What the best motivation to keep you accountable?

Lotus1026
Lotus1026 Posts: 49
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Im attempting to lose about 65lb in really whatever time it takes..im done with the unrealistic goals of 30lb/month. but heres my question; what do you think would be the best motivation to keep you accountable?
*constaint weigh in's?
*taking pictures?
*judgeing by clothing?
heres my catch 22, i feel like some would be a deterant, such as depending on what your doing you might not lose weight but rather gain muscle of depending on how you lose weight maybe clothes will fit differenly depending on where your lossing. taking picture could make you more judgemental on yourself if there is not differenc.

any options would be fantastic i just dont want to set myself up disappointment.....
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Replies

  • nancybuss
    nancybuss Posts: 1,461 Member
    Honestly my absolute biggest thing keeping me accountable is I'm running an accountability group on Facebook. Without that, and checking in with others and promising them I'd be there, I'd quit over and over again. Last week I certainly would have missed half my workouts. Having to tell them I didn't get up to workout was enough to get my hiney out of bed.

    Clothes, pictures, the tape measure and the scale are a combo for me. You're right, there is no 'one thing' because of the way the changes happen.

    Find what works for You. There will be up days and down days for sure. But if you want it Enough, really really bad enough down to your core. You WILL do it.

    Good luck!!!

    Feel free to friend me. Or let me know if you'd like in on my FB group too.

    :flowerforyou:
    Nancy
  • Triciad811
    Triciad811 Posts: 268 Member
    I think everyone has different things that motivate them. I am a numbers girl so I measure and weigh often but only record once a week. I love seeing the numbers go down :) I love the motivation I have found here at MFP too. encouraging words and success stories are awesome. Not to mention I have learned so much about BMR, TDEE, and what my body needs to run at its best and still lose my extra weight. I love the encouragement and accountability of having my food diary visible too.

    so my advice is to find what best motivates you and keeps you accountable.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
    I found that body fat % was the best measure/motivator for me. It is more accurate at showing progress than the scale, since weight can vary widely on a day-to-day basis due to water retention and other factors. Seeing that number consistently go down was nice.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    My MFP friends keep me accountable. Also my body. It keeps an accurate diary no matter what :)
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Best motivation for me is seeing pictures of me before I lost weight. Geez, how did I ever let myself get so overweight??
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    for me it is weighing every day.

    Second best is buying new clothes as I lose, and getting rid of the old ones.
  • katbirdinpa
    katbirdinpa Posts: 105
    For me, checking in mfp and tracking me food is really working. It is slow but I am not on a crazy food plan, like one I did a no carb diet and got really dizzy. Once I fasted both times the weight was lost and regained. Now I am just eating healthy, watching portions, measuring. It works. I only weigh myself a few times a month. I've dropped 2 sizes in one year.
  • Leah_Alexis
    Leah_Alexis Posts: 139 Member
    Keep me accountable? Having friends who are in the same boat who are making healthy choices and exercising daily. They help me to get off my butt and do something active. We check in daily. I don't want to look like a slacker.

    Motivation? Seeing the changes in my body. I may be falling in love with myself all over again!
  • morning_joy
    morning_joy Posts: 1,063 Member
    You really need to find what works for you. For me...I have a couple of things I use.

    1. I love taking my measurements because, as you said, muscle weighs more than fat and I am here to lose the fat and get healthy and strong so the number on the scale isn't always best. I have lost 0 pounds but 17 inches.

    2. I also take one picture a month to show me that the fat is coming off. This has also been really helpful when I was not seeing progress on the scale.

    3. I am a gadget junkie. I set goals that are fitness based and I use a couple of tools to track them. The first is a FitBit. I got one for Christmas last year and track every step I take. I just got a badge for walking 750 miles (the length of CA!). The second is RunKeeper App. It tracks my runs, hikes and bikes as well as many other things. It shows me when I have achieved another milestone like fastest mile, highest elevation, longest distance or workout time, most calories burned. I am super competitive with myself and need to hit one "Best" each day so this app gives me lots of options. Because of it, I am now up to a 20 miles bike ride, a 3.17 mile hike, a 3 mile walk/run.

    Do what ever works for you. Get a team of people here to push and motivate you. Feel free to friend me. I love to push and be pushed. I love challenges and really love motivating people.

    Juliana
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    Photos, how clothes fit and fitness improvements kept me motivated.

    Especially the fitness improvements. "I 'only' lost five pounds this month, but I went from not being able to run one block to running a mile! Yay, me!"
  • wannabpiper
    wannabpiper Posts: 402 Member
    Staying VERY on-top of my food diary. Even when I've been a glutton, I record it. Then I weigh in at least once a week to prove the numbers. Just gained four lbs, and was tough to see, but necessary to see all that gluttony on my scale. Back to better eating and exercising!
  • Lotus1026
    Lotus1026 Posts: 49
    Thanks everyone for your idea and what works for you! they are all excellent ideas and actually give me more motivation since there are alot of different view points i didnt even think of!! thanks again!!
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
    My MFP friends, they can view my diary. Also, I have joined various challenges, and as competitive as I am I hate to fail!

    I've been in a challenge with some of my friends it starts over each week. Set a calorie count to burn per week, I compete with my previous numbers.

    I try and make it fun too.
  • crose0056
    crose0056 Posts: 105 Member
    I like this site to log food and my fitbit flex to keep me moving
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    My motivation for staying accountable is how darned good I feel when I eat well and exercise.

    For me, the difference between 21 pounds ago, and now with only 12 pounds left to lose, is the aches and pains.

    I don't have them anymore!

    It's amazing how the 32 pounds I'd gained over the last five years (I initially lost 70 pounds from my highest weight, so this means I had gained almost half back) made my body hurt.

    Another motivation is someday when my time comes I will go healthy, and I suspect that people will say, "Look how GREAT she looks!" :bigsmile: :laugh: (Just kidding).
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    The scale.

    Other things like MFP and Fitbit help, but the scale and the mirror are No. 1 and 2.
  • Lotus1026
    Lotus1026 Posts: 49
    That would be the ultimate motivation is the ackowledgement from other people because we are obviously our worst critic!!! lol
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
    There are a few things I do to keep myself focused:

    1. Make an HONEST list of all the reasons why I'm on this path. Then I make post-its with the reasons and wallpaper my life with them - bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, fridge, pantry, work - anywhere I go, I see the reasons.
    2. I put up inspiration pictures to keep me motivated around the house.
    3. I set goals and mini-goals that aren't scale related (i.e. run races, etc).
    4. I find an activity I *truly* enjoy and keep at it. For me, this is running and I'm part of a marathon training group.
    5. I periodically reward myself for meeting mini goals.
    6. I make a point of telling myself, while exercising or making good decisions, that I'm taking care of myself, doing well, being healthy.
    7. I forgive myself when I don't make "perfect" decisions every now and again - it's all a part of the process.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Progress pics...

    Also, once I got my brain around the fact that this all takes a very long time, it wasn't such a big deal...and once I understood that there really is no "finish line"...that proper diet and fitness is forever, it really made the day to day not such a big deal. I mostly try to be more awesome any given day than I was the day before and it's worked really well for me.
  • wildflower822
    wildflower822 Posts: 1 Member
    I weigh only once a week. If my clothes start to get at all tight, I take immediate steps to cut my calorie intake/step up my exercise. I also use a board on pinterest. I post pictures of my self as I lose weight along with motivational quotes, exercise encouragement, pictures of fit people enjoying life etc... I go to this site at least once a couple days to keep me motivation.:smile:
  • mp_deep
    mp_deep Posts: 85 Member
    Fear of disease is great motivator :)
  • Morninglory81
    Morninglory81 Posts: 1,190 Member
    Best motivation for me is seeing pictures of me before I lost weight. Geez, how did I ever let myself get so overweight??
    This right here! I have more pictures of my progress than I do of my wedding day!
  • SHRINKINGG1
    SHRINKINGG1 Posts: 48 Member
    When I realized that this is not a vanity thing but a health thing it got easier. Now I am only a month in eating healthy but I have stuck to a eating plan this long ever. I also found an exercise I love and have been at that for almost 4 months. Who would have guessed I love to work out and get hot and sweaty.

    Good luck.
  • sjacobs425
    sjacobs425 Posts: 74 Member
    how do you measure that ..? just curious if you have someone measure it for you
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I have to fit into this dress by August 31/2014. I have 40lbs to go :noway:


    su-d570-twirl-front_zps4858c069.jpg
  • arouse0930
    arouse0930 Posts: 29
    My motivation is that this is a journey and not a diet. I have no end date. I just want to be the healthiest I can be. And, even though I have a goal weight ticker I realize that I may or may not get to that specific number, I will continue.
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
    The scales and my waist line.
  • KyliAnne26
    KyliAnne26 Posts: 209 Member
    1. progress photos
    2. measurements
    3. mini- non scale related goals (for example: at 10 lb. lost I let myself pierce my nose! at 15 lb. I bought an expensive pair of shoes I'd been eyeing)
    4. dietbet.com (this site allows you to buy-in to challenges and then the winners who lose their goal weight in 30 days split the pot!)
    5. heartrate monitor - this allows me to accurately log my calories lost, and I exercise harder and longer when Im wearing it because I can start the workout saying, "I'm going to burn 250 calories so I can have one of my homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies after dinner (200 cals) - and It encouraged me to keep exercising until I was done, rather than giving up when I was tired
    6. MFP friends and a supportive fiance - surround yourself with people who will encourage you and do things to help you in your progress, not hinder it. There will be haters out there - don't listen to them and don't eat all the junk they make you feel guilty for not eating!
    7. I picked up about 3 new hobbies (gardening, archery, and a fish aquarium with live plants). These kept me from "bored-eating" and from lounging around the kitchen and needlessly opening the fridge!

    ALL of the above :) Good luck!
  • Lotus1026
    Lotus1026 Posts: 49
    this is a great idea for myself! i like the reward system!
    There are a few things I do to keep myself focused:

    1. Make an HONEST list of all the reasons why I'm on this path. Then I make post-its with the reasons and wallpaper my life with them - bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, fridge, pantry, work - anywhere I go, I see the reasons.
    2. I put up inspiration pictures to keep me motivated around the house.
    3. I set goals and mini-goals that aren't scale related (i.e. run races, etc).
    4. I find an activity I *truly* enjoy and keep at it. For me, this is running and I'm part of a marathon training group.
    5. I periodically reward myself for meeting mini goals.
    6. I make a point of telling myself, while exercising or making good decisions, that I'm taking care of myself, doing well, being healthy.
    7. I forgive myself when I don't make "perfect" decisions every now and again - it's all a part of the process.
  • Lotus1026
    Lotus1026 Posts: 49
    i have developed new healthy hobbies so i can relate to that!! such as biking, hiking and anything outside!!!!!!!!!!!
    1. progress photos
    2. measurements
    3. mini- non scale related goals (for example: at 10 lb. lost I let myself pierce my nose! at 15 lb. I bought an expensive pair of shoes I'd been eyeing)
    4. dietbet.com (this site allows you to buy-in to challenges and then the winners who lose their goal weight in 30 days split the pot!)
    5. heartrate monitor - this allows me to accurately log my calories lost, and I exercise harder and longer when Im wearing it because I can start the workout saying, "I'm going to burn 250 calories so I can have one of my homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies after dinner (200 cals) - and It encouraged me to keep exercising until I was done, rather than giving up when I was tired
    6. MFP friends and a supportive fiance - surround yourself with people who will encourage you and do things to help you in your progress, not hinder it. There will be haters out there - don't listen to them and don't eat all the junk they make you feel guilty for not eating!
    7. I picked up about 3 new hobbies (gardening, archery, and a fish aquarium with live plants). These kept me from "bored-eating" and from lounging around the kitchen and needlessly opening the fridge!

    ALL of the above :) Good luck!
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