Introductions!
Mrs_Hoffer
Posts: 5,194 Member
Welcome to the March 2022 Ultimate Accountability Challenge!
Some of you have been with this challenge for months and some are brand new. This is one of the hardest challenges to stay with throughout the entire month.
FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS!! Log every BLT (Bite, Lick, Taste). Stay strong and stay true to yourself....YOU WILL SUCCEED!!
Please feel free to share as much information as you feel comfortable sharing about yourself with the rest of the group. We look forward to getting to know you a little better.
GOOD LUCK!
Some of you have been with this challenge for months and some are brand new. This is one of the hardest challenges to stay with throughout the entire month.
FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS!! Log every BLT (Bite, Lick, Taste). Stay strong and stay true to yourself....YOU WILL SUCCEED!!
Please feel free to share as much information as you feel comfortable sharing about yourself with the rest of the group. We look forward to getting to know you a little better.
GOOD LUCK!
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Replies
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My challenge for March
I’m Nan 67, single sharing my home with my mum 91.
We share the household tasks as we are each best fit to do.
Mum dusts, cooks, does the food shopping, minds the washing machine and dryer, feeds the birds.
I hoover, change beds, clean windows, drive, push the trolley round the supermarket.
I like walking and plan to walk 11000 intentional steps every day in March, I did it as a sponsored challenge for Prostate Cancer UK last year but don’t like to continually ask for sponsorship. Excuse for possible failure this year is that I’m chauffeuse for my friend for her chemo visits to hospital. BAD EXCUSE, NOT A GOOD REASON.
Foodwise I plan to stay within my 1200 mfp calorie allowance plus up to 10% of those earned from Fitbit. I find that entering my activity and using these gives too big an allowance.
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Hello Nan! @Lessennan What great goals for March! WELCOME!5
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This was a very happily timed event for me. I've been inactive on MyFitnessPal for quite some time. My weight's OK but after a divorce at age 75, a move to another state and general chaos all around, my overall wellness is suffering. (Not to mention my sanity.) I've been planning on doing the Primal/Keto 21 Day Reset Diet starting March 1st, just to get myself pulled back together again. This Challenge fits neatly into that project. Thanks for getting this going; it's going to be a real help to me.
Now back to editing my pantry and my refrigerator, reading the fine print this time. Yikes, is there added sugar in tap water; there is in everything else.12 -
Hello,
I'm 59 years old, at 5'4" I'm stuck at 168ish (I go up or down a pound).
I am active. I dance by following Body FX - Figure 8 (Jaana Kunitzi is amazing) 5 days a week, as well as doing (Diamond Dallas Page) DDP Yoga, 2 days a week. I feel strong, with all of the dancing and yoga - I know I've got some really nice abs going on beyond my jiggly belly. Ha, ha.
I am having a very difficult time being accountable for my calories by being consistent with logging in my food. This challenge (along with all of the folks on this forum) will hopefully be the push I need to get into gear. I've got to lose the weight so that I can get into my summer clothes... Although we're not March 1st, just having found this group is motivating me to start logging my food today... Wish me luck!
Linda9 -
Hello members old and new!
My name is Ashley, I'm 35 years old, and I live in Alberta, Canada.
I started to turn my life around in Jan 2021 after I let my weight get to an all time high during the first part of COVID.
I am nearing the end of my 125 pound weight loss journey - just over a month to go until I expect to reach the high end of my normal BMI.
I love to ride the Peloton, am incorporating more strength in, and look forward to taking up more outdoor cycling with my husband this spring. We live near the mountains so we love to hike and snowshoe on the weekends. I also love to walk with my dog and husband.
Once I hit normal BMI I do not expect to switch to maintenance right away, but I am beyond ecstatic that I am making my dreams come true! The possibilities feel endless now.
Love the accountability this group provides.12 -
Hi
@ashleycarole86
@LindaGB1975
@mandycat_florida
@Mrs_Hoffer
Nice to see we re all in need of inspiration to get/keep on track.
Let’s do this4 -
My goal for March is to get back into a more structured routine for my exercises and to work on eating more whole foods in my diet. I am hopeful for a early spring to get my mountain bike back out will see what the weather gods do ❄️6
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@mandycat_florida I'm glad that you've decided to join us! And you're so right about sugar being in everything - I just told my hubby tonight that Bird's Eye brand vegetables has more than 16 ingredients listed on the label and sugar is one of the first few ingredients listed! It's so frustrating!
@LindaGB1975 hello and WELCOME! You sound like you're off to a great start!!
@ashleycarole86 you're such an inspiration! I did a map-my-walk today and thought of you! I can't wait until spring!!!!!
@snowshoe072 I'm going to try to do more bicycle riding this spring/summer as well! Your workouts are inspiring!!
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Hello everyone, My name is Jill. I am 57 and live in southern Montana. This is my 5th month of UAC. I enjoy checking in with the group everyday.
I started my weight loss journey July, 2019 using Noom. My subscription ends in March and will not be renewing my subscription since I have MyFitnessPal and meet with a dietitian on a regular basis. She has access to my diary.
I workout everyday to different people on YouTube. I currently like Pahla B Fitness, Shine Dance Fitness and HASFit.
I am excited to see what I can learn from like minded people this month.
I have been working towards a goal of lowering my cholesterol along with losing 10 more pounds. For March I am setting a 5 pound loss.6 -
Hi my name is Jan and I struggle with staying accountable to myself and I hope this helps as a reminder to stay true to my goals.
Which are: Eat clean. Drink water. Walk daily: 30-60 minutes and record my intake.
It is inspirational to see how many of us are on the same journey. I am looking forward to participating.
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Hi all. Terri here. Good to see both returning and new members with us for March 2022.
I've been with UAC since 2017. This is such a great motivational space, where you get valuable support from the kind, caring members. It has helped me finally reach my UGW (just before Covid hit the world for six) and stay there for the duration. Posting everyday helps build solid habits which will help you on your quest for better Health and Fitness.
Although my focus shifted from weight loss to fitness/health well before I went on maintenance, I'm delighted that, in October 2021, I fell below my original UGW. I have managed to maintain this over the Festive period.
Bring it on!!!
Potted Bio - 2022Terri: Female; 76 next birthday; living in Northern Ireland; married 55 years; ex Maths teacher; volunteer group leader for U3A (University of the Third Age, life-long learning charity)Daily Habits Update - March 2022 (Things I aspire to, but don't always achieve)
SW: 227 (Mar 2014)
CW: 138.6 (Feb 2022)
GW: < 1401. Log ALL CI/CO (Daily)
2. Stay under goal (Daily)
3. Balance macros/micros (Daily)
4. Hydrate adequately (Daily)
5. Choose healthy options (Daily)
6. Steps > 7500 (Daily)
7. Stretch before/after workouts
8. 15+ minutes Cardio > 5 days a week
9. 15+ mins Strength > 5 days a week
10. 15+ mins Flexibility > 5 days a week
11. Active hours > 6
12. Practice self-care (Daily)
13. Stay up to date with accounts (monthly)
14. Mindfulness Practice/meditation ((Daily - morning/evening)
15. 1 > 15 mins Declutter sessions (Daily)
16. Be creative
17. Purchase essential items only
18. Read > 1 book from 'to read' pile
19. Complete > 2 ongoing craft projects (monthly)
20. Learn something new (daily)
21. Actively Build Better Habits
https://www.random.org/colors/hex
THERE ARE NO QUICK FIXES OR SHORTCUTS to achieving permanent change.
REMINDERS: One or two thoughts which might give heart to some of you.- Daily weight fluctuations are normal, and can be as much as 2 lbs a day for no apparent reason.
- A general downward trend is what we are looking for.
- Eating out can cause apparent weight gain because of high sodium levels, but usually goes quickly. Drinking extra water helps with this.
- The human body does not react instantly to what we do to it. Sometimes it can take several days to see results.
- Plateaus are a normal part of the process. The body is consolidating and adapting to your new way of eating/exercising.
- The closer you get to your goal weight, the more difficult it becomes to lose weight, as your body becomes more efficient at using what you feed it.
- When you exercise you build muscle, which takes up less space than fat, so use measurements as well as weight to assess your progress.
- Getting/Staying fit and healthy requires a lifestyle change for most people.
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Hi my name is Jan and I struggle with staying accountable to myself and I hope this helps as a reminder to stay true to my goals.
Which are: Eat clean. Drink water. Walk daily: 30-60 minutes and record my intake.
It is inspirational to see how many of us are on the same journey. I am looking forward to participating.
Hello @Jan1936 ! It's always nice to meet other like-minded people! We look forward to getting to know you as well!0 -
Hi everyone - I'm Marisa and I'm 5'7", 60 year-old female from Northern California. This will be my 5th month on UAC and I've been loving the community spirit and inspiration that keep me going on this journey to heath and fitness. I've lost about 30 pounds over the last 6 months and have another 5-6 pounds to meet my goal weight.
I've been building habits in other parts of my life as well - mostly related to keeping a tidy/clean house. There have been so many parallels between the two sets of habits that keep popping up. For example, if I miss a day or two tracking or eating within calories, it's not the end of the world and if I get back on track, things will be fine. If I let things slide for more than two days in a week, I'm in danger of derailing myself and it takes a lot longer to recover. That's why vacations have been fraught with danger for me. When it comes to cleaning, a day or two of missed cleaning is not an issue. Easy enough to pick up again and the house doesn't look too bad during those missed days. Go any longer than that, it is just so much more effort to get the house back in shape.
One thing begets another. Having some success with my UAC goals and helped me have confidence that I can meet other goals.7 -
I'm BeeJ from South-Eastern Ontario, Canada. 63 yr old female happily married going on 34 yrs now, and empty-nester of one son (who lives in another part of town) I will be hitting maintenance (for the THIRD time) this spring .... and want it to be well consolidated into "this is how I do things" well in advance of my retirement in less than 2 years (not like I'm counting 📅.... yet .... )
I rejoined this group (yet again) in Nov 2021 after not managing to maintain at maintenance over the summer (yet aGAIN!)
THIS time .... I've finally internalized the message that the accountability offered by this group supports maintaining just as much at this point as it did for the multi-year journey of regular UAC attendance that got me to what many mistakenly view as "the Ultimate Goal / End-Point" of my Target Weight the first time .... or the second time .... and am now closing in on the third time (which I trust will be The Charm 🍀🍀🍀)
So I won't be leaving again any time soon. The transition to a Maintenance Lifestyle is gonna take time .... and help-and-advice from those who have already managed it here.
The Daily Topics are always very interesting to follow - many prompt some segment of the group to re-examine assumptions of "has to be" ... because more often than not some other segment is willing to expand-or-offer-counter-perspectives.
The K.e.y. to Unlocking Success (no matter what one is working to succeed at)?
🗝 Keep 🗝 Educating 🗝 Yourself 🗝7 -
Hi, I am Susan. I live in a rural area in Kansas. I am back for my fifth month with UAC. I have now lost 44 pounds since actively tracking with MyFitnessPal starting last August. I still have at least that much more weight to lose. It is not the first time I have lost a lot of weight. I have lost a lot and gained it back twice in my life-- so I am continuing to try to learn what I need to do to be able to maintain the weight for more than 4 years (my previous record of maintaining.)
I retired last year so now I have time to make improving my health my number one priority and to cook, garden, and have fun with my new hobby of preparing fermented foods and drinks.
I read a lot, and I like to swim, but currently with the weather and the pandemia, my primary exercise is walking in my basement while listening to health and diet related podcasts or YouTube videos, so I often have bits of information I like to share.
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Hello!
I’m Sharon, age 45 -This is my first challenge and I’m looking forward to the accountability part of this! I’ve lost weight in the past (60 pounds) and kept almost all of it off. I’m having a hard time right now with motivation but I have a new gym membership so I can get back to Zumba classes.8 -
I'm Lisa. 43 and this is my first challenge. While I have been incorporating more activity and exercise into my life and trying to eat fewer calories, I struggle with consistency: I work out with a trainer there days a week, but I do very little on the off days; or I stick to my calories during the week but the wheels come off the wagon at the weekend. So I am happy to find a forum to keep me accountable every day for the whole month. Good luck to everyone!8
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Hi there every one, great to be back again. I am 38 married with a toddler. I hve been a part of this group for 15months and it has been my saving grace! I had 5 pass days on Feb which is the highest I hve ever had I think my goal to not take any pass days made me rebel. Ha ha! Hoping to get back on track in March. Welcome to the newbies and good luck to u all. Xo7
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strength3335 wrote: »Hello!
I’m Sharon, age 45 -This is my first challenge and I’m looking forward to the accountability part of this! I’ve lost weight in the past (60 pounds) and kept almost all of it off. I’m having a hard time right now with motivation but I have a new gym membership so I can get back to Zumba classes.
@strength3335 Hello Sharon! Yay for zumba, right?! Lol. I always looked like a fish out of water - but dancing around in my living room where no one can see that I have NO rhythm is more my kind of thing! Haha. WELCOME!! It's great to have you!4 -
Cowphilosopher wrote: »I'm Lisa. 43 and this is my first challenge. While I have been incorporating more activity and exercise into my life and trying to eat fewer calories, I struggle with consistency: I work out with a trainer there days a week, but I do very little on the off days; or I stick to my calories during the week but the wheels come off the wagon at the weekend. So I am happy to find a forum to keep me accountable every day for the whole month. Good luck to everyone!
@Cowphilosopher WELCOME Lisa! I think we have a few people who have the same struggles that you mention.... For me, I've found that I HAVE to have some kind of "routine" on the weekends (albeit, a little less structured than my weekday routine), because weekends do seem to be more difficult. Pre-planning and pre-logging my weekend meals and snacks (especially!) seems to help me. Good luck to YOU!! We can do this!!3 -
It's always nice to see so many of our regulars popping in to introduce themselves! WELCOME BACK!
I'm glad that you're here as well!
@jmu1965
@TerriRichardson112
@enlightenme3
@BMcC9
@ideas2
@donna25trinity
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recommended on Youtube ... zumba session "funeral for my fat" GOTTA love / be inspired by the name!5
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Mrs_Hoffer wrote: »It's always nice to see so many of our regulars popping in to introduce themselves! WELCOME BACK!
I'm glad that you're here as well!
@jmu1965
@TerriRichardson112
@enlightenme3
@BMcC9
@ideas2
@donna25trinity
Aww shucks thanks boss. @Mrs_Hoffer Xo2 -
Hi Everyone!
I'm Caroline. My first weight loss effort was post-college, losing the weight I had gained from my school's truly excellent dining services desserts. I did weight watchers and learned a lot about nutrition. I lost ~25 pounds in about 6 months and kept it off for ~10 years by weighing myself daily and tracking calories whenever I reached the danger weight (weight watchers changed their rules several times during that time and they no longer made sense to me).
Then I got pregnant and was very sick during pregnancy - the only way to keep from vomiting was to eat every 2 hours and the only things I could eat were white foods and fatty foods. I gained over half my body weight. After having my daughter, who is turning 10 this month, I fairly quickly stabilized at a weight that was 45 pounds above what had been my danger weight pre-pregnancy. I dealt with a miscarriage, infertility treatments, another pregnancy with my son (during which I was better medicated and gained a more reasonable amount of weight). After that pregnancy I again stabilized at that same weight.
I'd been really wanting to lose the "baby weight" but with little kids and a sick older dog, unable to make the time. The kids got older and the dog died. Finally, almost 3 years ago, May 2019, I had a break in between jobs and took some time to reset my life. I started a 15 minutes a day fitness program, MommaStrong, which I am still doing. I developed an eating pattern or routine to lose weight (not willing to count calories yet). By the end of 2019, I'd lost 16 pounds.
The weight loss began to slow and then plateau at 21 pounds lost. In Feb 2021 I decided it was time to try calorie counting and I joined MFP. In August (I think) I joined UAC which has been so inspiring and I've learned so much. With all that I've lost... another 5 pounds.
I think I am currently at the most difficult part of my weight loss journey (though the time when I was pregnant and gaining the weight was definitely the hardest part). Weight loss has become SO hard this last year, and I am not sure why or what I can do to bust through this plateau.2 -
Welcome newcomers!🎉 I joined the UAC on the tail-end of Jan 2022 and just completed my first full month in Feb. This group is a gem: an active, supportive, insightful, encouraging accountability group! I am a long-time MFP user (2012; many periods of daily use to get to goal and then would stop using MFP) but only recently started using the community platform and am so happy I did.
On my most recent MFP reset: I lost 15lbs Feb to July 2021, gained back 10lbs July to Oct 2021 (did not handle the loss of a loved one well and a month later severe ankle injury; truly was struggling emotionally and physically), and pulled myself together in November. Since Nov 2021, I've focused on “the basics”: sleep, water, movement, daily calorie deficit, and mindset/habits. In particular, I’m focusing on my mindset and habits more than ever before. I'm now 17lbs down from SW (which was also all-time high) with 35lbs to GW. I've lost 20lbs and 35lbs in the past, but didn't make sustainable habit or mindset changes in the process either time. My goal now is to get to my GW in a steady, sustainable way for permanent lifestyle change. I'm focused on changing my mindset and being kind with myself whereas before I'd always try to shame and deprive myself into weight loss. I look forward to another month with this incredible group of people!3 -
I've been here since December 2020. This group has helped me do a better job of getting into consistent exercise. Food and loggings aren't much of an issue for me. Unfortunately, I've not done very well the last month due to a couple of unanticipated trips. I should be home until the first of April at which time I have a vacation planned.
Goal for this month is to have zero pass days. I've managed to maintain from March of last year until mid January but my weight has creeped up a few pounds over the last six weeks or so. Not planning to weigh myself until Friday as some of the uptick is likely due to all of the restaurant food this past week.3 -
Hi Everyone! My name is Julie and this will be my eighth month in the UAC. I am Canadian, and live with my husband on the prairies. 🇨🇦 Our 18 month old standard poodle Beauregard is a hoot and keeps us all laughing (well, except when he is destroying throw pillows or shoes).
I love to cook and bake and enjoy finding and modifying recipes to create healthy alternatives. My focus for months has been on increasing my protein intake without using supplements. As a person who rarely eats any meat at all, I have found this challenging. I am working on becoming more open to using a protein supplement. Now to find one I can stomach. Any recommendations would be very welcome!
Personally, I am looking forward, every day, to the return of spring. 🌼 I am not great with the freezing cold temperatures and the ice. I walk 10,000+ every day (outdoors is preferable but I am all set up with the treadmill and use it if needs must). I have been adding strength and core training routines to my weekly exercises and don’t yet enjoy any of them. Sticking with it until I do… 😉
Looking forward to the March UAC Challenge.4 -
Hello everyone! My name is Chris. I first started UAC last March, joined MFP in 2014, and started working on my health and diet back in 2007.
I grew up hating gym, exercise, all that stuff. Although I was extremely active as a child, always out doing things (loved baseball and swimming) with most of my friends involved in some form of sport, curiously enough. I guess I simply couldn't be coached or stick to any routine. I did what I wanted.
Fast forward to 35 years old, desk job, family stress, blah, blah, and I was freaking huge. Literally. And terribly out of shape. On a whim I decided to have a physical (thankfully) and learned I had high cholesterol, pre-diabetes, and was of course considered morbidly obese (the primary cause of most of that). I knew due to family history where this led. As well as data from the AHA and ADA. I entered all of this at 35 with a data driven mindset (as a database admin and software engineer) focused primarily on weight and diet.
I wish I could say it was as simple as waking up to the error of my ways and changing them to healthy ways, and everything was happily ever after. But the truth is it has been cycles of ups and downs. Some were big ups, some were big downs. What I can say is that as long as you don't literally give up and take on an attitude of "I do not care one bit for my health because I will die anyway" that even those down periods can be a net gain.
The only time I reached a higher weight than when I started was after my first big weight loss in 2007-2008 via radical diet changes where I went from a self processed "Bacon-tarian" to a raw vegan. I started in the 290's, and after burning out on all that "radical diet crap" I eventually reached my highest weight of 316 in January 2014.
Ok, that is wordy, I apologize, I do like to share, and share too much all too often. But since 2014 all has been "net positive".
Does that mean I never gave back up again?
No.
But I did take a "somewhat" more sensible approach starting in 2014, and have been refining that ever since. I say somewhat because I started running in 2014, which eventually included running 3 full marathons within a 30 day span (apologies for saying that more than once, I think I'm still in disbelief that I did that).
For me, and I realize everyone is very unique and may not see parallels, I have periods of time where I am 100% "on" in terms of improving health and fitness. And then there are periods where that is not so much in focus. BUT...every healthy thing I can engrain into my regular normal daily life that I "truly" enjoy will stick with me even in those "down periods". So what happens is a cycle of ups and downs that net in a downward trend. And that works for me because.. well ..I don't seem to have much choice in that matter. No matter how much I may "want" to just keep following some routine forever, the nature of the universe ensures that I must change with it, and sometimes that means periods where I'm not 100% on my game.
I'll take that.
So here I am, in March 2022, fifteen years after starting, at a net lower weight, and with a 50 year old physique that puts my 35 year old physique to shame, and just itching to launch out of the gate into this Spring.
I like to be inspired, and try to pay that forward. I'm an active MFP member, and lurker of many things in the MFP forums. I contribute here because I feel UAC epitomizes the essence of MFP and provides the best route to success for those either starting off or trying to figure out their path on their health journey.
I accept friend requests from people I recognize, so if you are posting here and looking for support, feel free. If I turn it down just say something here so I realize you're a real person and not some MFP bot account.
Looking forward to a stellar 2022!6 -
@WhatMeRunning Chris you are inspiring, as always3