DAY 9: To-do List

My results for today are:

I read my Advantages Response Card 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 dieting behaviors: Some of the Time

I did at least one spontaneous exercise today.

I scheduled exercise time in my calendar.

I did planned exercise.


CREDIT ACCOUNT: $4.25

My "spontaneous" exercise was walking to the gym, and it felt really good. The gym is a 25-minute walk away and because I procrastinate, I often don't have enough time to walk and arrive in time for class. So in addition to the additional exercise, I felt righteously satisfied that I made walking to the gym a priority today.

I gave myself credit for the "spontaneous" walk, but that was the only thing I remembered. So I thought some more about my credit reminder system, and since I'm having no luck finding a green rubber bracelet, I thought of just a rubber band. I have a large collection of rubber bands in a variety of sizes, but I don't have big enough green one. I might be obsessing on the color, and maybe I should let that go.

It also occurred to me that in addition to remembering to give myself credit, I need to remember that I did it (I have a memory like a sieve). Maybe I should wear that rubber band and add a paper clip to it every time I remember to give myself credit. This sounds a little inconvenient, since I'd need to carry clips around with me, so I'll give it some more thought.

Eating everything on my plan continues to be difficult (I skipped 2 of the snacks today), but eating slowly and mindfully continues to go well. I had dinner with friends tonight and did find it challenging to eat right and socialize simultaneously, but I did it. In fact, I did it so well that one of my friends noticed how slowly I was eating and asked if I wasn't hungry! That made my day.

I noticed that I've lost some of my initial excitement for this program and tried to chalk it up to wearing thin the novelty of a new experience. But now I've realized it has more to do with the order of the steps.

For me, Days 7, 8, and 9 haven't had much of an impact on my life. I didn't need to arrange my environment, make time and energy, or even select an exercise plan. That was kind of a letdown after the life-changing steps of the first few Days of the program. But because of the one-size-fits-all nature of the book, not every Day is going to challenge me. It's a good thing I've realized I'm at risk to lose interest and motivation, because now I can work to maintain my momentum.

One way I'm doing that is changing the way I read my ARC. Before, I was reading my reasons and thinking about how much I'd enjoy making them come true by losing weight. That had lost some of its effectiveness, so now I'm using visualizations too.

For instance, when I think about wanting to lose weight so I can wear pretty clothes, I picture myself as I am, wearing one of my shapeless, shape-hiding outfits and clutching a giant doughnut in my fat fist. Then I picture myself thin, wearing a form-fitting, sexy outfit, my skinny fists on my slender hips. Without even consciously thinking about it, I visualize my expression in the first picture as depressed and my expression in the second picture as smiling widely. Of course I prefer the second picture, so I'm reinforcing my dedication to lose weight and strengthening my motivation even more.

DAY 9: Get a Move On!

Day 9 of the Beck Diet Solution concerns exercise.

I've never understood people who thought they could lose weight without exercising. I've never liked exercising, but I've always known it was important. So I'm glad it's a factor in this program.

I am a slug, so finding the motivation to exercise is a struggle for me, but four months ago I joined a gym (again). But because I'm unemployed right now, I find it easier to commit to going to the gym, and the structure of classes keeps me focused and motivated.

Therefore, in accordance with today's step, I'm sticking to my current plan of:

• water walking class - 3 times a week
• step aerobics class - 2 times a week
• aqua circuit class - 2 times a week
• pilates - 1 time a week

Sometimes circumstances do prevent me from attending a class, so those times I'll substitute an hour-long walk around my neighborhood or 3o minutes on my rowing machine, thereby covering my planned exercise.

As for spontaneous exercise, when I first read that phrase, I wondered if people were supposed to suddenly burst into jumping jacks while standing in a grocery store line or something. I don't care for the use of "spontaneous" in Dr. Beck's context, but I agree with the sentiment. This is another thing I've already incorporated into my life. I'm fortunate to live within easy walking distance of many of the places I need to visit in a day: library, bank, post office, movie theatre, grocery store, dozens of restaurants, even my gym. So I already walk when I can.

I also prefer stairs to the elevator or escalator, but Dr. Beck's other suggestions -- parking further away from my destination, walking a full circuit of a store before starting to shop, and going for a walk instead of sitting while waiting at the doctor's office/airport/hair salon -- are ones I'll now try to incorporate into my life.

The requirement for spontaneous at "every opportunity" does concern me. How do I define an opportunity? If I'm late for an appointment and park close up to get in quicker, or if I have a lot of things to do and skip walking around the store before shopping, or if I'd rather grab some lunch on my layover, are those missed opportunities? I'm probably being too hard on myself, setting my expectations too high, so I'll have to stay aware of that tendency and not let it drag me down. That's something to think about while I'm "spontaneously" walking to the gym today!

DAY 8: To-do List

At the start of Week 2, my progress is:

I read my Advantages Response Card 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 dieting behaviors: Every Time

I resolved to schedule dieting when I begin working again


CREDIT ACCOUNT: $3.75

I still haven't found a green rubber bracelet around here and I don't want to wait for mail delivery, but I remembered to give myself credit every time today anyway! It is still a struggle to remember, even though I am doing better, so I still need to figure out a reminder system.

Sometimes I wonder if I deserve credit for "I ate slowly, sitting down and noticing every bite". I do sit down to eat, and I do eat slowly (so much that I feel like a cow chewing her cud!), but I tend to zone out while I'm doing it. So even though I'm noticing most bites, savoring the flavor and textures of my food, I can't honestly say I've noticed every single bite. Perfectionism is a trap though, so I will continue to give myself credit for the amazing effort I'm putting into this step.

Another example of how well I'm doing with this step is that I couldn't finish a snack today! One of my favorite snacks is a bag of microwave popcorn -- it's whole grains so it fills me up and I get a lot for under 100 calories. Usually I stuff handfuls of it into my mouth, but eating slowly and mindfully, today I was eating it one kernel at a time. I was also reading a book while I ate (I couldn't sit still doing nothing for as long as it takes to eat a bag of popcorn one kernel at a time!), but still I was noticing the creamy butter flavor, the tangy saltiness, the satisfying crunch. And I noticed that I was eating much slower than I would have expected, reaching for a kernel less and less often. And then I noticed I was full and finished eating -- even though I still had a third of the bag left! That in itself was amazing, that a portion that I considered normal was too much for me now. But then... I threw away the leftovers! This concept is such an epiphany for me, the idea that I don't have to eat everything I see, especially when I'm not even hungry. I'm so proud of myself!

At the same time, I'm worried that I'm not eating enough. I don't feel hungry, so I don't eat. Which sounds like a good thing, but yesterday it meant I ate only 900 calories. I never felt deprived or hungry, in fact I felt quite satisfied and full, but it's not healthy for me to eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day. So today I made an effort to eat everything on my plan, even though sometimes I was eating only because I felt like I should. I did skip one of the snacks, and I still ate smaller amounts, but I felt better about my nutrition. And I'm still proud of my smaller appetite!

But that's not all! I'm exceedingly proud of my exercise efforts today. In addition to going to my class at the gym, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to take an hour-long walk after dropping of my library books. I rock!

DAY 8: Scheduling Conflict

Week 2 focuses on preparing to diet, so Step 8 of the program is about creating time and energy to diet.

Again, because I'm unemployed and because I'm single with no children, this step doesn't really affect me. Right now, losing weight is the focus of my life, so there's nothing to schedule or prioritize.

Having this focus is a key reason dieting is going to work this time; I'm not sure I could do it if I had the distractions of a job. And I can't imagine how parents do anything with the distractions of children!

So for now I will continue to schedule my life around losing weight, and I'll revisit this step if (when When WHEN) I find a job.

DAY 7: To-do List

My progress on the seventh day:

I read my Advantages Response Card 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 dieting behaviors: Most of the Time

I continued changes at home and will implement changes at work when necessary.


CREDIT ACCOUNT: $2.75

I'm still struggling with remembering to give myself credit, and I didn't follow up on finding a rubber bracelet as a reminder system. This needs to be a priority!

Otherwise, at the end of this first week of the program, I'm doing very well and I can see already that it is changing the way I think. As I told a friend today, "The Beck Diet Solution has changed my life!" And I honestly meant it, despite how overdramatic it sounded.

For instance, I have always cleaned my plate at meals, no matter how full I might get. But today, for the very first time in my life, I realized I was full halfway through my meal (because I was eating slowly and mindfully). So I stopped eating! It sounds obvious, but it never before was obvious for me, so this is a significant breakthrough. And you'd better believe I gave myself credit for that!

DAY 7: Food Shui

Day 7 of the program is arranging your environment to reduce or eliminate triggers to eat.

Since I'm unemployed, rearranging my work environment isn't possible. I do remember the tradition of Friday morning doughnuts or bagels and that blasted vending machine, a wellspring of chocolate bars and cookies, because I never was able to resist any of it. So I see the benefit of rearranging the work environment, and I'll revisit this step when I'm working again.

And I already know I can't have dangerous foods in the house, or I'd eat them. Hiding them from myself wouldn't work! For necessary staples that could be turned into dangerous foods, I have the ARC posted in my cupboard and on the refrigerator. So I won't be rearranging my home environment either, but I'm covered, and so far, so good.

But this step does annoy me a little bit. The idea that everyone around me should rearrange an environment to accommodate my weakness is too presumptuous. Dr. Beck addresses this concern with Response Cards that boil down to, "It won't really bother people and why should it?" I don't find that a realistic response, so I'm not sure how I will implement this step when it applies to my life again.

For now, I will continue to keep dangerous foods out of the house and post my ARC in front of all other food.

This step does peripherally address something I struggle with. When I host potluck parties, which I do at least once a month, I end up with a lot of leftovers. And those leftovers are usually foods that aren't good for my diet... I've tried convincing my guests to take the food with them and convincing myself to throw away what they leave behind, but I'm not always successful with those efforts. So this Response Card will help me:

Sabotaging Thought: I don't want to waste food by throwing it out.
Helpful Response: If I don't throw it out, I'll be at risk for "wasting" it in my body, where it'll turn to fat. Which is a better way to waste it?

I'll be reading this card religiously because my next party is only 5 days away.

DAY 6: To-do List

Today's results:

I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.

I read other Response Cards as needed.

I ate slowly, sitting down and noticing every bite: Every Time

I gave myself credit when I engaged in helpful dieting behaviors: Most of the Time

I decided on a support group.

I took steps to line up support.


CREDIT ACCOUNT: $2.00

Remembering to give myself credit continues to be a problem, even though I enjoy the credit when I do remember it. I figured out I could wear one of those rubber bracelets as a constant reminder. I like the green, since it's a reminder of the monetary benefit of giving myself credit. Now I have to figure out where to find one around here.

Also, I decided dinner wasn't the best reward, since something non-food related would be safer. So instead of buying myself dinner with my credit account, I'm going to take in a movie or two at the theatre (at almost $10 a pop, that's a rare treat!).

I had dinner with friends again tonight and did find it distracting to talk with them while I was concentrating on eating, but I managed to do both pretty well. I'm glad that I'm doing so well with that!

DAY 6: The Blind Leading the Blind

The sixth step in the program is finding a diet coach, someone to offer motivation, support, and help with your efforts.

I groaned when I read this chapter. Sad as it is, I don't have anyone in my life I can count on to encourage my efforts to lose weight, either because they have their own weight issues or they have an investment in keeping me the way I am.

Dr. Beck suggests joining an organized group or hiring a diet professional as alternatives to asking a friend or relative, but group sharing doesn't appeal to me and my finances don't currently allow for a professional. I might find a way to overcome these objections, but I really think I can lose weight alone.

Or almost alone. Dr. Beck admits she is serving as everyone's diet coach through the book, and another blogger was kind enough to leave a comment about an online support group. I'm still a little leery of the group sharing thing, but I've joined the Mind Over Matter team as beckdietr.

Other than the book, I think this blog will be the most useful in keeping my motivation high. This is where I'll chart my weekly change in weight, my successes and credit deserved, and my struggles with cravings, slip-ups, or stressors. But if I find myself in need of further support or help, I have the online group as a backup.

And even though I don't think it's true now, I've created a Response Card in case I lose momentum later:

Sabotaging Thought: I should be able to do this by myself.
Helpful Response: If I could do it by myself, I'd have already lost weight and kept it off. I need to face the fact that I need help.

With this Response Card at the ready, I'll be prepared to find a face-to-face diet coach should it ever become necessary. And in the meantime, I've got the Internet!

DAY 5: To-do List

My progress today:

I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.

I read other Response Cards as needed.

I ate slowly, sitting down and noticing every bite: Every Time

I gave myself credit when I engaged in helpful dieting behaviors: Most of the Time


CREDIT ACCOUNT: $1.25

Eating slowly and mindfully seems to be fairly easy. Turns out I enjoy my food a lot more when I stop long enough to taste it! It is hard to keep my mind from wandering when all I'm doing is chewing, but I managed. I also managed with a distraction: I had dinner with a friend tonight and stayed focused on eating slowly and mindfully even during our conversation.

The issue of alcohol came up over dinner. Day 31 apparently deals with this, which seems pretty late in the game. I know that alcohol has a lot of empty calories, and it slows down metabolism as well, but I do enjoy the occasional cocktail, including the one I ultimately decided to have tonight. I did wrestle with that decision, so maybe I'm glad I don't have to think about it "officially" for another 26 days!

And I'm still having trouble remembering to give myself credit; I did it only once today. Telling myself to "just remember!" doesn't seem to work that well. What to do, what to do?

DAY 5: Food for Thought

On Day 5 of the program, it's all about eating slowly and mindfully.

This is another step that is particularly helpful for me. I tend to eat food as if it were trying to escape; no sooner do I have a forkful of food in my mouth than I'm loading up another forkful to quickly shove in.

And as I mentioned, shoveling things down my throat without really paying attention is another of my quirks, and what's worse, I usually eat in front of the TV or the computer.

So since eating quickly and mindlessly helped get me where I am today, this step will make a big difference to my diet.

I don't expect an easy transition, but for a start, I've resolved to cut out distractions: no more watching or surfing while I eat. Then I'll chew each bite slowly and thoroughly, concentrating on the flavors and textures. And between bites, I'll set down my utensils, clean my teeth with my tongue, and sip water.

As a reminder, I've added yet another Post-It note to my fridge (it's getting pretty crowded up there). This one's yellow with the word SLOW. Here's hoping that has me putting on the brakes!

DAY 4: To-do List

My fourth day's results:

I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.

I read other Response Cards as needed.

I created a reminder system for giving myself credit.

I sat down when I ate: Every Time

I gave myself credit for sitting down to eat: Some of the Time


CREDIT ACCOUNT: $0.75

Wow, it's hard to remember to give myself credit. I like doing it; it does make me feel good to tell myself I'm doing a good job. I even pat myself on the back, literally, and that does encourage me. But I rarely remembered to think about my helpful behaviors.

Sometimes I remembered later and I'm reviewing all the reasons I deserve credit now, but I'm dithering over whether to count those as giving myself credit when I didn't remember at the time. Which is silly, since the point is to congratulate myself, regardless of when I do it. I just think it would be more effective if it were instant instead of delayed. So I'm trying to come up with a way to keep credit-giving on my mind. Hmmm...

I did give myself credit twice and I completed my to-do list today, so my credit bank stands at $0.75. Already 3 percent of the way towards dinner!

DAY 4: Good Job!

Today's step in the program is giving yourself credit for your good behaviors and hard work.

This chapter of the book may have been written just for me; I "do have a tendency to focus on the negative, berating [myself] for everything [I] do wrong". I can see that it's important to give myself credit for the things I do right, to "reinforce [my] self-confidence and build an awareness that [I'm] strong and in control". This would be a good thing for me in general, but specifically, it will keep me strong on my diet. I'm just not sure it'll be easy.

As Dr. Beck suggests, I'm creating a credit account, depositing a quarter for every positive behavior I congratulate myself on and also a quarter for every day I complete everything on my To-do list. With the proceeds, I'll buy myself dinner at my favorite restaurant at the end of the program.

As a reminder to give myself credit, I wrote CREDIT on a bright green Post-It and stuck it on the fridge next to my ARC reminder and my SIT reminder.

But a monetary reward and a Post-It note aren't enough to overcome a lifetime of half-empty glasses. So I also created 2 more Response Cards:

Sabotaging Thought: I don't deserve credit for doing things I should already be doing.
Helpful Response: If I don't give myself credit for essential behaviors, I'll be less likely to practice these behaviors consistently. If I were naturally thin, had a small appetitie, and didn't have to work at controlling my weight, perhaps I wouldn't deserve credit. But I'm not naturally thin. I do struggle. I do deserve credit every single time I think about something in a helpful way or engage in helpful behavior.

Sabotaging Thought: I don't deserve credit until I've lost all the weight that I want to lose.
Helpful Response: It's counterproductive to wait. I need to strengthen the part of my mind that believes I can follow the program. I'm only human and might stray from my plan from time to time. When this happens, a sense of helplessness might kick in. Continually building my confidence by giving myself credit can protect me from feeling helpless and hopeless and from throwing in the towel. And, actually, the process of losing weight is the hardest part. Once I've learned the skills I need, maintaining my weight will be easier. So I deserve lots of credit now, while I'm working the hardest.

I'm nervous about this step, because a lifetime of negative thinking can't be undone overnight. I'm not even sure it can be undone in the next 6 weeks, but I do believe it's important to my dieting success to recognize my triumphs along the way. And that's the first thing I can give myself credit for!

DAY 3: To-do List

My progress today:

I read my Advantages Response Card 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 so I'll remember to sit while eating.

I sat down when I ate: Every Time

Surprisingly, sitting down to eat became second nature very quickly and easily. It helped that I stuck a bright orange Post-It note on the fridge next to my ARC reminders, reading SIT. It worked!

I even had a moment of debate while I was heating my dinner: was it OK to lick the spoon I stirred with while I was standing next to the microwave? Ultimately I decided to go ahead, but I felt a little guilty about it. So no more silverware cleaning standing up either!

DAY 3: Sit, UBU, Sit!

The third step in the Beck Diet Solution is to sit down whenever you eat.

I was skeptical about this at first; of course I'm always sitting when I eat because who can juggle a plate, fork, knife, and glass while eating? But Dr. Beck's point is that we don't notice the calories we consume when we eat standing up because when we're standing up, the things we eat are usually small things, but they add up!

She mentions:

• taking samples at grocery stores/warehouse stores
• nibbling on food as you prepare it
• finishing the food on another's plate as you clear the table
• having a treat out of someone's snack jar

but none of these are a problem for me since they all seemed like obvious bad dieting ideas.

Then I thought when I do eat standing up: buffets. I attend a lot of parties that feature a smorgasbord of snacks, and many is the time I've parked myself next to that table and chatted with folks while nibbling this, that, and the other thing. After the party, when I make an attempt at a food diary, it's always hard to remember: did I have 5 buffalo wings or 10, 3 chocolate chip cookies or 5, half a bag of potato chips or more? The only thing that is clear is I've eaten way more than I should and it was mindless eating.

So now I am resolved to always eat sitting down, if only so I'll be prepared for those occasions when I usually (over)eat standing up.

This could be a hard concept for me to embrace, so I'm creating my first Response Card (an index card with a sabotaging thought along with a helpful response to keep me strong):

Sabotaging Thought: I don't want to stop eating while I'm standing.
Helpful Response: I need to sit down to eat. When I eat standing up, I just don't notice what I'm eating. I could eat way too much without realizing it. If I want to be thinner, I have to impose this rule on myself. I might not want to give up this behavior, but I'll enjoy being thinner so much more.

The underlining is mine; this sentiment could apply to all of the negative behavior that has kept me fat for so long, so I particularly want to think about that when reading the Response Card. And I'll read the Response Card before each meal today, and until I get to the point where sitting to eat is automatic.

Now I'm off to drink my shake, sitting down!

DAY 2: To-do List

My progress today:

I read my Advantages Response Card at least twice.

I chose a reasonable primary diet and a backup diet.


So far, so good. The ARC is keeping me excited and motivated, and today's simple task was a gentle easing into the program. But I've read ahead to Day 3, and I'm not sure how sitting down to eat is going to help me lose weight. That's going to take some thinking...

DAY 2: The Slim-Fast Plan

Step 2 of the Beck Diet Solution is choosing 2 diets - one to follow and another to serve as a back-up should the first one fail.

Choosing one was a no-brainer for me; I've been on the Slim-Fast plan off and on for several years, and it's always worked. The only reason I'm not thin now is because I fall off the Slim-Fast wagon and gain back the weight. But together with the Beck Diet Solution, the Slim-Fast plan is going to work all the way this time.

Coming up with a second plan seemed needless, since I've got a proven winner. On the other hand, sticking to the Slim-Fast plan when I'm on vacation is pretty hard. Who wants to lug a suitcase full of those cans? So my second diet and vacation back-up plan is to count calories.

Dr. Beck counsels a two-week wait to begin the diet, to focus on building dieting skills before actually dieting. However, I've been following the Slim-Fast plan for months now and don't see any reason to stop for these 2 weeks.

So I'll continue having a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, 3 snacks throughout the day, and a sensible dinner.

Mission accomplished!

DAY 1: To-do List

Each day of the Beck Diet Solution program comes with a checklist for the day's tasks. Here are the tasks and my results for the first day:

I created my Advantages Response Card.


I wrote, recorded, or posted these advantages elsewhere.


I implemented a reminder system.


A promising beginning! And having skimmed the other 41 steps of the program, I think this step will be the most important in keeping me motivated. There's nothing like having concrete reasons to lose weight, set down on paper and set up everywhere I look, to make me think that not even a fingertip of cream cheese frosting is worth it...

DAY 1: The ARC

The first step in the Beck Diet Solution is to write down the reasons you would like to lose weight.

Of course I already know all the reasons I would be happier if I lost weight. But, as Dr. Beck points out in the book, those reasons can be easy to forget or to consider unimportant, say, when I'm faced with a hunk of carrot raisin cake with oodles of cream cheese frosting. Just for example.

But once I write down my reasons, I'll review them twice a day and as necessary, such as when that carrot cake is all up in my face, screaming, "Eat Me!" With that much reinforcement, my motivation should remain strong!

Here now, for posterity (and accountability), are my reasons (in no particular order since they're all equally important to me):

• I'll be able to wear pretty clothes.
  
  I am a fashion junkie, and I've always been unhappy that I can't wear the gorgeous outfits I admire. If I lost weight, I could wear this or this or this, without feeling like a pig in pearls.
  
  
• I'll be more attractive.
  
  I don't look good weighed down by all this fat, and there are many, many, many, many books and studies that show attractive people get along better in this world. (Really, there are a lot!) Life is hard enough without stacking the deck against myself, so I want to lose weight and be more attractive in general.
  
  
• I'm more likely to be asked out on a date.
  
  And of course I'd like to be more attractive specifically, that is, to men I might want to date. If I lost weight, some men would stop thinking of me as "the funny one" or "the pretty girl's friend", and actually ask me out already!
  
  
• I'll look better in pictures.
  
  Photographs are an important documentation of our lives, but I've never liked documenting how big and unattractive I am, especially since I always seem bigger and more unattractive in 2D. I always wonder, as Chandler did, "So how many cameras are actually on you?!" But I wouldn't cringe over the idea of photographic evidence if I lost weight.
  
  
• I'll be happier when I look in the mirror.
  
  My body image and my actual body don't match, so catching sight of myself in a mirror is always a shock. True, I could work on having a more realistic body image, but wouldn't that be depressing! Instead, I can lose weight and be pleasantly surprised by what I see in the mirror, and then work on facing the nicer reality.
  
  
• I won't have as much pain, especially in my back.
  
  My back goes out on a regular basis, and it wouldn't if I weren't carrying so much weight. Oh, the things I could do with my life if I didn't have to waste time on visiting the chiropractor or lying around in traction!
  
  
• My body will be physically fit.
  
  I dream of climbing stairs without having to stop midway for a rest.
  I dream of running for my departure gate and actually making it in time.
  I dream of lifting a basket of laundry without effort.
  
  So many simple, everyday activities would be easier and quicker if I lost weight and got my body into shape.
  
  
• I'll increase my self-esteem.
  
  I just don't like how bad I look, how lazy I feel, how greedy I seem. I would like myself more and be a happier person if I improved myself by losing weight.
  
  
• I'll have accomplished something important.
  
  Too many of my accomplishments seem to be accidents of birth or fate or luck. I'd love to achieve something that was purely the result of my hard work and drive, and I know from past experience that losing weight would be a major accomplishment.
  
  
• I won't be embarrassed when I'm naked.
  
  This reason is related to the third, fifth, and seventh bullet points, but I feel strongly enough about it to make it a separate point. Whatever I might wear to give the illusion of an attractive, healthy body, I want to have the reality of an attractive, healthy body. So I need to lose weight to look good naked.
  
  
• I'll show I'm a changed person.
  
  Following this program will improve my inner beauty almost as much as my outer beauty, but it's the outside people see. I can't wait to show people the new me!

These 11 reasons are now written down on my Advantages Response Card (ARC). I have the main card that I will read before breakfast and after dinner each day, concentrating on why each reason is important to me.

As a reminder to read my ARC every day, I wrote out my reasons on Post-It notes and stuck them on my bathroom mirror. When I'm getting ready in the morning and preparing for bed at night, I'll be reminded to review my reasons for losing weight and strengthen my resolve.

But probably most importantly, I also have a backup system for emergency situations.

Using some old business cards, I wrote each reason on the back of one. Then I clipped them together and put them on my refrigerator door, at eye level. Now I can't open the door without reading one of my reasons. I did the same thing for the food cupboard, meaning I can't go after any food in my house without reading a reason I want to lose weight. Every day, I'll rotate the card so I'll have a fresh reminder to keep me motivated.

I'm on the way!

Training My Brain to Think Like a Thin Person

I am 34 years old and have not lived a single day that I wasn't overweight. That's a problem.

As a child, I didn't understand the problem. As a teenager, I convinced myself that eating too much and exercising too little had nothing to do with the problem. As an adult, I've accepted that eating too much and exercising too little are exactly the problem, but I haven't been able to figure out a lasting solution.

Then I ran across a reference to Judith Beck's book, The Beck Diet Solution. Usually I regard self-help books as pap at best and hoaxes at worst, but Dr. Beck's message rang true for me. Changing the way you think is the key to changing your behavior (the foundation of cognitive therapy), and Dr. Beck's program does seem as if it can change the way I think about eating less and exercising more.

So now I am going to follow the Beck Diet Solution program and train my brain to think like a thin person. This blog will chart my progress and maintain my motivation (I hope), so wish me luck!