The Beck Diet Solution: Day 1, Make Your Advantages Response Card

Thank you HGK readers, for your overwhelming support and comments to yesterday's post. I cannot tell you how much it means to me that you follow my blog when there are thousands of blogs you could be following. I am blessed.

 But this is not easy.

I'm not referring to the exercise that Beck gives us on Day 1. I'm talking about the writing about it here and then publishing it for the world to see.

But heck, who's going to benefit from me being shy?

Day 1 is pretty simple: Write a list of all of the reasons that you want to lose weight, in order of importance to you. The obvious reasons (your health). The embarrassing, I have never shared this with anyone, reasons (oh G-d, am I really going to do this?). I say this is simple, but Beck really makes it simple in her book. She helps you make that list. It will be called your Advantages Response Card, or ARC.

Then take that list and turn it into something you can carry around with you. Maybe also post your Advantages Response Card around your house. That is, if you live alone, never have guests or are a really open person.

Set up a reminder system, because it is essential that you read this list AND really stop to think about each reason (I completely missed this second point on my first two Beck go-arounds) twice a day at regular times and also at any other time when you are really struggling with sabotaging thoughts.

I have set reminders and alarms in my cell phone to go off before lunch and dinner. My list is typed and ready to go.

This is my list. Yours will be similar. Yours will be different. Please join me and post your list here in the comments section. Anonymously if that is comfortable for you.

Here goes. I am feeling like I am going to throw up now.

1. I love the way I feel when I am thin. I feel great in my body and comfortable moving through life. I feel energetic every day.
2. I get joy shopping for fabulous, stylish clothes. I look great in the clothes and I am happy when I look in the mirror.
3. I'll have a flatter stomach and a smaller chest.
4. I am really happy when I step on the scale and I see a healthy number.
5. I am a good, healthy example for my children. I won't get diabetes or other obesity related diseases.
5. I will participate in life and won't let excess weight hold me back. Family weddings and events, reunions, parties, conventions . . . and the photographs that come along with that . . . there is almost nothing worse to me than seeing a picture of myself overweight.
5. I will be able to wear a bathing suit in public.
6. I will be able to look at myself in the mirror at the gym and feel good about what I see. I will be really physically fit and be able to participate in exercise to my best ability.
7. I feel better about myself when I resist overeating and off-plan eating.
8. I can continue to be an inspiration to others and help them to attain their health and weight loss goals.

I can't really say that these are in any order of importance. They all seem really important to me!

And you? Why is this important to you? Can you commit to reading/contemplating your list twice a day?

 A note about the program: The reality is that we will all be at a different pace with this program. Some of you will be able to actually do one step per day for six weeks, some will not and may go at this much slower. Please work this as it works in your life, but work it till the end. It may take you 4 months instead of 6 weeks, but that is not important.  I cannot even predict my own pace for working these steps. The important thing is that you complete all of the exercises (even the ones you desperately don't want to do) in order. And please keep the rest of us informed about your thoughts along the way, even if you fall behind my pace.We are doing this together.