5 servings a day, after all. For now, that's nothing more than additional calories and food I didn't plan to eat. So out it goes.
As far as being so hard on ourselves, Barbara, you are absolutely right. It's like we have to be perfect or we throw in the towel. We need to be loving enough with ourselves to forgive our mess-ups. Because we will slip up! It's just part of the process. The sooner we recognize it and accept it, the better off we'll be. From my soap box...:D

[leightx]

Just popping in to say hello to everyone! I wanted to respond to a few things...

Tkay / Lakemartingal / Barbara - Thanks for pointing out that I actually thought about what I was doing, rather than just eating mindlessly at the party - it never even crossed my mind that this was actually a step in the right direction. I'm still not exactly sure what we're supposed to do in party situations - but I'm thinking that Dr. Beck would say to plan in advance, and if it's truly a situation where sitting down would be awkward or weird, then make the conscious decision to stand and eat. I didn't do much planning in advance (but to my credit - I wasn't to that point yet in the book :D ), but I think in the future I'd be better off eating something at home so I wasn't ravenous when I got to the party.

Barbara - I'm so thrilled that you just ate one appetizer!! That would be a major success for me too, and the fact that you felt proud instead of deprived is another success to savor. Go you!! :)

April - good for you for sending the cheesy salad back! :)

Giving myself credit: I went to the gym today and worked my butt off (squats, pull-ups, and dips). I sat down to eat ALL my meals. I ate mindfully at some of them. ;) I drank enough water to keep me running to the bathroom all day. :rolleyes: I looked at my ARC twice. I ordered a salad instead of a burger, and water instead of a 2nd diet coke.

[newtricks]

I'm just back from a walk with friends. I exercised five times this week. My week goes from Wed to Wed because of WW weighin. I feel good about that and also going out two nights and keeping everything in control. And I guess it's a positive that I learned how fattening an evening out can be.

TKay - How is it going now? Do you feel like the program helped you "bounce back"? Your exercise routine sounds good. Ugh, little league (did I say that out loud? ;) )

April - I just want to say bravo to all your accomplishments. You are really "doing the work" with your response cards and good for you for throwing out the chips - I do that too, and just ignore my guilt towards dh and the kids because they don't need them either. I know what you mean about starting the hunger tolerance sooner just because of sitting down. I was really surprised to realize how much food I kind of stuff in my mouth because I'm "starving" and then go on to eat a full meal! (ok, that is past tense now). And when I'm not eating at parties I realize how much all that party food is extra calories. We eat it only because it's there much of the time.

LakeMartin Gal - Welcome, you're already giving good advice so I can't wait until you've actually read the book!

Stephanie - your WW weigh-in is coming up right? Good luck. did you get the 3 month journal? I love it because it really helps you keep track over time and my little geeky self likes the graph and checking off all the boxes!

[newtricks]

I didn't do much planning in advance (but to my credit - I wasn't to that point yet in the book :D ),

It's important to remember that! We can't beat ourselves up for things we don't even need to be doing yet.

[TKay]

Giving myself credit: I went to the gym today and worked my butt off (squats, pull-ups, and dips). I sat down to eat ALL my meals. I ate mindfully at some of them. ;) I drank enough water to keep me running to the bathroom all day. :rolleyes: I looked at my ARC twice. I ordered a salad instead of a burger, and water instead of a 2nd diet coke.

Wow, good for you Leigh! You are on a roll. I'm going to give you credit too. :D

An overall comment: It seems like everybody here is doing really, really well. We all beat ourselves up for stuff we either do (or don't do)--or even THINK about doing or not doing. (Like Barbara said, even for stuff we're not supposed to be doing yet.) But when you look at the big picture, I'm really impressed by all of us. Bravo to us! :D

I'm right back on that horse, as I thought I would be. The Beck program is really doing wonders for me. I can't say I've lost much weight yet, but the increase in awareness is really something I needed. Was it Barbara that noted that when you do emotional eating, you're going to have to just feel the emotions when you stop stuffing them in with food? Well, I'm going through that a bit. I can feel either frustration, loneliness, anger or depression well up at times. And I've just been sitting in the feelings. The other night, we planned to order in Chinese. I placed a whopping order for the family and dh commented on how much food I'd ordered. I said, yeah, I guess I'm having an emotional moment. I did eat more than I might like, but I didn't go absolutely nuts like I wanted to. I was happy about that. We had leftovers last night and I just ate a moderate meal. I was pleased with myself.

The meal made me realize how lonely I am with dh either working, in school or training all the time (he races bicycles). I making a mental note to myself to think about how to resolve that.

I also found some new deserts that are going to fill in the ice cream gap for me. I love ice cream after dinner, but can't seem to control my portion sizes! I found these Nestle's mini-sandwiches in the freezer section. Only 90 calories. I'm not going to have one every night, but for those times when I really want a treat, these are going to do the trick. I had one last nighta and was fine with the smaller size. I didn't feel deprived, but satisfied. Hooray!

I went for an hour-long walk yesterday and it was really nice. I felt tired afterward (this is longer than I'd planned on going), but my stress level was better. I think the exercise will help me deal with the emotions that percolate up from not eating (if that makes sense).

[potato_moose]

I really struggled with this one. I'll try not to bore you with too many details, but...

At the end of March I read a book called "Sidetracked Home Executives," written by the ladies who would become Flylady's mentors. I adapted their index-card system to become a revolving yearly schedule on my computer's word processor. Household tasks are scheduled to be done Daily, Every Two Days, Twice a Week, Weekly, Every Other Week, Monthly, 4 x a Year, 2 x a Year, or Yearly. Anything you don't get to on any particular day you simply try to do first next time it comes up.

At first I was tempted to just add "Exercise," "Plan Meals," and "calculate calories" to the schedule and call it done. But I realized that I would eventually start to resent the exercise because it prevented me from getting the other things on my list done. So I dug deep and changed the frequency of the lower-priority tasks to be done less often.

I also changed my weekly schedule. Instead of 3 cleaning days, 1 errand day & 1 free day, I changed everything to just regular "days" and added some things that I LIKE doing to the schedule that I would have normally done on the free day--clipping & trading coupons on-line, reading, computer time ;)

This is especially important to me because what has happened to me in the past w/ exercise, is that I wind up doing it as my "me" time (I dislike it) so I start to feel martyred, and eventually stop exercising.

Giving myself credit--

We made cookies last night. I ate one and savored it--then asked DH to hide them so I couldn't eat any until he got home from work.

[potato_moose]

I think we were posting at the same time, LOL!

I know what you mean about emotional eating. I use food a lot for stress reduction, which is tough because after a crazy morning, a nice big bowl of popcorn really does make me feel better. You know how they say it will be only "momentary pleasure?" I feel better all day long.

Good idea about the mini ice cream sandwiches. I might have to pick up something like that, too.

Thanks for your enthusiasm!

April

[TKay]

April - I am RIGHT THERE with you on the time and energy thing. I so put my exercise (and taking care of myself in general) last on the list. I have also been a FlyLady gal, so I know exactly what you're talking about. Sometimes, dh will say, "Take time for yourself. Go shopping or go to the gym." And I feel like, but that's not time for ME. That's stuff I have to do. Anyway, I totally get what you're saying. Good for you for making adjustments and working yourself into your schedule.
And that's great that you only had one cookie! Bravo. So smart to have dh hide the rest.

[gertdog]

Hi all- I'm overdue for a post! My parents have left on their vacation and I'm exhausted. I did really well while they were here- stuck to my points and got in some exercise. I slacked, however, on reading my Advantages cards and keeping up with my diet journal. I kept my Weight Watchers journal current, though.

I weighed in on Monday and was down 5.4 lbs! I don't expect to continue at this rate, but I was still really pleased. Barbara, yes, I'm using the 3-month journal. I like all the little boxes to check off too. :p I also like that, for meal combos I eat frequently, I can just flip back in the journal to see the points instead of looking them up in the food companion or calculating points.

Lots and lots of good thoughts to read over in everyone's posts. TKay, I agree- the increase in awareness seems to be really important for me, too. I've succeeded at WW in the past, but only over the short term. And I've never gotten over the sense of unfairness about "having" to control my eating, or feeling deprived because I have to stop eating something I really like after I've consumed my allotted portion. I really feel like the Beck book is helping me deal with those issues. I do feel more empowered and in control, and slowing down to eat really does help me feel more satisfied at the end of the meal.

Leigh and April, sounds like you are both off to excellent starts!

[TKay]

Stephanie - Nice to hear an update from you--and such a good one at that! :D :D :D Bravo on the weight loss! And kudos for sticking with the program. It's difficult to stay on track when things are different in your environment, so I'm glad your parents didn't set you off course. You're doing great. Your success motivates me--thanks for that!

While I am sticking with the program, I let myself get discouraged this morning. Against my better judgement, I stepped on the scale. Okay, I'm still not in the dieting portion. But I have been really watching what I eat and I know my calorie count is way down from normal. Plus, I've been walking every day--something I wasn't doing at all before. My scale hasn't budged. I felt a little blue about that even though I know not to expect a change yet. I got the "why bothers?" for a while, but they passed. I reminded myself that this program is not just about weight LOSS for me. It's also about being healthy and having a good, positive relationship with food. I got over myself, and for that, I give myself credit.

I am, however, considering weather I need to step up my workout routine or not. Maybe I'll walk with handweights one day a week. Or change one of my walks into a jog. One of the things I'm liking about the walking is that I don't have to get into a workout outfit. I can just throw on shoes and go. I shower when I get home, so it's no big deal really. When I go to the gym or run, on the other hand, I have to put in more effort. There's more laundry and more time involved and I've been resisiting that. Oh, heck. I'm worth it, right? Right? Hello? I am worth it, right? :D

How's everyone else doing today?

[leightx]

Hello! I just got finished with my workout, and I really need a shower! :eek:

I lined up my diet coach yesterday (Day 6) - I'm going to check in with one of my best friends, who is also trying to lose weight. She hasn't read the book yet, but I may send it to her when I'm done (or just get her her own copy). She's working out with a trainer, so at least we're motivating each other to get to the gym! I also plan on using all of you as my virtual diet coaches - hope you don't mind! :p

Today is Day 7 - arrange your environment. I'm planning on cleaning out my fridge, and then going grocery shopping for healthy foods as well. I really need to get a menu planned out - that is one of the hardest things for me to do! I also got some tupperware type containers (www.savethelids.com) that I've been eyeing for a while - they were on sale for $8, so I got three sets, and I'm going to get rid of all my mismatched pieces!

I'm giving myself credit today for remembering to sit down and eat (stopped myself at least 4 different times), working out, and talking with my diet coach.

Tkay - you know, I was never able to lose weight by walking. It's certainly good for you, but as far as fat burning goes, it doesn't really do that much. I've only been able to lose weight significantly when I weight train. In fact, I was just reading a study that backed this up - here's a brief overview:

Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men.

Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 9, pp. 1320-1329, 1999.

Overweight subjects were assigned to three groups: diet-only, diet plus aerobics, diet plus aerobics plus weights. The diet group lost 14.6 pounds of fat in 12 weeks. The aerobic group lost only one more pound (15.6 pounds) than the diet group (training was three times a week starting at 30 minutes and progressing to 50 minutes over the 12 weeks).

The weight training group lost 21.1 pounds of fat (44% and 35% more than diet and aerobic only groups respectively). Basically, the addition of aerobic training didn't result in any real world significant fat loss over dieting alone.

Thirty-six sessions of up to 50 minutes is a lot of work for one additional pound of fat loss. However, the addition of resistance training greatly accelerated fat loss results.

Anyway - I don't want you to think that all that walking is for naught - it's good for your heart, and burns calories while you're walking, but if you're also lifting weights, it really boosts your metabolism. Weight-lifting causes an "afterburn" effect, where you keep burning calories at a higher rate for up to 38 hours after you work out. Also, any additional muscle that you build will burn a lot more calories than fat. This is good news since it means you don't have to keep decreasing your calories until you're basically living on salad and water as you lose weight.

[valchemist]

I'm still in the morning sickness tank here but I thought I would chime in.

I am not going to dispute what leigh posted, but just give a different take on it. I totally agree that weight training is important and effective. but for me, I just don't have the time (or resources/money) to join a gym. and I have tried free weights at home and still use them, but they aren't as good as a gym for me. (I don't have all the right equipment and I don't have good form and I don't know all the right exercises, etc.)

so, while I do agree the weight training is important and effective, it isn't what works for me. I have always been a walker. I mentioned in a previous thread that I love walking so much that I hate to miss a single day. I do well over an hour of fast walking up and down pretty steep hills. it just does my brain good, and the body stuff is bonus. I hate weight training, so to me it is a chore. I think exercise that you love to do is what is most successful in the long run ( for me anyway). also, with the walking I do, I have never gotten into an unhealthy weight range. in otherwords, I have never been overweight. sure, I have needed to lose 15 pounds to be at my skinny weight, but that is just due to my poor eating habits. walking can work for you if it is the only thing you love and/or that you can stick to. if you can do the weight training, that will be MUCH added bonus. and kudos to you if you can find the time and stick to the program. I honestly wish I could.

[valchemist]

btw, leigh. that tupperware link didn't work for me. could you tell me the name of the things you got? thanks!

[TKay]

Leigh - I think it's a great idea to clean out your fridge and then buy only healthy stuff. Good going! :D I probably should do that. I mean, I've put things where they're inconvenient, but I bet my fridge could use a little clearing too. I'd also like to buy fewer snack items and get my kids used to eating fruit or yogurt or things like that (instead of cracker-type things, poptarts, cookies, etc.). I've said it before. I think this Beck approach will trickle down to my kids and they'll benefit from my efforts.

As for the walking, you bring up a good point. I don't know why I expected the walking routine to bring me big results. I've always been someone who had to do more than that. Aerobics AND weight training have always worked for me. I think I just really want walking to be enough for now. And frankly, it's the first step I'm willing to take. That said, I know I don't need to make huge efforts in the weight department to see results. I love the way my upper body responds to weight training--even just once a week. Yet I'm resisting. I think for now, I'll do the walking because I'm enjoying it so much. I will add weights to my walking routine--starting with once a week, I think. I have this routine I do with five-pound weights where I walk while doing reps. It's aerobic and you get the benefit of resistance training--at least for your upper body. I will start that sooner than I'd planned (partly based on my lack of results and partly on your inspiration :D ). So thanks for that!

Val, I think the kind of walking you're doing is considerably more strenuous than what I'm doing. I'm strictly on flat land. And honestly, I'm not working up much of a sweat. I guess I was just *hoping* that since I'd been doing nothing before...Plus, it's also really good for my head.

A trainer told me once that you burn as many calories walking a mile as you do running it. It's just that you can run it much faster.

Thanks for giving me stuff to think about. Oh, and Val, I'm so sorry about the morning sickness. That stuff is the worst. I hope it's over quickly. :)

[leightx]

Hi Val - I fixed the link for you! Unfortunately - the website still has them for $19.99, which is pretty pricey for 3 bowls! I got them at this store in the outlet mall (I think it was the Corning outlet???) and they were on sale for $8. They are nice thicker plastic - more similar to Tupperware than the cheap stuff from the grocery store. I like them because they nest and the lids fit on the bottoms.

I did manage to get the fridge cleaned, and stocked up on some healthier foods. We cooked steak tonight and it was just awful - so bad I only ate one bite! The texture was all wrong - it was mushy and just blah. I almost saved the wrapper to take it back to Costco (it was from a vacuum-packed thing). :p So disappointing to waste time and money and energy on dinner that is destined for the trash. Anyway....I warmed up some leftovers (for the 3rd time now) and had those instead. I also did fairly well making cupcakes for DD's last day of school (she has a summer bday). I only took a couple of licks of batter, and a little frosting. It wasn't perfect, but it was far better than I would have done a week ago! :o

I totally agree on the walking / exercise thing - whatever you can stick with is the perfect exercise for you! I think it's especially good for someone like you Val - who isn't overweight to begin with. The walking probably burns off those extra 400 - 600 calories (or whatever) a day, so you can eat those yummy treats! I am absolutely horrible about doing cardio - just get way too bored, so I actually prefer doing weights. I can do something different every day, and track my progress easily, so that's appealing too. Now don't get me wrong - I haven't been able to stick with weights either, but I see great results when I do! And I know it's especially great for strengthening bones, and long-term health, so I hope that I can make it "stick" this time.

Right now I'm doing this program called Crossfit (www.crossfit.com). I love it because they post a new routine every day, and it's never "run for 40 minutes". It's primarily body weight exercises, and seems to be popular with a lot of military / martial-art types. I'm just in awe watching the girls (and guys!) in the videos that they post - :eek: I'm way to out of shape to do pull-ups (although my long term exercise goal is to do just 1, unassisted! :D ), so I use the Gravitron at the gym. You can add weight to counterbalance your own, but it's still the same motion (either pull-ups or dips). I add a LOT of weight so I'm probably only lifting about 10 lbs. of my own body weight! ;) I also modify the workout most days because it is fairly advanced - I found this site (http://forum.brandxmartialarts.com/viewforum.php?f=16&sid=74059d7b82f8aa7e7fa9cdcec3157228) that has workout for different fitness levels. I usually do the "buttercup". :p

I'm kind of enjoying this time before I actually start dieting - I'm not going hog wild like I used to the weekend before I knew I'd start a diet. At the same time, I'm allowing myself some things that I probably won't once I'm "official". I'm still wavering back and forth b/w SBD and WW or something else - I need to take a good look at SBD again, and line up some recipes.

[potato_moose]

I so missed being on here yesterday! Our Internet was disconnected most of the day for a flooring install so I wasn't able to get on at all. Tkay--sorry to hear that you got so discouraged. I, too, had a really tough day yesterday. We are nearing the end of a remodel, and took our our last functioning toilet :eek:
The stuff from the bathroom is stacked in my bedroom, leaving only the narrowest of paths to the bed, and I had to keep my 2-year-old cordoned off in just the living room all afternoon! I wasn't just wanting to fall off the boat-I wanted to jump off!.

But then I remembered to give myself credit :) and I felt better. I even gave myself credit for giving myself credit! ;)

Yesterday was my first day for exercise, as well. I did the spontaneous exercise--I held my 25 LB 2-year-old and swayed as I sang to her for naps & bedtime instead of sitting and rocking. I almost didn't do the planned exercise. We have an elliptical trainer, but because of the remodel it was unplugged & had stuff piled on top of it. There was all of the above stuff going on, so I couldn't do it during the day. Then I was going to do it in the evening, but couldn't find the surge protector to plug in the elliptical trainer. Then I was clipping my toenails and cut one so short that it was really sore :mad:

I had decided after reading Dr. Beck's chapter on exercise that I would do as she suggested and do only 5 minutes, adding one minute a day. So I just kept telling myself, "only 5 minutes..." So I looked until I found the surge protector, put a band-aid on the toenail, and did it! (for 5 minutes)

Tkay, we can do this, girl!!!!!!

[potato_moose]

I forgot to add, Leigh that I, too, am doing like you and just trying not to overdo it. It's funny, telling myself that I'm not dieting yet kind of makes me look forward to when I am. Is that weird?

April

ETA Anybody else having issues w/ food getting cold &/ or soggy while you are "eating slowly & mindfully" ?

[newtricks]

It's funny, telling myself that I'm not dieting yet kind of makes me look forward to when I am. Is that weird?


I felt exactly the same way. And yes, it is weird but in a good way.

And April, I am almost finished with a big remodel (there are painters outside my window as we speak). I did gain some weight during because I dropped exercise totally while it was going on for many of the reasons you were listing out (except the toe;) ). So I'm totally giving you credit for doing your 5 minutes and for not jumping off the boat - "two year old" and "cordoned" should never be together in a sentence! - AND for giving yourself credit.

Leigh- that's a very interesting study. I need a lot of external motivation to do weight training for some reason. I actually have a trainer just can't afford to see her right now but I think I'll start seeing her once a week because I sort of miss it. In a masochistic way of course.

TKay, good for you for walking and for all the changes you're making. I made the mistake of stepping on the scale before I started ww and it wasn't encouraging. But then my weigh in on registration day was lower than I expected and I lost 6.6 pounds in the next two weeks. But I can totally relate to your discouragement and I'll talk more about it when I get to ... Me.
Oh, have you tried the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches? They are delicious.


Stephanie!! - Congratulations on the loss. Especially since you were out of a routine when you achieved it. I think that's a big thing we will all have to learn. I know I'm a "well I can't do this if I'm not in my little rut" kind of dieter. But the routine days are not that common in my life! So I have to plan for those occasions. I mean, in a couple of weeks summer vacation starts and my routine will be blown out of the water. But my eating plan can't be.

Val - hang in there!:)

Ellyn, Sarah, RSC, and LakeMartin (and all our semi-lurkers) I hope you guys are doing ok. Do post if you have any questions or insights. You really don't have to address everyone ;)

[newtricks]

I weighed in yesterday and "only" lost .4 pounds. I was kinda disappointed to be totally truthful. I am dealing with it in a different way than I usually have because it is making me work harder. Not eat more. Wow!

But I did have to think a bit about it. I have an image of a rock climber just battling it out for every centimeter. Because even if I only lose .4 a week, I'll eventually get where I want to be if I just keep doing it. And just think, then my medium fat clothes that I buy will last me a little longer;)

How am I working harder? Well, I was slowly working up my exercise points. last week my goal was 17 points. And I actually beat it and did 20 so this week I just put 28 as my goal. Dh came home early from work so after I put dinner on the table for the kids I went to the gym! Came home right before bed time, it was great. I also went this morning so I've done 10 points right there. I also stayed within my daily points yesterday. But I'm actually pretty hungry so I will loosen up a little and eat some weeklies.

So I'm giving myself credit for dealing with disappointment. I am also focussing on the fact that I've lost seven total on WW which is great in my book.

[leightx]

Barbara - It's so hard to key to keep plugging away and not just throw in the towel, especially when you've been working so hard. You deserve a big pat on the back! And you're exactly right - every little inch down the scale adds up.

This is my biggest hurdle - giving up when it gets tough, and I'm not seeing the results I think I'm "entitled" to. :rolleyes: I'm not weighing yet, so nothing to get frustrated at, but I'm happy to see that you've had a shift in your thinking.

Not much to report here - DS and I cleaned out the pantry. I don't really keep much junk around (I tend to bake it instead! :o ), so that wasn't too bad, but I did need to do a general cleaning.

Tomorrow is my nephew's graduation party, and I'm baking him his favorite dessert - European Chocolate Truffle Cake. It's also probably one of my favorite desserts. I managed to get the entire thing in the oven without even so much as a tiny taste, and the dishes are already in the dishwasher. I'm going to allow myself a small sliver tomorrow. It's going to be a challenging day though - I'll basically be at a graduation party for about 5 hours, with a ton of appetizers and desserts. :eek:

No exercise (planned) for me today - just cleaning the house and getting ready for family to converge (I live in the same neighborhood as nephew / SIL). Tomorrow will head to the gym after the party to offset some of the damage.

[LakeMartinGal]

I managed to get the entire thing in the oven without even so much as a tiny taste, and the dishes are already in the dishwasher. One of the WW leaders I had suggested that, if tasting while you're cooking is a problem, get some of the disposable masks to wear while you're cooking... all the tastes end up on the mask, then you can see how much food you didn't eat, when you're done cooking!;)

[potato_moose]

Hi all!

Newtricks--Love the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches! I'm so proud of you for staying motivated in the face of less weight loss than you had expected. Isn't it funny how losing weight is actually more motivating to keep you on a diet than not losing weight?

Leightx--Do you have a plan for the graduation party?

I'm having somewhat of a dilemma today. I had previously decided to keep going with each new step over the weekends so that I didn't get the feeling that I get "weekends off" from dieting. (not that I'm dieting yet) I just read today's challenge, to keep a chart of how hungry you are before, during and after each time you eat. I've already had breakfast, so I've missed that. (I usually read the next day's challenge in the evening, but we spent last night at Home Depot buying supplies to remount our toilet and by the time we were home & I got the girls in bed I could barely keep my eyes open)

Anyway, so I thought maybe I could do that for the rest of the day, then through tomorrow also. But the next task after that is hunger tolerance. I don't think I should attempt that on a weekend, when DH is home. I get kind of cranky when I don't eat. ;)

So it looks like I need to wait until TUESDAY to do the hunger tolerance. That seems awfully far away. Do I keep doing the steps after hunger tolerance and then come back to it? Or should I just practice what I've learned until then?

Any comments would be appreciated. I can't think anymore as the baby is crying, but I'll check back.

ETA Another option would be to do the hunger tolerance today. It's not too late, I haven't eaten lunch yet--it's only 11:35a.m. here. We're going out for a date night at a nice restaurant tonight for dinner. Does a big dinner affect the hunger tolerance thing do you think?

[eas11]

Ellyn, Sarah, RSC, and LakeMartin (and all our semi-lurkers) I hope you guys are doing ok. Do post if you have any questions or insights. You really don't have to address everyone ;)

Thanks for thinking of me! :D
I'm still on track with most of the steps, exercise is still my biggest challange. I ammaking myself walk, and give myself credit for that, but I'm still struggling with the fact that I am NOT really pushing myself to kick it up, get in "real" workouts, sweat, etc!
Hunger tolerance and cravings exercises were big challanges, and real eye openers for me. Lots of "aha" moments. I started WW and am doing well!

Last night I realized just how easy it is to slip back, forget the steps and lose control. I had beautiful, large shrimp and cocktail sauce on the counter. DH came home and we began talking and eating the shrimp at our kitchen counter. All of a sudden I said "OMG...I'm standing!" It was actually quite funny, BUT, by the count of the tails I saw I had quickly eaten 6 shrimp! OK, I know they weren't cookies, but it was so...automatic...to just eat without thinking, without awareness. OUCH!

Potato, I too waited for a good day to do the hunger tolerance (3 days later, I think), and held off on the cravings till the following day. I focused on the other steps I was already doing in the mean time.

My weekend BIG challange- I'm off to The Berkshires in a couple of hours. I usually snack more there- so I need to be careful. My meals are not planned for the weekend- I will do that tomorrow morning before shopping and when I find out if I will have 2 or 4 guests. Also, I'll need to see how many points for a s'more :)

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

ETA: Looks like a s'more is 5 points :)

[newtricks]

Holiday Monday!

I'm starting a new thread. :)