Beck Discussion - Day 7

Ok after a *long* break (sorry) here is our next Beck Discussion!!! Day 7 - Arrange your Environment It's important to play the "out of sight, out of mind" game if you have trigger foods. If you don't have it available to you (the triggers) than you can't be tempted to indulge in them. Easy enough.. Changes you can make at home. Remove all personal temptations. Check all cabinets etc.. just THROW it away.. who cares if it cost money... it will harm your body so don't worry about the money you are throwing down the drain she says. Or just give it to a neighbor or take it into your work but get it out of your house. AMEN I say! If you can't do away with it b/c of family etc.. put foil around it in the fridge instead of saran wrap or move to the back of the shelf so its hidden. Remember me talking about the book mindless eating? It also did a study about this and found if its out of sight, you really don't want it.. we have many stimuluses that cause our triggers and visual ones are very strong along with smell. Why subject ourselves to it if we don't have to? it just isn't worth it. Rearrange Dishes. Use smaller plates and utensils so you feel you are eating adequate amounts and taking smaller bites to make the meal last longer for more satiety. Consider Others. Tell people in your household that you are going to be eating more healthy so they are aware and will support you in your efforts. Ask for assistance when necessary. Also tell your children so they are aware. You are in charge of the kitchen, not them. If they resist, ask them to for their solutions... consult diet coach if you are having problems with this one. Do creative problem solving. Maybe single servings for the kids or once a week u take them for ice cream instead of having it around in the house 24/7. Changes at Work. Ask people to hide their snacks so they aren't openly visable (sorry i can't help but think.. its not THEIR problem, why should they change for me? Is that self sabotage? it probably is..) Moving the food that is left in the breakroom (again, why should the world change for me? I have issues with this stuff.. I just have to learn to resist is my answer to this problem). Talk to boss about starting a healthy eating campaign. This isn't a bad idea, we did a biggest loser at work when I was in the active losing phase after RNY, it was nice to have the support around me all over. Ask the cafeteria to carry more healthy foods (uh, again.. bring your own? I am so mean tonight lol). Get healthy foods in the vending machines (how about not go to the vending machine?) lol.. here I go again. Example of Anna is given. Anna's ability to resist foods in the afternoon occurs as she becomes more tired. She asks a coworker to hide cupcakes in the cupboard rather than have them in the open and put a sign that says "cupcakes inside". Again, I feel this is extreme. But maybe it isn't? I donno. Then example of David only allowing himself to hit the vending machines ONCE a week. Maybe this works for some of ya'all but any time I hit it, I will want to hit it again and again.. downward, slippery slope for me. Then Donna and her cookie that she would wrap up and take home from her meetings for her after dinner snack.. hmmmm She then lists sabotaging thoughts.. this was a hard chapter for me.. i want to sabotage all the way around b/c i do NOT expect others to change for me.. I never will either. This is about ME and not them.. its life. I'm sorry if that sounds bad.. but its the only way I see it. She says "once I make changes at home and at work to remove whatever temptation I can, dieting will be easier." I can only agree with this statement. Make sure you do your "to-do" list and reading those ARC cards daily! See you Friday with Day 8

Hello, sorry I have been MIA, just got back from Denver last night!!! Got to go to Trader Joes in Santa Fe, Great store!! Hoping to go back. So I am catching up with the book. I have my diet coach ,he is my rock and will be most helpful and supportive. As for my environment this week I will reread the chapter and see what changes I will begin to make. I am off for summer so changes will be made at home first and when school starts again in July I will make changes there. But work for me is easy. last semester we did Biggest Loser challenge and so everyone was working to be healthy!! But I like what you said Why should others make changes for us not really fair. I just want the strength and skills to make me healthy. So I need to work on that and NOT change people around me plus do not think that would be apprecaited, I can just see that " Excuse me can you eat that somewhere else?" yeah right!!!! Anyway I will work on me not others. I have to be truly honest have not been reading the cards they are written but not read. Guess I need to make all kinds of changes LOl good thing it is summer. Anyway I am back and need to get busy Have appt. with Dr for 18 month on July 2. talk to you soon Kellt

Day 7 - Arrange your Environment This step probably has made my life much easier. My "go to foods" and my digital food scale are in the same cabinet, along with small spoons. I have a collection of smaller bowls and plates for my meals nearby. It's easier not to have trigger foods around rather than placing them on a high shelf, as it seems similar to the pre-op hidden stash. The difference then was that the "out of sight" was really only "out of sight of others in the family". Family snacks are inside the main pantry and I avoid that area. Tossing food is a good idea, but donating unopened items is another way to go. On day trips, I always carry 3 extra bottle of water and maybe a healthy snack (usually pretzels) so I don't stop at a mini-mart. I don't remember where I heard about this, but one lady actually was so frustrated with her overeating that she tossed the food and then poured dish soap over it... so that she couldn't eat it out of the trash. (I think it was on Oprah about 5 years ago... very extreme!) I have a stronger "smell" trigger than visual, which seems to be a good thing. I've gotten into the habit of cooking batches and then freezing in quart-size baggies. At first I would mention that I made the foods with LF products; now I don't bother...they eat whatever is available. I still have a problem watching others eat LARGE portions. Variation of a Food Aversion??? The "Changes at Work" section may work in some environments, but I would think that it would have an equal change of backfiring on the dieter. Saboteurs, along with non-dieters might respond negatively... as in "your control issues are not going to ruin my snack availability!" Melissa, I agree that avoiding the "hot spots" where snacks are kept (breakroom, cafeteria, vending machine, etc) would be more realistic than asking others to change. Bringing a healthy snack from your office to these "hot spots" or even to a meeting where bagels are served, would work better for me. The "dieter" is more likely to be ostracizes by co-workers than accepted, as they are using their snacks as "rewards and comfort"... they are just not MO... yet! The office is for work; not imposing our needs. Friendly co-workers will understand... then they will gossip! Just the way I see it... Melissa's agreement with Beck on removal of temptations will make dieting easier is on-target. The other suggestions make me wonder if Beck has ever had a weight problem or put her suggestions into action among resistant co-workers!