Daily check in for support and accountability

pamperedlinny

@dogwalker157 I'm going to do a slightly longer post just for you. I have thoughts, sorry if it sounds at all preachy.... but I love a good class vs the treadmill.... I have an elliptical at home so I'm not opposed to it AT ALL. These are just my person experiences and opinions.

I have tried a lot of the machines in the gym and a lot of the classes. I used to take an aqua zumba and aqua fit class too when I was pregnant. What I found is that I love the classes a lot more than just the machines... which I often refer to as the iron forest. I don't really have much rhythm but I'm not the only one.

First, unless you are truly being goofy, no one is staring at you. They are trying to get themselves into rhythm. If you ever really look around the room, you'll notice at least 1/3 of people staring HARD at the instructors feet or at themselves in the mirror figuring it out. If you find a class with a goofball in it, those really are the most fun. I befriended the goofball and now when it's a move too hard we do our own thing together. So you can't salsa properly, two step with a buddy instead. Why not?!? It's still moving. It makes it fun. The others in class laugh but not in any negative way. If anything, you'll start a trend of more fun.

Second, if they have Zumba then there is probably pound, piloxing, or other music led fun classes. I recommend trying them all once. I'm kind of mad that the line dancing as exercise class at my gym is on a weekday at 10am when I'm supposed to be working. It sounds fun! Find one that works for you. Do not be afraid to modify. If they do squats and you have a bad hip (which I do), walk in place. If they start jumping and you have bad knees (also have that), then just do side steps. I've found I can make almost any class as high impact or low impact as I need.

Third, if you go to the classes then go in planning to have fun. If the class seems like it COULD be fun but isn't, then try another instructor. My gym has multiple Zumba classes and instructors. There are 3 that I love, 1 that I can tolerate, 1 that I will never go to her class on purpose. Just like you might love chicken but not cooked "that way," you might love a class but not the teacher. When you give all the types of classes a try, also give all the teachers a try. The person leading can make a HUGE impact on how great it is or how horrible.

Seriously, I've laid on the floor in the middle of pound because I was just exhausted half way in. I've farted in the middle of squat and felt super embarrassed. I've gone the wrong way during a grapevine. I've done a goofy run around the room because I refused to do whatever the move was at the time. I've decided halfway in to make an excuse and leave. I've made some great friends who will ask where you were if you miss a few classes. That last one, accountability, it's a big draw to keep me going as well.

Lastly, my gym will let those 8 and over, with a parent, go to the group exercise classes. Once you are 11 and, take a gym safety course, they are also allowed to use the machines. Again, with a parent/guardian/other member that is an adult being in there with them. I kind of love that they encourage the kids to pick up healthy habits early and go with the parents. During the summer break, where there are no sports, I'll make my daughter come with me at least once a week. It's nice to do it together and also lets me encourage her to stay active. I can lead by example and show her that I have fun... and she will be the first to tell you I don't have rhythm or dance well. 🙈

OK. End of long response. Sorry it was so long, but it's absolutely something I learned to love. ❤️

Ann262

@pamperedlinny nice blog!!

@dogwalker157 I have been competing with dogs since 2007. Dog agility is sooooo much fun for both dog and handler.

I know...listening to our bodies and and actually "feeding" ourselves. Really shouldn't be such a eye opener but ....We have been fed so much nonsense over the years. I mean, Victoria's Secret is that she is an old guy who lives in Ohio. Thanks Jax!

dogwalker157

Thank you pampered for the very thoughtful post I really enjoyed reading it. You made me laugh and also reminded me to have fun. The gym I go to does have a good variety of classes, I just need to push myself to try them out. I'm going to pick a class and just do it. I'll keep you posted on how it turns out. Thanks!

@ann- yes, what should be so simple somehow got so complicated.

pamperedlinny

@dogwalker157 I'm actually going to my favorite Zumba class tonight. The teacher is a gazelle, seriously. Long limbs, super skinny, super limber, can jump really high, but she's also the most fun. I modify almost everything. She was also my daughter's room mom at school for last year and her son was on a soccer team with my daughter last year. We love that class. Definitely let us know what you try and what you think.

melissacook1198

Hi I'm Melissa, I'm 24 and I've been trying to lose weight for a year. The last time I weighed in I was 147 and my highest was 166. I'm going through a breakup and it's been extra stressful at work so I've been eating my comfort foods and I'm so scared to weigh myself again but I'm going to keep trying! My goal weight is 135!

harringtona1

Wednesday weigh-in
HW 234
CW 222
GW 150 or so

I'm having such a fun time in the year twenty-twenty-ME! Long story short is that I'm adding a little more challenge every 2 weeks because I have a long time to get where I need to be.

I get to celebrate all the time. I'm either hitting a 2-week weight goal (even if it isn't on time) or hitting a total weight loss goal (5 pounds, 10 pounds...) or seeing a new number on the scale (under 230) or making the last challenge a habit... Those celebrations keep me going.

I also have rewards scheduled along the way to keep me looking forward. New orange eyeshadow look.
A couple of new (current "old" size) work outfits that I'm comfortable in and that don't make me feel like I'm busting the seams. Hubby and I planned and took off pi day. I'm going on a health weekend alone mid-April. Massages. Vacation with family mid-May. Maybe a longer retreat later if I need it. I would consider a low-risk health procedure if I got to a certain level. Anyone have experience with lipo or any of that stuff? I'm a biiiiiig chicken. But my sister did some stuff.

So, I'm psyched to keep looking forward to this year and making planned progress. It's not just for me. It's not fair to potentially burden my spouse/family with taking care of me in the years ahead just because I didn't take care of myself when I could have. That's really what got me moving again. And it's absolutely my number 1 priority.

That's my story and maybe advice to someone like me. Shorter posts from now on I promise!
Anne G

dogwalker157

@Harrington-I like your plan to add in rewards and also put the focus on yourself in the year "twenty- twenty me" I may have to borrow that one.

Today was a challenging day for me. I decided I really wanted dessert but didn't have calories for a meal and dessert so I decided to eat carrot cake for supper. This was a choice- I didn't have it in the house so I went out and bought it. I had a slice and then packed it up and put it in my husband's car for him to take it to work tomorrow. I did go over my calories but not by a huge amount. However I still feel guilty even though I chose to eat it. I guess this comes with years of dieting. I don't plan to eat dessert again for awhile but I have this bit of fear that it's a slippery slope. I need to learn to let this go and move on without letting it sabotage my plans.

harringtona1

Wow! I think you're a superhero for stopping and thinking. Those are for real life skills. Everything I've read says to do just what you did. Think. Choose. I'm so sorry you're feeling doubt. Tomorrow is a new chance for you to do something different if you choose to. But still .. awesome. But I understand. I'd be a terrible therapist!

pamperedlinny

I had a "moment" yesterday. Around lunch time I felt stressed, annoyed, etc. and went into a mini binge. First, my habits I've been building seemed to stick because even on a binge I weighed out my chips and pretzels. Second, I had my fill... granted it was 3 Red Vines, 2 Reese's mystery shapes, a kit kat bar, a serving of chips, a serving of pretzels, and whipped cream cheese for a "dip." But once I hit a point where I was done... I was done. I logged it all. Reevaluated the rest of my day. Made adjustments. And I still finished below my 1800 calorie boundary.

I still don't know my exact trigger that made me feel like I needed all the junk but I stopped as soon as I felt done and didn't let it mess up the rest of my day. I ate within my boundaries. I still went to Zumba class. I still stopped for the day at 8pm.

Pulling myself back from the edge of what could have been a really bad calorie day feels like a huge win.

dogwalker157

@pampered- Your post was timely- It must have been something in the air yesterday. Congratulations on keeping it in check and staying within your target. I keep reminding myself that this is a journey and all part of the process of adapting a healthier lifestyle. On another note... I took a core class this morning. It was challenging but I survived. I thought about what you said about doing my own thing and that really helped. I signed up for intro to zumba on Tuesday night.

Yesterday was a challenge and I'm hoping to move forward today without a lot of cravings for snack stuff. I have a good amount of exercise plugged in too. This will be my third weekend (always find them more challenging) and I'm hoping to make good choices and feel good come Monday.

Have a great day All

pamperedlinny

@dogwalker157 I had to remind myself yesterday about it being a journey as well, and that one 40 minute divergence doens't give me liscence to throw out the whole day.
I'm so excited you tried the core class and signed up for the Zumba class! Zumba really is my favorite that I can get to at my gym. I really want to try the line dancing as exercise class, Piloxing class, and a few others that only happen when I'm at work. One day I'll have off work and get to try them.

Ann262

@harringtona1 I love how you are breaking down the goals into smaller bits so you can celebrate along the way.
@dogwalker157 wow. I am really impressed that you wanted dessert and had it thoughtfully.

I just have to say..what happened to us that we have to feel so many feelings about having a piece of cake? There is just so much in our history where we have been taught we must be thin to be beautiful and treating ourselves, even thoughtfully & deliberately has baggage bringing feelings of guilt and failure. None of us are that.

As for me, I am still going strong. I treated myself to lunch out yesterday. I enjoyed a healthy lunch but had a chai latte and 3 truffles for dessert. All logged and accounted for. Like the rest of you, I felt a bit of guilt but I am determined to let those negative thoughts go.

dogwalker157

@Ann262 - Thanks for pointing that out -how ridiculous it is to feel guilty about eating a piece of cake. This ingrained idea that if I have a piece of cake I've failed at my effort at living a healthier lifestyle. It is all part of the diet mentality, as you mentioned. I am still learning it is not "all or nothing" but making good choices a majority of the time. I think I need more practice trusting myself to eat dessert once in awhile without saying to myself- well you might as well just go back to eating mindlessly. Glad you're going strong and treated yourself to a nice lunch. I'm going to to join you on letting the negative thoughts go.

The weekend is going well on this end. I'm managing to stay within a good range and getting a lot of walking in. Looking forward to spring and getting my bike out.

pamperedlinny

Sorry I didn't check in a lot over the weekend. On Saturday I went to an 80s trivia night. It was so much fun. We had a few really good at trivia people on our team and came in 1st place. On Sunday I made a pot roast in the slow cooker, went to church, took a nap, and really just lounged on the sofa most of the day. I am still crazy tired today and don't know why.

Boundaries-wise, I stayed within my calories for everything except yesterday... but that was only over my 1800 limit by 44 calories. I can live with that. Today I'm debating going to my Zumba class this afternoon. The teacher is hit or miss. Sometimes I love her class and sometimes it's just ok. I know I won't be able to do tomorrow's class so I feel like I should go. We'll see how it goes and how I feel after work today.

dogwalker157

Happy Monday

@pampered- Congratulations on the trivia win- sounds like a lot of fun.

I have a few quick questions...

When you add in exercise and get extra calories added to your calorie limit, do you tend to eat those extra calories or do you stick to your budget regardless of exercise calories.

Have you lowered the calorie limit as you have lost weight or do you stay with the same daily allowance despite any weight loss?

Have a great night All

pamperedlinny

@dogwalker157 I used to stick to whatever mfp recommended plus half my exercise calories. More recently I've changed how I do things. I looked up what calories I need on average at my goal weight for maintenance and set at sedentary. I found it was approximately 1600 calories. So I set a boundary range for myself to eat between 1200 to 1800 each day and average about 1600 most days.

I wanted to give myself a range that I will live in long term. Or at least try to figure out how to eat when I hit those goals. I decided I would try learning how I could eat when I'm not trying to lose weight or lower my A1C, but am already there.

I've started over with lots of different approaches and "rules" over the years. I wanted to try something that wouldn't change just because I hit my goals. It's working for now.

harringtona1

Bah! 8 pounds in one day. And I'm having to fight to get it back down. Staying around 1300 calories. 10k steps. Fasting 14 hours. I realized that this is what I've been up against every month for a long time. I just don't understand how my hormones are doing this. But I have an appointment with a specialist. I'm getting to the bottom of it. 💯

You all fight the good fight while I spend the week trying to get back where I was last Friday. 🤦‍♀️

rmkinley

Hello! I am new and hoping to join this fabulous, motivated group! I am a 53 year old single mom of two girls (13 and 11). After thinking about getting healthy/losing weight for years, I am finally doing it!!! I have started with a weight loss center (not sure if I'm allowed to say the name so I won't) where I am to focus on eating protein, fruits and vegetables. My starting weight was 204 on Jan 30th of this year. Today I weighed in at 183.7. My goal is to weigh 150 pounds but more importantly - to be healthy for my two girls. Can I join you all for support and friendship???

GeminiSister

Good evening everyone! I’m Christina, I’m 47 and really need to get on the ball and get my weight back under control. I’ve never been small, but I work in healthcare. I see things and don’t want my life to be like that.

I lost about 45 pounds in 2018 by running at the track and doing stadium stairs. I was sooo strong and felt sooo good!! I have sadly gained all of it back through under treated hypothyroidism and ankle surgery.

I started trying to lose weight again back in October 2022. My weight then was 239. So I suppose I should pat myself on the back since I’m down 10 pounds to 229.

I have a few challenges in front of me. One of which is my husband, who routinely purchases me snacks, woos me with chocolate, and prefers fast food over home cooked meals because that’s how he grew up. My monster in law is definitely not a cook.

My biggest problem is myself and a sheer lack of motivation. I purchased myself a used concept 2 rowing machine. It’s right downstairs in my basement. All I have to do is get on it and use it. And I haven’t. I know that a combination of food logging, my diet in general, and exercise for me is key.

What do you do for motivation?! Can someone please bottle it and prescribe it to me? My goal is 170.

Thanks for creating this thread!

pamperedlinny

Morning all!

I didn’t get to Zumba last night. I forgot that my husband’s office is doing a Taco Tuesday thing and I was volunteered to make a tray of Spanish Rice for about a dozen people. Afterward, I just sat again. However, I still kept to my calories while making my daughter one of her favorite dinners. She LOVES Orange Chicken and I had one of the frozen entrée things of it in the freezer. Orange Chicken, Basmati Rice, and steamed Broccoli.

I had my first mammogram yesterday. That was an interesting experience. Someone I used to know had told me once about the time they were getting theirs when the power went out for whatever reason. They were at a medical center and not an actual hospital so the generator only turned on lights, exit signs, etc… not machinery. She was stuck in it for about 30 minutes. I’ve lived with that irrational fear of it happening to me for about a decade. Is it sad that I was sure mine was at a small hospital and not a tiny medical center????

I have my bi-weekly Ladies Bible Study tonight at church. Often I either don’t know what the dinner is in advance or the dinner is something really high calorie or rich. This time we’re having a homemade salad bar, grilled chicken, and homemade dressings. The salad dressing is going to be the only real problem this time so I’m just taking some from home. I’m so happy that the plan is for a lighter meal option for once. Those ladies running it can cook so well and it makes keeping to tiny portions and calorie counting so hard. For the record, I always eat there and I always stay in my estimated calorie range.

I have learned if this is going for be for life that I need to plan ahead when I’m able. If I don’t know the meal plan I’ll only have about 600 calories all day until I go. That way I can eat without too big of a fuss. I don’t skip events due to food worries. I don’t only cook cauliflower rice and forego regular rice. I make this work with my life as often as possible. If we’re going to a restaurant somewhere I’ve been known to stalk the menu and make a plan days before. If we go to a bar I’m often with a rum and diet coke or something similar so I can enjoy without overindulging in my calories. I’ve learned a lot about making myself put limits and stick to plan even when I don’t want to do so.

@harringtona1 Hormones cause so much stuff. Hope you find the answers you need.

@rmkinley Welcome!!!! Of course you can join in. I have a 9 year old daughter, so my motivation to be a lot healthier lines up with yours.  I’m 40 but my husband is 58 so you’re right between our ages as well. The moms I’m friends with who are still in their early 30’s or that I meet at school stuff all have so much more energy than my husband and I but we try to keep up.

@GeminiSister Welcome! Congrats on the loss. Even if it’s small and slow, it counts. My husband actually asked me this year if I wanted our traditional chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day. I wish I could say I got him to ask first years ago, but I’ve been working on myself off and on, back sliding, starting over, etc for about 15 years. When the person you live with isn’t helping and supportive, it’s rough! I always do best when he’s either on board with me or, at least, asks me if it’s something I want. In that 15 years I am down over 100 lbs. I never go up as high as I started. But it hasn’t been smooth sailing either. Finding others, even if it isn’t your husband, you can go to for accountability, venting frustrations about food, or keeping a food and truth journal about what you eat and why can help a lot.