How do you stay accountable and on track?!?!

Hey everyone! I know this is a big topic for a lot of people, staying on track each and every day. Staying motivated and be accountable for your choices. I am sure we all have many different ways of doing this. I am curious as to how all of you do it? Lets hear it fit friends! :)

Replies

  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 2,951 Member
    for me i weigh in every am to keep on top of things. if it goes up i log it and try to do my best to keep it from not goign up and up...i allow it to go up 2 lbs max, then it's kick it back into high gear..
  • sabinavaughan
    sabinavaughan Posts: 109 Member
    I have the same problem..I do good on my own for awhile then boom..back to my sitting on my butt days. I am not sure why...
  • janemem
    janemem Posts: 575 Member
    I weigh in every single day. Log all food/drink down to the last crumb/sip. I weigh and measure everything and put all my own (accurate) nutritional information into the database for all foods I use.

    I also fall off the wagon sometimes though. :wink:
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    Maybe this will come off as flippant, but, I'm only accountable to myself, period. I make the choice to not work out, or to eat poorly, and I understand this. I also understand I make the choice to lift those weights and to eat well. I also know I like food and scotch, and my point as to joining MFP wasn't to give up what I enjoy doing, but to know how to moderate it. I wont' stop having a good curry, or a nice fine dining experience, I'll have them less often and be more active in general so I can offset them. I'm not going to stop having a good glass of scotch, only I'll limit it to one a sitting. I don't believe in dieting, it is stupid and not effective long term. I live and die with the choices I make and those choices will be good ones.
  • srcardinal10
    srcardinal10 Posts: 387 Member
    I weigh myself every other day. More than 2lbs of weight gain (not during that time of the month) is when I know that I messed up somewhere. I also keep measuring cups/spoons at work to be sure that I'm not underestimating. I try to plan meals in advance and I pick a "splurge" meal once a week.

    We, as people, also need to change our vocabulary about "dieting"/eating healthy. We need to take out good vs bad and stop self-punishing. When we are "bad" we try to then be "good" by eating less or pushing too hard exercising. Love life, enjoy food, and just be happy. The end goal will come with time...not over night so people should stop beating themselves up because they were "bad."

    xoxo
  • valz2000
    valz2000 Posts: 78 Member
    I am only accountable to myself --- and the size 10 little black dress I want to wear to an event this spring =)
    I have to set goals for myself that are more than just a number on the scale. It has taken a long time for me to realize that it is more about how I feel and I how I want my body to look than a number. I am working on making a lifestyle change and making sure that it is something that is maintainable for me and my future family.
  • AmiC0717
    AmiC0717 Posts: 440 Member
    I'm lucky enough to be able to hold myself accountable but that's not always easy. My family isn't always happy with my decision not to have snack foods in the house or eat junk food. I also work with people who are watching what they eat as well so that makes daytime a bit easier. I do use MFP every single day to track my food and I actively search for low calorie food options. However, sometimes my hubby sneaks oreos in the house and I do eat 1 or 2. :) You won't die after eating a couple oreos and I just try to remember that I am feeling so much better that it makes it all worthwhile.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    Hey everyone! I know this is a big topic for a lot of people, staying on track each and every day. Staying motivated and be accountable for your choices. I am sure we all have many different ways of doing this. I am curious as to how all of you do it? Lets hear it fit friends! :)

    I posted up pictures of clothes I wanted to wear from athletic catalogs and skinny jeans. I posted them everywhere as a reminder that calories and workouts are the only thing that will get me there. It was totally fun because I had one sporty dress picture hanging for over a year and finally got to buy it and wear it.

    Anything that you can do to remind yourself that all that matters is the day to day grind of calorie deficit and exercise. It's not very exciting because it is a slow process. The only exciting part is when something finally happens. It's just like everything else in life, working for a promotion, getting a degree, getting through boot camp, working your way out of a bad situation, the day to day grind is quite boring and you need reminders of the PRIZE at the end. Keep your eye on the prize, and ride the small victories from one victory to the next, pushing out all negative thoughts and remembering all the small victories as they keep lining up (clothes too big, scale victories (especially 5lb and decade increments), measurement victories, compliments, progress pic victories, etc). Don't give up. Single minded focus. Set up your environment for success. Take trigger foods out of the house. Decide you don't have to go to every single social event that comes up. Get your team on board with your goal. This can't be done on willpower alone.
  • Amanda82691
    Amanda82691 Posts: 298 Member
    Hey everyone! I know this is a big topic for a lot of people, staying on track each and every day. Staying motivated and be accountable for your choices. I am sure we all have many different ways of doing this. I am curious as to how all of you do it? Lets hear it fit friends! :)

    I posted up pictures of clothes I wanted to wear from athletic catalogs and skinny jeans. I posted them everywhere as a reminder that calories and workouts are the only thing that will get me there. It was totally fun because I had one sporty dress picture hanging for over a year and finally got to buy it and wear it.

    Anything that you can do to remind yourself that all that matters is the day to day grind of calorie deficit and exercise. It's not very exciting because it is a slow process. The only exciting part is when something finally happens. It's just like everything else in life, working for a promotion, getting a degree, getting through boot camp, working your way out of a bad situation, the day to day grind is quite boring and you need reminders of the PRIZE at the end. Keep your eye on the prize, and ride the small victories from one victory to the next, pushing out all negative thoughts and remembering all the small victories as they keep lining up (clothes too big, scale victories (especially 5lb and decade increments), measurement victories, compliments, progress pic victories, etc). Don't give up. Single minded focus. Set up your environment for success. Take trigger foods out of the house. Decide you don't have to go to every single social event that comes up. Get your team on board with your goal. This can't be done on willpower alone.


    That is a great idea!
  • luvsbks
    luvsbks Posts: 51
    I track my food on here and in a notebook and that includes the "bad" stuff. I have a personal trainer who checks my log and weighs me once a week. I don't own a scale because I would be weighing myself every day and I personally don't think that is a good idea. I am also accountable to myself, As a previous poster said I make the choices as to what I put in my mouth.
  • luvsbks
    luvsbks Posts: 51
    I like that! This was supposed to be in reply to srcardinal10. I haven't quite mastered how to post to a post already on the board.
  • tpt1950
    tpt1950 Posts: 292 Member
    When I joined MFP, I promised myself one thing and that was that I would not lie to myself with logging in my calories and with my exercise. That has kept me under control - in the past I would lie and eat over the calories I alotted myself and if I didn't feel like exercising I wouldn't. (But lying in bed at night I would feel guilty with myself and hate that I couldn't keep to my plan). All that has changed since I made myself accountable only to myself on MFP.