The Beck Diet Solution. How to think like a thin person.

debnu1

So I let myself get really busy yesterday and I never got around to reading the book and doing the next task. I still have not pulled out the book--but I've learned a few things about myself. I fell off the wagon last night and didn't eat according to plan. I could hear myself start to rationalize my choices..I started to have quite the battle in my brain. Normally I don't hear that battle of wills what I know I should do and what I want to do because of taste or desire. I found myself hungry last night because I hadn't drunk enough water all day. So literally I know that I just need to start drinking but the emotional stressed side of me didn't want to care and just wanted to eat the ice cream and the chips that were calling to me. I am admitting this because I actually realize what I did this time. Such a difference from not even being aware of what I am doing. Also I tried to put extra food on my plate. Boy does that scare me. Every time I think about it I feel a pit in my stomach. I don't want to waste food, I don't want to tempt myself, I am afraid I won't be able to do it. I have not done it yet. But I don't know why, I should just prove those thoughts wrong. I have control over myself. It's time to pull out my response cards and prove it!

Have any of you attempted to put extra food on your plate? I am wondering if I am alone in this feeling of anxiety over it. Also any insight you have hear would be greatly appreciated!

sl1mmy

Hi Debnu!

As you know, I'm also reading this book and I have about 2 weeks more read. You made me remember that I didn't do that task!

I just feel I'm gonna do it but then I forgot. I think it is a little more difficult than it seems. Join me ! I'm going to do it today so tomorrow we will be able to talk about it. I'm not use to cook more food than I eat. Sometimes I make two servings to have leftovers. Home I never have a second serving.

It's a good thing that you realise you hawe warped thinking. Many people are unaware of what is in their brain unless they really pay attention to it. Later in the book you will learn how to deal whit these.

See you tomorrow!

Niki

debnu1

Niki--Thanks for the support. How did you do?? I have been fighting with the desire of just quitting the whole thing and not caring again. It has been really hard for me. I watched this show called addicted to food a little while ago and they said when you start wanting to quit is when you are about to make a breakthrough. I keep telling myself that. Sometimes it works. I have realized that Most meals I don't make extra food--so I practiced stopping at one serving eating out of a bag of candy today. I tried some chocolate covered Jelly Belly's They were all right, I told myself that I would stop--I messed up once and ate a couple more but then I really stopped. I was quite proud of myself. I told myself I could have them later--Later I didn't want any more, so I really didn't feel as though I missed out on anything. :bigsmile: Wow it may actually work! Progress. This is going to be an ongoing process, so I am not going to push myself too hard I am going to do a little bit and work up to where I am improving. I can't expect perfection in one day anyway. I got the body I have over many years, I can take one step at a time and reverse that over time too!

Hope you are doing well!

Today's challenge is to change your definition of full. So for a full month after eating a meal you are supposed to ask yourself if you could take a brisk walk. If you don't know if you can, try it. If the answer is yes then you are experiencing normal fullness. If the answer is no then you tell yourself, this is not a normal feeling. Next meal I will make sure I don't put too much food on my plate. It is important to remove triggers for overeating, like putting the rest of the meal away before sitting down to eat what is on your plate. Or ask someone else to put the extra food away. You should also give yourself credit anytime you are tempted to eat extra of something and you don't. If you feel anxious remind yourself that hunger is not an emergency (my new motto) If you want to get more food you can say No I am normally full... I want to be thinner so I will stop eating now.

Yay me for stopping eating earlier. I can do this it really is possible!!

spaingirl2011

I think I may have to check the book out as well and possibly join you. I really think that all the mental stuff is what's keeping me from really losing weight and keeping it off. Though I don't think I can get it any earlier than Tuesday (though I may check out a bookstore in my area and see if they have it-- otherwise, I'll have to wait for amazon to deliver it!).

debnu1

I got mine on amazon I love that website!! I know the mental has been what is keeping my weightloss from lasting. I am surprised how much the book fits exactly what I think and do. I would love to have you join me. Start with day one while you are waiting for the book, why not start now! :bigsmile:

spaingirl2011

I got mine on amazon I love that website!! I know the mental has been what is keeping my weightloss from lasting. I am surprised how much the book fits exactly what I think and do. I would love to have you join me. Start with day one while you are waiting for the book, why not start now! :bigsmile:

I'm game! What does day 1 entail? Just so I can keep up! Looking forward to doing this with other people! Feel free to add me as a friend!

debnu1

Day one is to write your list of advantages of losing weight. Or Eating healthy and exercise as I put it. Just write a list of why you want to be a thinner healthier you--every reason you can think of!! Then post that list in multiple places around you where you will see it and read it and read it daily. I have my list somewhere in this thread go ahead and look for it. I used the book's examples and some of my own too. Good luck it is fun, and daunting too. :bigsmile: I would love to see what your reasons are so feel free to post them!

spaingirl2011

I'll go ahead and post them on my blog (the address should be at the bottom of my signature!). Yay!

jojoof4

Bump

heyjude78

Interesting topic

mamagooskie

I'm on day 6......well technically today since it's after midnight I'll be starting day 7.

so far so good. The tips and stuff are really working for me. I've had several close encounters of the food cheating/binging kind that I was able to avoid!!

GREAT BOOK SO FAR!

debnu1

Awesome mama. Keep up the great work!! I think it is amazing how much easier some choices are now that I have tools to combat the temptations!!

debnu1

Today is the day to stop fooling yourself. I don't know how often you do this, but I seem to do it all the time. I tell myself it is okay to eat something because it's not a whole piece, or its only this one time or it doesn't matter or I don't care. These are thoughts that make me think it really is okay to eat something when it isn't. I am able to convince myself that these thoughts are true when I am in the moment but really they aren't true. So the next time I have the urge to eat something that is not on my plan I am going to pay attention to what I am thinking. Especially if I am telling myself that it is okay to eat this. So the book states I should make a response card that say's it's not okay--I am just fooling myself into eating this food. I might feel good for a couple of minutes but I'll feel bad afterward.

1smemae94

Would you mind if i join too? I already have my list done. I can post it tomorrow if you want.

-Sam

shonniegrl

I have both the book and workbook. So I'm in.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

debnu1

The more the merrier!!

Shonna. How is the workbook? Is it worth buying??

crshinn

bump

mamagooskie

so it seems like I am able to move ahead. I was starting day 7 today but since I'm already a year and half into my journey and only 15lbs from goal everything from day 7-9 were done long time ago.

I did day 11 exercize today

I booked a day to do the hunger tolerance exercize day 12 (sunday works best for me so I will do it this upcoming sunday)

day 13-16 I either already to or wrote up cards for.

day 17 I plan on trying tommorrow but I know it will be easy at HOME......so the real test will be to do this test at a restaurant where they bring you preportioned food and at a buffet. I plan on allowing myself 75% of my meal (eating out) and I will leave the food on my plate till I've eaten my allowed portion or until I feel comfortably full (as discussed in day 11) This will probably be more of a challenge but I look forward to trying the techniques suggested for not overeating. I don't eat out regularily though and avoid doing so whenever possible so this task could take months before I get to actually practice it.

day 18 I'll write up a card but I paid attention to fullness today and I really seem to be okay in this regard. After every meal I ate today I could have easily went for a moderate brisk walk but there were some good tips I made note of for the future.

Day 19 and 20 I am making up cards for right now and have already practiced the tips suggested.

day 21 MFP does for us so I don't need to do the graph but I will be sure to make notes from that day about when you don't lose and handling emotions.

day 22 and 23 I already practiced today!

day 24 I found I am soooo beyond that, I have dealt with this successfully many many times in the last 18 months already!

day 25 I practiced on the weekend several times but I am going to make a response card for just as a constant reminder

so......that brings me to day 26 and I'm tired of reading and I still have all my cards and notes to write up for the last 20 days

Tommorrow I'll move onwards to day 27 and report back later!!!

julslea

bumping for later

debnu1

Mama, thanks for sharing. As you have already lost so much weight I am sure that you have talked a lot of the challenges already. I personally just have a hard time actually not going over on calories currently. I am giving myself time--and that is what really matters. I won't make it if I don't master the challenges, so I am planning on making this book my handbook to go back to when I have trouble.

Here is today's posting:

So yesterday, Instead of stopping the foolishness I kept giving myself excuses and fooled myself into eating what I wanted in the afternoon. It didn't help that the dinner I made wasn't done until after 7. I know that I need to be a lot better at making sure I start dinner early enough to have it done on time. It was really good (cafe rio pork) but then because I hadn't calculated the calories beforehand I talked myself into not logging it and the excuses abounded. I did however resist the ice cream craving I had. I purposely didn't go downstairs so I could avoid the freezer. I sometimes feel like I have a devil and angel on my shoulder talking to me about food--perhaps I am just going crazy, I am sure I have had this before but I never noticed it before. I will think I am hungry I want chocolate, and then my good thoughts will say I don't need to eat right now. Hunger is not an emergency, I can wait until my next meal when I will have _____. All this time my hand is reaching for the chocolate even as I am opening it I will tell myself it isn't too late but I still open and pop it in my mouth as if I am being rebellious. I even tell myself I don't have to swallow, I can always spit it out. There is some part of me that I have not figured out yet, I am getting a payoff from food that I am not ready to give up yet. I need to figure that out.

Now to digress. Day 20 is Get Back on Track. I obviously need this. So when you are tempted to keep eating when you know you shouldn't you do the following. Acknowledge your slip: I shouldn't have eaten that, it was a mistake, one mistake is not going to make me gain weight. Then Recommit: Re-read parts of the book as necessary and response cards as well as the advantages list. Finally, Draw a symbolic line: Instead of waiting for another day say Here's the line, right here, where I stop this unplanned eating. Mark that line by brushing your teeth, going out for a walk, calling a friend or some other non-eating related activity. As always, give yourself credit. Watch out for feelings of failure, we all make mistakes, It is normal to stray from your diet from time to time. Nobody's perfect. Continue to eat normally after a mistake and learn from it. Just as I learned I need to be better about getting dinner on time, there are many things we still need to learn about ourselves. That is what this journey is all about. Learning who we are and how we deal with things.

I also realized I need to make sure I have all my response cards filled out and available so that I can pull them out and read them when I start the battle of the minds. I know that will help.

Anything you see that I missed? I am attempting to lay it all out there so that if there is something I don't see you all can call me on the carpet. I appreciate that.

Thanks for following me on this journey!

debnu1

Day 21. Ready to weigh in. I always have trouble with weigh ins. I tend to expect too much and when I don't see the number I want no matter how outrageous it is I tend to feel like giving up. This chapter addresses that problem.

It first talks of how the weekly weigh in is essential to keep you honest and committed as well as build up your confidence. However weighing in can also erode your motivation more than it helps if you have the wrong mindset. The scenario is this: you step on the scale and it shows a higher number than you hoped. You think. I can't believe it this is terrible. You get upset hopeless sad angry and then start yourself on a bad eating day. I don't know how many times I have done this but too many to count. Sometimes daily sometimes weekly you get the picture. I was wondering why I would get hopeless even after losing weight sand I've realized that it is because I always expect more. One half and even two pounds isn't good enough. So instead of the scale being a guage of my inadequacies. It should be a guide like a thermometer or blood pressure cuff as to whether I should keep doing what I am doing or make some changes.
"on any given day, the number on the scale is exactly what it should be, given what you ate, how much exercise you expended in the past few days, the amount of fluid your body is retaining, and other biological influences."

When you stand on the scale. Think of your last weighin number not the number you hope it will be. You say last week I weighed x lbs. Today I should be between a half and two lbs less then repeat the above quote. Celebrate every half lb loss!!
Today we also make a weight loss graph going down in half pound increments so you can see your progress remember it won't be a straight downward line but a jagged slope. Don't expect your weight to go down every week.

Remember your weight is not a reflection of who you are inside!!

debnu1

So I have been attempting to make sure my written work--the response cards are as up to date as the chapter I am on I have not quite caught up but will be there soon.

Today's task is to say oh well to disappointment. You can't stop sabotaging thoughts but if they cone you can tell them oh well. Meaning. I font like this but I'm going to accept it and move on. Oh well decreases the struggle and focuses your attention elsewhere. It seems almost to simple. But it works. I don't want to write my food plan for tomorrow, oh well. I want a cookie, oh well.

SallyCC

This is an interesting thread. I just got the book The 4 Day Win my Martha Beck and I am starting it. This book sounds great. I think I need to get it and go through all the posts here again. Thanks for posting the challenges. So glad I found this thread!

Kimmer2011

Deb, you are so inspirational for posting this and sticking with it! Your honesty with all of us and your determination are really admirable. Hats off to you, and I look forward to reading more of this thread! THANK YOU!

debnu1

Thanks ladies. I knew that i need people to keep me on track so just having the thread and the expectation looming out there from all of you has kept me accountable. I have nor been perfect by any means. I have had a really hard time with planning this week. But the whole idea is to be making progress I don't need to be perfect anyway. As long as I am aware and impooving my self that's what matters. Thanks for following my thread!! I am grateful for your insight and presence to keep me on track!!

debnu1

Today's task is to counter unfairness. I have often thought that it is unfair that I can't eat what I want to all the time or that some people are skinnier than I am with less work, sometimes it seems so unfair that I have to even think about watching what I eat because I should just be the size and shape I want to be. The truth is that life is unfair. We have all been given different circumstances and situations because we have agency. Really it all comes down to choices. In this instance I can choose to think that it being unfair that I can't eat say a piece of chocolate cake. Or I can say yes I would like a piece but oh well I would rather be thinner.  The fairness issue doesn't seem so big when paired with the choice. Staying where I am, On track to diabetes and cancer doesn't sound so great. But being model slim having the energy and flexibility to move however I want to sounds so much better.  The book suggests a response card something to the effect of:  when it seems unfair to me that I can't eat something acknowledge that I am right. Then ask myself which unfairness would I rather have: not being able to eat this or not losing weight?  Then say, "oh, well," and get on with it. 

mamagooskie

I did the tolerate hunger exercize today and..................... SURVIVED!! It wasn't nearly as hard as I was expecting it to be and my discomfort never got above a 2 maybe 3. I just kept telling myself oh well to hunger and that I would be eating soon enough. I sure did enjoy my dinner though!!! I ate it a bit faster than usual though, so much for mindful and slow eating!!

I did finish reading the entire book now and writing up all my cards and let me tell you I sure did use them a lot over the weekend. I went to my mother in laws and her house is the junk food lovers heaven!! cupboards of chips, 15 types of icecream in the freezer, 10-15 different cakes and boxes of cookies around the house and soda galore!!

anyway, I had to read my cards on fairness, and use my craving card. I had to read my why I want to be thin cards, and remove myself from the food as well as tell myself NO CHOICE multiple times.....and I did it. I stuck with my plan and pre-logged food and only ate what I was allowed to. NO unplanned eating for me and you know what when I got home and had my allowed dessert, I was so proud and felt so in control and successful!!!

I have also started planning my camping trip I am going on 12 days from now. I have meal "plans" written up that do have my allowed items as well as my extras that I am allowing myself for the weekend but I am not going overboard like I have in the past.

I think my biggest things I need to work on is eating slowly and mindfully, so for the next 4 weeks I'm tracking how long it takes me to eat every breakfast, lunch and dinner and I am hoping eventually I don't have to think about this and it comes naturally.

I will also continue to use my cards as needed to keep me on track. I found the last 2 chapters of the book very interesting as well, the lowest achievable weight and and lowest maintainable weight struck a chord with me. I want to lose 15 more lbs but I am honestly beginning to think my body is done and I might very soon need to move on to maintence. However I am not giving up yet on weight loss. I am going to practice these techniques and keep eating well and exercizing and re-evaluate my situation in a few months.

debnu1

Mama you are awesome!! I am changing things up--will write later but here is a motivational video for today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MajG1SPoNj0

debnu1

So I have come to the realization that I have not been very vigilant in planning and so I have not had the feeling of unfairness or depravation. I have been eating whatever I please anyway. I am seriously considering going on either the eat clean diet by tosca Reno or the biggest loser eating plan. They are actually quite alike so I may be using both. I am going to be reading more into them this week. I just am needing an actual meal plan to follow as pulling it out if my head only works when I am planning ahead. Which I have not been doing lately. So today I went through and put reminders on my calendar to alert me when it is tine to exercise and all my other daily activities in general. I need that extra reminder. I also got some poster paper today to put my advantages on as well as motivational quotes and reminders. I am getting my environment set up even better.  Time to write up my meals for tomorrow. So more tomorrow. 

debnu1

So I have come to the realization that I have not been very vigilant in planning and so I have not had the feeling of unfairness or depravation. I have been eating whatever I please anyway. I am seriously considering going on either the eat clean diet by tosca Reno or the biggest loser eating plan. They are actually quite alike so I may be using both. I am going to be reading more into them this week. I just am needing an actual meal plan to follow as pulling it out if my head only works when I am planning ahead. Which I have not been doing lately. So today I went through and put reminders on my calendar to alert me when it is tine to exercise and all my other daily activities in general. I need that extra reminder. I also got some poster paper today to put my advantages on as well as motivational quotes and reminders. I am getting my environment set up even better.  Time to write up my meals for tomorrow. So more tomorrow.