Accountability buddy
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Hi everyone! How was your week? Mine has been good. Weighing myself tomorrow but I have met my goal of daily logging and mindful eating.
I realized that during this pandemic I have at times turned to food as a form of entertainment. This is human for me, but I want to enjoy my food without overeating so that I feel good in my body. Also, I want to find healthier forms of entertainment. Have any of the rest of you experienced this? Wishing you all a good week!0 -
@beshamama - You described your bicycle ride so perfectly ... I could visualize the light snow fall as you were riding and it’s so true that dressing in the appropriate layers for the weather makes more enjoyable.
I hope everyone is feeling healthy and that your Achilles’ tendon has recovered, @Andrew45678. Congratulations on meeting your goals this week @bumpbreakcar and @kmccrom!
My goals were to walk twice a week with my older son and complete abdominal workouts three times per week with my younger son. I walked twice for about three miles each but my schedule didn’t coordinate well with my son. So, I went with a friend one day and alone with the dog another day. My son walked with my husband - and also on his own - and we talked about hiking more as a family like we did in the early days of the pandemic so I’m looking forward to exploring local areas.
I was able to workout with the personal trainer twice and, even though it’s only 30 minutes, it’s a great workout.
I skipped soccer tonight so I could host a Zoom birthday get-together for a friend but then she couldn’t make it so we rescheduled for tomorrow night, which is her actual birthday. Since there were four other people participating, it was still nice to connect with them tonight. The four of us have children and our friend is single and child free so it was good that we were able to catch up on some of the typical topics that might not be as inclusive as we want to keep the conversation for tomorrow, which will now be more focused on the life of our friend celebrating her birthday. Anyway, that’s the very long way of saying I didn’t get as much exercise as usual but I was able to achieve my goals for the week. No bonus points for me, but I’m satisfied.
My calorie intake was more at the maintenance level than a deficit this week so I’m still fluctuating between 138 and 136 pounds. This plateau at every five pound increment is almost a regular pattern for me so it’s not surprising. My goal was to be at 135 or less by December 6th so I didn’t meet that milestone but I’m close at 136 today. I followed through on my haircut reward so there’s no going back ... I’ll keep at it with a goal of 135 by next week, or the end of December at the latest.
My goals this week will be to exercise with the personal trainer twice, walk three days, try to complete ab workouts with my son every day this week (but at least three), and use the rowing machine or treadmill twice. I’ll also try to cook at home at least six nights. We ate more takeout this week, which is one of the reasons I exceeded my calorie goals. I went grocery shopping with my sons tonight so we’ll be more prepared to eat at home. Best wishes for the coming week!1 -
Good morning all. Been ages since I been on. Going to try to pop in daily. Been going alright. Been brisk walking on the treadmill 3 days a week and been doing cruch squats push up and plank 30 day challenge. Also while on treadmill every 10 min I jump off and do a quick 8 reps on the bench press. Hoping to up my weight this week. Weight has finally dropped below 160. But still have a good 20 lbs to go. My lowest weight a few years ago was 143. Would love to get back there and be more toned.2
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Not doing so well on my goals but also don’t think I’m overeating so I guess I’m breaking even?
New goal(I really want that magazine subscription 🤣) if I lose 5lbs and or stick to exercising and logging my food in a month then I’ll treat my self.
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I just logged my food and I’m a bit over. I think I need to start logging before I eat !! Had a burger and sheesh I didn’t realize how much fat is in beef ... yikes!! Now that I know I’m going to have to plan for that meal better!!
Still struggling a bit with step but I know what I need to do to fix it!!1 -
@renaegry - Your workout sounds fun ... tiring but fun! I was feeling your energy as I read about moving from the treadmill to the bench press! 🏋️ Thanks for sharing the image with us. I found it motivating ... Have you been able to check in each day this week? It’s always nice to read your contributions.
@beshamama - Breaking even can really feel like a “win” some weeks, for sure. I might sound like a broken record by now with this statement but, if we are truly working on building lifelong habits for being healthy, one week is just a short amount of time. I’m looking forward to the days when ‘breaking even’ means sustaining my healthy lifestyle changes. I’m confident you’ll achieve your goal and get that magazine subscription. Hang in there and, if you keep at it, you’ll get there!
@bumpbreakcar - Your ability to reflect on what went wrong and make a plan to address the problem is inspiring! I had to laugh when I read your comment because I had a similar experience last night. My sons were in charge of cooking dinner and my husband felt like eating a Popeye’s chicken sandwich. So, he suggested that easy ‘out’ from cooking to our sons. I had eaten a late breakfast - and worked through lunch because of a deadline - so, I thought I could ‘afford’ the extra calories within my daily goal. Damn! ... When I checked the nutrition information, I had to adjust my expectations and order three chicken strips instead. The good news is that I ate them with salad and felt surprisingly full and satisfied.
@kmckrom - I definitely eat for ‘entertainment’ sometimes but find ‘stress eating’ more my kryptonite. Emotional eating, or getting carried away in deep activity - like the work deadline I noted above or when immersed in something fun or interesting - can lead me down a path of regret more than anything else. If I don’t eat balanced meals earlier in the day, I’m ravished later; and stress makes me ‘escape’ or procrastination by turning to food as an avoidance tool. 🙈
Usually, I can fill the ‘food as entertainment’ need with an intentional cup of nice warm tea or replace higher-calorie chips with plain popcorn during this pandemic but I definitely get swept away when enjoying time with family and friends over meals, etc. So, this dreaded stay-at-home period of the pandemic might be helping me in some ways. The real test will be maintaining new habits when we can socialize again! I guess our awareness is a step in the right direction 🤔! Have you tried anything new to stay entertained through times when you want to avoid unnecessary snacking?
Best wishes to everyone in reaching your goals!
I finally dipped below 135 on the scale today so it’s good to see I was only three days late of my target and I can justify the haircut reward I treated myself to last Friday! 🎉 I don’t change my MFP progress setting until I have at least three ‘data points’ of weighing in at the lower number (or higher number). So, I hope I can change my status soon ... stay tuned!
I find it difficult to adjust to new fitness routines during seasonal transitions (e.g. more darkness and cold weather make me want to hibernate), so I’ll need to steel myself and keep testing out what works. I signed up for physical therapy for my shoulder injury after taking the summer off and trying (with limited success) to improve my posture - and engage my back muscles instead of my shoulder - but I still feel some pain. Rowing helped by stretching the chest muscles and focusing on keeping my shoulders back ... but virtual meetings are not a good influence on my posture. Today, my goal is to clean up my office so I can work at the desk and set up a more ergonomic space! I’ll check in and report my progress in a few days, after walking and a personal training appointment in the coming days.
Thanks to all my ‘Accountability Buddies’ here, keeping me on track. I don’t know what I would have done without this group. I appreciate you all and know I would have lost interest a long time ago if it weren’t for the lessons, experience and encouragement you all share with the group!2 -
Evening all. Been a busy day. Ran my truck into the shop for some work so have a loaner vehicle. Had nowhere to be tonight with the kids so I was able to make it to fitness class tonight. Got a good burn in. Tomorrow will be treadmill bench and 30 day challenge. Eating has been on par. Hopefully auger this week (TOM here) the scale will dip down some more.
@bumpbreakcar i always try to log my food for the day in the morning. Then I know what I can snack on during the day and I make adjustments as the day goes on.
@PatriceFitnessPal congrats on reaching your goal of 135. I did the opposite and really let myself go over this summer. Gained a good 10 lbs. I also hate the change in season. A friend and I would usually walk after work. Now it’s dark by then. Now I try to hit the treadmill in the morning. Brisk 3.8-4.0 walk for 45 min while I watch Sons if Anarchy1 -
I feel like my mental outlook on what’s needed has improved! I’m feeling good ... could be the coffee talking too lol but I think I had too much caffeine yesterday or maybe I took my pre-workout too late because I was UP all night!
Anyways! Have a great day today everyone!!1 -
Morning all. Staying off the treadmill today. But will get in my 30 day challenge workout in. Weight is slowly dipping. So headed in the right direction1
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Hi! I'm new here.
Been overweight for more than a decade and this year I'm 3kg (6lbs) away from obesity.
Now trying to lose 10kg by meal tracking, running (I'm a casual runner) and weight training.
Biggest obstacles to tackle are my emotional eating habit and depression.
Hoping I could join checking in here daily to help me be more consistent.0 -
@kacanakya16 - Welcome! You seem to have a clear picture of where you are now, where you want to go, and the obstacles you need to overcome (or avert) to reach your long term goal. In my opinion, that’s a fantastic place to start!
Do you have any short term (e.g., small, manageable) strategies you are planning to test out this week (or longer) for coping with your depression and emotional eating?
@renaegry and @bumpbreakcar - Congratulations on your progress! It’s always encouraging to hear about the success of ‘Accountability buddies’ and learn what’s working (and not working) from others’ experiences. I appreciate reading all your updates!
@renaegry - I like the idea of watching a TV or video streamed series while using the treadmill as a way to motivate ourselves and build a regular habit. I’m going to set that as my goal for the coming week: I’ll find a series to watch and only watch while on the treadmill.
Any recommendations Accountability buddies?
I’m still fluctuating between 135-138 but I appreciate your encouragement. Not too long ago, I was fluctuating between higher weights so I’m definitely not as concerned as I used to be about the exact digits on the scale, as long as the ‘trend’ pattern is going down. I’m happy that I’ve moved from the BMI ‘overweight’ category to ‘normal’ and my clothes now fit. I’m hoping to settle between 125-131 for ‘maintenance’. So, I still have between 5-7 pounds to go but I’ve got 30 pounds behind me now ...
I plan to set two new long term goals once I reach the ‘maintenance’ phase of weight loss: (1) get a body fat test and work with a local certified nutritionist (who is also a professional trainer) to set a goal for building up my muscle mass based on what I learn from the body fat test; and (2) find the right daily calorie setting for maintaining my new fitness and nutrition goals. Since I’m getting closer to my goal, weight loss is very slow and it takes about a month for me to lose one pound now. So, I’ve accepted that it might take six months to a year to achieve the 125-131 goal that I hope to sustain, and then it will probably take another year to get my body fat and muscle mass to the right levels. Anyway, that’s all in the future and I just need to focus on today ... and get back to work! Thanks for being here and sharing this health and wellness journey. Go get those goals!3 -
Hi @PatriceFitnessPal !
I'm so happy that you've reached normal BMI!
Must be tough now that it's getting harder to lose more pounds, but you're heading to the right direction and it's an achievement to keep on going.
There's a lot I can learn from you, starting from your mindset & attitude towards weight loss and your tenacity.
Thank you for sharing and I'm wishing for continuous success in your journey!
Right now my goals are:
-Drink at least 3L water a day
-Practice breathing exercise every morning (learned it from my psychologist)
-Run 3 times a week @ 15 minutes
Weight exercise 3 times a week @ 15 minutes
(15 min doesn't include the warm up and cool down)
-Drink vitamin once a week
-Eat one fruit a day
-Walk outside in the morning 10 minutes to get sunlight
-Clean one part of my room every day to increase NEAT
I work a desk job and my hobbies revolve around laptop/phone so I need some extra activities no matter how trivial they seem (like cleaning).
And I have a precious experience of changing myself from hating exercise to joining running events and finishing 10K.
Even spent some months practicing for half marathon.
But life happens (broken leg, depression, etc) and I haven't been consistent with running the past 2 years, so now I'm trying to get back by starting small (like I did years ago when I used to hate running)
I track my goals with various apps and notes, then review them every Sunday.
If I think it's necessary I'll tweak some of my goals for the next week.
Some weeks I can complete most of my goals but some weeks I only have enough energy to eat and work.
But I always keep on trying!
About watching a series on treadmill:
I watched some episodes of The Haunting of Hill House on treadmill and surprised the people at the gym when I suddenly screamed.
So if you're as easily surprised as I am, it's not recommended 😂1 -
Happy to add and to support anyone..I'm on each day as well. Good luck.1
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Great! @ssb16 - Welcome! Do you have a specific goal that you’re working toward?
@kacanakya16 - Thanks for your encouragement. In some ways, it’s easier for me now because I have a better understanding of appropriate portion sizes. I recognize the error that most people make about underestimating calorie consumption and overestimating the number of calories burned through exercise. I still have some habits that I need to replace overtime. For example, I’d like to either drink one cup of coffee instead of two, or replace half and half with milk ... switch out higher fat snacks for fruit, etc. Anyway, I hope to improve those areas, but it feels easier to put up with the slower pace of weight loss right now ... Last night, I added just a little scoop of ice cream to a bowl of strawberries and topped it with some pomegranate seeds and it was just as satisfying - and prettier! - than a typical snack portion I might eat just out of habit. Eventually, I think I’ll improve with some mindfulness and it will become more natural to choose healthier options ... but I guess that means I’m not completely ready yet 🙄
Speaking of mindfulness, your reminder to practice intentional breathing is great for everyone, especially during these challenging times. Good for you! Congratulations on learning to enjoy exercise, too ... That’s wonderful! I’m sorry to hear about your injury but you seem to have a sound approach and fantastic attitude for returning to running in a healthy way! Thanks for sharing your goals for the week. Best wishes to you, and all the other Accountability buddies checking into the group! Enjoy!!1 -
Who's here in December looking for a buddy beside myself? Add me0
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Welcome @nicolee1k! - Usually, we share our goals for the week and then report our progress here on this group thread. Some people prefer to make friend requests for more direct support. So, feel free to add me as a friend - and/or read through previous posts to get a sense of others who share similar goals or characteristics that are a good match for you - and connect that way. This is our space to learn together and we can shape it to meet our individual needs.
Do you have some specific goals in mind that you want to reach with the support of this group?
Feel free to share a little bit of background about yourself and your fitness or health goals. I find good ideas and advise from other Accountability buddies and I hope we can contribute to your success, too. We’re all working toward different goals but we’re helping one another to stay on the path - and avoid obstacles along the way - so we can continue to make progress. I hope you’ll join us! Let us know how things are going for you.0 -
🤦♀️ I am not doing well with my goals at all.
So back at it!!
This week my one and only goal is going to be to log my food and if I exercise great but really just logging my food will be enough.
I miss my family(mom and sister) soooo much! We had all these great holiday traditions that we can’t do this year and I’m just sad. When I get sad I shut down and don’t want to do anything. I’ve tried to be happy for my 2 little girls and keep our traditions alive but it’s hard. And then to try to eat healthy and exercise on top of it all 😣 That’s why my goal is going to be super simple.
One positive thing in my life is it snowed a good proper snow where I live on Sat! It’s beautiful outside and I’m looking forward to the lakes near me to freeze. When they freeze they become dog parks and I love taking my dog out for walks on it.
Hope everyone is hanging in there and finding joy where you can 💕2 -
@beshamama I know what you mean, it can be tough to balance all the different emotions and complicated goals. I like your simple goal and it mirrors mine.
I have had a couple of weeks that I’ve been eating more, but I am keeping up with the logging, and I’m hoping that will make a difference even as I’m not perfect.
@PatriceFitnessPal you are always so welcoming and supportive - thank you for that!
How is everyone feeling with the holidays coming up? No parties, but I’m pondering how we will have a nice time as a nuclear family without indulgent foods.0 -
Morning all. Been a bad week. Eating isn’t to bad but could be better. Tweaked my knee grappling with my son on Saturday so haven’t really done anything. Will get back on the treadmill today. Had an early Christmas with my mom yesterday and got a Fitbit aria air scale. Pretty excited about it. Maybe it will get me back in the groove. December will most likely be a write off. Got a bag of homemade nuts and bolts to eat. lol. Kick back into it in January. Always seems to be the trend.0
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There’s a MFP thread that might be helpful to our Accountability buddy group during this tough time of year:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10787818/minimum-basic-and-preferred-habits
The ideas (shared above) help us plan for times when we only have the practical or emotional energy for basic maintenance. By concentrating on the bare minimum, we can make a conscious decision to prevent any backsliding, which helps avoid useless feelings of guilt and frees up mental space to just let this time pass through without negative consequences. When our mindset improves, and we have more energy, we can shift gears to our preferred level of nutrition and fitness.
Has anyone tried this approach?
There are some days that I plan this way but I haven’t tested it out over a sustained period. Anyway, I just thought it might be of interest in response to the themes emerging this week. It offers a way to feel more ‘in control’ or at least help face the seasonal blues in a more manageable way.
I think sometimes the best we can do is model coping skills for our children or the people closest to us. We decided to escape to a sunnier area and rent a house instead of spending money on gifts this year. We all like the idea of having a decorated tree but none of us has been motivated enough to dig out the boxes and initiate it ... So, it will be interesting to see if we feel festive enough and gear up for typical holiday traditions like setting up the tree. We like to collect ornaments that remind us of family trips and other shared experiences that are special to us, but my house feels too cluttered - with boxes from my sons’ dorm rooms and items we’re sorting through for donating - so I don’t feel like adding to the existing chaos ☺️.
It’s easier for me this year because my sons are older. My thoughts go out to families facing the high expectations that young children often have of the holidays. The anticipation often exceeds the actual event so I guess we just have to teach ourselves to enjoy the anticipation phase more fully. 😃 I’ll post my weekly goals and progress separately since I got off on these rambling and tangent reflections! Best wishes, everyone!!0
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