Beck Diet Solutions - July 14

[newtricks]

Hi everyone. I'm thinking about adding to our format a little. Some of us have been doing the program for a while and post about our progress. And some people lurk because responding to everyone is sort of overwhelming, and some people are just starting out on the program.

So (in addition to some of us posting our progress) I'm thinking about focussing on specific concepts and/or steps from the book. I think it's a great way to give ourselves credit or recommit to things that might be slipping. And I hope newbies and lurkers will feel comfortable posting comments and questions - or that it will help to see how others handle these issues.

[newtricks]

I weighed in on Tuesday and stayed exactly the same. Which, happily, didn't make me "give up" it made me look at what I did last week and see if I need to make changes. Honestly, I think it was a flukey water issue because I didn't make bad choices last week (except for a pavlova incident at a dinner party;) and I accounted for it). So I think I'll be down next weigh-in and if not I'm at the dreaded plateau.

TKay - Yay! I know you've been working hard for that five pounds. As Stephanie says - we're just chopping wood :) and sooner or later the tree will come down.

How's everyone else doing?

[newtricks]

It's ok to be hungry and just wait until your next meal. Wow! This concept has been a big change for me because it has cut out so many snacks and mindless bites. e.g., I take my kids for fast food every couple of weeks and I used to get myself something but now I don't because I'll be able to eat something healthier if I wait. And I've cut out so much 'before dinner" snacking I can't even tell you. I love this concept.


On the other hand... I found out about Beck through Oprah Magazine. They did an article on hunger tolerance and the author had to do the day where she didn't eat. I don't really remember too much about the article but it made me buy the book. The next month though, one of the letters was a little irate saying this is total eating disorder behavior. I can see how they thought that but I guess I feel like I've always been "disordered" in the other direction so I'm looking for the happy medium. One thing I know is that I used to spend a lot of time thinking about food, beating myself up for eating things, wishing I could eat things, and any diet I've been on before made it worse. On this I don't really think about food that much - I know what I can eat and I don't think (much!) about what I can't. So I guess i'm saying that I don't think Beck's hunger tolerance concept is going to turn us into people with eating disorders - quite the opposite actually.

Thoughts? How does "Hunger tolerance" influence your day to day eating? I hope my second paragraph isn't too distracting, it's just something I've been pondering lately.

[LakeMartinGal]

While I am not (yet) doing the Beck thing, I have been trying to see whether I could stop eating at the first twinge of hunger, and what would happen if I did... It seems that the first twinge is usually mind-hunger. That is, I've thought about a certain food, and then I want to go eat it! I've been trying to ignore those urges by drinking something, usually Fresca, or eating 1 strawberry or 1 grape... They usually go away pretty quickly when I refocus my thoughts. One day, I really did the I'm-not-going-to-snack-now-because-dinner-is-in-an-hour thing, and I felt very virtuous, but I ate very fast, so I didn't feel as full as I thought I should... more to work on, there!;) Haven't noticed any weight loss, but no gains, either -- still working on it...

[potato_moose]

Great idea, Barbara!

Pre-Beck, my DH always got very irritated with me if I was snacking while he was making dinner. It wasn't until I wrote out my hunger tolerance card that I understood why:

I don't have to eat just because I'm
hungry. I can wait until my next meal.
And the food will taste that much better
because it will be “seasoned by hunger.”

I realized that if I got full before we even ate dinner, that the fact that I wasn't really that hungry anymore would negatively affect how good DH's cooking tasted. And he knew this.

I don't think the hunger tolerance work is anywhere in the vicinity of eating disorder-ish. Dr. Beck recognizes that what overweight people do is eat because they're hungry and then eat again because it's mealtime. Or they eat something they otherwise might not (a hot dog at the mall, for example) because they "just can't wait." A not-overweight person would just wait until they got home to eat. It's not about learning to eat less than is healthy, it's about pacing your eating so you don't overeat.

ETA

How has my day-to-day eating changed because of hunger tolerance?
--Because I don't snack (thus no grazing) I eat better meals
--I no longer eat the snacks I've gotten out for my two-year-old to eat that she has shunned (fruit, toast, scrambled eggs)
--I'm always hungry when mealtime comes
--I occasionally save up calories during the day so I can splurge in the evening, but then it's much easier to keep the splurge under control; the food has to be "worth it"

ETA (again)

And I'm more likely to go ahead and eat a proper breakfast and lunch on the weekends, even if DH isn't ready, or in the mood to join me.

[doggerham]

Dr. Beck recognizes that what overweight people do is eat because they're hungry and then eat again because it's mealtime. Or they eat something they otherwise might not (a hot dog at the mall, for example) because they "just can't wait." A not-overweight person would just wait until they got home to eat. It's not about learning to eat less than is healthy, it's about pacing your eating so you don't overeat.

I think this is very well said!

Barbara, thank you for giving this thread some focus for us newbies. I am still reading the book, but in the meantime have gone back to Weight Watchers. They are very complementary, as WW does stress the mind-connection to eating. That is why I chose their "Core" plan, as it is focused on eating healthy foods to satisfaction, and not so obsessive about counting points.

The hunger tolerance concept is a tough one for me to practice, because I hate being hungry. However, it won't kill me, and it will fine tune my ability to distinguish between types of hunger, and what a particular level of hunger feels like on the scale. I've generally rated all hunger as 10/10, and I know that's not really true!

Amy

[nmduhneece]

I found the hunger tolerance exercise an extremely important and interesting and HEALTHY learning experience. I really used to say to myself, "I HAVE to eat this right now or I'll starve." By rating my sense of discomfort for other things that have happened in my life and then rating my hunger on the same scale of discomfort, I had a lovely 'aha' moment.
I've only lost three pounds, but as a recent ex-smoker, losing three pounds is an incredible accomplishment.
I am still struggling with trying to plan meals when I don't know what the next day will be like, but am getting better all the time. I still blow it too often, but I don't beat up on myself so much.
I'm going super slowly, only on "Day 19" even tho' I've really been doing the Plan longer than that.
Even when I'm down and not doing all that the Beck taught me, I feel like I have found a key to help me the rest of my life. What a gift.
Tkay, yeah on the 5 pounds! I'm not sure if I'll hit my first 5-pound goal in a week or 4 weeks, but I know I'll reach it and THAT feels good.

[TKay]

Barbara - I think posting on a topic will aid the conversation a bit--especially for those that don't feel as far along.

Hunger tolerance has been huge for me. I used to get so hungry (in my mind) that I had to eat immediately. I mean, my body was telling me something, right? Now I realize that I can not only wait for mealtime, I can wait for the RIGHT foods.

Here's what I mean. We've recently discovered a local farmer's market. We've twice now made a family trip out of going and picking out fruits and veggies there. There's a nearby In n Out Burger and we've driven through on our way home from the market. Both times I've ordered food for my family, but not for me. It didn't bother me one bit to wait. I ate a handful of fries and had a sip of dh's (real) Coke, but had no trouble waiting until we were home. Upon arrival, I made myself a nutritious lunch that worked for my program.

In the past, I would most certainly have gone ahead and eaten the fast food. (I would have enjoyed it too.) Now, it just wouldn't be worth it to me. I don't want to lose momentum. Not only that, I really LIKE what the Beck program has done for my body. So making the choice to wait for my food is no longer difficult.

I don't think hunger tolerance is an eating disorder issue. There are so many other things that factor into eating disorders. I don't think I'm on the verge of developing anorexia simply because I've learned to tolerate my hunger. At least that's the way I see it.

Interesting topic.

[TKay]

Just a quick check in and a progress report. I'm now down 7 pounds. Wahoo! I haven't been weighing every day, so this might be a water loss or something. I'll take it. It's been so difficult to shed the pounds. I'm taking this loss and running with it--literally. I'm having a much easier time lengthening my workouts. It's been nice. Also, we took the kids to Disneyland and spent the day there yesterday. I happily ordered healthy options (like bland salads) and didn't feel deprived one bit. It has been a real change.
How's everyone else?

[potato_moose]

I've fallen into a pit again and I'm desperately trying to claw my way back to the top and back on my program. I always seem to fall off when I reach "that time of the month." I feel yucky and tired, and my cravings are always worse as well. Then I start eating whatever and eventually get out of the habit of writing meal plans and exercising. But I just exercised, and I read through my response cards, so I'm feeling raring to go again!

I do have a response card written for this problem, but for it to work I have to read it. I know that reading the response cards works for me, so if I don't "feel" like staying on program, I "forget" to read the cards.

I watched Shaq's Big Challenge last night on t.v. and it gave me a kick in the pants. If those kids could work that hard to lose 20 pounds, then darnet, so can I!

[gertdog]

April- good for you for posting here- sometimes I feel like just saying publicly "I screwed up and now I'm getting back down to work" is all it takes to get ourselves going again. On a few occasions when I've had a bad food day, I've caught myself avoiding this thread b/c I didn't want to admit that I was off track. Much better to own it- the sooner you do, the sooner you can start eating healthy again!

I was down 1 pound this week- am happy about that. I have a cold of some kind- I don't feel too bad, but have completely lost my voice (my son is completely frustrated with me because I can't read to him- he doesn't understand why I can't talk. This morning he threw a book at me.) I'm flying to California on Friday and hope I have a voice by then!

Barbara, I like your idea of focusing on a particular concept. The hunger tolerance thing really has been a revelation for me. So many times I've fooled myself by saying "oh, I'm so hungry, I have to eat something right now or...." and I've used that as an excuse to munch on whatever I see in the kitchen. But what's the "Or?" Or what? Or... I'll go on being hungry for a while. Not so terrible at all, when you think about it. I've found this concept to be most useful when I'm out running errands or on a longer road trip. I used to see a Dunkin' Donuts or a Panera or whatever and think "I'm hungry, better stop and get something." Or worse: "I'm not hungry yet, but what if I get really hungry in a little while- there's something to eat here, so I might as well eat." Now I do a much better job of passing those things by and waiting until I get home.

[TKay]

April, I agree that posting here was a good move for you. Just hang in there. Keep reading your cards and you will get through this. It sounds like you're already figuring out ways to handle that time of the month. Hopefully each month that goes by will get easier and easier. You can do this.

I had a good hunger tolerance experience yesterday. I was having an MRI (nothing serious, just fibrous breasts), and I couldn't eat from midnight until after my 1:00 appointment the next day (I was happily being sedated for the procedure). As I was sitting there waiting to go in, my stomach was growling. But it didn't bother me a bit. I just noticed, huh, my tummy is really empty today. There was no sense of urgency for getting something to eat. That is a big difference for me.

[TKay]

More about me, me, me. I weighed myself again and I'm up to 9 pounds lost. :D I canNOT believe it. This after struggling and struggling with the first five. I think my body must have realized the lower intake of calories wasn't temporary after all. Actually, I've been stepping up my workouts. I'm sure that did the trick. Of course, we're off to Maui on Tuesday, so I expect a little vacation gain--not so much from my food choices. But I intend to imbide a few umbrella drinks by the pool!
Aloha, everyone.

[newtricks]

TKay, that's great! And have fun in Maui.

April, I hope things are looking up. I'm having some "slippage" myself and found myself dwelling on it yesterday and then realized that yesterday I had done everything "right" but was forgetting to give myself credit because of obsessing about the cocktail party the night before!

Which brings me to my subject. Rules. What rules have you set for yourself after reading the book? Some of mine are:

- No eating standing up

- No second portions

- Always make a plan *before* going to a special occassion.

These take a lot of the "should I? shouldn't I?" questions out of it for me. Usually I shouldn't!:D

[potato_moose]

I have found the rules so helpful! Even when I'm not writing my meal plans & calculating my calories, my rules help me keep the calories down. In fact, even though I haven't done either for over a week, following my rules has helped me reach my second five pound weight goal! :eek:

My rules--

--No seconds (I noticed you had this one too, Barbara)

--No snacks between meals

--Measure 3 Tbs of coffee creamer for morning coffee (even when I'm not calculating calories--those creamer calories add up if I don't measure!)


I think these rules will also help me maintain once I've reached my final weight goal.

April

[potato_moose]

Today I made a response card to chart how much weight I've lost, and how much I still have to lose. I was actually surprised at how far I've come. I didn't do the "chart your progress" step, but I think skipping it was a mistake. I think doing it will provide me with extra motivation--and I think we all can use more of that!

Yesterday I didn't exactly count my calories, and I even broke a couple of my rules, but I got right back on today. I just mapped out my calories for the rest of today, and for tomorrow as well. We are going out to dinner tonight to our favorite Mongolian Grill and I had to make some hard choices. I love several tablespoons of hot oil on my stir fry, and there aren't any lower calorie options to make your stir fry spicy available. So I budgeted for a compromise of 3 tablespoons, and am resolved to skip the egg drop soup to keep me within budget. That will be hard for me not because I really care about the soup, but because I always have soup, and I hate telling people I'm not having something because of the calories--even if it's just my DH and brother-in-law. I just feel like it's "making waves," which I usually try to avoid.

Even with my fluctuations of days on and days off, I have still managed to lose another pound beyond my second five pound weight goal. I guess that makes a total of 11 pounds :)

[potato_moose]

I just mapped out my calories for the rest of today, and for tomorrow as well. We are going out to dinner tonight to our favorite Mongolian Grill and I had to make some hard choices. I love several tablespoons of hot oil on my stir fry, and there aren't any lower calorie options to make your stir fry spicy available. So I budgeted for a compromise of 3 tablespoons, and am resolved to skip the egg drop soup to keep me within budget. That will be hard for me not because I really care about the soup, but because I always have soup, and I hate telling people I'm not having something because of the calories--even if it's just my DH and brother-in-law. I just feel like it's "making waves," which I usually try to avoid.



I was going to add that I made myself a response card to put in my purse detailing the food that I will eat tonight and how much of each thing I have budgeted for. I have done this for several of the places we eat out at the most often, and it has really been helping. I keep the cards in my purse all the time, so I know which choices are the best for my "budget"--I don't have to just guess.

[buffygirl]

I'm still working my way through the book, but have officially been on my workout and diet plan for one week. I'm down 5 lbs and I feel good. I'm lurking here for support and will check in when I feel I have something important to add.:p

Kim

[potato_moose]

I'm still working my way through the book, but have officially been on my workout and diet plan for one week. I'm down 5 lbs and I feel good. I'm lurking here for support and will check in when I feel I have something important to add.:p

Kim

Good for you! :)

[newtricks]

I'm weighing in this morning and have to buy a new 12 week journal. Which means I've been doing this for a while now. :) Lots of stuff has become second nature and some things are slipping. Like planning and journalling because of our crazy summer schedule. I'm hoping my shiny new journal will help with that.

April - great idea to write a response card with your eating-out plan. I don't write a card but I do make a plan before I'm out because that was formerly a big source of extra calories.

Interesting what you said about "making waves". I find that I don't like people to pay attention to what I'm ordering and eating. To the point where I'll order appetizers for the table and then not eat them :o . (ok, that's really wierd when I see it in writing!). I had lunch with my parents yesterday and it was the first time they had noticed that I've lost weight so ordering was a little wierd. But, hah, I ordered a vegetarian taco salad which my mom probably thought was fattening. And the appetizers. Oh boy! (lots of issues with food and my parents obviously)

At the same time, I feel ok with asking for what I need in a restaurant and not eating what other people are eating.

Hi Kim - congrats on the five pound loss your first week!

[potato_moose]

Barbara, how is the new journal going?

I'm going out for lunch w/ DH today. We're going to Muchas Gracias, a place where I have never been before. This makes it hard to plan. I did come up with a plan, though. If chips and salsa are offered, I will count out fifteen chips, and have them with salsa. Assuming such a dish is available, I will have a chicken soft taco, burrito or fajita w/ no cheese or sour cream. If it comes w/ beans & rice I won't eat those either. I will just have to work from there once I get there.

Since this is will be an early lunch, I'm also going to skip breakfast (except for coffee & creamer). Once I'm back home and have calculated my calories, I've given myself permission to add in a snack if I need it, and have room for it in my calorie budget this afternoon.

[doggerham]

I made a bunch of response cards -- mostly the "typical" ones she has in the book, but a few that are specific to my issues.

What I did was to type them up in Word and print them on some perforated business card stock I had on hand. Then, I punched a hole in one corner of each card and put them on a keyring.

I actually have 2 sets -- one diet related, and one more just generally self-esteem related.

Amy

PS -- TKAY -- glad to hear that your outcome was good.

[newtricks]

April- My new journal is getting written in! These journals have boxes where you check off your exercise every time you do it. Now, I love to mark those so I have to do the food as well. Keeps me honest. :) The other thing I love to keep up on is the weight loss chart in the front. At the end of my first 12-week journal I have lost a total of.... 21 pounds. That is one beautiful looking graph!! (to me obviously) So I'm going to laminate it and keep it in my purse as motivation.

And your plan for lunch sounds excellent. Do you get salad as well? I like to have a lot of greens on my plate so it takes me a while to eat everything. Just curious - how many calories in 15 chips?

Hi Amy, I feel like my "self-esteem" related reasons for sticking with this are my most important and effective. At this point I would feel like I was letting myself down, if that makes sense. I wanted to respect myself more and now I do.

[TKay]

Amy - Thanks for your support.

I did really well on my vacation. I stuck to my eating plan every day except the last one. I exercised three out of the five/six days we were gone. And I was also really active, swimming for hours with the boys. So that was good. When I got home, I was sort of slammed by the results of my (breast) MRI. I had to go in the next day for an ultrasound and mammo and then (surprise!) biopsy. Needless to say, that threw my routine off. I had two days of little to no activity after the biopsy (had some bleeding and whatnot), not to mention a little stress and the blues. I wasn't so much worried, but annoyed by the whole thing. I felt like, this doesn't fit in with what I have planned. :D (Thankfully, my results were normal. :) ) I went to bunco on Friday night and for some reason, had a piece of gooey chocolate cake--something I had no intention of doing. I went to two family parties yesterday and had a half a cupcake at each one. Anyway, I've been off my routine for a while now, and I'm determined to get it back. I forced myself to go running this morning and it felt really good. I'm back on my eating plan today and will just keep at it.
I was going to weigh myself today, but decided against it. I'm sure I'm back up a pound or two and I don't want to feel defeated. (I'm also having the PMS bloat, so that's keeping me from the scale too.)
Hope everyone is doing well. I'll get back up to speed here soon.

[potato_moose]

I felt like, this doesn't fit in with what I have planned. :D (Thankfully, my results were normal. :) )

Oh, thank goodness! I'm so glad!

April

I'm off to exercise for 15 minutes before I have to leave the house...

[potato_moose]

Just curious - how many calories in 15 chips?



I chose 15 because that's about 1 ounce of chips, which has 145 calories. Yes, I absolutely could have had salad, but it wasn't offered, other than some lettuce on my plate of fajitas. I'm not sure why, but the Mexican restaurants we frequent just don't include salad.

[newtricks]

Let's talk about REAL LIFE. TKay, you just went from one extreme to the other - vacation to a health scare. What do we do/tell ourselves to stay on track in either the good times or the bad?

Last week I went to the beach with a friend (and our kids). It was kind of hard because there are soooo many associations with food at the beach - ice cream, french fries, fried seafood, etc. etc. I just had to keep reminding myself of how happy I would be after the trip if I didn't blow my plan. And I planned ahead - No ice cream, even though we took the kids every night. So I didn't have to think about it. So that's the good times

Bad times - this is actually trivial but a huge pain in the neck. On Friday I discovered lice on my son!!! (it's rampant in our area right now) If any of you have experienced this you know about all the laundry, vacuuming, cancelling of fun plans, etc. etc. One of my friends said "this will be a test for you eating-wise" And I said "I just have to remember that eating during stressful times doesn't make anything better, it actually makes it worse" (which was a response card I wrote way back when). I just kept repeating that all day - when we had to shave my son's adorable long curly mop :( - so when the barbecued ribs and ice cream appeared I was able to resist. And I'm so happy now!

[potato_moose]

Let's talk about REAL LIFE. TKay, you just went from one extreme to the other - vacation to a health scare. What do we do/tell ourselves to stay on track in either the good times or the bad?



In summary, I rely on my response cards to keep me on track. I have a total of 32 different cards, and I try to read them all once a day. I wrote most of the cards after situations where I was presented with a challenge, but I didn't feel like I was successful in staying on my plan--those darn sabotaging thoughts! I keep them in my purse so I always have them with me, should I need to pull one out while we are out shopping or something.

For weekends:

Dispensing with the idea that I "deserve" to take the weekend off from dieting will ultimately help me lose weight. And I deserve to lose weight!

For visiting at Mom's:

The idea that calories don't count at Mom's house isn't valid. Those calories do count, and they add up faster than you think. (3,000 calories in one day?) Even if you don't have a meal plan,figure out your calories, and stick to it!

For that time of the month:

Not feeling well physically is not a valid excuse to overeat. It's probably just a craving. Go to pg 127 and do the anti-craving techniques. Drink Diet Pepsi, take Advil, eat what is on your meal plan, then decide where you are on the discomfort scale. Is it really that bad? Or are you just looking for an excuse to overeat?

For when I stray:

If you ate something that wasn't on your food plan, stop! Don't be tempted to throw out the diet for the rest of the day. Start again right now! And finish your day eating what is on your food plan! It isn't necessary to starve yourself for the rest of the day to make up the calories.

[potato_moose]

I should add that my number one rule is I refuse to beat up on myself if I stray, but I also refuse to give up!

[newtricks]

April - I like those. Cracking up that we have to remind ourselves that all calories actually count but I totally relate!

I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow morning. I'm freaking out a little because I can't see how I'm going to exercise for the first four days - and that's really wierd! I'll walk at least. I'm planning on relaxing the eating plan on some days. Feeling a little anxious about that too so I'll probably have some strict days too to balance out. How's that for a plan:rolleyes: . I'm bringing the current CL though!

I weighed in this morning and lost 2 more pounds. So I'm 2 1/2 pounds away from my original goal. Then I'll shoot for another 5 - 10 and see what's sustainable. :)

[doggerham]

Those Response cards are a riot~!

Well, after a good w/i Saturday, and a weekend with some eating challenges that were pretty well met -- I had something of a meltdown on Monday.

And I tried a bunch of stuff, had some water, had a "legal" snack, told myself I wasn't hungry, but bored. Anxious. Tried to distract myself. Had another "legal" snack Etc. etc. And this after a large breakfast (pre-platelet donation) and good solid lunch.

The ice cream won that round. Could have been worse -- could have been B&J instead of Bluebell.

Anyhow, I was (surprisingly) not hungry for supper. So, that ended it, and today is another day.

However, you notice the one thing I did not do?
.
.
.
.
I didn't go get my **** cards outta my purse and read them. I went thru them in my head, but ITS NOT THE SAME, is it?

Lesson appreciated and hopefully learned.

Amy

[potato_moose]

However, you notice the one thing I did not do?
.
.
.
.
I didn't go get my **** cards outta my purse and read them. I went thru them in my head, but ITS NOT THE SAME, is it?

Lesson appreciated and hopefully learned.

Amy

I have learned this also. You think you know what the cards say, and it runs through your head, but for some reason it is different to sit down and actually read them.

April

[potato_moose]

Amy, I was going to ask--where are you in the book?

April

[TKay]

Real life issues. Well, let's see. I had my mini-health scare last week. It did cause me to stray from my plan. No, wait. I can't say it CAUSED me to stray. I allowed myself to stray. I lost my workout momentum and also let food be a comfort to me. One night I had a huge bag of popcorn and just shovelled it in mindlessly. I also let myself have desert without checking my calorie tally because, darn it, I deserved it!
I am happy to report that while this real-life issue encouraged me to stray, I am back on track. And truthfully, I think I would have been even if my results weren't good. The bottom line is, I FEEL better when I'm eating right and exercising. I'm actually happier. So I'm shifting my thinking from dieting being a sacrifice to dieting being something good I do for myself. The same thing with exercise.
I've struggled with depression off and on for years. And one thing I've learned for sure is that exercise is key for me. It is absolutely necessary for me to maintain balance and well-being emotionally. Sometimes my thick head simply won't let me remember that fact! It is the same when it comes to losing or maintaining my weight. I HAVE to exercise. I am finally embracing that again and it is really working.
I think if I can keep those ideas in mind (with tools like the response cards) I can get through real life better than if I let myself indulge in food or stray from my fitness routine. While I might go off my plan momentarily, I know in my gut that my plan is what will keep me ticking--and able to handle whatever comes along better.

Barbara - Sorry about the lice incident. How awful. On the bright side, maybe your ds will enjoy the heat of summer with less hair. My seven-year-old has been wanting to keep his hair on the longer side for a couple of years now. He FINALLY agreed to cut it short again because he was sweating so much in the heat. To my surprise and relief, he loves his short hair. Good luck on your trip. I'm sure you'll do great. Congrats on the continued weight loss!

April - Your real-life rules are awesome. You are so right on with every one of them.

Amy, way to get back on track! We all have meltdowns from time to time. The important thing is not to throw in the towel when it happens. Good for you. I think that's a really important lesson I learned from the book. Yeah, I mess up. But that doesn't mean my WHOLE plan is shot. It just means I messed up. Time to get on with it.

[TKay]

Quick one from me. I'm posting primarily to get this in writing and have you guys be my witnesses. Yesterday I about fell off my chair when I was doing research about a local restaurant's calorie counts. The Chinese chicken salad I usually order was listed at over 1100 calories per serving. Gulp! I usually don't eat the whole thing (it's huge), but man! I was planning to have dinner there with dh last night. I ordered the meal anyway, no fried crunchies and dressing on the side. Based on what I did eat, I think the calorie count was probably half that.
Okay, here's the bad part. Dh wanted something to munch on. We got chips instead of fries because I can contain myself with those. What did I do? I just mindlessly sat and crunched and crunched and crunched. I caught myself and then went on again without really caring. Like, I'm in this deep. Ugh! I've been doing so well to get back on track.
I'm here to recommit myself to staying in line with my calorie counting. When I was buttoned up about it, I did so much better staying the course. I need to do this for me. I deserve this.
On a side note, I did weigh myself post-vacation yesterday and I am still down my nine pounds. Thank goodness! Now to keep it off and add a few more. Onward!

[TKay]

Anyone else still lurking around? I am still at my nine-pound loss and hoping to add just one more in the next ten days or so. We are going to Palm Springs (yes, in August!) at the end of next week. I'd love to be down ten pounds by then. It would be such a psychological lift for me.
I've been sticking with my workout routine and I'm really excited about that. I've been lengthening my runs to between 40 and 50 minutes (up from my previous 30). I'm hoping this will help my plan since I've strayed of late. I need to get out those response cards and remind myself how important this plan is to my health, happiness and quality of life. I've been doing the little mindless nibbles and I really need to curb that habit again.

April? Amy? Barbara? Kim? Beuller? Anyone there?

[gertdog]

Bueller here. :D

Just sticking my head in after a month of absence- work has been crazy this month and I've meant to post many times- just haven't carved out enough time to do so.

I went to a wedding in late July (and was delighted to find a cute dress that showed off my progress to date), then on the way home got stranded in the airport for 2 days. At that point I stopped tracking food/points, but I've continued to make mostly good choices. Over the past month I'm down 3 lbs, which is great, but... I need to track my food and use my cards. I can feel the slippery slope under my feet. My downfall has always, always been that I get into a good groove, I'm losing weight, and then I slip up. And I still lose weight the following week. So the next week I slip a few more times, and still lose weight. And things slowly start to go to h*ll, so that eventually I've somehow gotten back to thinking I can eat whatever, and I've lost sight of portion control and good choices. I can already see it happening- not portioning out my ice cream one night, eating a cookie one day b/c DH has the box out, having an extra glass of wine at dinner.

I'm heading out on vacation this Saturday, and normally I'd say it's not an ideal time to (re)"start" a diet plan, but going by the tenets of Beck, today is the day. Otherwise I could find reasons to put things off again and again...

Nice to read all of the progress here, and thoughtful responses to Barbara's questions...

[potato_moose]

I'm still here! :D

Good to hear from you tkay & Stephanie!

Between my two year old who has suddenly become a reluctant napper and my 6 month old who is teething, it has become difficult for me to find 25 minutes in-a-row to exercise. Yesterday I got in 7 minutes of the elliptical trainer before the baby woke up crying and I realized the two year old was in her room playing with a xylophone rather than sleeping like I thought she was. I never did get back to it, either. Right now I'm in wait-and-see-if-they-fall-asleep mode. I do *want* to exercise, though, which is at least half the battle for me. And I am still averaging at least 3x a week, which isn't horrible.

I've lost a total of 14 pounds since buying the Beck book, although since the first few were before she has you make a 5 pound goal, I've still got 3 more pounds to lose before I make my 3rd five pound goal.

What's really different for me this time over other times I've dieted is that even when I eat a large chocolate bar (yesterday) or indulge in an entire portion of greasy Chinese food (today) :o I still feel committed to the process. I still have every intention of reading my response cards, weighing in every morning, and writing a menu plan for tomorrow. I'm in this for the long haul, and a few detours along the way will just make it take a bit longer, that's all, and that's ok w/ me.

[TKay]

Stephanie, how did you know it was you I was calling Beuller? :D Glad to hear an update from you. I know exactly what you're talking about when you say you slip up, still lose, slip up again, still lose...oh, it's a vicious cycle. And does it seem like all of a sudden, bam! It's caught up with you? I get that way and it is dangerous territory for me. Bravo that you recognize it. Good for you that you're committed in the face of a vacation! I stayed on my plan for the most part on vacation and in truth, I enjoyed my trip more. I had fun and didn't feel guilty for blowing my plan. Enjoy your trip.
April, congrats on your continued weight loss. Good job! You must be doing something right if the pounds keep coming off. I'm proud of you. I think the way you're doing it is both healthy and successful. You've got the right attitude--even Beck would approve. :D You slip up, you don't lose your resolve. Bravo!
Okay, now let's hear from everyone else. How goes it the rest of you?

[TKay]

I guess I'm going again! Do you ever get the feeling you're talking to yourself? LOL. :D
I just wanted to post that I FINALLY hit my ten-pound mark! Yeah for me. Pat on the back and all. I am so excited. It was work getting here, but worth every moment of it. I'm not done, but I feel such a sense of accomplishment. I really owe it to this thread (and to our fearless leader, Barbara) for motivating me to make a change. You guys are great. I hope you're doing great too.
:)

[potato_moose]

I guess I'm going again! Do you ever get the feeling you're talking to yourself? LOL. :D
:)

I actually think I have felt that way before, but I know that in addition to us there have been lurkers who may be reading & I really need this thread to not die out, so I always post even when I feel that way. Thanks for keeping it going tkay!

The exercise continues to be a problem. I did manage my 25 min yesterday, but today (so far) is a no-go. I gave up on the two year old taking a nap after 2 hours of trying. She just managed to turn on the radio in the living room and is dancing in the middle of the floor :rolleyes: I'll see if I can manage it after the kids go to bed tonight. I don't mind doing it in the evening, but I don't always have the energy left.

I didn't write a meal plan for today, but I've measured everything & eaten only things that I already know "fit" into my typical meal plan, so I consider myself on-track for today.

Today I still need to do the following:

*Read my response cards
*Write my meal plan for tomorrow
*Exercise 25 minutes on the elliptical trainer

[TKay]

April - Hang in there! It is so hard to get in your exercise with little ones around. I remember it well. And when they don't nap?! Oy! That is the worst. It's exhausting because you've put so much effort into getting them down. And then frustrating because you don't get a break. I feel for you.
Just keep at it. It will get easier. Bravo for sticking with your food plan. Hey, even if you don't write it all down, you know what you're doing. Kudos for that!

[LakeMartinGal]

I'm lurking... I have the book, and have looked at it on the floor, but haven't picked it up, yet... I am trying to 'cut down' but I'm having a couple of issues right now -- I'm on some medication that makes everything except potato chips, Cheetos and VanDermint w/ice cream taste yucky!:( Only 5 more days on this med.....

[TKay]

I'm on some medication that makes everything except potato chips, Cheetos and VanDermint w/ice cream taste yucky!:(

Ouch! Oh, I'd be in a mess if that were the case for me. I have the hardest time resisiting the chips I let my kids eat. "One for you...one for me...no...must....resist. Stop the madness!" :D
Hang in there until you're done with your meds and jump in whenever you want. It's no fun when life messes with your plans.

[newtricks]

Hi everyone,

We're back from vacation. It was really fun but I'm glad to be back to tracking my progress and to the Y. I worked pretty hard on vacation to resist the usual temptations. My goal wasn't to lose weight but to maintain. I think I might have gained a pound or two which is a little disappointing because I passed up a lot of treats! I also didn't exercise much - just a couple of fast walks on the beach.

Stephanie - I totally hear you! The slippery slope is something I struggle with. Well, not that I've gotten on one so far but I'm always waiting for one if that makes sense. So I'm working on how I can stay motivated if I have gained a little. I don't want to throw in the towel if I get discouraged.

What I find encouraging this time around is that I have an actual picture and idea of what goal will be. I've always thought of a diet as just that. Then you're done and can eat whatever I want. This is the first time that the idea of maintenance or being a lifetime member made any sense to me. The other thing is that I feel better when I'm tracking. Yes, sometimes it's frustrating to see how little I can eat but other times I can see how much I exercised and sometimes I can see that I left points. When I don't track I always feel like I'm messing up which isn't very encouraging.

April - I salute you for doing this with two such little ones in the house! You're very smart to do it now though. If you can get through this you can get through anything.

TKay - bravo on the 10 pounds! Have a great time in Palm Springs.

LakeMartin Gal - I hope you're off that medication soon. And don't be scared of the book;) . She makes it pretty easy.

Amy - How's it going now? I have to read some cards, I think that's a big part of it, just keeping those "good" thoughts in our heads.

[TKay]

Welcome back, Barbara! We missed you around here. It's a bummer to work so hard and still gain a pound or two. But think of what it may have been like had you not been paying attention. I'm sure with the way vacation eating and relaxing can be, a good five pounds or more wouldn't be out of the question. Cut yourself some slack. You're doing GREAT! Give yourself a pat on the back for doing as well as you did on your trip. Fantastic! Sounds like you have a great attitude about maintenance too. I'm really starting to get my mind around the "this is how I eat, this is how I exercise" attitude. It's not "while I'm dieting" or "until I lose the weight." I'm trying to focus on this being the way it is. Period. It's not always fun, but...

Anyway, glad you're back and doing well. :)

[newtricks]

Thanks for the encouragement TKay. :) I'm not discouraged, I'm feeling pretty good actually. I've been spoiled by a pretty quick weight loss rate and want to continue that. My goal on vacation was to maintain not lose but now I want a loss so that's a little distorted. Don't worry, I gave myself lots of credit for every bread basket, ice cream cone, pile of potato chips that I didn't eat.

I have some friends who want to lose weight and start WW but feel like they have so far to go they don't even want to start. I want to tell them - "it's a lifestyle, it's not a race. Time goes by and if you're following plan you will lose weight." And ahem, yesterday I needed to remind myself that! :)

My "frustration" or issue I'm pondering is that healthy eating is totally counter-cultural these days. I mean really, you go to the grocery store at the beach and it's all snack foods, chips and dips, pies, and stuff I love to eat. No wonder there are so many obese people.

I'm reading a book on healthy eating for kids. And the author points out that we feed our kids such a high glycemic diet it's no wonder they're struggling. (I have one that's quite chunky :( cute though!) And he really hits that issue hard - that society is set up right now for kids to be unhealthy.

RAndom thoughts by Barbara. :)

[stephanie678]

Hello, everyone! Thanks to this thread, I've bought the book and begun. I'm on day 3, and I can already see how often I eat standing up (or at the computer). I definitely have a problem with mindless eating. I need to find a way to remind myself to sit down.

Barbara, what's the name of the book you are reading about kids/healthy eating? I have two little boys who aren't overweight yet, but given my history (and my family and DH's family tendencies to weight gain), I'd like help them develop good eating habits. The sad thing is that my mother fed us very healthy food, yet both my sister and I ended up overweight.

[TKay]

Welcome Stephanie! I think the mindless eating a big problem for most of us. I have a problem not popping my kids' leftovers into my mouth as I clean up. :D The book has really helped with both issues.
I'd also like to know the name of the book, Barbara. So far my kids are skinny minnies, but they do eat a bunch of snacks like poptarts. I've convinced myself that as long as they're eating healthy meals, the snacks are okay. Maybe I'm wrong there.
I agree, btw, that our society is set up to make people fail at healthy eating. There are some trends toward improving that. Like the smaller portions some restaurants are offering. As a whole, however, I think it's an uphill battle.
I am happy to say that my battle continues to go well. I've lost another pound for a total of 11. I attribute the loss primarily to my newfound commitment to running. I'm really getting into it--so much so that I'm thinking of training for a 5-k. Okay, not to go fast, but just to do it and say I accomplished it. :)

[newtricks]

OK, I've definitely got to get a more positive mindset. I actually lost 1/2 pound while on vacation. I knew I was being careful! And maintaining or losing makes that totally worth it but I created a parallel universe (that's my mind) where I still gained weight and then it wasn't worth it. :confused: I'm happy and I'm filing this information away. I think I need to make a response card if I can figure out what the distorted thinking is exactly.

The book I'm reading is called "Ending the Food Fight" by David Ludwig, MD. I think it's good. The examples that he gives are pretty extreme but it applies to every kid I think. A LOT about lifestyle that makes sense. Major change that I'm working on is giving my kids protein at breakfast to give them a good start. One other thing he's big on - don't try to be "lowfat" with your kids - it's all about the sugar/ glycemic index. otoh, NO transfats, very little saturated fat.

Welcome Stephanie, I had a post-it on the window over my kitchen sink (where I did about 90% of my stand-up eating) that said SIT DOWN. Got a lot of questions about it but it worked.

TKay - that's great about 11 pounds! I can't remember, were you exercising when you started the program or is this all new?

[TKay]

Barbara - I totally know what you mean about having to lose in order to feel good about what you're doing. Is that how you're feeling? Or is that how I'M feeling? :rolleyes: I don't know what I'm going to do when I reach my goal weight and am just maintaining. I hope I can remain positive when that happens (notice I say when and not if).
I think you know what you "should" be feeling. And it's there, in your head. But you're battling with that negative belief, I guess. Does that make sense? I don't think I'm being very helpful here. Just know that I, for one, am immensely impressed that you could lose anything--an ounce, even--while on vacation. That's fantastic!
To answer your question, I was exercising when I started the Beck thing, but it was on a much less intense scale. I was walking primarily. I've worked out off and on for years, so that part is not new. I had been slacking and I think that was part of my weight-gain issue. I essentially became a mindless-eating sloth--as much of a sloth as you can be when you have two small kids. :D
That book sounds good. I may have to check and see if they have it at my library.

[potato_moose]

"it's a lifestyle, it's not a race. Time goes by and if you're following plan you will lose weight." :)

Barbara, I totally love that thought! In fact, I think I may make it one of my response cards! :D

And welcome back as well

April

[potato_moose]

Hello, everyone! Thanks to this thread, I've bought the book and begun. .

Welcome Stephanie! :)

[potato_moose]

OK, I've definitely got to get a more positive mindset. I actually lost 1/2 pound while on vacation. I knew I was being careful!

Yay! It's true that how you feel is so subjective. I actually have a response card that says something to the effect that "Feeling fat and being fat are two different things" to remind me that I can feel heavy but still be down a bit in weight. Isn't it amazing how one little half pound can change your outlook on "how you did"?

I don't know about you, but I always feel more motivated by a weight loss--a weight gain makes me want to eat. Kind of ironic in it's way isn't it?

[potato_moose]

Sorry about all the responses, ladies, I'm feeling lazy :D .

Now an update about me:

I'm holding at a loss of 14 pounds, but that was 14.2 this morning, so hopefully I'm on my way down again. Even though my two year old didn't nap yesterday, she had quiet time in her room while her baby sister was sleeping, which allowed me to carve out enough time for lunch & a 25 minute workout on the elliptical trainer.

I'm following my rules, but need to be better at carving out time to read through my stack of response cards once every day. I'm hoping to exercise today, but so far it's not looking good. The two year old actually went to sleep :eek: but now the baby won't:rolleyes: . I'm also not doing my meal plans (still) but I think I'm "on plan" today anyway. I'm feeling hopeful :) .

April

[TKay]

April - I know it's hard, but you are doing great! Squeezing in workouts and staying with your eating plan is so hard when your kids are little. I remember it well. I wasn't doing the Beck thing then, but I was trying to workout and it was killer when I just couldn't fit it in. Fantastic that you got on the trainer while your two-year-old had quiet time! Good for you. My kids are school age (this year they both go!), and over the summer, I've had to do some juggling. Remember that you are setting a good example for your little ones of how you take care of yourself. So if they have to wait for you to finish your workout, that's a good thing. You're modelling healthy behavior for them--a great gift for any child. (I know it's difficult when they are so young, but maybe it will help to keep that in mind.)
I'm heading out of town for the weekend, but will check back in when we return. I'm taking the kids to Palm Springs today and dh will join us after work tomorrow. I'm packing lots of healthy snacks to keep me away from the restaurant fare and that dangerous room service. We don't order it much because it's so blasted expensive, but our 7-year-old loves nothing better than breakfast in bed. How spoiled is that?
Hope you're all doing well.

[potato_moose]

I'm heading out of town for the weekend, but will check back in when we return. I'm taking the kids to Palm Springs today and dh will join us after work tomorrow.

Have fun! :)

[potato_moose]

I was able to exercise on Wed after all, and Thursday as well. Yay me! I've decided I need to be more creative and not so set on the idea that both kids must be asleep for me to exercise. Yesterday even though the baby wasn't asleep, I put her in the portable crib in the room with me and let her watch the ceiling fan. I actually made it all the way through before she started to get bored!

I had to tell myself "No Choice!" today. I was really tempted to get a burger and fries from a drive through on the way home, even going so far as to map out in my head what options I would be passing on my way home, and whether or not they would be "worth it." I suddenly said, "No Choice!" started the car, and went home. Yay me again! Credit, credit credit ;)

.8 to go before I make my third five pound weight loss goal :)

[newtricks]

April, that's great about skipping the burger. You reminded me of "No Choice" so I went back and read a few chapters of the book as a refresher.

Two parties this weekend and I enjoyed them, had some indulgences, but also resisted very well. I followed my rules of no appetizers (except for vegetables) and no seconds. It's funny too that what Beck said about the way thin people eat is really true! Friday night my friend and I were at the same party (she's doing Beck too) we were eating the vegetables and there was a full-on yummy looking antipasto next to it. We didn't eat any of it and... huh, neither did anyone else. Same thing last night! I put out kettle potato chips and dip thinking someone would eat them but no, they were barely touched. And here I've always been thinking everyone else could eat whatever they wanted and I was the only one who had to limit her eating.

I went to church this morning and saw a lot of people that I haven't seen all summer and was getting all kinds of compliments. It was fun! :D At one point I was talking to someone who was eating cake and she said "is this killing you?" um, :confused: no it isn't, I actually hadn't even noticed! It's nice for me to be more connected with my goal of healthy eating than with the experience of eating. I mean so connected that I don't even give certain things a second thought.

TKay, I hope you're having fun in Palm Springs!

[newtricks]

I was able to exercise on Wed after all, and Thursday as well. Yay me! I've decided I need to be more creative and not so set on the idea that both kids must be asleep for me to exercise. Yesterday even though the baby wasn't asleep, I put her in the portable crib in the room with me and let her watch the ceiling fan. I actually made it all the way through before she started to get bored!


April, This is also huge. I have to say, I was a little too much of a martyr when my kids were little. Instead of creatively working out solutions - like you are - I sort of threw up my hands and decided it was too hard to exercise. So lots of credit to you! :)

[newtricks]

Barbara, I totally love that thought! In fact, I think I may make it one of my response cards! :D


Oh, and this is a little late but... I'm so honored!

I heard another good thing about this -
"Forget the clock and take a compass. The direction you are headed is more important than the time it takes to get there"

I love the idea of the compass because we ARE going in the right direction.

(oh, and the friend I was worried about might be coming to WW with me tomorrow :) )

[TKay]

So nice to come back and read all your updates. :)

Barbara - I love that about the compass. I've had to keep the faith during my loss because it's taken awhile. Your quote would have come in handy! I was so anxious for the weight to come off in a hurry. I feel like I've settled in for the long haul now, but I think that quote will help me maintain my focus when I get impatient. Great job at the parties. That is so funny about the woman thinking her cake-eating was killing you. :rolleyes: Good for you! You are on your own path no matter what other people are doing. Yay, Barbara!

April - I agree that what you did was HUGE. Good for you for giving yourself no choice. Bravo! I also applaud you for working out even though the little ones are not asleep. That's really big too. It's so easy to sacrifice yourself for the kids, but I think it's important that you don't. Keep up the good work! And congrats on nearing your third goal. You're inspiring!

Palm Springs was really fun. It was scorching hot (as expected) and all we did was swim (as planned). :D I really made an effort to exercise in the pool. The boys and I made a game of running underwater and we raced each other and played chase over and over. I also got in a treadmill workout at the hotel. I felt pretty good about that. I did well with my eating. I only ordered salads for dinner and then just snuck bites of my kids' leftovers. I tried to keep those bites within reason, but the fries were so good! :rolleyes: I did go overboard Friday night, but reeled myself back in for the rest of the weekend. I also took apples and healthy snacks to have by the pool so I wouldn't be tempted by the chips and other stuff everyone else had. I did, however, have a planned Mai Tai or two. Yum. :o

I'm still down my 11 pounds total. I'm grateful I didn't put on any weight while out of town, but you know, I love seeing those numbers go down. :p I found a 5-K I'm planning on training for. It's at the end of September. Hopefully, that will keep my motivation up.

Hope everyone is well. Keep up the good work, all!

[newtricks]

Mai Tai's - yum! ok, I was lurking on the WW thread and Terri has discovered a sugar-free margarita mix - makes a 2 pt margarita. I like that girl :D .


I weigh-in today (and yeah yeah I'm worried but I am every week) But this week I really haven't been on program the way I usually am. I haven't really journalled enough - because of the two parties. And then yesterday I was with the kids all day and that had its stressful moments. I did some picking that I don't usually allow myself to do. I also met some friends at the pool I knew one was bringing wine and cheese and crackers so I grabbed some veggies and hummus to bring (credit). I still had a glass of wine and maybe an ounce of cheese which I totally didn't plan. But none of the Oreos that came out, and none of my kids' food which they totally didn't touch!

So in a very funny way I kind of *don't* want to see a loss today :eek: . I'm a little afraid that I'll then give myself permission to have that handful of popcorn or those 5 fries (yep, did both of those yesterday). So my goal for next week is scrupulous journalling and to remember that not every occasion is a "special" occasion! btw, I sat down and journalled all my food for yesterday and I was about 4 points over (hopefully I still had a few weekly points but who knows?). I'm in that funny grey zone where I'm soooo much better than I used to be but not as scrupulous as I've been. Trying to stay away from the dreaded slippery slope.

And I exercised 5 days instead of 6 but now I'm just being crazy hard on myself... aren't I?

[TKay]

And I exercised 5 days instead of 6 but now I'm just being crazy hard on myself... aren't I?

Indeed you are. Yet, I completely understand the grey zone you're talking about. I have been in a similar boat with travelling and whatnot. I'm not sticking to my usual plan, straying a BIT, but still doing really well overall. So do I pat myself on the back for not being as bad as I might have been in the past? Or do I beat myself up for not being "perfect"?

You know what you'd say to me, don't you? :)

I think you're doing great! Don't be too hard on yourself. The fact that you could resist all that cheese and those Oreos and on and on...wow! That's great. You are making great choices. You're giving yourself room to be human and yet, still taking care of yourself. I say, bravo!

Btw, sugar-free margarita mix? I think I love Terri. LOL! :p

[newtricks]

You're giving yourself room to be human and yet, still taking care of yourself. I say, bravo!


Thank you. That's the tricky balance that we're learning. But we ARE learning it I believe. yesterday I was at a friend's house and ds had brought a can of smoked almonds (his big discovery) and I realized I was really hungry - not gonna make it hungry - so I counted out a serving. thought I was being sort of "bad". Well, no, I came in right at my points yesterday with the almonds.

uh, and weigh-in was down 1.2 pounds for a total of 25. Yay!!!

[BarbaraL]

I'd lost about 20 pounds and was close to my goal. Then, as a result of some major, unexpected life stresses, I've gained nearly all of it back. Sigh. Now, I've got to climb back on the horse, and get my eating under control and my exercising back on track.
I've usually done Weight Watchers, but am interested in the Beck method. As this is a "Beck" thread, I assume the posters here are using and are happy with the Beck method. Any insights into Beck versus Weight Watchers? Why do you like the program?
TIA

[newtricks]

Hi Barbara -

It's not a "versus" situation. I am using WW as my eating plan in conjunction with the Beck plan. Makes no sense I know! The Beck plan is a cognitive therapy approach to weight loss. so you go through and change your thinking and attitudes toward food/ weight/ exercise. It has made a world of difference to my weight loss efforts. I've been on WW pretty often (starting at 11 :eek: ) and have usually not followed plan very well and/or petered out after getting maybe halfway to goal. The Beck program gave me the tools to stick with the program. I've been doing it since the beginning of May and I'm 10 - 15 pounds from goal and I'm still journalling (almost) everything and going to meetings consistently which is a huge change for me.

The author, Judith Beck, has a website for more information. Join us! :)

[potato_moose]

I'd lost about 20 pounds and was close to my goal. Then, as a result of some major, unexpected life stresses, I've gained nearly all of it back. Sigh. Now, I've got to climb back on the horse, and get my eating under control and my exercising back on track.
I've usually done Weight Watchers, but am interested in the Beck method. As this is a "Beck" thread, I assume the posters here are using and are happy with the Beck method. Any insights into Beck versus Weight Watchers? Why do you like the program?
TIA

Hi BarbaraL! So sorry to hear that you gained all that weight back, but glad to hear that you're ready to tackle it again :) Welcome!

Beck isn't really something you do instead of Weight Watchers. The Beck program isn't a diet so much as a framework designed to help you stay on the diet of your choice. That can be Weight Watchers, South Beach, or even just counting calories (which is what I'm doing). Incidentally, in case you didn't know, the Beck method is a book, "The Beck Diet Solution," not a program you sign up for.

I found the book and the principles it teaches really practical. Most of the ideas are not 100% new; it's the way they are presented that counts. She teaches you a new habit each day and reminds you to practice that habit throughout the rest of the book. The part that was new to me was the response cards. She has you write cards designed to motivate you to stay on your diet that you keep with you and read when you are tempted to stray from your diet plan.

As far as being happy with the program? This is the longest I have been able to stick to a diet in years, and I have lost almost 15 pounds; I guess that sort of speaks for itself :)

[potato_moose]

Indeed you are. Yet, I completely understand the grey zone you're talking about. I have been in a similar boat with travelling and whatnot. I'm not sticking to my usual plan, straying a BIT, but still doing really well overall. So do I pat myself on the back for not being as bad as I might have been in the past? Or do I beat myself up for not being "perfect"?

You know what you'd say to me, don't you? :)

I think you're doing great! Don't be too hard on yourself. The fact that you could resist all that cheese and those Oreos and on and on...wow! That's great. You are making great choices. You're giving yourself room to be human and yet, still taking care of yourself. I say, bravo!

Btw, sugar-free margarita mix? I think I love Terri. LOL! :p

Tkay, Barbara "Newtricks," I have found that it's when I am paying attention to what I eat, foregoing Oreos and whatnot, that I realize how much I used to eat :eek: ! When you aren't thinking about it it's so easy to just veg out and eat way more than any one person needs in one day. It's all these little decisions we make along the way that will make maintenance possible--realizing that perhaps a serving of almonds won't cause us to gain weight if we decide not to eat the Oreos. It's about making choices and eating "some" but not "all" LOL!

[BarbaraL]

Thanks, Newtricks and Potato_Moose. I actually have the book; I ordered it with Shrink Yourself: Break Free from Emotional Eating Forever, as both books were recommended somewhere. I started reading the other book first, as emotional eating is my downfall. I unexpectedly lost my job, then started a new job; the stress, plus the fact that the new job celebrates everything with food led to my most recent weight gain. Previous downfalls were when my dad died, DH lost his job, and my mother died - do we see a pattern here?
Anyhow, I'll dig out the Beck book, get reading, and hopefully get re-motivated.

[TKay]

Welcome, BarbaraL! I hope you find the book as valuable as we have (if I may speak for the group). Just jump in whenever you want. The Beck approach really does work. I'm down 10 pounds and feeling so much healthier about food and exercise. And I'm not suffering for it if you know what I mean.
Happy reading and let us know how you do. It's a friendly bunch here.

[stephanie678]

It's exciting to read about the success of those of you who have been with the program for a while!

I have a question about a diet coach. How did you choose yours? I'd like DH to be mine, but he's afraid I'll get mad at him. :p I've always been very private IRL about dieting, so I can't imagine asking a friend. My mom is a possibility as well; we have a great relationship but she doesn't struggle with weight and emotion like I do. What do you think?

[newtricks]

It's exciting to read about the success of those of you who have been with the program for a while!

I have a question about a diet coach. How did you choose yours? I'd like DH to be mine, but he's afraid I'll get mad at him. :p I've always been very private IRL about dieting, so I can't imagine asking a friend. My mom is a possibility as well; we have a great relationship but she doesn't struggle with weight and emotion like I do. What do you think?


Stephanie - I pretty much treat this thread as my coach/support. One of my good friends in town is doing it now and we talk a lot as well. I do talk to dh but it would not work for me to use him (and most definitely not my mom!:eek: love her but no) because I dont' want to think that he cares what my weight is. So if he was trying to help me lose weight sooner or later i probably would get mad at him! I needed a more neutral/ objective coach than a close loved one could be.

[TKay]

Stephanie, I also used this thread as my diet coach. I don't have anyone close who's in the same boat, but everyone hear can relate. Dh is also very supportive, but I don't consider him my "coach."
Good luck!

[TKay]

Okay, so now I'm checking in with my "coach." I've been slipping on the mindless eating. I'll find myself eating the crust of my kid's grilled cheese and go, "Wait! What am I doing?" Yesterday the boys wanted Pringles (which I allow as long as they eat full, healthy meals). So I'm walking by and I go, give me the tube. I reach in and grab a handful before I even realize what I'm doing. Afterward when I'm tracking my calories for the day, I think, what the heck was I doing? That was not planned, nor was it what I'd normally do (post Beck). Someone remind me that I shouldn't be doing this stuff.
I am down another pound in spite of my back tracking. I attribute that to an increase in my running. But I just don't want to resort to my old eating habits because I know they'll lead to trouble in the long run and they are not healthy.

[LakeMartinGal]

Okay, so now I'm checking in with my "coach." I've been slipping on the mindless eating. I'll find myself eating the crust of my kid's grilled cheese and go, "Wait! What am I doing?" Yesterday the boys wanted Pringles (which I allow as long as they eat full, healthy meals). So I'm walking by and I go, give me the tube. I reach in and grab a handful before I even realize what I'm doing. Afterward when I'm tracking my calories for the day, I think, what the heck was I doing? That was not planned, nor was it what I'd normally do (post Beck). Someone remind me that I shouldn't be doing this stuff.
I am down another pound in spite of my back tracking. I attribute that to an increase in my running. But I just don't want to resort to my old eating habits because I know they'll lead to trouble in the long run and they are not healthy.I'm so not fit to be anyone's coach, but I will say this... You have caught yourself! Granted, it was after the fact, but I think you'll be much more aware next time, and catch it before!

I've just started reading the book (finally!), and I think you should give yourself a little credit for being appalled at falling off the wagon...jmo and hth!

[newtricks]

Okay, so now I'm checking in with my "coach." I've been slipping on the mindless eating. I'll find myself eating the crust of my kid's grilled cheese and go, "Wait! What am I doing?" Yesterday the boys wanted Pringles (which I allow as long as they eat full, healthy meals). So I'm walking by and I go, give me the tube. I reach in and grab a handful before I even realize what I'm doing. Afterward when I'm tracking my calories for the day, I think, what the heck was I doing? That was not planned, nor was it what I'd normally do (post Beck). Someone remind me that I shouldn't be doing this stuff.
I am down another pound in spite of my back tracking. I attribute that to an increase in my running. But I just don't want to resort to my old eating habits because I know they'll lead to trouble in the long run and they are not healthy.


Sorry I didn't get back sooner. We had a houseguest all weekend and that's a whole 'nother story!

Anyway, this is a totally pertinent subject that I've been struggling with a little bit. So what I've been trying to do is really think about all my reasons for wanting to lose weight - what I originally wrote down and assessing where I am right now.

- feel better about myself? Yes. Very proud.
- A feeling of "lightness"? Yes, I feel strong and energetic most of the time.
-Fun with clothes? - Yes!
- Make a better first impression? Don't care, too busy accepting compliments from the people who know me. ;)
- Good Example for the kids? Yes, and am starting to make real changes in what I buy for them and getting them out to walk more.
- Better health? This was a reason I put on there after I read other people's :D . But now I feel really good about the fact that my BMI is in the "normal" range, and cholesterol and blood pressure are probably really good right about now.

So once I went through this whole meditation it was easier to stick with my Beck rules.

As Lake Martin said - It's great that you caught yourself and that you came here for help. So credit for that of course! A few months ago a handful of Pringles and a crust wouldn't have even registered on my radar screen as calories ingested. You've really made changes that you can feel good about.

[newtricks]

I'm so not fit to be anyone's coach, but I will say this... You have caught yourself! Granted, it was after the fact, but I think you'll be much more aware next time, and catch it before!

I've just started reading the book (finally!), and I think you should give yourself a little credit for being appalled at falling off the wagon...jmo and hth!


Apparently you *are* fit to be a diet coach because this is good advice :) .

[TKay]

Thanks for the support, ladies. That helps me feel better. I've been doing better too. Dh and I were talking about this last night. He's changed his eating habits as a result of my changes. We sat on the couch after dinner and commented on how NOT full we were. As in, in the past, we would have eaten dinner until we were so full, we'd be uncomfortable. Now, when we finish a meal, we're satisfied, not stuffed. And that's just fine with both of us. I also find myself thinking about food less and craving it less. I usually log my calories in the evening after dinner. Last night I was entering my meals and had to stop myself. "That's it? That's all I had? I must be forgetting something." It was such a change from, "Oh, and that...and that....can't forget I had that too..." :rolleyes:
How did everyone survive the long weekend? Here's to a good (short) week!
Oh, I was going to mention this too. My youngest started kindergarten this morning. :( I'm surprised at how much I'm missing him. In any case, it dawned on me that I'll be eating lunch alone now. I need to come up with a plan for that. I mean, I INTEND to stick with what I already do: make an egg white scramble with veggies in it. But when there's no one else to cook for, I tend to pick or eat leftovers or whatever. Hmm. Need to put some energy into this one.
Happy week, all!

[LakeMartinGal]

As you know, I've been lurking, and occasionally contributing here since you started this diet solution thread -- I bought the book right away, and it sat, unread on the office floor until Saturday. I've read up to the first day, and haven't gone on -- planning to make my ARC cards, and really thinking about the reasons I want to lose weight! So, I think I've officially started (almost), and hope I can count on y'all as diet coaches!

TIA!;)

[TKay]

Good for you, Kay. An official welcome aboard from me! I hope you like the program. It has really been working for me.

I've pulled myself back in line as far as food goes. Now I'm back to being really hard on myself from an exercise standpoint. It's silly, really. I went on a long tandem bike ride with dh on Monday and was really wiped out from that. So I took yesterday off and then just walked today. Now I feel like I'm slacking. I need to remind myself that my body NEEDS rest and to take it easy sometimes. I did eat a bit more (went over my calorie count a little) in response to the long ride, but I'm not beating myself up for that. I think part of the problem is that the kids are back in school this week and I had myself psyched up for LOTS of exercise when they started back. Okay, credit for getting out there at all, girl. I'm doing good...I'm doing good...:)
How's everyone else?

[newtricks]

Hi Kay - of course! We've been waiting and waiting for you to pick up that book ;) It is a good book and made it very easy to me to change my thinking and behavior. I really wanted to but just didn't have the tools before. :) Feel free to share your reasons for losing weight if you want to.

TKay - my youngest went off to Kindergarten today too. But just half day so we went out for WF sushi after she got out. I can relate to the fear of slacking. My Y was closed on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday :eek: . It caused me some angst, it really did because I could "only" walk. But that's what I did and I'm proud of myself for getting out there. I think I could get into a loop of "I'm not doing my exercise exactly right so I'm not going to do it" which is, um, distorted thinking isn't it.

[TKay]

TKay - my youngest went off to Kindergarten today too.
I think I could get into a loop of "I'm not doing my exercise exactly right so I'm not going to do it" which is, um, distorted thinking isn't it.

Oh, how funny that we're in the same Kindergarten boat. So far it's going well for us. Keep me informed about how it goes for you.

And oh, my, yes, it's distored thinking, isn't it? (Just wanted to jam as many commas into that sentence as I could.) I have really been working on getting out there--even if it's for a short time. I'm so used to being a perfectionist about things. Like, if I can't get a GREAT workout, I won't get one at all. Silly, silly me. :D

Good for you that you got those walks in even though the Y was closed.

[newtricks]

OK, I feel like I haven't been posting very much because nothing is very new. I'm going along doing the stuff I'm supposed to do. I am still surprised and pleased by how much my behavior has changed in so many ways. My focus is on not slipping up and continuing to behave like the "new me" consistently.

For example - dh made pancakes for the kids today. He makes very good pancakes! I literally had a piece of dd's leftover in my hands thinking "oh, yeah, I'll count it. I'm having a small bkfst, it's ok." And honestly, the calories from a bite of pancakes would have been fine but it was the principle that I don't do that anymore. So I dropped it in the sink.

I feel like I talk about Beck all the time irl now. Because I'm in the phase where people are asking "what did you *do* to lose all that weight?" And part of me is like "what do you mean what did I do? It's boring. I work out and I do WW" but the other part of me knows that Beck is the secret to my success so I tell people. I think I might be turning into a bore!! I hate to be the reformed person who turns into a zealot but I think that's me right now.

Hey, April - How are you? :)

[newtricks]

Oh, how funny that we're in the same Kindergarten boat. So far it's going well for us. Keep me informed about how it goes for you.

So far so good mostly! She's my third and is pretty easygoing and independent but she's crying in the morning when we get to school. Then doesn't want to leave at pickup so I'm not getting too amped about it ;) . She'll be going to a private enrichment program on Tuesday and Thursday because we have half-day kindergarten :rolleyes: .

[potato_moose]

Hey, April - How are you? :)

I'm here. I was gone for Labor Day weekend, and since then I've sort of been lurking on this thread. My two year old still isn't napping and I'm feeling overwhelmed by that. I've been breaking pretty much all the rules, but not going hog wild, which is good. I got in a couple of good exercise sessions earlier this week, but haven't managed it in a few days. We're heading out the door right now, but I'll check back in.

Thanks for checking on me :)

April

[TKay]

Good to hear from both of you, Barbara and April. I hope things get easier, April, with the napping. It is so hard when they don't cooperate! Good for you for keeping at it, though. Well done on the workouts.

Barbara - Glad kindergarten is going well, but sorry about the crying. My ds is on the older side for K (he'll be 6 in November) and went to three years of preschool. He was SO ready to go, so we don't have much of a problem--knock wood! There is a boy in K who cries every day. It's so sad. He'll get used to it, of course, but you just feel for him. Ds does, however, want me to drive up to school every day--even though we have a bus that he rides. He wants me to follow it and be there at pick up time too. :D

Congrats on making the Beck solution become such a big part of you and how you operate. That's awesome! People have been asking me what I'm doing too--and my answer is boring. I haven't gotten to the point of telling people about Beck. I pretty much stick with the "counting calories and working out" response. But you're right. It's really Beck that's made the difference.

I've been doing well for the most part. I did have a crazy weekend including a margarita party with some neighbors. I went over that day, for sure. I was having some (minor) knee problems and had to stop running for a week. That gave me the blues and I had that "oh, never mind" feeling. But I've managed to keep myself on course with the little slip-up here and there. Overall, I'm proud of myself.

How's everyone we haven't been hearing from? You guys out there? Check in when you get a chance. LakeMartinGal? Stephanie/Beuller? BarbaraL? Amy? Kim? Who else am I missing?

[potato_moose]

I was having some (minor) knee problems and had to stop running for a week. That gave me the blues and I had that "oh, never mind" feeling. But I've managed to keep myself on course with the little slip-up here and there. Overall, I'm proud of myself.


Tkay--I've had that Oh, never mind feeling here and there, also. You know what though? I think this thread has helped me at least as much as the Beck principles themselves in keeping that feeling from sticking around. I want to be successful for me of course but I also don't want to let you all down!

I'm doing significantly better. It's amazing what a couple of full nights' sleep will do for making you feel human again :D . We moved the portable crib back into our two year old's bedroom and she is napping again in there. Hopefully that will continue to be helpful. Our entire household was beginning to unravel with her not napping (crankiness ruining dinnertime for all; bedtime at 6:30p.m. followed by her waking at 3a.m. ready to rock & roll)

I didn't exercise yesterday, but it's on my plan for today for sure. I just read through my response cards for the first time in probably a couple of weeks. I've journaled my breakfast, and although I don't have the rest of my day set in stone yet, I *know* what I'm going to eat for lunch.

Go me!

How is everyone else today?

[LakeMartinGal]

How's everyone we haven't been hearing from? You guys out there? Check in when you get a chance. LakeMartinGal?I'm here! I've been doing some major thinking (not writing) as to what my reasons to lose weight really are!
One thing is to not feel like the Michelin Man any more!
I'd really like to look nicer in my clothes, and fit back into the green jeans!
I don't want to spend money on bigger clothes, and I have some smaller ones in my closet to 'shop' from! (And there's always money for smaller clothes!)
I know I'll feel better and healthier when I lose weight.
I'm in bathing suits a LOT for aerobics and just being on the lake -- it'd be great to look good in one!
I'd like not to be limited by my size -- that means being small enough to shop in Chico's -- and not the women's section of ANY store!
I think those are enough to start -- printing them off to copy onto my cards, then off to read the next chapter of the book!

The interesting thing is that I've started doing half-portions on things I historically overeat, and I've already lost 2 pounds, but I was 5 pounds over the weight I've stabilized at for the last several years...

[LakeMartinGal]

How's everyone we haven't been hearing from? You guys out there? Check in when you get a chance. LakeMartinGal?I'm here! I've been doing some major thinking (not writing) as to what my reasons to lose weight really are!

One thing is to not feel like the Michelin Man any more!
I'd really like to look nicer in my clothes, and fit back into the green jeans!
I don't want to spend money on bigger clothes, and I have some smaller ones in my closet to 'shop' from! (And there's always money for smaller clothes!)
I know I'll feel better and healthier when I lose weight.
I'm in bathing suits a LOT for aerobics and just being on the lake -- it'd be great to look good in one!
I'd like not to be limited by my size -- that means being small enough to shop in Chico's -- and not the women's section of ANY store!



I think those are enough to start -- printing them off to copy onto my cards, then off to read the next chapter of the book!

The interesting thing is that I've started doing half-portions on things I historically overeat, and I've already lost 2 pounds, but I was 5 pounds over the weight I've stabilized at for the last several years...

[potato_moose]

I'm feeling sorry for myself today--and having to exercise MASSIVE amounts of willpower. Sorry for the TMI, but I've been really constipated since Labor Day weekend, and finally went to the doctor today. Nothing to worry about, he said it seems like classic constipation due to dietary habits rather than anything more serious. But until we get me "moving" again, I should eat really lightly and focus on things like Raisin Bran, soups and salads.

So now there are yummy leftovers in the fridge I can't eat, items on our menu for the week that I can't eat, and I'm left trying to figure out how I'm going to swing DH and I going out for date night on Saturday (we're going to the movies; I usually "budget" for popcorn :( ).

I've been eating light the last couple of days anyway because I've felt so rotten, but it's getting really old fast. I'm psychologically hungry for something more substantial, but I really don't want to aggravate the problem again.

Because of all this, I've lost 3 pounds since Monday or Tuesday, and passed my 3rd 5 pound goal, but the means to the end have kind of taken the wind out of my sails as far as feeling like it's something to celebrate.

I guess it's time for me to say, "Oh well," and move on, right? ;)

April

[newtricks]

April, I'm sorry to hear about that! You are allowed to feel sorry for yourself. :) And I hope things are moving by the time you have date night. I meant to also say that I'm sorry your 2 year old is still not napping. That's so brutal! My oldest ds had to have quiet time in his room after he stopped napping. Sometimes it gave me a break, sometimes it didn't.

[newtricks]

One thing is to not feel like the Michelin Man any more!
I'd really like to look nicer in my clothes, and fit back into the green jeans!
I don't want to spend money on bigger clothes, and I have some smaller ones in my closet to 'shop' from! (And there's always money for smaller clothes!)
I know I'll feel better and healthier when I lose weight.
I'm in bathing suits a LOT for aerobics and just being on the lake -- it'd be great to look good in one!
I'd like not to be limited by my size -- that means being small enough to shop in Chico's -- and not the women's section of ANY store!



I've already lost 2 pounds, but I was 5 pounds over the weight I've stabilized at for the last several years...


Kay - Good job on getting your reasons down. One thing that helped me was really concentrating/meditating/visualizing how my goals would feel or look. I had this mental flash of myself walking into mm swim club, wearing shorts with a belt and a shirt *tucked in*, feeling confident, etc. I thought of this every time I read my reasons. I'm picturing you twirling in front of those Chico's mirrors! :)

A two pound weight loss without even being on your eating plan yet is really great. Give yourself credit and don't put a but after it ;) . You're doing so well.

[newtricks]

OK, funny story. We went out to dinner Wednesday night w/ the kids. I ordered my dinner. It came. I had a few bites and ds said he was feeling sick, was going to throw up, and looked really woozy, So I hustled him out of there and we went home. So, I thought about eating some leftovers or something and then said "eh, I had a few bites, I'm not really that hungry" and didn't eat another thing.

Do you think there's any way I would have done that before Beck? Heck no!

(ds was fine btw, so it wasn't the loss of appetite that comes from cleaning up kid throw up!);)

[LakeMartinGal]

OK, funny story. We went out to dinner Wednesday night w/ the kids. I ordered my dinner. It came. I had a few bites and ds said he was feeling sick, was going to throw up, and looked really woozy, So I hustled him out of there and we went home. So, I thought about eating some leftovers or something and then said "eh, I had a few bites, I'm not really that hungry" and didn't eat another thing.

Do you think there's any way I would have done that before Beck? Heck no!

(ds was fine btw, so it wasn't the loss of appetite that comes from cleaning up kid throw up!);)
Good for you! And glad ds wasn't sick after all!

There have been a couple of nights where I have kept my portions correct, not felt stuffed, and tried to remember to actually 'feel' that, and congratulate myself for it!:)

[potato_moose]

I meant to also say that I'm sorry your 2 year old is still not napping. That's so brutal! My oldest ds had to have quiet time in his room after he stopped napping. Sometimes it gave me a break, sometimes it didn't.

Thank goodness for small favors, she did actually take a nap yesterday. I moved the portable crib into her room (she can't climb out yet) and she has been napping in there. We only had 1 day this week when she didn't nap. That's definitely something to be thankful for!

[TKay]

April - Thank goodness for small favors is right. Hooray for the naps! That must be a relief. We love our children, but we need to them rest for a while. :) How are you feeling? Things moving along any better? I'm so sorry. That is such a drag to not feel good. I guess you've already considered the bright side of the weight loss. It still stinks to feel lousy. Hope you're better soon.
Kay - You know what's funny? I used to always eat dinner until my gut was busting. I mean, I'd be super, super full. Now, I'm actually used to being comfortably satisfied instead. It takes less to fill me up now and when I do eat a bit too much, I feel awful. Amazing how we can train our bodies (and minds) to behave differently. I like the 1/2 portions. Sounds like you're doing great. Bravo!
Barbara - I'm impressed with your willpower the other night. Yay you! I've also had moments where I surprised myself with the "Gee, I don't really WANT anything else to eat." Uh, hello? When has that happened before? :D You're my hero. Keep up the great work.
I'm excited because I joined a new gym today. I let my membership expire from the old one and have been shopping around for a new place. Today I went and jogged, did the elliptical and swam for a total of almost an hour. I'm most excited about the swimming. I really want to learn to do laps. It's fun to have something to look forward to in the exercise arena. Keeps me motivated in other areas--like my eating plan. I haven't weighed in a bit, so I'm not sure exactly where I stand. Last count it was 12 pounds. I think I'm afraid to weigh because I don't want it to go up! :rolleyes:
Hello to everyone I missed.

[newtricks]

Barbara[/B] - I'm impressed with your willpower the other night. Yay you! I've also had moments where I surprised myself with the "Gee, I don't really WANT anything else to eat." Uh, hello? When has that happened before? :D

The switch for me is that I'm much more in touch with how I'll feel later instead of focussing on "I want that Right Now" I know that I'll feel proud/ relieved/ lighter! later. The pleasure of the food is so fleeting but the pleasure of my sassy jeans is pretty enduring.

OK, I think the universe is aligning to make me swim. My book group is full of crazy triathlon girls who swim all the time. Are you new to swimming laps? Keep me posted on how you like it. I also need to change things up. Good for you!

[LakeMartinGal]

I have been having a little success self-talking about hunger not being an emergency! Just now, I decided that, since it's only about 45 minutes until lunch, I didn't really need a snack! I really need to read the next chapter, is what I need to do!:p

Oh -- I've added one thing to my ARC cards -- I read somewhere that for every 5 lbs you lose, it's 30 lbs of stress off your back! And I could sure stand to have that happen!!!!!;)

[potato_moose]

Oh -- I've added one thing to my ARC cards -- I read somewhere that for every 5 lbs you lose, it's 30 lbs of stress off your back! And I could sure stand to have that happen!!!!!;)

Oh, wow! That's a good one!

April

[TKay]

Ooh, Kay, that is a good one (about the stress). I love it. Good for you for reminding yourself about not NEEDING snacks. That's big. For me, tolerating hunger was really important. I used to get this frantic feeling of having to eat right now! If you just sit in the feeling for a bit, it usually passes. You're doing great!
April - How are you feeling?
Barbara - Yes, I'm new to swimming. I wouldn't even say I do laps really. I just did the breast stroke back and forth across the pool and stopped when I needed to. I also did some underwater jogging which is supposed to be really good for leg strength. I found an article on swimming technique (for freestyle swimming). I'm going to practice some of the tips it suggested. I don't know that I could freestyle the length of the pool at this point. I used to be at good swimming, so I'm hoping it comes back to me. Haven't tried to swim in earnest in years. Maybe your new triathlon pals will be a source of good information for you to get started. I'm really looking forward to getting into it more.
I'm still putting off weighing myself. I've been doing great with my food, but for some reason, I'm concerned I won't see a loss and I'll get discouraged. I really don't intend to lose that much more weight, so I know it's getting harder for my body to shed it. I have got to get out of that "if I'm not losing, I'm losing" mindset. You know what I mean?
Happy Monday all. Here's to a great week.

[newtricks]

For me, tolerating hunger was really important. I used to get this frantic feeling of having to eat right now! If you just sit in the feeling for a bit, it usually passes.

This isn't tolerating hunger but I did have quite the frantic "i must eat something!" feeling yesterday. And I stopped, realized I wasn't hungry just run run running, and then it went away. Because I really don't want to undo all my work just because I'm having a stressful day. I was very proud!

And... today I his 30 pounds lost. 30 pounds!! I originally was aiming to lose 25 which put me at 150 pounds. I'm 5'7" so that's not skinny, not chubby but "curvy" (which I am). But I never thought I could go below that to thin. Then when I got to 25 pounds lost I definitely felt I could lose more so now I'm taking it 5 pounds at a time. This is pretty much uncharted territory ladies! Coming here to talk out some of the stuff has been very helpful. So thank you for all the "good jobs" and smiles and advice. :) :) :)

[potato_moose]

Wow, good for you, Barbara! Well done!

As for me, I'm doing much better. To up my fiber intake I've had to give up my rule about not eating between meals, and honestly I feel like I'm constantly eating now. But as long as I keep those snacks high-fiber, I'll be fine. It could be a slippery slope to constant eating, but so far, I've done well. My cravings seem to be diminished as well, but that might just be because I'm feeling so much better now that I am loathe to eat anything that's going to make me feel sick again.

Now that things are moving along nicely again, my weight has stayed at the lower weight, which is great. So I've made my 3rd 5 pound weight loss goal for a total of 15 pounds (20 if you count the first 5 or so that came off before I started setting the goals) and I'm on to my next goal!

Now I need to read through my response cards, and get on with the program :)

April

[valchemist]

april and barbara,

that is awesome! great going. I lost track of the thread for a while and now I am back and see your losses. too great!!

I received a bit of news recently (unrelated to the baby) that has inspired me to want to get back on Beck so that I keep my pregnancy weight gain down and so that I get back to a good size quicker after the baby comes. so here I am again, on day 3! eat sitting down. I have to get back to all my old good beck habits. I ended on day 25 last time around, before morning sickness set in. now I am just trying to re-establish healthy and moderate eating patterns. obviously not trying to lose weight!

val

[potato_moose]

Val--

Good to see you back again! All is going well with the pregnancy, then? It sounds like you're feeling better, that's good. Morning sickness took a lot of the fun out of being pregnant both times I was pregnant.

I've been feeling a bit weird about the fact that I'm now only 8 pounds away from my goal weight. Then I'll just do what Barbara is doing and take it pound by pound. I might be able to go down an additional 10 pounds after that, but somewhere in there I will hit my lowest achievable weight and be unable to maintain it. I love the fact that I've been able to do this while eating 1500 calories a day. That's actually quite a bit of food, so much of the time I haven't really felt like I'm on a diet. Very different from the 1200 calorie a day diet I went on in high school.

I'm on track for today. I've eaten my bowl of Fiber One, measured my coffee creamer, and I just read & updated my response cards (changed the "no snacks" rule to "only high-fiber snacks").

Tkay, Barbara, Kay, how are you all doing?

April

[LakeMartinGal]

Kay, how are you all doing?

April
I am so proud of all of you! You are really doing it -- I'm inspired, or trying to be...:o

Unfortunately, the halloween candy aisle got me! Indian corn is my favorite, and I have purchased 3 10 oz bags, and eaten them all (not on the same day).:o :eek: Now, I've gained some weight and my back hurts more, so I'm going back to reading the cards, and will go ahead in the book TODAY!!!!!

[TKay]

Barbara - Wow! Amazing! Stupendous! Hip hip hooray! That's really something else that you've taken off so much weight and are still going strong. I'm so proud of you. I completely understand the urge to eat--even when it's not driven by hunger. I have had that many times myself. Sometimes many times a day. Good for you that you've recognized it and just slowed down. You're doing so well. Our fearless leader moves onward! :D
April - All I can say is wow! You are doing so well. It must be strange to be so close to your goal weight. Do you have that "now what?" feeling? A 20-pound loss is amazing. I'm so glad the fiber is helping too. I think you're handling the snack thing well. You know, funniegirl (from this bb) told me to think of your body like an engine. To keep it running well, you need to keep fueling it throughout the day. That actually helps you burn calories by keeping the fire burning hot. Maybe that will help you when it comes to your snacks. If you don't snack and go long periods between meals, your metabolism slows. By snacking, you keep it cooking along. Obviously, you're doing something right!
Val - Welcome back. I'm glad you're feeling better. M/s can be such a drain. Eating while seated is huge! I think you're smart to stay on track with this stuff throughout your pregnancy. It will really help you post-partum. How far along are you now? I can't remember.
Kay - How are you doing?
Things have been going well with me. Following April's lead, I'm upping my fiber intake. I switched my breakfast to Fiber One cereal and I'm having more milk. So far so good. With school starting and work being busy, I haven't done as well with keeping up my fruit and veggie intake. So the fiber cereal is a good choice for me right now. My weight loss has slowed, but I'm sure that's because I'm almost where I need to be. My goal is another five pounds, so that may take a while. I'm sticking with the 1500 calories a day and working out a lot. I may be gaining muscle, but I don't know. It does cause me a little anxiety to think I'll have to keep my calories to such a low count for the rest of my life just to keep the weight off. Not sure how the maintenance will work. I guess that's why I was asking you, April, how you feel about being so close to goal.
Nothing to complain about, mind you!
Anyone else ready to check in?

[valchemist]

I am doing the giving myself credit today on day 4. all of the beck stuff is flooding back now in a good way. I remember that the ARC, the eating sitting down, and the giving credit parts are truly the cornerstones of the Beck plan. it is easier to see and understand that the second time around.

hi, april. yes, all seems to be well with the pregnancy. hi terri! sounds like you are doing well. glad to see you and april and barbara still around. and welcome to Kay! or I guess she could welcome me! ;)

anyway, I am due around christmas, so I am 6 months along right now. my goal for the next three months and beyond is simply to focus on eating healthy meals and to be fully conscious about things I put in my mouth. up til now in my pregnancy I have just eaten what I felt like eating. bad. luckily, my weight gain so far isn't too bad (just about where it should be).

[potato_moose]

April - It must be strange to be so close to your goal weight. Do you have that "now what?" feeling?

Yeah, I do. It's strange. I keep counting and re-counting the pounds, thinking I've miscalculated somewhere and I have more to lose than I thought I did. But I come up with 8 pounds every time ;) .

My biggest concern is that when I reach my goal weight, I won't be as vigilant as I am now (planning my meals, tracking calories, exercising, weighing every day) and my weight will drift upward again. I just re-read the chapter in the Beck book on maintenance. She does say that you have to keep doing all of those things in order to maintain your weight. She adds that the most important of those is probably planning your meals & tracking calories. I already had the habit of weighing every morning before I started this, so that's easy to keep doing. She also says that for most people, the scale may go up or down a pound or two but the time to really get serious again is at a 3 pound gain. If people let themselves gain 3 pounds, usually they keep gaining if they don't nip it in the bud.

Beck says that when you do stop losing, you need to ask yourself if you are happy with the eating plan & exercise plan you've got going. If you need to, you can exercise a little less, or eat a small amount more. Your weight would settle at a pound or two more, then. I'm happy eating the number of calories I'm eating now. If I plan it the right way, 1500 calories is quite a bit of food. The biggest change for me has been my calories are more consistent from day to day. If I want a beer with dinner, I now have a smaller breakfast to make up the calories. Before, I just would have had a normal breakfast AND the beer ;) . I see no reason to up my calories at all when I reach my goal weight.

What I'm not going to do, is lower my calories even more or exercise more or harder when I stop losing (after I reach my goal, which is like I said, just 8 pounds away). At some point I will reach my lowest maintainable weight, and I'll just stop. I'm not really sure where that will be, as I haven't weighed my goal weight since college, and that was two babies ago :p . So who knows if it will go lower or not.

One more thing...have any of you thought about the fact that the holidays are coming up? I have a plan for Halloween already. I'm not going to buy any candy until right before Halloween. Then I'll buy 1 large bag of candy (from Costco, if they haven't run out by then) and on Halloween night, when it's gone, it's gone. I doubt we'll run out, though, since not many people pass out candy on our street anymore so I think a lot of people pass our street by completely. Last year, I bought candy early and DH and I ate through 1/2 of a huge bag of Costco candy before Halloween even came :o .

My plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas are still brewing, but it's important to me that I "feel" like I've experienced the holidays by eating the "right" things. So I need to balance that with my need to not gain back 10 pounds of my hard-lost weight by January.

[LakeMartinGal]

and welcome to Kay! or I guess she could welcome me! ;) Hi, Val -- I'm so happy for you that you're over the morning sickness -- that sure isn't the most fun part of pregnancy!:rolleyes: Let's both consider ourselves welcomed!:D

One more thing...have any of you thought about the fact that the holidays are coming up? I have a plan for Halloween already. I'm not going to buy any candy until right before Halloween. Then I'll buy 1 large bag of candy (from Costco, if they haven't run out by then) and on Halloween night, when it's gone, it's gone. I doubt we'll run out, though, since not many people pass out candy on our street anymore so I think a lot of people pass our street by completely. Last year, I bought candy early and DH and I ate through 1/2 of a huge bag of Costco candy before Halloween even came :o .If I can keep myself from buying that d@mn Indian Corn, I will be ok, as we don't have any trick-or-treaters here. Thanksgiving will probably be ok, too, as there won't be a big crowd of big eaters! Christmas is what I worry about -- I hear you about wanting to eat all the usual stuff. Cookies are my downfall, there -- I have the bread pudding traditional dessert covered with a crockpot recipe I found, but the cookies that DDs expect: that's another story altogether!:o

I have decided on the 2 diets... The first is just a calorie-counting one with Diet King... this is the program I have on my PDA, so it's easier to track, because that is usually with me, or at least on the same floor where I'm eating, and I have a lot of foods already in it. If that doesn't work, I'll rejoin WW online. I really don't want to, but haven't found another diet I'd stick to. I have joined sparkpeople, but haven't done anything with it, yet...

Eating sitting down will be tough -- I have to bring that to the front of my mind, and do some mental hand-slapping in the kitchen!:rolleyes:

[TKay]

April and Kay - Good job planning ahead for the holidays. My brain hasn't gotten that far. I thought about you at the grocery store yesterday, April, as I walked by the bags of chocolate goodies they already have on display. I didn't pick any up. :)
Kay - Good for you that you've chosen your diets! I'm counting calories too. It has been really eye-opening to see what I used to eat and how many calories it really added up to. :eek: Please keep us posted on your progress. That eating-while-seated thing is something else, isn't it? It does make you aware of how many times a day you just pop something into your mouth mindlessly (at least it worked that way for me). Good going!
Okay, somebody talk me down. I've been under a lot of stress the past couple of days and my urgent eating habits have reared their ugly heads. I have gone over my calorie limit by a couple hundred for two days. I've got to nip this in the bud. Yesterday, I could think of nothing but popcorn while I was finishing up for a deadline. Ugh! I did have some and I must admit, I ate it completely mindlessly. I realize it's stress-related, but how do I make myself stop? For a few brief moments, I was able to get my mind back into proper form with a "this will pass" mantra. But then I was back at it again.
Today, my plan is to do a hard workout this morning to help relieve the stress. I'm hoping that will help with the eating too (never did get in a workout yesterday, but sat at my desk from morning into the night).
Hope everyone is doing well. How about a check in?

[newtricks]

Hi. That's awesome that you guys are already thinking about the holidays! We're having Thanksgiving here and I'm trying to figure out how to keep it reasonable. Sort of. April, For the last few years I've only been buying candy that I don't care about (NO Snickers, NO Reeses!) I can handle Starbursts, gum, skittles, that kind of stuff and my kids like them so it's all good.

Hey Kay, how's it going? Now, instead of mental hand-slapping we're supposed to cheer ourselves on when we get it right ;) . The sitting down was a huge change for me. But, like Tkay, once I started realizing how much I wasn't eating it got a lot easier.

TKay- I hope things are going more smoothly today! Would it help to think about how you feel after you actually do eat popcorn or whatever? I know I feel even more stressed because then I'm mad at myself too and worried about my weight loss, etc. OK, and I have a geeky little thing I say to myself these days when tempted to eat something off plan. It's "uh, why are you getting off the plane?" Meaning - if you were going on a trip (one you really really want to go on and have worked hard for) would you get off the plane right before take-off? Don't know why this popped in my head a few days ago but it did. and it's working for me at the moment! I know I know, you guys don't actually hold conversations with yourselves the way I do.:p

Things are going smoothly here - although we're doing a lot of celebrating for dh's birthday but he deserves it. I'm giving myself two more five pound goals, I don't want to lose steam at this point.

[potato_moose]

I must admit, I ate it completely mindlessly. I realize it's stress-related, but how do I make myself stop? For a few brief moments, I was able to get my mind back into proper form with a "this will pass" mantra. But then I was back at it again.


Tkay--I think you have to first catch yourself doing it, then read your response cards. Then do the anticraving techniques. I don't remember them all off the top of my head but on of them is to distract yourself by doing something else. There are also a list of questions in the book that you go through and actually write answers to to help you get into the right mindset. Maybe you need to work with a response card sitting on your desk. I have one that says something like: "Mindless overeating only leads to more mindless overeating. You will enjoy it while it lasts, and probably even feel better, but it will keep you from your ultimate goal, which is to lose weight. You can't do both."

My two year old has some sort of stomach bug right now, so all this is a little off my radar. Being sick, she's actually easier to take care of, but she's much more clingey. She wants to snuggle with me while she's laying on the couch looking sad and pathetic :( . At least she's napping now :rolleyes: . I haven't calculated my calories online in a couple of days, but I'm still eating really well (healthfully, high-fiber). I haven't exercised, though. This is something I will really need to watch as the weather cools off. During the fall and winter I have a tendency to want to curl up with a book and a blanket rather than exercise. I need to not let that become a habit again.

April

[LakeMartinGal]

I had a pretty good day, so far! Have eaten sitting down, and actually talked myself out of snacking when I got home from aerobics -- 'hunger isn't an emergency...' Then, I got busy making dinner for the crockpot, and it was an hour before DH came home for lunch! No snacking!!! Yay me!:cool:

Sounds like the rest of you are winning your struggles -- most of the time, anyway!;)

[TKay]

Thanks you guys for your support during my moment of weakness. :D I am back on track. I think you are right--I KNOW you are right. I need to distract myself, wait before eating, read my response cards, etc. I just sort of lost my mind for a bit there.
April - How's your toddler doing? I hope she's feeling better.
Barbara - How'd the birthday celebration go? I think it's great about your new five-pound goals. It really is motivating to have something to shoot for. I've been debating about this one myself. I'm about five away from my final goal (my ideal weight). I'm only a few pounds away from my realistic weight.
Kay, good going! Isn't it amazing how you have more control over your eating than you ever gave yourself credit for before? At least that's how I feel about it. It's like, oh, wait. I don't HAVE to eat this very second. It's kind of freeing, actually. Keep up the great work.
I'm going to a wedding tomorrow, so I need to plan ahead. We are staying overnight so that we don't have to drive home. I'm going to be careful about what I eat all day so that I can have a cocktail or two in the evening. I have decided I will taste the wedding cake, but won't eat a whole piece. They're usually not that good anyway (to me), and I only eat it to be polite. If they have a veggie tray or salad, I'm going to fill up the best I can on those. Then I will limit my portions on the meal. That's the plan. I'll report back to let you know how well I did. I feel good just HAVING plan going in.
Hope you are all doing well. Have a Beck weekend and I'll catch up with you in a few days. :D

[newtricks]

I had a pretty good day, so far! Have eaten sitting down, and actually talked myself out of snacking when I got home from aerobics -- 'hunger isn't an emergency...' Then, I got busy making dinner for the crockpot, and it was an hour before DH came home for lunch! No snacking!!! Yay me!:cool:


Kay, I feel like after a while I just enjoyed that "Yay me!" feeling more than I enjoyed the food. Which is along the lines of strengthening your resistance muscle I guess. Good for you!

TKay - Sounds like a great plan for your wedding. I still crack up about Beck taking home her daughter's wedding cake, freezing it, and eating it for her sweet treat for weeks. But actually the story of how she celebrated (without food :eek: !!;) ) made quite an impression on me at the time. And now I've lived through so many parties that were about fun and not food.

April - I haven't been able to exercise this week either and it's starting to drive me crazy! Dh gets back from Rome tomorrow at 2:30 and I'll be running out to the Y. Seriously - running!

My children are all too quiet right now!! Hope everyone's having a good weekend. :)

[TKay]

How's everyone doing? It's been a while since we've all checked in.

I'm doing well. I think I've really incorporated the Beck way of thinking into my own life and it's made such a huge difference. Sure, I mess up. But I'm able to go right back and that's big for me. I think one good thing is that I've stayed consistent with working out. The two things (good nutrition and exercise) really go hand in hand for me. If I can keep one on track, the other follows suit.
I'm happy to report that I've officially reached my 15-pound weight loss goal! Wahoo! Yay for me. :D I have to keep at it, though. After having the kids and reaching this age, it's going to take real effort to maintain my loss. In truth, I wouldn't mind a couple more pounds going bye-bye, so I'm going to stick with my current plan and just sort of see what happens. I won't be devastated if I don't lose anymore. But I would be heartsick if I put some back on.
Can we all post an update? I'd love to hear how things are going. Hope you're all well. :)

[LakeMartinGal]

I'm stuck -- making good choices, then bad, and disappointed with myself! But there are some good choices -- just gotta work harder.:o

[TKay]

Kay - It's hard to get into the rhythm of this thing at first. The more good choices you make, the more you WANT to make. It seems odd, but it's true. You are rewarded by better choices and you start to like those rewards (even if they're just patting yourself on the back and giving yourself credit). Hang in there. Keep reading your response cards and you'll get there. I have faith in you!

[potato_moose]

I haven't calculated my calories online in a couple of days, but I'm still eating really well (healthfully, high-fiber). I haven't exercised, though. This is something I will really need to watch as the weather cools off. During the fall and winter I have a tendency to want to curl up with a book and a blanket rather than exercise. I need to not let that become a habit again.
April

Hi Tkay & Kay!

First, Tkay congratulations on meeting your goal! That must feel wonderful!

I quoted myself because this is still pretty much where I am. My daughter is all better, and now I'm just trying to get caught up on everything I wasn't doing while she was sick (and wanting me to hold her all day :rolleyes: ). Both my girls are napping every day again, and even once in a while at the same time. Most often, though, there is just a 1 hour overlap. I have said this before, but I need to get more creative and not feel like they both have to be asleep for me to exercise. My weight has stabilized at 2 pounds below the last goal that I made. This is good--at least I'm not gaining back anything I lost, and gives me great hope for the maintenance phase.

I'm starting to sound like a broken record here, but I need to get out my response cards, read them, and write out my meal plan. Incidentally, I read somewhere that one of the biggest mistakes struggling dieters make it to stop weighing themselves when they "slip" because they don't want to discourage themselves.

Kay, where are you in the program? What you are going through has typically been one of my biggest dieting challenges. I'd be good for a day, or most of a day, and then undo it all in one big feast (often at a restaurant). Beck really helped me even things out a bit. Planning my menu plan ahead of time was the most helpful in breaking that habit, but as I quoted, I'm not doing this right now. I do need to, however. Even before Beck, I wasn't eating too many calories on a daily basis--but when I eat big, I eat REALLY big. That had to stop in order for me to lose weight.

I agree with Tkay as well, success can very motivating. Be sure also that you're giving yourself credit for those good choices that you are making. Try to focus on those things.

I'm off to get out my response cards again...

April

[LakeMartinGal]

DH was cleaning up the table, and threw out the response cards!:eek: :mad: Guess I'll start over... I was just to the 'select two diets' day, and haven't read beyond that. I was lax in rereading the response cards, too...

[TKay]

Kay - But dh was being helpful. :rolleyes: Ack! Oh, well. Writing response cards again might be motivating. I found the one thing that really helped me and I read and re-read often was writing out how losing weight would make me feel (can't remember what Beck originally called that list). I wrote that I'd feel better, have more energy, look better, fit in my clothes better, etc. Those are the reminders that have kept me most motivated.
April - Glad your dd is healthy and that both of them are napping. Yay! I completely identify with feeling they have to be asleep to get in a workout. It's so much easier to do it when they're napping, but there are other ways. Do your kids watch videos at all? A half-hour video can do wonders. ;) I'm glad you've maintained your loss. Is it sort of scary to think about the maintenance stage, isn't it? Not sure what my plan is going to be.
Hello to everyone else.:)

[newtricks]

Hi guys!! I'm starting a new thread. :)