My Top Ten Keys To Weight Loss: #4 - Accountability
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dksmith20110
Posts: 35 Member
Truth be told, if I was prioritizing these top ten keys, I could make an argument that this is #1. It is at least the "glue" that holds all the other keys together. Accountability certainly is key in staying motivated through the process, that is, if the threat of dying early and the frustrations of a poor quality of life are not enough. There are at least two objects of accountability: to ourselves and to others. If you are a God-fearing person like I am, there is also our accountability to God to be good stewards of our body so we can serve our Lord more effectively. However, let me focus on the first two. I think the other is another post.
We can be accountable to ourselves by being honest with ourselves about what we are eating and how much and intensely we are exercising. That is why consistently logging everyday in MyFitnessPal (MFP) is important. But we are also accountable to ourselves when we log honestly. Otherwise, we can fake ourselves out that we are doing the right thing and then not see results. (which is what we all want, right?). I try to as accurately as possible log what I eat. I do not always measure or weigh portions, but if you have the tenacity to do that, great! Use the bar code feature to scan bar codes of store bought foods and quickly grab the nutritional info. Don't automatically trust everything in the MFP database. Cross check these against similar items. For eating out, try to check the LATEST nutritional info on the web sites of restaurants that have this info. Ask for a hardcopy of the nutritional info at your favorite restaurants. Most have these on hand these days. Be conservative in your estimates. Watch those portions. Didyiu really only eat 2 tablespoons of butter or you favorite salad dressing? Or was it really 3 or 4? That alone could make a big difference in your fat and calorie intake you record in MFP. Same deal for exercise...how fast a pace did I REALLY walk? Was it 2.5mph rather than 3 or 3.5mph. I measured the distances of some of my favorite walking routes to check. Obviously my pace can vary. But I want to log the average. 20 minutes for 1 mile is 3mph. In the early days of my journey, I was only doing 2.5. After a while I consistently built up to 3mph. Now I am walking slightly faster than a 3mph pace but not yet at 3.5mph so I estimate conservatively and log the time at 3mph. I have also heard many people say in their posts that the MFP database tends to be rather generous in the estimated calories burned for an exercise. I have not noticed that as much, but certainly would not refute that assertion either. It's possible, so if you think the calories burned for your exercise are inflated, lower your minutes logged to get the number you think it really is, or better, create your own exercise entry in the database.
Summary: if we are not honest with ourselves, we will fail. Do not fall for the lies, the fad diets or exercise programs, the hype, the latest health craze. Those will generally lead you nowhere fast; they mix truth (facts) with lies to make $$$. Makes them rich and keeps us obese.
We also need a network of positive people to which we can be accountable. Stay away from the naysayers and the fad promoters! I am lucky. My employer has a wellness center with three excellent people on staff, including a physician's assistant type person and an RN. I get lots of help, encouragement, and I have weekly weigh ins that they record which also makes me accountable to someone else expecting me to show long term results. But they do it in a kind, caring way. This also keeps me from lying to myself that I am having success when I am not. I recommend seeking out a trusted, caring dietician, personal trainer, or health care professional if you can get access to one you can afford. Beyond that, surround yourself with people who are positive and supportive. Don't expect people around you, except maybe your closest family members, to notice your results too soon. You will feel and see dramatic diiferences early and often. For others, it will take time, but they will eventually notice. Some notice but don't say anything right away. I had to lose 40 or 50 pounds before a lot of my co-workers noticed my weight loss. But I had a few closer, trusted co-workers I kept informed and supported me from the beginning. Beware because family members can sometimes be enablers (of negative behaviors) rather than supporters. Fortunately that was not the case with me, but I have seen it. They may want the best for us, but don't actually know how to do it. They may also be fighting their own battle with obesity.
Notice that I spent a lot of time talking about face-to-face accountability relationships. That is in no way to diminish the value of my MFP friends, but the "in person" support is also needed. Maybe you (and me) can find (or start) a local support group of like-minded people on our same journey. That would also be fantastic. BUT, also if you are actually reading this, find and add friends on MFP who can travel with you on your weight loss journey and offer each other mutual support. I have several MFP friends like this, and their encouragement and posts and likes have been vital to my success! Another level of accountability and support!
OK, sorry to rant. I am done. You get the point...I know you do. If you are in this group and need a friend on MFP, feel free to send me a request.
We can be accountable to ourselves by being honest with ourselves about what we are eating and how much and intensely we are exercising. That is why consistently logging everyday in MyFitnessPal (MFP) is important. But we are also accountable to ourselves when we log honestly. Otherwise, we can fake ourselves out that we are doing the right thing and then not see results. (which is what we all want, right?). I try to as accurately as possible log what I eat. I do not always measure or weigh portions, but if you have the tenacity to do that, great! Use the bar code feature to scan bar codes of store bought foods and quickly grab the nutritional info. Don't automatically trust everything in the MFP database. Cross check these against similar items. For eating out, try to check the LATEST nutritional info on the web sites of restaurants that have this info. Ask for a hardcopy of the nutritional info at your favorite restaurants. Most have these on hand these days. Be conservative in your estimates. Watch those portions. Didyiu really only eat 2 tablespoons of butter or you favorite salad dressing? Or was it really 3 or 4? That alone could make a big difference in your fat and calorie intake you record in MFP. Same deal for exercise...how fast a pace did I REALLY walk? Was it 2.5mph rather than 3 or 3.5mph. I measured the distances of some of my favorite walking routes to check. Obviously my pace can vary. But I want to log the average. 20 minutes for 1 mile is 3mph. In the early days of my journey, I was only doing 2.5. After a while I consistently built up to 3mph. Now I am walking slightly faster than a 3mph pace but not yet at 3.5mph so I estimate conservatively and log the time at 3mph. I have also heard many people say in their posts that the MFP database tends to be rather generous in the estimated calories burned for an exercise. I have not noticed that as much, but certainly would not refute that assertion either. It's possible, so if you think the calories burned for your exercise are inflated, lower your minutes logged to get the number you think it really is, or better, create your own exercise entry in the database.
Summary: if we are not honest with ourselves, we will fail. Do not fall for the lies, the fad diets or exercise programs, the hype, the latest health craze. Those will generally lead you nowhere fast; they mix truth (facts) with lies to make $$$. Makes them rich and keeps us obese.
We also need a network of positive people to which we can be accountable. Stay away from the naysayers and the fad promoters! I am lucky. My employer has a wellness center with three excellent people on staff, including a physician's assistant type person and an RN. I get lots of help, encouragement, and I have weekly weigh ins that they record which also makes me accountable to someone else expecting me to show long term results. But they do it in a kind, caring way. This also keeps me from lying to myself that I am having success when I am not. I recommend seeking out a trusted, caring dietician, personal trainer, or health care professional if you can get access to one you can afford. Beyond that, surround yourself with people who are positive and supportive. Don't expect people around you, except maybe your closest family members, to notice your results too soon. You will feel and see dramatic diiferences early and often. For others, it will take time, but they will eventually notice. Some notice but don't say anything right away. I had to lose 40 or 50 pounds before a lot of my co-workers noticed my weight loss. But I had a few closer, trusted co-workers I kept informed and supported me from the beginning. Beware because family members can sometimes be enablers (of negative behaviors) rather than supporters. Fortunately that was not the case with me, but I have seen it. They may want the best for us, but don't actually know how to do it. They may also be fighting their own battle with obesity.
Notice that I spent a lot of time talking about face-to-face accountability relationships. That is in no way to diminish the value of my MFP friends, but the "in person" support is also needed. Maybe you (and me) can find (or start) a local support group of like-minded people on our same journey. That would also be fantastic. BUT, also if you are actually reading this, find and add friends on MFP who can travel with you on your weight loss journey and offer each other mutual support. I have several MFP friends like this, and their encouragement and posts and likes have been vital to my success! Another level of accountability and support!
OK, sorry to rant. I am done. You get the point...I know you do. If you are in this group and need a friend on MFP, feel free to send me a request.
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Thank you for sharing!!!! Gayle Minneapolis0
