Need Help: Ideas on How to Stay Accountable

caconnor1

Hi Friends—I love MyFitnessPal, but I often forget to log my food or complete my entry at the end of the day. Sometimes I complete my entry and then have late-evening snacks that aren't logged. These are huge issues in tracking my success. I have plenty of excuses for why I have not made this a priority but none of them matter because they are just excuses & I still need to reach my goal of losing 30lbs! I know I don't feel accountable to anyone or particularly encouraged.

Does anyone have ideas for how to stay accountable to logging and motivated in reaching my goal? Thank you!!

SherryTeach

Are you sure the matter is "forgetting?" If this were really true, it would be easy enough to have your phone send you a reminder or sticking post-it note on the bathroom mirror. If the matter is really that you haven't acquired the commitment to do this (which is much different from desire), re-evaluate why you want to lose 30 pounds. Keep that list handy. As far as accountability, you are only accountable to yourself. And that is plenty.

gothicfires

Stop accepting excuses. It doesn't matter why you don't log everything. You know you have a tool that you aren't using. You are either going to use it or you're not. I don't mean this in a bad way. Beating yourself up over it is never the way to make yourself do something. 'Forgetting' is a way for you to dismiss the responsibility to yourself. I've been there I've done that. I lost 40 pounds and gained 60. Now I've started again. I have a new set of rules that I developed for myself and it's up to me to keep those rules. Forget and forgive what you have done in the past. Determine your new set of rules and make no excuses for not keeping them. As for a suggestion, make a rule that you have to log your food when you eat. There is a phone app so not being at your computer isn't an excuse. If you can't be bothered to log your food then perhaps you shouldn't be bothered to eat that late night snack.

Sorry if this is a little harsh. Tact in communication isn't something I am very good at. But I mean what I say, forget and forgive the past. Determine why you want to do this and do it.

ForeverSunshine09

Prelogging and only eating what is loggeD has helped me do this for over 100 days straight and down 33 lbs. I can still change things if need be but, it is 99% of the time it is logged before I eat it.

caconnor1

Thank you for your insights, everyone. Getting fit really does take commitment and I think I put it on the back burner too easily. I like the suggestions of keeping a list handy of why I want to lose 30 lbs, forgiving how I have done things in the past and pre-logging planned meals.

I stuck a reminder note on my door to log my food. It helped me successfully log and stay on track for 7 days! Then I had one especially rough day and overate in the evening, which discouraged me and led to me not tracking anymore for the last few days. I am tracking again today.

tulips_and_tea

It is a learning process. Finding out what works best for you is important. Is it easy for you to log here for every meal? I'm not always online and I dislike using the app so sometimes I write things down. Then log it all later. (although I don't log it here personally; I use something else)

Getting rid of the "all or nothing" mindset is important, too. So you over ate one night? Oh well. Log it anyway. Pick right up again immediately; don't wait for the next day. It's all about creating a new habit and exactly how badly you want to succeed.

caconnor1

Thanks, BZAH10! I agree, the all or nothing mentality is not helpful and I need to ditch that way of thinking. Logging everything regardless of over eating is a great way to stay on track, continue logging and realize that overeating one night does not mean giving up. The goal is to get back on track ASAP after a slip up and not dwell on it or quit.