Category Archives: Beck Diet

Strength and being hungry

First off, thanks so much for the comments on my push up video!  (You readers are the best!  That’s one thing I love about the blogging community.  Supportive and friendly!)

I am extremely proud of my strength (uh oh – one of the 7 deadly sins here).  I may not be at the magic scale number, but I am seriously strong. However, it has taken me a long time to build up to this level.  I started serious strength training in August of 2008 using free weights, then the NROLW program (which took 6 months) in 2009.  I started with pushups on my knees and could barely get out a set of 10 to what I can now do.  It takes time and patience – it takes a long time to build muscle.  Jody mentioned having patience today on her blog, and it is so true.   So keep at it!  Doing some of these kickazz moves makes me uber happy.

I had another great workout this morning.  Tuesdays are run days.  I fueled up with a Luna bar and hit the hamster wheel.  I ran 3 miles basically around 5.5 to 6 mph.  Then I decided to do some intervals:

  • 1 minute at 6.5 mph
  • 2 minutes at 6 mph
  • 1 minute at 6.8 mph
  • 2 minutes at 6 mph
  • 1 minute at 7 mph
  • 2 minutes at 6 mph
  • 1 minute at 7 mph
  • 2 minutes at 6 mph
  • super challenge: 1 minute at 7.3 mph!! dying….
  • 2 minutes at 6 mph
  • 1 minute at 6.8
  • 2 minutes at 6 mph
  • 1 minute at 6.5 mph

Then maintained 6.0 to finish up 6 miles.  I wasn’t planning on 6 miles, but the intervals ate up a lot of mileage and I figured “what the heck”!  I had a high when I left the gym.  Good sweaty workouts make me smile, not sure why.  After I am done, of course 😀

Breakfast was fabulous!  Steel cut oats cooked with a banana and almond butter and jam on top.  Then John got out chocolate chips for his brekkie, so I couldn’t resist those.

Work was back up to normal, so I got right to it.  I wanted some extra protein for lunch to have some good recovery superfoods for lunch:

1/2 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1/2 scoop protein powder, chai granola and a dollop of cranberry sauce.  It was yummy, but cold!

I ended up eating another 1/2 of a protein bar after lunch because I didn’t quite feel satisfied.  I think the run did that to me.  I don’t like being hungry at all.  The Beck book has one section where you write out something called a ‘hunger response card’ which is what you tell yourself when you are hungry between meals.  Here is my card:

This can sometimes be an argument in my own mind over this.  I actually read this card to myself.  I tend to get blood sugar drops when I don’t eat at timed intervals.  Enough to make me sweaty and shaky.  It seems as though I can go from a little hungry to the fall off the cliff blood sugar drop very quickly, so this is a big struggle for me in allowing myself to feel hungry (the fear factor).  One of my biggest in trying to lose the last 10 pounds.  I tend to eat for maintenance, which – duh – doesn’t equal weight loss.  I think you have to be a little bit hungry if you want to be in a deficit, right?  So this is my personal battle and I think probably the last challenge to get to goal.  But patience, right?

Good news on the broccoli front – I got someone to eat some tonight!  We were watching Good Eats last night and I was so happy to see AB doing a show on broccoli!  I was actually cheering 😳  dork alert!  Anway, John said something about trying it and I jumped all over that and got him to agree to try some.  I did my pan sauteeing with coconut oil for him.  He only wanted a little, so that meant more for my plate 😀

Here is his “I kind of am okay eating this, but not really” look.   LOL. We’ve got some work to do.

I am done with work for the night.   These last couple of weeks have been hard.  With a light workload, I have had to work longer days to get in my minimum lines, which often meant working at night as well.  Now we are back on normal schedule and I finished up on time!

Here is my evening snacky snack.

Delicious.  Here’s to a good night’s sleep with the snack!

Challenges in weight loss and maintenance

I was going to title this something like struggles in weight loss and maintenance, but I really want to focus on reframing that word.  

Debby wrote an eloquent post on this subject the other day, and she commented to me about how it was good to hear someone else with the same issues.

I get emails or comments from time to time about how I stay so focused and determined.  Here’s the secret – I struggle, too!  I really think being a successful loser and maintainer is understanding that you are going to face tough times and you won’t always win.  Put me around certain foods or in certain situations and I will face plant into enough food to make me uncomfortably full – even when that was not my plan.

Sometimes it is just the urge to let up and eat.  When that happens, I refer to it as the old me having a temper tantrum.

Old me:  I want to just eat without thinking about it.  It’s not fair that other people can eat food and not gain weight.  Why can’t I just eat what I want when I want?

Following cues from the Beck book, I try to reason with said self with things like:  You know you don’t need to eat 6 servings of cereal, 1 is enough.  Of course it isn’t fair, but you just have to accept that and move on.  You can eat whatever you want when you want, but you have to be prepared to weigh 250 pounds again.

The old me sounds pretty petulant, right?  That voice pops out from time to time and sometimes reasoning with it just doesn’t work.  It’s much easier to give in.  We’ve all been there.

I have learned that when I do give in, it isn’t the end of the world.  I won’t gain back 100 pounds with 1 day of bingeing.  I do seem to be able to stop it pretty quick these days, though, and I think that is the result of years of practice.  I am not like a lot of the bloggers or people on forums I read that charge on down to goal losing a large amount of weight and keep it off.  It’s been such a long process (years) for me both physically and mentally.  This blog has actually been a useful tool for me to ponder things and get feedback (so thank you, gentle readers!).

I do win sometimes, though.  And all that good food you see on my blog is the result of learning to love different foods and making them taste good.  If you haven’t read my food philosophy, you can here.

I guess I would leave you with the thoughts that even when you get down to a happy weight, don’t expect to magically stay there, or that you are completely changed.  Heck, the journey down is the same way.  As imperfect beings, there will always be challenges, but what will make you successful is how you cope with those when they arise and learning how to speak to yourself with kindness.

NROLW and more Beck on getting back on track.

Last workout of Stage 3 for New Rules of Lifting for Women today!

  • Dumbbell cuban snatch: 3 x 6 with 20 pound dumbbells
  • Dumbbell single-leg deadlift: 3 x 6 at 25 pounds
  • Barbell bent-over row: 1 x 6 at 55, 1 x 6 at 65, 1 x 6 at 75
  • Dumbbell  squat 3 x  6  25#
  • Dumbbell incline bench press: 3 x 6 at 25#
  • Planks: 90 second holds 3 times
  • Reverse woodchop: 3 x 6 at 50 pounds
  • Bodyweight matrix: 3 times.

I also did some track walking and then spent 15 minutes doing some stretching.  While my legs didn’t feel really tired or anything from my run yesterday (really surprised here), they were a touch stiff.   Have a feeling they will be more sore tomorrow (damn matrix!).  Met John at Ridge street again for the usual Wednesday morning eats!

bagel2

coffee

This is always such a nice post workout treat.

Had the same lunch as yesterday (yogurt,cereal ,and blueberries!)

lunch2

These blueberries are good, but not as good as the ones I picked myself!  Can’t wait for Friday!

John fixed me a latte for an afternoon snack, although it is getting a bit warm for that.  We only have AC in the bedroom, so unless I move up there to work, I won’t be having the hot lattes much!    Forgot to thaw out any meat for dinner, so ate veggie tonight!

Scrambled eggs with feta cheese – I love feta (well, I love pretty much any cheese, really).  It goes really well with eggs.  Delicious strawberries, too!

dinner1

Not pictured are the blueberries I am snacking on as I type this post 😀

Seems there are some struggling bloggers out there with getting back on track, so thought I might post some ideas from the Beck book about getting back on track.  Of course, it helps to have the book and start from step 1.  I am still working through the book.

Anyhoo – here are behaviors you can do to get back into the groove:

  1. Acknowledge that you went off track.  However, do not beat yourself up.  I read too many blogs with people being way too hard on themselves.   Self-loathing is just not healthy, so don’t practice it, okay?
  2. Recommit yourself to your plan.  That list that I mentioned the other day about the reasons you want to be healthy?  Read it – and if you haven’t written one out – do it now!
  3. Draw a line in the sand to stop whatever you are doing.  Stop the binge and don’t let yourself  “restart tomorrow.”  Start right at this moment.  (This is so key – there is a big difference between going over by 500 calories and 2500 calories).
  4. Get back to your scheduled eating plan.  This is really important.  If you happen to fall face first into donuts in the morning, don’t skip your food for the rest of the day to atone.  That’s only going to keep you teetering off plan.
  5. Once you get back on track, think about what was the problem that got you off track and try to find another way to deal with it or give yourself another option.

Question:  Are you really hard on yourself when you get off track?

NROLW and Beck Diet Tips

Monday, Monday.  Although I have worked one day already 😀

I felt full when I got up this morning, so decided against eating prior to workout.  Not too common for me, but I decided to listen to my body after putting too much food into it the last couple days.

Got to the Y and hardly anyone there.  Guess everyone is on vacation.

NROLW   Stage 3  (final week)

  • Romanian deadlift with row: 1 x 6 at 45#, 1 x 6 at 60#, 1 x 6 at 70 #, 1 x6 at 75 #
  • Single leg partial squats 3 x 6
  • Widegrip lat pulldown: 1 x 6 at 50#, 1 x 6 at 55#, 1 x 6 at 60 pounds
  • Back extension: 3 x 6 at 90 pounds
  • YTWL: 3 x 6 at 8 pounds
  • Stability ball crunch: 3 x 6
  • Reverse crunch: 3 x 6
  • Lateral flexion: 3 x 6
  • Prone cobra: 3 holds x 90 seconds

2429_heart_eyes.gif I love the deadlift/row combo!  I was a little nervous doing the single leg squats, as that is how I hurt my hammie last week, but no problem today.  I don’t know what I did before to cause the problem.  YTWL is so hard with the 8 pounds weights.  I was doing a bit of quiet grunting LOL!

Came home and had some pumpkin oat bran topped with cranberry preserves:

brekkie1 Uber yummy.

Then came lunch after a slow work morning.  Monday mornings are always slow as the clinic I transcribe for is in CA and I am in NY and it isn’t open on weekends.   I made another tasting plate – also known as party leftovers!

Tuna with hummus, carrots, strawberries, pita points.

lunch

I really love to cook, but lately I have been all about super easy/throw together meals.

Dinner was one of those.  I had some leftover brown rice, cooked chicken, broccoli that I stir fried with coconut oil and a mixture of a couple sauces from the fridge for an asian style sauce.  Served with a side of black grapes.  Another winner!

dinner

I did eat a few other things today (Amazing Grass bar, latte, crackers with nut butter), but wanted to get to the Beck Book rather than posting more food.

On day 33, the chapter is about eliminating emotional eating.  Since I had been doing some stress eating, I am reading this chapter again.  I think she makes a good point that it is okay to have the negative feelings.  I think so often we want to bury them or at least be distracted from them (by using food).

Try these things next time you are feeling the need to emotionally eat:

  1. Be specific in the feeling by labeling it. “I am upset by x”.
  2. Do not give yourself the choice of eating when you are upset.  The more you practice this and not give in, the easier it will get.
  3. Imagine the aftermath and how you will feel if you give in.
  4. Distract yourself in other ways like reading, taking a walk, calling a friend.
  5. Try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing.
  6. Make a list of all the reasons you want to be healthy and read it.

Dr. Beck points out that it will become easier to deal with the problem itself once you have calmed down the emotions  you are experiencing because of it.

So, I am going to practice these if I feel the need to stress eat this week.  And maybe even just do some of these things as practice.  It can be very hard to just try them in the heat of the moment, right?

Question:  What are your stress busting techniques?

Think I am doing the big run tomorrow – 7 miles (gulp!)

On plan day and Beck Diet book

 

I have had a very in control Saturday eating wise.  Exercise wise as well, ran for 3.5 miles this morning and then we took a 40 minute walk after dinner  (and a little strolling at the mall).    I don’t know if it was the Kirstie Alley thing or what that got my butt really in gear to be in control today, but I’ll take it.  Sundays are super difficult for me, so we shall see what tomorrow brings.

Yesterday I went to the library and got out (amongst a bunch of other books!) the “>Beck Diet solution. I hadn’t bothered looking at this book before because I thought it was just another diet plan book, and I thought it was all about intuitive eating.  Well, after reading another blogger’s review (whom I can’t remember…) I realized I was incorrect.  I cracked the book open at Starbucks today and think that I am going to get some good use out of it.  I’ll do a full review once I finish and implement the things, but I definitely see many things of value in what I have read so far.  Tonight I am going to write out some action cards and such.

 

Have any of you read this book and have any thoughts about it?