Quick Review, as I finished reading chapters 3 & 4 while - finally - relaxing in my new hammock this evening.
So, chapters 1 & 2 were pretty much all about "why you need the Beck Diet Solution" and "how the Beck Diet Solution will help you." Not that I didn't find a few things to think about, but nothing very heavy.
Chapter 3, I had to grit my teeth a bit to get through. Pretty much along the lines of: you're overweight because you eat too much. I may be a li'l bit sensitive to that line of reasoning. Not that you can argue with it I guess, I know that food is my issue. It's just that how much is too much can vary so much from person to person. But we'll come back to that.
One thing I did find interesting, particularly in light of Charlotte's post today. Dr. Beck is of the opinion that most thin people are careful of/do restrict their eating, even if they say they don't. They may not even be aware that they do it because they are so used to it.
Dr. Beck does mention emotional eating as a cause. I know that when I am stressed out or overtired, I am more likely to make poor food choices. So I will be interested in strategies for dealing with that.
Another thing that is mentioned is the idea that it's not fair that others can eat this but I can't as a rationalization to allow oneself to indulge. This is something I have noticed coming up recently for me, born of frustration I think. I know it makes no sense, but every once in a while I find myself thinking it. It's not fair that I have to count calories and restrict what I can eat when other people can eat whatever they want!
In the first place, that's not really true. Second, even if it were true - tough! I am not other people.
That is something I noticed reading other people's weight loss blogs, the weight watchers forums, etc...How much some people can eat and still be losing weight compared to me.
But...
I am 5 feet tall.
I am 38 years old.
I sit behind a computer all day.
My metabolism is not exactly going to be humming along, even with my regular workouts. I have to accept that I am going to have to eat less in order to lose pounds. And I am going to have to stick to a reduced calorie level for more than a week or two. That's just the way it is.
I think the way I eat now will probably be fine for maintenance, but it's not cutting it for actually losing.
Chapter Four was a short chapter about being/getting ready to start the program.
So that brings me to actually starting. I will be away this weekend, so I'm thinking the earliest I am likely to start will be next week.
So far, the overview has not given me any light bulb moments. No sudden realization that: Aha! This is my problem! Now I will fix me! But, I haven't actually started yet, so we shall see.
10 comments:
Yup, the only time I have ever successfully lost weight was when I reduced my caloric intake. Sigh.
Hmmm... I was hoping there would be something more to it. well, you still have more to go, so keep us informed!!
Bag Lady - I know it. The challenge seems to be figuring out the right level and sticking to it.
erin - I'm just getting started. The actual method of dieting is up to me; this book is supposed to help me learn how to stick to it. I'm not sure what I think so far, but I've only gone through the intro really, so I'm guessing it's too soon to tell.
Thanks for the review. Though I do wonder sometimes if there is anything new to write about with respect to diet/weightloss, etc. It seems many of the books say pretty much the same thing. Do you find this to be true?
Missicat - I can't claim to have read a lot of diet books, but I do think you are right. There are only so many way to say "eat less".
This book is not presenting a diet, it is laying out a cognitive therapy program to help you learn to stick to a diet.
I did resent being told that I'm overweight because I habitually stuff myself silly. Ok, that's what I felt like I was being told.
I don't blame you for resenting the implication that you've been eating more than thin people. I'm surprised she doesn't take into account variances in metabolism.
But generally cognitive therapy can be helpful, so perhaps there will be some good stuff in there later on.
I think it's great that you've got everything in place for maintenance, so the actual weight loss calorie cutting will hopefully be more temporary than for someone with a sedentary lifestyle and poor food choices who has to start from scratch.
interesting.
and reminded me of a study I saw recently about french women and (waitforit) that they stay thing by PORTION CONTROL.
I am of the opinion there are thinleanWHATEVS teenagers who may eat a lotlotlot of junkfood-----but after those years if people are leanthin they are at least eating healthy.
Im relying on you to read and relay the rest of the book :)
M.
...which isnt to say the reverse (inverse?) is true.
she types realizing that the fact that we all have different metabolic rates and 'reactions' to foods wasnt explicit in her comment :)
Crabby - I am hoping this will be the case. Get my head in the right shape to do what I need to do, lose the pounds and then I should be able to maintain. I hope.
Mizfit - I will keep you posted. :)
What if there was nothing wrong with your metabolism???????
Newsflash - There's NOTHING wrong with your metabolism.
The myth of the "fast" or "slow" metabolism has been busted.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/humanbody/truthaboutfood/slim/fatthin.shtml
Is it my metabolism?
Do you have a friend who can eat anything she wants and never put on weight? Do you simply look at a cake and feel your waistline expanding? Think it’s all down to your metabolism? Think again.
We found two best friends, Becky and Jo, with very different shaped bodies who think that how much you can eat is all down to your metabolic rate.
We decided to dispel this myth once and for all by closely watching, and testing our friends over the course of 10 days. Not completely trusting them to record their food diaries accurately, we also placed cameras around their homes and used our secret weapon- doubly labelled water. Without our volunteers realising, we could see exactly how many calories they were consuming and the energy they used to move around just by examining their daily urine samples. By asking them to keep the food diaries we could also see whether they were being truthful with themselves.
At the end of the week did their urine results match their food diaries? Not quite. Becky and Jo’s urine samples showed that although they did a similar amount of activity Becky ate 50% less per day than Jo.
"the larger you are the higher your metabolic rate"
In fact, the larger you are the higher your metabolic rate, the amount of energy your body uses at complete rest, will be. This is because when your body is at complete rest larger people need more energy to pump the blood around the body and to keep moving. Just as a big car uses more fuel so a bigger person uses more energy.
So, next time you go to blame your metabolism for your weight, remember the cold hard truth - thin people eat less.
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