my accountability thread Day one

sarah7591

Welcome heathierorbust! I know how discouraging it can be to track all week and not lose a thing. It may just be water weight though and hopefully you will see some pounds come off soon. I did not eat well yesterday and today I feel so sluggish and tired...hate that. Hoping tomorrow I will feel less tired and more upbeat.
@Beverly...hope you are feeling better. I know how that is when you feel bad it is an easy excuse to go off plan. Glad you made it through the weekend. Hope your knee gets better. It has been over a year since I ran but I would do it so often I really missed it. I do walk and swim several times a week. I am taking pickleball classes as that is the rage around here so I will see what that is all about. I sometimes need to force myself to learn something new. Yes, it is a new month and a new beginning ...May is our month.
Have a great Monday and I plan to check in tomorrow.

BeverlyW1108

I'm so excited that you decided to join us Healthierorbust! It feels wrong to say we can't control our weight but there are so many factors that influence the scale, eating my calories later in the day, medication, drinking a lot of water, muscle vs fat, just to name a few. I can control my calories in and calories out, so that is what I do! Patience and Persistance rule my world!!!
My cold is less annoying today and I'm going to the gym to see if the stairmaster bothers my knee. Healthier, what was your competitive activity?
Have a Good Tuesday!

sarah7591

Hi Everyone! Checking in. Actually I thought i checked in this morning but I must have forgot to hit send. Oh well...that's just like me to do that. All is well here and feeling much better today. I was so drained yesterday for some reason. I'm just glad I stuck to eating well. Today I did go swimming which always makes me feel better. My dinner was not that healthy because I have my 9 year old granddaughter a few days a week for dinner and she wanted nachos for dinner. Whats a grandma to do? Nachos it was but I didn't have a huge amount. I'm know it was way too many calories though. Going to take the dog for a walk later. Have a great day everyone.

sarah7591

Hi All! Checking in for today. I am doing well ...eating well (no binging -which I am known to do). Keeping off any sugar is key for me. I feel so much better. Trying to get good sleep which is difficult for me. Going walking this morning to get my metabolism ready! How is everyone doing? I am really trying to get through the month of May with eating healthy and exercising. Have a great day everyone!

BeverlyW1108

Good Morning Friends! I'm doing well. I went to the gym yesterday for the first time in a long time. I didn't overdo it, I wanted to see if I could use the stair master without knee pain. I can still feel something wrong in my knee. From everything I've read appears to be a IT band issue. It is actually called a runner's knee. Anyway, it doesn't really "hurt" so I'm planning a run for tomorrow. Today is working around the house. I've stayed within my calorie goal for 8 days. There are definitely times when I want to quit, but somehow I've made it. Something I read today - In a world where you can be anything, Be Kind.
Have a good day!

healthierorbust

Hi, all! Yesterday was my birthday 🎉 Had a good day. Tried to keep things on track & also enjoy a treat! Went for a long walk & hike with my husband and felt good to spend time outside. I finally dropped one pound since I started tracking about two weeks ago! I weigh myself every day, but not sure if that is a good approach or not.

BeverlyW1108

Happy Birthday @healthierorbust! So glad you had a nice one! So happy you are back on board @sarah7591 and doing well. It would be so hard, calorie wise, for me to have the grandkids or kids around all day. I'm really looking forward to a nice easy run this morning since I haven't run since last Friday. I bought me a knee brace yesterday and my new running shoes were delivered! Yay! I felt hungry all day yesterday. I had to keep telling myself, drink water, chew gum and it is ok to be hungry! My hubby also struggles to keep his weight at an acceptable level. It is so nice having him encouraging me and vice versa except when one of us is feeling weak!!! He had gotten in the habit of buying KIND ice cream bars when he went to the store. Yesterday I had to say if you buy anything please eat it on your way home (Yes, all 6 bars!)! So enough of my rambling. I hope everyone has a successful day!

sarah7591

Happy Belated Birthday @healthierorbust ! That is great you lost a pound! I did as well but just worried it will come back this weekend. Weekends are so hard for me! This weekend I have two social (drinks/food)events so it will be REALLY hard. I have to be vigilant. I also weigh myself every day. Can't imagine waking up and not doing that.
@BeverlyW1108 I hope the knee brace works out for you! I hope some day to go running again. For now though swimming and walking will do. Just happy I can do that. What type of running shoes did you get Beverly? I always wore the HOKA's ....have you heard of them? My hubby struggles with weight as well. I only have about 6lbs to lose but I know I will feel much better if I do lose. Husband has lots more to lose. We do support each other but eat very different as I do not eat meat (well VERY rarely). Have a great day everyone. Thanks for checking in and I hope we can keep going strong.

BeverlyW1108

Good Morning Ladies! This is the start of the weekend, let's not negate all the hard work we did this week! I weigh every morning also, always have. But hubby and I consider Fridays as our weigh in day!
Last Friday I was 126.4, today 125.2! Yeah! I cannot say it was easy. So much of my focus is on counting calories. I've stayed within my set calorie range every day. Yesterday we made plans for a short weekend trip to visit family in a couple weeks. We all know what that means, birthday cake and eating out . I'm going to allow myself extra calories, but still set a maximum goal. I always log but Always go way over. I'm going to try to focus more on my enjoyment coming from activities rather than food. Have a Good Weekend!

BeverlyW1108

Yikes, I’m hungry😬 Grilling chicken right now and it smells so good! Drink Water, Chew Gum, It’s Ok to be Hungry!

BeverlyW1108

Good Morning Weekend! We got up early today so we can run before it gets too hot! Have a Good Day!

sarah7591

Hi All! I'm so sorry I did not check in yesterday.....I swear life just gets in the way! @BeverlyW1108 - drink water, chew gum....yep that helps. Sometimes after I eat lunch, dinner and I am STILL hungry I will set a timer for 30 minutes and when the timer goes off if I am still hungry I will have something small...chances are though I won't be. It takes a while for my stomach to communicate with my brain! Beverly ---way to go on losing over a pound!! You know those last 5-10 are the hardest!! I lost one this week as well but my weigh in day is Monday so hopefully that loss
will still be there. Went to a cinco di mayo party last night and I ate healthy!! There were some healthy options which was wonderful and I brought a big bowl of fruit. I figured that was at least something I could eat. Going walking this morning (early...ugh) for 6 miles with a friend. Great way to start the day. Keep up the good work Beverly and @healthierorbust how are you doing??

BeverlyW1108

Good Morning Ladies! Checking in here. Not much going on. Sticking to the plan. Have a good day.

@healthierorbust are you still with us?

sarah7591

Hi All! Checking in and hoping everyone is doing well. I have ate well and exercised all weekend and I gained a pound! Oh well not going to let it get me down. My goal is to lose a pound a week for 6 weeks. I know you can fluctuate with water weight so hoping that is it. Tomorrow is my weigh in day. I am going on vacation to the beach in July so would like to be down 6 lbs by then. Giving myself plenty of time. Have a great Sunday and thank you for checking in. It helps!!

healthierorbust

Hello! I’m still here. Have two small kids and a busy job and everyone has been sick this past week, including my husband so I’ve been exhausted and struggling to keep up on the check ins! I feel like the weekdays are so much better for me and the weekends are tough, except that I have more time exercise. I’ve been on a pretty good roll with tracking and increasing my exercise, especially compared to a before I hopped back on MFP, and yet the scale will not budge. I don’t know if I’m not being exact enough in my tracking? Thanks for the birthday wishes!

BeverlyW1108

Happy Monday! So happy to hear from you Healthierorbust! My hubby and I are both retired but I remember how difficult it was when I had to keep high calorie foods in the house for the kids. Sarah, YES, it helps to have accountability buddies that keep me on track! Like both of you my scale seems to be "stuck"! I went over my calorie goal yesterday so I'm glad it didn't go up! We eat a lot of chicken and seafood but lately I've been craving a hamburger. Sometimes I think when that happens my body needs the change for whatever reason. I told hubby, no we are not going out to eat. I will grill burgers, no cheese, put them on our low-calorie bread rather than buns and have mustard instead of mayonnaise, which is a no no for him to keep in the house. Heathierorbust, where abouts do you live. We live in NW Louisiana. I was born and raised in Cincinnati, OH but moved here 40 years ago and I love the slower pace! I hope y'all have a Marvelous Monday!

sarah7591

Hi All! @healthierorbust - it is hard to believe that at one time I had 3 kids and seriously when I look back...I don't know how I did it! My scale is stuck too! Ugh....not going to let it get me down. I wanted to lose just one pound a week and this week that did not happen. Oh well...I'll try again this week. My goal is to lose by July so I have time. The good thing is I am eating healthy and exercising which is important. Have a great Monday everyone!!

healthierorbust

We live in Maine.

healthierorbust

@BeverlyW1108 i have lots of family from the Cinci area!

BeverlyW1108

Good Morning, I'm doing a challenge that asks 3 questions each day. 1. Did I exercise for 20 minutes today? 2. Did I stay within the calorie goal set by myself (can fluctuate) and 3. Did I track all my food and exercise today? I "think" this is helping me to stay accountable. I guess I will know at month end if it has helped! These seem to be the things in our control, not what the scale says. It helps me be honest with myself. This morning is an easy 45 min run for me. I hope everyone has a good day.

sarah7591

@BeverlyW1108 - I like that challenge. I think I will try it for the week and see how I do. I have such a hard time tracking things I make for myself at home. Also, not sure about you, but the free version of MFP will not scan barcodes for me anymore. Does that work for you? Either way I am committed to eating well land exercise. I have two lunch dates this week with friends which is really nice but going out to eat is such a challenge for me!! You know restaurants give you waaaaay to much food and it is so hard for me to leave it on the plate. I am really going to try and not eat everything on my plate and take some home. We'll see.....something so simple is a challenge. I'm going to start my day walking with a friend. It's going to get hot here but have not turned on the A/C....may have to do that today. Good luck all!

healthierorbust

I like that challenge idea. I agree that eating out is so hard! I have the free MFP and cannot scan barcodes - but could when I did premium a few years ago. It occurred to me today that I’ve been tracking now for almost three weeks straight and I feel like I’m in the motivation “danger zone.” I have lost one pound in 2.5 weeks, even though I feel like I’ve definitely reduced my calorie intake and hungry, and I’ve been exercising more (probably not enough). I’m finding it really hard to know when to weigh myself. Every day? First thing in the morning before drinking or eating? IDK. But the scale isn’t changing and that is super discouraging. I thought to myself today - this is the danger zone because it would be easy to say heck with this! Tracking is time consuming and a pain, but I always learn from it (most shock at how easy it is to overeat). But I feel like I need to keep trying and will get more accurate about tracking etc. I really want this… I just wish I’d started up again last year and/or never stopped! Also - question- I use a GPS watch that estimates calories burned during workouts but also just throughout the day based on steps. Sometimes I use that calorie burned estimate to adjust my exercise log but I’m wondering if that is not helping. Like I shouldn’t add those calories back in… it feels like 1400 calories is so little to live on 🤔 I don’t carry my phone with me everywhere but it does add steps from my iPhone.

That’s my reflection for today.

Good work, ladies!

BeverlyW1108

Grrrrr! I just wrote a long post and then went back to read an old one on page 2 and lost what I had written. So here goes again!
"That’s my reflection for today." I love that!
I really enjoy our little Group. I joined another challenge but there are so many people and comments and I feel guilty for not reading and commenting on everyone's posts that I feel overwhelmed! Someone wrote this today and I thought ya'll might like it:
"You need to make TIME in your life to change or adopt a new habit. It takes energy and time and planning and strategizing and tweaking and assessing. In response to my feeling overwhelmed. I was trying to change habits and do everything else I had always done. Nope. Not enough time to do more. So I am reducing my social time for now. I am skipping a few weekend trips. I need to look after my health first.
The other thing that I loved was, it's not what you do ALL the time, it's what you do MOST of the time that matters. Just so I don't beat myself up if I am not 100% perfect all the time. Keep getting back on track. It's normal to fall off now and then."

I'm going to make a second post so I don't lose this one!

BeverlyW1108

Hi again! Sarah, I wear Asics running shoes. I also have 2 pair of Nikes but Asics are my favorite. Hubby talked me into trying Nike! I heard that MFP doesn't let free members scan food anymore. I pay for the premium membership, for me it is worth it. Something so simple is such a challenge is right! I have a friend that when we go out to eat she Always divides whatever she gets in half before she starts eating and asks for a togo box immediately. It works for her. I've tried it but sometimes I end up eating out of the to go box!!! Sometimes I eat it as soon as I get home, but at least that stretches it out! I also just read that someone doesn't eat until she logs it in her diary. I might try that although I just ate a bowl of cereal b4 logging, fail already: smile:
Healthierorbust, I wear a Garmin watch all the time. It puts my calories burned in MFP but I don't count them against what I eat. BUT, I've started adding half of what they say. It seems to me that they
overestimate bc I've never lost weight when adding the calories burned. I started adding half because I cannot seem to keep my energy while running and now I'm trying to add some core and leg exercises in addition to my running.

I hope you ladies have a Great Day!

sarah7591

Hi all! @healthierorbust - yes it can get discouraging at times--- trying for over two weeks and only one pound. That's hard. I do weigh myself every morning first thing when I get up . Some people weigh once a week but that would be hard for me. I need to see how I am doing. I try to have "weigh in" on Mondays and hope that I lose 1 pound during ht week..and weighing in daily sometimes lets me show my progress. I do have the fitness tracker and add my calories after exercising. How much are your trying to lose again?
I do learn a lot my tracking all my food but it is so hard. For example yesterday I went our to eat had a veggie omelette w/cheese, collards and half a biscuit... I have no idea what the amount of calories?
Oh well. Back at it today. Try not to get discouraged because it is so easy to do.
Weekends are so hard for me. This weekend will be really hard with Mothers Day and a baby shower I am going to.
Take care and all you can do is try your best right?

dvmmcw8273

Hello,
My name is Melanie, I am 56 years old and from Alberta Canada.
Had a complete knee replacement done just shy of 2 weeks ago and now ready to capitalize on this second chance I have been given. I love anything to do with athletics so I hope I will be able to pursue a lot of things my knee was not allowing me to do the last several years.
I track macros as my guide- tend to go heavier on protein especially now that I am in menopause.
I hope that you all are ok with me joining your group.
I wanted to comment on the business of kids and looking after family- I seriously do not remember most of my 30s and 40s. Life was so busy it sometimes was lived on cruise control. I hope those of you with children still at home are able to slow down and enjoy the ride at times 💜
Have a good day!

BeverlyW1108

Welcome Melanie! So glad to have you join us! I was in such a slump yesterday but today I've decided to get up off my pity pot! It is pouring down rain with lightning and thunder here so my morning run will be postponed, probably tomorrow. I'm going to try to log my food BEFORE I eat today. I thought I usually did that but now that I'm trying to be conscious of it, I'm noticing more and more that I don't do it on my snacking It's a new day and we are going to kill it today! Remember it's what we do Most of the time that matters. Let go of yesterday.

sarah7591

Hi All @dvmmcw8273 Welcome and happy to have you join us. I so relate to you about my 30 and 40's....can't remember how I did it all! I have been doing well but not tracking and I like the suggestions about tracking before I eat. Great idea! I have really been exercising and that has helped a lot. Sometimes after I eat I get really hungry....after! Not sure if it is blood sugar response or what. What has been helping me is I set an alarm on my watch for 30 min...if I am still hungry after that I may eat something. Yesterday I set the alarm 2x and after an hour the hunger went away. Just a little trick that helps me. Have a good day everyone.

dvmmcw8273

Hi,
Thank you for the welcome.
I have had an eating disorder most of my life- I can really remember it vividly starting at around 15.
It’s been a lifetime of ups and downs, doing crazy diets, just not eating, over exercising- I could go on.
I have finally come to realize through some soul searching- one thing my knee completely breaking down has allowed me to do. Like I said in my last post, I truly believe I have been given a second chance at having an active life and I want to make the most of it. Some of it relates to weight loss but the realization that it will come slowly and in a healthier way. I have had a lot of time to think about my relationship with food and how I want to move forward.
@BeverlyW1108 I used to run a lot . One thing I truly miss and not sure I will be able to return to. I replaced it with bike riding when my knee got too bad- really looking forward to getting back to that!
@sarah7591 I get that feeling of hunger after I eat too. I like the idea of waiting 30 minutes. I also get hungry everyday around 3pm. I think it’s more of a habit than actual hunger as it usually goes away after about a half hour.
Hope you all have a lovely day 😊 Melanie

BeverlyW1108

TGIF! That doesn't have as big of an impact now that I am retired. @Healthierorbust, I hope you are doing well. I sure miss hearing from you. So, I was miserable a couple days this week. I felt like I was always hungry and ready to give up and sit around and get fat! It really helps that I can come to MFP and find others who have had the same experience. Misery loves company? Anyway, instead of giving up I checked my protein intake to see if that could be the problem. It was on target for a 65yo runner. So, I decided to up my calorie intake from lose 1 pound a week(1200 calories) to lose 1/2 pound a week(1440 calories). It helped me stay focused on my health. Friday is my weigh in day and I only lost .2 pounds this week, but I'm ok with that as I thought I would have gained.

Friday 4/28 - weight 126.4
Friday 5/5 - weight 125.2 (avg calories 4/28-5/4=1276)
Friday 5/12 - weight 125.0! Yay! (avg calories 5/5-5/11=1565)