Ultimate Accountability Challenge November 2021

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What's On Your Mind Today?

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  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 11,152 Member
    Caroline_slowandsteady wrote: »
    @MadisonMolly2017 , @WhatMeRunning , @bradkcrew I was kind of joking but kind of telling the truth about my motivation after listening to the podcast. Thank you for your stories and added motivation because it does help. This group helps my motivation enormously.

    I am mainly not questioning the 25 pounds I have already lost, just questioning the last 10 or so pounds I want to lose, as it gets harder. I think I will stop before I lose all of those 10 pounds. @bradkcrew can you talk about how you decided you were ready to be in maintenance?

    I have also been listening to the podcast "You're Wrong About" from the beginning, which is also by one of the co-hosts of "Maintenance Phase", and mostly does not focus on weight loss, which I would recommend.

    @BMcC9 I am not sure about android phones, but with iPhones, there is a podcast app already installed (it's a purple icon). You just go in the podcast app and search in the search bar by the name of the podcast (or you can browse by different topics too). And then hit play. Pretty easy.

    @Caroline_slowandsteady
    I was not sure either. I decided to ask my doctor. Worked great & took away the mental confusion.
  • ideas2
    ideas2 Posts: 1,261 Member
    One of the members of this group, I am sorry I can not remember who or exactly where, wrote something that I have been thinking about since then: that obesity is a relapsing illness. It made me wonder if that would help me do better if I thought of it this way, and thought of my eating as the treatment for it, than when I think about my eating more in terms of will power and nutrition. I previously lost 75 pounds, and then regained that plus some. The second time around, I thought my failure to keep it off must have been largely behavioral (or emotional) and focused on learning about the psychology around eating. I lost 85 pounds and managed to keep it off for 4 years, before again slowly regaining the weight.

    This time around am nearly diabetic so researched more about hormones, insulin, and metabolism and am trying low carb for the first time. Most convincing to me was that low carb dieters have a better record of not regaining. What I was surprised to find is that on low carb dieting everything I learned about emotional eating is just plain easy-- I can tell when I am physically hungry vs emotional hunger and can deal with either so much easier. Apparently I did not forget everything I learned.

    I want to recommend the book I just started reading, by Rober Lustig, who some of us who have been trying to lose weight for awhile might remember from his viral video, Sugar: The Bitter Truth. His new book is called Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine. In it one of his many arguments is that obesity is not the disease, it is the symptom. The disease he feels we should be concerned about is metabolic syndrome. After I lost weight the first time and was at a normal weight, I visited a specialist about food sensitivities due to my disappointment that my weight loss did not cure my fatigue. He diagnosed metabolic syndrome at the time (20 years ago now). For me, I am pondering whether I need to think of this a managing my metabolic syndrome.

    Any thoughts on that? I would be especially interested in it if the person who shared their ideas about obesity as a relapsing disease expanded on their thinking in relation to this.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,138 Member
    the other thing I wanted to discuss was about the podcast which I did not listen to... LOL.. But altho yo yo ing over the years may teach us some hard lessons about what can work or not work, physically I am of the opinion that it wrecks havoc with us. Each time we lose and gain we gain back more fat and our body composition and organs suffer for it. So it really would technically be healthier to just stay at one weight than to gain and regain over and over again. Honestly the only thing I learned from each of my yo yos was that. MFP has been the only place where I have succeeded. twice. The first time I quit before I got to my difficult goal and just left. This second time I have stayed here and think that has lead to over 4 yrs of maintaining.
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,451 Member
    I just saw this article in the MFP blog section. Its about using imagery to help achieve your health and fitness goals. https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/use-your-imagination-to-reach-your-fitness-goals/ I would like to know others' opinions about it.
  • bradkcrew
    bradkcrew Posts: 1,720 Member
    @BMcC9 I have been using Spotify to listen to podcasts. I wasn't aware of the iphone app, so I will look for it @Caroline_slowandsteady. Thanks!



  • bradkcrew
    bradkcrew Posts: 1,720 Member
    edited November 2021
    @Caroline_slowandsteady @MadisonMolly2017 @SummerSkier @LazyBlondeChef chef I agree with all of you, although it is not the route I took. I probably should have transitioned to maintenance 15 pounds or so ago, gotten myself on track, and then resumed weight loss down the road if I decided I wanted to. What kept me going? Fear of failure. The concept of maintenance is so foreign and overwhelming to me that every time I thought about it was just easier (safer) to stick with what I have been successful with, which was losing weight.

  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 11,152 Member
    snowshoe072 wrote: »
    Question why does everyone get so frazzled over “maintenance “ I don’t even consider it part of my world I treat each day as it’s own I manage my food and exercise and life goes on. Why is this any different? If you are happy where you are at or want to lose a little more just make adjustments. I have stayed fairly consistent for over a month now but I don’t worry about maintenance I exercise and track/log my foods and I am happy.

    I am no longer frazzled, but after 45 years of obesity & (at least 5 times losing my weight - about once a decade) and gaining it back, I had good reason to be!

    It’s taken some pretty massive changes to lose & maintain, and as you are, daily monitoring. Even with this, I gain & lose ~ 5 lbs ever 18 months - so far.

    If we have always failed, maintenance is scary.
  • taurie
    taurie Posts: 225 Member
    LazyBlondeChef wrote: »
    I didn't choose maintenance. It chose me. :D

    🤣🤣🤣

  • Caroline_slowandsteady
    Caroline_slowandsteady Posts: 842 Member
    @snowshoe072 you're right that maintenance is not necessarily a big change. What I am "frazzled" about is how to pick that number I am ok with staying at. My original goal was to lose the pregnancy weight, but as that has stretched out for 10 years I am not sure that my pre-pregnancy weight is realistic or necessary anymore. And realizing that however much weight I lost, I have a very different body now anyway. My weight right now is in the "normal" BMI range (barely) but I think I want to lose a little more. It definitely is getting harder and harder to keep losing as the calories get lower and the cravings/hunger gets stronger. So at some point I need to just call it - but not quite ready yet.
  • jamcnewman
    jamcnewman Posts: 4,414 Member
    Thank you for sharing @WhatMeRunning — it gives such insight into what was happening and also the tendency many of us (including me!) have to misremember or to forget. I see
    you have a seven year cycle … 2007; 2014; 2021….

    @SummerSkier my first response to your “I went too low” was “what a dream that would be”…. 😳
    Then I remembered that this did happen to me.
    After I completed my first masters degree I enrolled in WW to drop some weight that had come on. I wanted to start trying to get pregnant but wanted that weight gone first. I lost the weight that summer and continued working on strength/endurance/flexibility through the fall and early winter. I was the fittest and leanest I had been since my university swim team days. I got pregnant in late January. I had a bad case of hyperemesis gravidarum and I dropped another 7 pounds that I didn’t have to spare. I had no gain until well into the second trimester. It was quite a scary time. I had blocked that memory out.

    I really like your advice @SummerSkier — just make a decision, because you can always change our mind. 💛

    @Mrs_Hoffer Good for you!!! YOU are doing a great job Teresa. Your and @Caroline_slowandsteady both commented on it, and it really is perhaps Chris’ experience too — our bodies change over time. Being kind to ourselves through that is more important than many of us (including myself) recognize. 🥰
  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    jamcnewman wrote: »
    ...I see
    you have a seven year cycle … 2007; 2014; 2021….
    🤯🤯🤯
    I never saw that before because I always considered 2017 a start also. But it was a period of starting again after an injury in 2016, so it could as equally be have been an injury pause in the middle of that 7 years. Either way, interesting observation, thanks for pointing it out!
  • snowshoe072
    snowshoe072 Posts: 5,146 Member
    @Caroline_slowandsteady I am pleased you took my post for how I meant it, the most important thing for all of us is to be at a place we are comfortable with ourselves not what others expect or think we should be at. I have found when I hit a plateau I play with my calories by moving them up or down and increase some exercise. I also liked your thoughts on post pregnancy weight I to kept thinking well it will come off but my youngest was over 10 at that time. My body is different at 58 then it was at 30. Today I am pleased with where I am at. I plan to keep doing what I do and I will call it my “maintenance” Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate if not have a great Thursday!
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,451 Member
    Important news just discovered on another of my bookmarked discussions ...Bulk Editing of Food Diary .. How To on iOS and android devices!
    springlering62 wrote: »
    From the School of Head Smack:

    It’s always driven me crazy that I couldn’t bulk edit my food diary when I changed plans (I sometimes log as far as a week in advance.)

    I often put in a meal that has ten or twelve ingredients, or have to change serving size on all. That means I have to delete every entry (swipe left to delete) to correct portions or replace with new meal.

    Well today I accidentally discovered how to do it easily and it’s via the honking big EDIT button at the top of the page.

    Simply hit the EDIT button (smacks head yet again!)….
    xh49dl99vr4n.jpeg

    …..and edit as needed, quickly and efficiently (may add a head bang or two here)
    u9hnooz16sti.png

    Duh duh double DUH!

    How did I never notice this button before? Familiarity breeds contempt, old dog new tricks etc etc etc.

    Hoping this will help some other numpty like moi.

    🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️


    goal06082021 wrote: »
    NB: for Android users, the "Edit" button is a little pencil icon in the upper right, instead of the word "edit" in the upper left like on iOS. Which I *did* see before right this very second, but never bothered to tap on it to see what it was, maybe I assumed it was like...a quick-access Notes button? Idk. But it is indeed the Edit feature. Heck.

    Next you'll tell me there's a way to copy the whole day at once, or use recipes as ingredients in other recipes.
    Lietchi wrote: »
    goal06082021 wrote: »
    NB: for Android users, the "Edit" button is a little pencil icon in the upper right, instead of the word "edit" in the upper left like on iOS. Which I *did* see before right this very second, but never bothered to tap on it to see what it was, maybe I assumed it was like...a quick-access Notes button? Idk. But it is indeed the Edit feature. Heck.

    Next you'll tell me there's a way to copy the whole day at once, or use recipes as ingredients in other recipes.

    Pencil button, check mark at the top to select the whole day and then tap on the the dots and you'll see 'copy to date' as an option 😉


    Please let me (and all of us) know if there is a website counterpart .... I don't use either phone app, and I might not be the only one.
  • Caroline_slowandsteady
    Caroline_slowandsteady Posts: 842 Member
    @BMcC9 I have found that when I use that edit button on my iphone, it does not show up on the website version of my diary - it still has the old food and old calories. I have pretty much just decided to only use the phone to log food. But I pretty much only use the website to interact with the community and create recipes, since that works better on the website.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,138 Member
    So I finally found the location of the new discussion bell on my phone.
    ON the APP is is very easy,

    wx745eaypy7d.png

    On my phone when I go to community it is not there. Only this

    efhc6vq2vlh3.jpeg

    but if I then click on my profile image it shows me another screen with the notifications of new discussion in my bookmarked ones.

    pmnv6e3afdaz.jpeg

    You still cannot bookmark a discussion without being inside it which is tough for UAC since usually I bookmark all the days as one time.





  • jamcnewman
    jamcnewman Posts: 4,414 Member
    SummerSkier wrote: »
    So I finally found the location of the new discussion bell on my phone.
    ON the APP is is very easy,

    wx745eaypy7d.png

    On my phone when I go to community it is not there. Only this

    efhc6vq2vlh3.jpeg

    but if I then click on my profile image it shows me another screen with the notifications of new discussion in my bookmarked ones.

    pmnv6e3afdaz.jpeg

    You still cannot bookmark a discussion without being inside it which is tough for UAC since usually I bookmark all the days as one time.

    Thank you for this @SummerSkier 🔔
  • biketheworld
    biketheworld Posts: 2,355 Member
    This discussion is absolutely fascinating! One of the many things I appreciate about this group is the legit information that gets shared.

    At my last doctor appointment, my bad cholesterol numbers were up, which was really unexpected seeing as how I never had issues before and was about 20 pounds down from my prior visit. She told me that red meat is the #1 cause of high cholesterol and I should limit that to once a week. Well, I love my husband, and I know he loves me, but try as he might, he just can’t stop cooking red meat 3, 4, 5 times a week. I’ve been hoping if I lost some more weight, my numbers will be down at my next visit. But I think I’ve got my head in the sand there.

    @ideas2 - I had to look up metabolic syndrome. If anyone’s interested, this is the article:

    https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/metabolic-syndrome.html?CMP=KNC-DSO-COR-MetabolicSyndrome-19476-GOOG-HEALTH-ConditionsTreatments-ConditionsTreatments-MetabolicSyndrome-Exact-NonBrand&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkZKNBhDiARIsAPsk0WjpM4cERurKFTlkOQkKXCaipvXOtyTCzFeU48eq8FZCOWovEeFDiuAaAsXZEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

    It’s fascinating to me to shift the idea that obesity is the symptom, not the cause. This warrants more research but the bit about switching to a Mediterranean diet really hit me. I’m going to research this some more, but feel like there’s hope again.
  • enlightenme3
    enlightenme3 Posts: 2,618 Member
    @biketheworld - 30+ years ago when my husband decided that he was going to give up all meat and become a vegetarian, I reluctantly went along with him. I say reluctantly, because I'm the cook in the household and I had no clue what to make beyond salads. I'm not that imaginative so I had a regular rotation of recipes that were part of our menus. Now what do I cook? This is before the Food Network, bloggers and even easy access to internet. I also was trying to "replace" meat vs just making different dishes. Same thing happened when my daughter and husband decided to become vegan for Lent. Now what do I cook?

    Perhaps buying chicken or ground turkey might help serve as substitutes for the red meat as you experiment and eventually land on your new rotation of recipes. My only other suggestion is to experiment with different flavor profiles instead of just the main ingredients. We love Mexican (tacos, black bean and sweet potato enchiladas, black bean tostadas, breakfast burritos, mexican salad), Italian (pizza, baked ziti, pasta al limone, deconstructed pesto pasta, risotto, butternut squash pasta), Mediterranean (flat breads, falafels, hummus with vegetables, greek salads, etc), Thai, and Indian flavor profiles and now have a whole set of choices for dinner depending on what we're in the mood for.

  • WhatMeRunning
    WhatMeRunning Posts: 3,538 Member
    edited November 2021
    enlightenme3 wrote: »
    30+ years ago when my husband decided that he was going to give up all meat and become a vegetarian, I reluctantly went along with him. I say reluctantly, because I'm the cook in the household and I had no clue what to make beyond salads. I'm not that imaginative so I had a regular rotation of recipes that were part of our menus. Now what do I cook? This is before the Food Network, bloggers and even easy access to internet. I also was trying to "replace" meat vs just making different dishes. Same thing happened when my daughter and husband decided to become vegan for Lent. Now what do I cook?

    Perhaps buying chicken or ground turkey might help serve as substitutes for the red meat as you experiment and eventually land on your new rotation of recipes. My only other suggestion is to experiment with different flavor profiles instead of just the main ingredients. We love Mexican (tacos, black bean and sweet potato enchiladas, black bean tostadas, breakfast burritos, mexican salad), Italian (pizza, baked ziti, pasta al limone, deconstructed pesto pasta, risotto, butternut squash pasta), Mediterranean (flat breads, falafels, hummus with vegetables, greek salads, etc), Thai, and Indian flavor profiles and now have a whole set of choices for dinner depending on what we're in the mood for.
    This. Exactly this. I had a similar learning curve. In the end what you want to do is find the foods you want to eat, and learn how to make THEM tasty, finding the dishes you like best with those foods. Don't rely on struggling to create a substitute, it's already sub-par in it's very concept! I personally found the best enjoyment with simply learning how to best prepare those items alone, but that simple of a method might not be for everyone. Such "mono" eating still carries with me today as a lot of my meals are composed of an array of single items prepared just the way I like them best. That's not to say that you can't make some items that resemble unhealthy counterparts, but it's best to build to that point than trying to start there (if that makes any sense).
  • biketheworld
    biketheworld Posts: 2,355 Member
    @enlightenme3 and @WhatMeRunning - I’ve joked for years that I’m a vegan wannabe. When I was single, I prepared vegan or vegetarian for myself a couple times a week. But then I married, and he does all the shopping and cooking. We’ve had a running joke about how he’ll never give up meat. He’s an excellent cook and I’ve been happy and grateful that he has taken that on. But it’s time for me to be proactive and take responsibility for what I eat. I know he’ll resist the idea of me cooking, but I also know if I give him a recipe, he’ll modify it “so it tastes good.” Not blaming him for my cholesterol numbers, because I have 100% embraced this. It’s just time for me to step up and face the facts.

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