TOOLS OF THE TRADE

     Since the Times article has brought me a lot of new readers (thanks, NYT!) I thought I’d write about a few of the tools that continue to be essential to me in my campaign to reassign fat molecules.

     1. Certain books

The Beck Diet Solution; Eat Drink and Be Healthy, and the other books mentioned in the sidebar have been invaluable in educating me about nutrition, good food, and how to change my lifestyle and thinking so that longterm major weight loss works.

     BTW, the New Cassel's French Dictionary is very useful indeed in my singing career, but don't run out and buy one to encourage your weight loss.

     2. List of the reasons why I want to lose weight and be healthier

     One of the first things Beck asks you to do is make a list of all the reasons why you want to lose weight. For the first several months of my program, I read this list three or more times daily. Now, I am happy to say that I have crossed 90% of those items off the list and it feels truly excellent!

     3. Response cards

The day I started reading Beck, I bought a little notebook and started working on my cards right away. Like my list of reasons to lose, I read those response cards before every meal. My rule was that I had to read them before I put anything, anything at all, in my mouth.  They lived in my purse. After several months, though, the cards started to lose their pizzazz. They needed sprucing up. So, I bought a snazzy new notebook and some fancy printed paper, and  I redid them all. I don’t read them every day any more, but I do haul them out and read them periodically, and especially when I need extra help.

Above are some of the original response cards ...

And then my shiny new ones.

     Someone else I know makes funny little cartoons in lieu of the cards, and posts them on his computer desktop. You have to find the thing that resonates with you personally!

4. Reminder bracelets

     The notebook can be a little cumbersome, and I wanted a reminder that was closer at hand … literally. I came up with the idea of making a bracelet embossed with key phrases, so that all I would have to do is glance down at my wrist and be reminded of why I am doing what I’m doing. I know nothing about jewelry making, so I got some inexpensive letter beads and elastic at the local crafts store and made my first set. They didn’t look very nice, but they did the trick. Pretty soon, however, they began to look shabby. I ordered some sterling silver beads and memory wire from Auntie’s Beads, and was able to make a better-looking model which I can wear as everyday jewelry. Eventually I’d love to have a beautiful custom piece made.

      The one on the left is the new one.
    

     5. Food plan

     When I started this program, there were several things I was determined not to mess with. I’d done them in the past, I hated them, and ultimately, they didn’t work. This list of hated items included weighing and measuring food, counting calories, and keeping a food diary. Beck has a different take on the food diary, however, and as it turns out, not only do I really like it, but it’s probably the most valuable tool in her extensive toolkit: the food plan. Every night, I plan what I’m going to eat the next day. If cravings harass me, I look at that food plan and tell myself firmly, “Nope! Not on the plan for today. If I really want that, I can plan it tomorrow, or later in the week.” It works very well for me, because I am in control. I am not depriving myself --- I can have it if I want it, but it must be in the plan. 

6. Diet coach

     Probably one of the most difficult --- but ultimately rewarding --- requests Dr. Beck makes is that you find a diet coach, a friend or even a professional therapist who can be your sounding board and support. There was really only one person in my life I could imagine asking to do this, and luckily for me, she said yes. We have a weekly standing appointment to talk on the phone, during which we discuss any special challenges, triumphs, and failures.  Kim is one of my angels, that’s for sure.
 

     7. Support group

Way before I started a Beck support group, I was part of a very supportive online group. Some of us know each other in real life; some of us have been chatting for years via various bulletin boards and LJ. We often campaign together --- someone will call for a “Boot Camp”, everybody posts about their goals, and we proceed to encourage, admonish, tease, humor, sympathize, and generally work through those goals. It’s a great group of people and they have been an integral part of my success. I strongly encourage anyone who wants to start a similar journey to seek out a group of friends, in real time or online. If you’re not sure where to start, try an established community like SparkPeople or Three Fat Chicks, or perhaps even a special interest bulletin board that’s not necessarily about fitness or weight loss --- if you already have online buddies, some of them are bound to be interested in a fitness effort.

 
8. Weight chart and tickers

Beck suggests keeping a chart of your weight loss so you can see the ups and downs over time. Weight loss is never going to happen in a straight line down. There are always going to be spikes and plateaus. Keeping a chart (I do mine in Excel) really helps you see that a “rocky” profile is absolutely normal, and helps you not to be discouraged.

Before I started Beck, I discovered these fun little tickers at The Ticker Factory. They’re like gold stars for grownups. I love making my ticker move and getting to post a new one in my journal! This is my newest one. It doesn't reflect the weight I've lost so far; it just represents my next big goal.

 
9. The scale

Whew, a scary one… at least until you learn to treat it as a tool, and not a punishing tyrant that rules your life. I choose to weigh every day, most of the time; but when I find myself getting obsessive or upset about what I’m seeing, I declare Scale Amnesty (thanks to Twyla for that excellent term!) for a while. I like to weigh every day as a general rule, to stay accountable and be able to make necessary adjustments.

 
 10. Professional support: Therapist, Trainer, Nutritionist

Not everyone can afford a lot of professional help. It’s great if you can; it certainly makes things easier; but there are plenty of people who are doing it without. Several years ago I went to a nutritionist to have my diet evaluated and get suggestions. I had two sessions and learned a lot; and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg; a lot of times, your insurance will pay for it. I strongly recommend consulting a nutritionist when you’re starting a weight loss plan. Everybody’s needs are different, and a nutritionist can help you figure out how to best meet yours.

 
As I mentioned in my last post, I didn’t start with my trainer until a good seven months into my program. The reason I wanted to work with a trainer was because my exercise routine had gotten a little stale; I wanted to shake it up a bit. Also, no matter how much reading I do about lifting, I never feel confident that I really know what I’m doing. I wanted specific guidance. The best way to lose is to combine cardio with lifting. Also, I didn’t want to be a “skinny fat person” --- slender but flabby. As my friend Pam used to say, I want to be a toned sex goddess!

 
I decided to supplement my diet coach with occasional visits to a professional therapist who specialized in cognitive therapy and had an interest and/or training in the Beck Diet Solution.  It’s definitely been helpful to have this professional input. Again, not everyone can afford it, but sometimes your insurance will cover it and of course, many therapists charge on a sliding scale. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

 
So there are a few of the things that have been very useful, if not critical, to helping me change my lifestyle and way of thinking. In upcoming posts, I’ll write about some of the steps and keys that I’ve found essential.

Comments

[100lbs]

Hey Lori, good to hear from you. Tulsa, huh? We're practically neighbors. ;) What are you guys doing now if you're not singing? Hope all is well with you both!

[Lori]

Hi Cindy,

Wow, wow, wow! You go girl! I am so proud of you and thrilled to see how you've come along in this journey. I have been side-tracked for a while now (as you know from our communications about this time last year!) but now, like you, I'm getting it! You are an inspiration...keep up the fabulousity!

Hugs,
Lori (a long-ago neighbor, Alice Ford) :-)

P.S. J and I are in Tulsa now. Go figure! And we've given up the glamour (and sometimes insanity) of singing for our supper...

[M]

Hi Cindy. Thanks for sharing your tools. I plan to put together a flip book of reponse cards. What a great idea!

Well, I'm an adult, and I love stickers!

One of my tools is to give myself a sticker on a wall calendar for every day I exercise.

When I was a child taking piano lessons, my teacher would give me a star on a music piece once I mastered it. Oh, how I wanted those stars!

My kitchen calendar is near the light switch, so I see it every time I flip on the light. The stickers remind me of my accomplishments, as well as "it's been a while." This month, it's covered up in "stars!"

As for me, my preferred stickers are hearts, because good heart health is what finally motivated me to go out and play nearly every day.

I know it might sound funny, but it works for me!

Thank you again for sharing!

[100lbs]

Hi Jennifer -- thanks, and good luck on your own journey to better health!

Sophie, thanks for the link.I'll know where to look next time I'm thinking about buying a DVD. And Brooke is right -- surely in a town as glamourous as Dallas, you can find an excuse to wear a gown! I know ... how about the opening of their fancy new performing arts complex? :)

---Cindy

[Brooke]

Oh, Sophie, you have to find a reason to wear a gown. Save up your money to go to a fancy-schmancy charity event or something sometime. It's the best.

[Sophie]

You look beautiful and I wish I had an opportunity to wear such gorgeous gowns sometimes. I don't think I've ever worn a bona-fide gown.

I have subscribed to your blog and look forward to following your progress.

To keep my own fitness program on track, I review fitness DVDs on my blog, http://www.suitupandshowup.blogspot.com I do it for love, not money. Well, that and flab control....

[Jennifer]

Dear Cindy - Reading your blog has inspired me to take a hard look at my own lifestyle and to make some (probably long overdue) changes. Thanks for the great tips in this last post, and best wishes as you continue your journey!