Day 5

Today’s workout: None

Today’s walk: None

Today’s task: Eat Slowly and Mindfully

As with Day 3’s task (sitting down every time you eat), when you eat slowly and with awareness, you’re satisfied with smaller amounts of food. Dr. Beck recommends eliminating distractions (as much as is possible in real life!) and savoring your meal. As I’ve said before, eating slowly and without something to distract me is a challenge. Maybe I don’t like to eat as much as I thought I did!

Sabotaging thought: “I don’t have time to eat slowly! When I try to, I start to think I should be doing something else and I get nervous. I’m supposed to eat what’s on my diet anyway, so the speed doesn’t matter, nor does whether I enjoy it.”

Helpful response: “I have a busy schedule, but that’s all the more reason I should take advantage of meal time to enjoy a few moments of quiet. It’s a needed respite for my body and mind.”

Today’s To-Do List:
✓ I read my Advantages List at least twice.

✓ I read other Response Cards as needed.

✓ I ate slowly, sitting down and noticing every bite: Most of the time

✓ I gave myself credit when I engaged in helpful eating behaviors.

Today I give myself credit for:

☆ Starting this blog.

☆ Reaching out to fellow bloggers.

☆ Working out twice so far this week.

☆ Walking to an appointment that I usually drive to.

☆ Serving my husband ice cream last night and eating none myself.

☆ Eating breakfast and lunch at the dining room table and doing my best to get into every bite.

☆ Taking the time to prepare myself my favorite salad for lunch (Greek with tuna)

 

Day 4

Today’s workout: None

Today’s walk: None

Today’s task: Give Yourself Credit

Word to the wise: Do not gloss over this step. Do the work. Give yourself credit aloud and in writing, even if it feels uncomfortable or foolish at first.

I believe this is the most important step in the first week of the program, maybe even in the whole book. All of us who are overweight are black-belts at beating ourselves up. We may not even be aware that we’re doing it! But this self-loathing is the #1 diet saboteur. It undermines the sense of confidence and control that we need to succeed. Learning to give ourselves credit is the key to success.

Dr. Beck says she gives herself credit throughout the day, even for the smallest successes! I like keeping a daily credit list, and I will do so on this blog. In the past, I’ve done it in my journal. Other methods are dropping a coin in a bank every time you give yourself credit for something, and then using the money towards buying yourself a (non-food!) treat, or using a hand-held counter. The point is to give yourself credit in some visible, tangible way. It feels good, so enjoy it. You will build self-confidence, but it will take time.

It’s very important to have a reminder system, even if it means enlisting the help of a friend. You will forget to give yourself credit! We overweight people are not used to getting credit, from ourselves or others, so it’s a skill we need to develop.

Today’s To-Do List:

✓ I read my Advantages List at least twice today

✓ I read other Response Cards as needed

✓ I created a reminder system for giving myself credit

✓ I sat down to eat (choose one): Every time/Most of the time/Some of the time

✓ I gave myself credit for sitting down to eat: Every time/Most of the time/Some of the time

I give myself credit for:

☆ Sitting down at the dining room table to eat breakfast.

☆ Sitting down at the dining room table to eat lunch, even though it was hard!

☆ Maintaining my weight (even though it wasn’t my ideal weight) for two years.

☆ Exercising regularly for the past two years

☆ Doing the grocery shopping. A dreaded chore, but I did it. Yay me!

☆ While at the store, I resisted the temptation to buy anything that’s not on my diet.

☆ Got caught up on email, which entailed processing about 180 messages! (Many of them didn’t require an answer or action, but they needed to be reviewed and filed.)

 

Day 3

Today’s workout: 20 min ET, L2, 1.8mi. 40 mins wts & abs with PT. Due to normal hormonal fluctuations, some days are more difficult for exercise than others. Guess what kind today was. WW is not feelin’ the love.

Today’s walk: To and from an appointment about 5 min walk away.

Today’s task: Sit Down While Eating

Now we get down to changing specific eating behaviors. Since you’re going to be eating less than before, it’s important to learn how to make it satisfying. Instead of mindlessly popping food in your mouth while standing up, put it on a plate so you can see it all spread out and make it visually satisfying.

Sitting down isn’t a big challenge for me—I hate to eat standing up! People probably think I’m antisocial at parties because instead of standing up and mingling with my plate, I find a chair in a corner where I can sit and enjoy my food. Then I get up and mingle!

What I am guilty of is, when I’m alone, watching TV or reading blogs (or both) while eating. I feel I enjoy it more that way. But I’m going to try just eating while eating, and see if that makes a difference in how I feel about food and dieting.

I am really struggling with this step. All kinds of difficult emotions come up when I try to sit and eat alone without distraction. I talked them over with my therapist today (she has a copy of the book). We agree that I need to confront the emotions, deal with the negative thoughts, and release all of that energy so I can use it to move forward. I will keep a notebook nearby so I can write out the emotions and thoughts that come up. We agree that today’s step is incredibly important for me to conquer!

Sabotaging thought: “I don’t like to just sit there and eat. It’s uncomfortable. It’s lonely. I don’t like to hear myself chew. I don’t think doing this step will affect what I eat anyway.”

Response Card: “Sitting down and enjoying my food is part of this program. Dr. Beck says it’s important to do the entire program, not just parts of it if you want it to work. Maybe it’s important for me to learn to just sit and be with my food. I won’t know how it will affect me unless I try it.”

Today’s To-Do List:

✓ I read my Advantages List at least twice.

✓ I read other Response Cards as needed.

✓ I created a Response Card to encourage myself to sit while eating.

✓ I created a reminder system to remember to sit while eating.

✓ I sat down when I ate (choose one): Every time/Most of the time/Some of the time

 

Day 2

Today’s workout: None. Just don’t have it in me with my cold. But I’m seeing my trainer tomorrow, and she accepts only 2 excuses: global thermonuclear war and death. So I’ll definitely be working out tomorrow; I’ll only miss one day. I’m allowed to miss one day in a row, but not 2.

Today’s walk: None. It’s just too chilly. I went out at the peak “high” of 30F (-1C) and tried, but my lungs started to seize immediately.

Today’s task: Pick Two Reasonable Diets

Why two? You’ve got your main diet, and your backup diet. If the first diet turns out to be too difficult or troublesome, you’re ready to jump right into Plan B. (I get the feeling Dr. Beck was a Girl Scout at one point, and really took the “Be Prepared” motto to heart.)

Dr. Beck also has a lot to say about using a reasonable diet. Reasonable means healthy, easy to prepare, and sustainable in the long term. That means you have to make sure you get to eat your favorite foods once in a while. The last thing you want to do is try to speed your progress by dropping calories too low and then end up bingeing and gaining all the weight back. In fact, in her 2nd book, where she actually gives you a calorie-counting diet, she recommends 1,600 calories as a minimum, even for women. (By contrast, Weight Watchers starts at about 1,100.)

I chose the South Beach Diet because I don’t have to count calories or points. Counting makes me obsessed. Also, the quality of what I eat suffers along with my mental health. When points are everything, those 2-point desserts are just too seductive. On South Beach, I’m eating quality food at every meal and I don’t crave desserts as much.

Still, I have to have a backup plan. If I start to stall out on all the protein, I’m going to switch to what I call the Kashi diet. Kashi or other super-healthy cereal with skim milk and fruit for breakfast and lunch; something light for dinner like bean soup and salad; fruit, yogurt, or Kashi TLC bars for snacks. Kashi used to have something like this on their website, but it looks like they’re no longer promoting it.

I chose this for a backup plan because it’s nutritionally different from SBD, so I can go to it when my body and mind need a change. It’s also simpler, with a much smaller range of food choices.

Today’s lesson also introduces a BDS tool called Response Cards. We all have sabotaging thoughts—thoughts that trigger poor eating choices or lead us to abandon our diets. In CBT, you learn to catch yourself thinking these thoughts and answer them back. Writing the more-helpful responses on cards helps you rehearse them and have them ready when you need them.

Here’s one of my sabotaging thoughts: “I don’t want to be on a diet for the rest of my life. It makes me feel trapped, and all I want to do is eat. I want to be free!”

And here’s the response I came up with: “SBD isn’t a diet, it’s a healthy lifestyle. If I don’t start eating and living healthier, the fat will trap me even worse. The true freedom comes from being healthy, energetic, and strong, and that’s what SBD will give me.”

Here’s another one (said to myself as I prepared 3.5 oz. turkey sausage and 2 cups of broccoli and cauliflower for lunch): “This sucks! I really don’t know much longer I’m going to be able to eat this way. This food is depressing.”

And the response: “‘This sucks’ is a thought, not a fact. This meal is just as tasty as something that’s much less healthy. Just because my cooking skills leave something to be desired is no reason I can’t be slim and healthy. I may be a little depressed now, but that feeling will pass. If it doesn’t, I’ll talk to my therapist about it. If I eat (or drink) extra calories because I’m depressed, those calories won’t pass!”

Today’s To-Do List:

✓ I read my Advantages List at least twice

✓ I read other Response Cards as needed

✓ I chose a reasonable primary diet and backup diet

 

Day 1

1-11-10…a nice number with lots of 1s in it. Appropriate, no?

Today’s workout: 25 mins on Elliptical Trainer (ET) Level 1. Taking it easy because I have a cold and nausea; 30 mins of various weights and abs with Personal Trainer (PT).

Today’s walk: None. I’m hiding out from the cold. Which reminds me I should add some of that fancy Japanese ceramic underwear to my shopping list. Not having the proper gear must not stop The Walking Woman from walking.

Today’s task: Record the Advantages of Losing Weight

The idea is to make a list of all the reasons that you want to lose weight. The ways that your life will change for the better, the things you’ll get that you don’t have now. The whole point of making the list is to read it frequently, reminding yourself why you’re doing this, so your mind will be clear and strong when the temptation to go off your diet comes along.

In Dr. Beck’s CBT approach, every action originates with a thought. Thinking about the wonderful things that will happen when the extra weight starts to come off greatly increases the likelihood that you’ll act in accordance with your diet and exercise plan.

And so, without further ado, here’s my advantages list. Dr. Beck recommends writing the list on index cards, but it can be anything portable. I use a pocket-sized loose-leaf organizer. It contains a calendar where I record my workouts and daily weigh-ins, and then behind the calendar are pages with my advantages list and other BDS materials.

• My blood pressure will go down

• I’ll be much less likely to have a heart attack or stroke

• I may be able to stop using CPAP.

• I won’t dread going to the doctor.

• I’ll avoid diabetes and other diseases that are caused by obesity.

• I’ll be able to wear nice clothes and swimsuits. (Hey, nobody said these had to be profound reasons!)

• I will be able to stand and walk for the long periods necessary to enjoy things like the U.S. Open, parades, and so on.

• I will end this “to eat or not to eat” bullcrap.

• I’ll have more money to spend on other things.

• I’ll have more time to do other things.

• I’ll be ready for any activity that comes along—dancing, snorkeling, skiing. In fact, I’ll be more ready for anything that life sends my way!

• I’ll look forward to beaches and vacations instead of dreading them.

• I’ll feel I fit in with my friends more.

• I’ll stop worrying and alienating my parents.

• I won’t have to avoid cameras!

• Exercise will be easier and more fun.

• I’ll have a great accomplishment that I’ll be proud of.

• My energy and focus will be better on the South Beach Diet.

• I’ll get to eat clean, elegant food, more beautiful that what most people are eating.

• My back and knees won’t hurt as much.

• I’ll be able to wear a great dress next New Year’s Eve.

• I won’t be too embarrassed to go to my next reunion.

Word to the wise: Don’t just slap together a list or copy the one from the book and then glance at it twice a day. This method will work much better if you come up with a list of things that mean a lot to you and then think about them as you read them.

Today’s To-Do List:

✓ I created my Advantages List.

✓ I wrote, recorded, or posted these advantages elsewhere (here!).

✓ I implemented a reminder system. (I like to read while I eat, so I’m going to read the list! I’ll also leave it open on my nightstand so I’ll read it first thing every morning and last thing every night.)

 

Day 0

Dr. Oz says that your health trajectory and expected lifespan improve in just 2 weeks of improved lifestyle. My 2 weeks begin tomorrow.

My new lifestyle will be the South Beach Diet. It begins with Phase I: 2 weeks of eating only vegetables (including small amounts of legumes), lean protein, lowfat dairy, and good oil. After that, in Phase II, fruit, grain, and red wine are slowly added back in.

I chose South Beach because of its positive approach. It’s not super low-carb or low-fat; it’s about eating the good carbs and the good fats. I like adding things to my life better than taking them away! I’ve done this diet in a half-assed way before, and even then I noticed a difference in the way I feel. This diet makes me feel good!

I’m already exercising, and have been working with a personal trainer for over 2 years, but I will increase this to 5-6 days a week.

I will stretch twice a day to avoid injury.

To make all this happen, I will follow the Beck Diet Solution, which is a 6-week program of cognitive-behavioral exercises that teach dieting skills. I have done parts of this program before, although I didn’t change my eating enough to lose weight at the time. I will be using techniques I learned from the book, such as keeping an eating diary, but for the purposes of this blog I won’t discuss them until I come to that day in the book.

I’ll be sharing my meal plans (Day 14 of BDS), workouts, strategies, and adventures. I’ve started a Flickr account to share pictures. Down the road, I want to join BlogHer and meet lots of like-minded friends. So if you’re blogging about the South Beach Diet or Beck Diet Solution, speak up! Let’s share links!

Today’s tasks are getting this blog and other online accounts in place, grocery shopping, and planning tomorrow’s meals and workout.

 

Hello world!

Not much today…just 25 mins around the neighborhood, listening to NPR on my old Walkman Sport. It was chilly, about 40F, and I wasn’t properly dressed. Found an interesting water feature in a neighbor’s yard. Enjoyed the feeling of almost being lost, not knowing exactly what street I was on.