Accountability is the answer!

Steph70508
Steph70508 Posts: 110
edited September 25 in Success Stories
Warning! This may make a few people mad...
In my lifetime I have weighed well over 250lbs (while pregnant). I am currently holding strong at 130lbs. I have to say the ONLY way I have been able to not ever be that heavy again is to REALLY hold myself accountable. When I have started to gain back weight it was because I was eating too much, plain and simple.

I have given birth to 4 children. Being pregnant didn't get me fat, eating too much when I was pregnant did.
I have been on different antidepressants and gained weight, because I was eating too much.
I have hypothyroidism and guess what...it didn't cause me to gain any weight!
Birth control pills also did NOT cause me to gain weight.
I believe that if you keep making excuses and blaming others, pregnancy, and medications for your weight gain and not holding YOURself accountable for YOUR OWN actions you will never be successful at losing weight and being healthy.
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Replies

  • Sherry41
    Sherry41 Posts: 10
    I agree with you!!!
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Love it! I have been able to admit to myself all of the mistakes I made to gain weight! It was hard, but it was all me...and even though I have been at this for only two months I shudder when I think of the amount of food I used to eat!
  • Roukie
    Roukie Posts: 41 Member
    I agree with you as well, we are our own worst enemies. It's when you come to that point in your life that you are able to lose the weight and it's not a battle but an achievable challenge! That's where i'm at and it's a great place to be!
  • tracyb1227
    tracyb1227 Posts: 23
    Completely agree!! That is why I really like mfp it is the first time I have actually paid attention to what is going in my mouth.
  • stephanielynn76
    stephanielynn76 Posts: 709 Member
    Preach it Sista!!!! Miss ya btw... ;)
  • stephanielynn76
    stephanielynn76 Posts: 709 Member
    And just so y'all know... Stephanie was totally my inspiration. I saw her transformation and was so amazed and so proud of her. She's the bomb... Just sayin'
  • AmoreCouture
    AmoreCouture Posts: 255 Member
    I have been pregnant and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism almost three years ago, and I know most of my weight gain was due to my very unactive lifestyle and eating fast/junk food too much.

    The worst thing you can do is get comfortable blaming it on other things. We all want an excuse as to why we are overweight, but sometimes we have to eat some humble pie and admit that most it is because we are not eating healthy and not exercising.

    I absolutely believe I can be fit just like anyone else if I work hard at it, just like anyone else has to, and I don't want a disorder defining me.

    Good post!
  • Steph70508
    Steph70508 Posts: 110
    @ Stephanie...miss ya too girlie! :) and TY for the compliment!
  • ams89073
    ams89073 Posts: 4
    I do agree accountability is the main thing. Yet, I cannot say birth control had nothing to do with my weight gain. However, I did use it as an excuse. I was always very tiny, and I loved it. My metabolism was amazing, so I could eat anything I wanted and stay between 105-108 lbs. without exercise. Yet, I was NOT healthy. I got a stitch in my side just from a short run down a sidewalk. These past two years after birth control I have gained between 15-20 lbs. I know it was the meds because nothing else about my lifestyle had changed. No I"m not fat, I know other people struggle more than me. I kept waiting for the weight gain to stop, until I realized it wouldn't. This website has helped me acknowledge how many calories I was really eating. I now stop myself from eating a brownie just for its taste. Food is just food. It needs to be nourishment. Birth control made me gain weight, but I never would have started eating better and exercising if my body looked the way it did before. This tummy pooch and cellulite made me take a look at my lifestyle. I hope to look the way I did before AND be healthy. Good luck to everyone on here! I don't know any of you, but I'm proud of y'all. I know how hard it is to lose weight as I'm only trying to lose a little and it's hard sometimes. Don't give up!
  • Lexie71
    Lexie71 Posts: 144 Member
    I have to say the best thing for me is not just to be honest with myself but to be honest without judgement and with acceptance. I can compare what my best friend eats (skinny *****...in a loving way) to what I eat and say she definately eats way more than I do and doesn't gain a pound. Lucky her. I can't do that. Is that my "fault"? No. It isn't a "fault" at all. It is just biology and I can only work with what I have....much as I envy her! I make my own choices every moment of every day and every decision can impact my life positively or negatively.
  • callipygianchronicle
    callipygianchronicle Posts: 811 Member
    Behavior and choices are the only things that have made us whatever weight we are. And so it always will be. We can reflect on the past, but we cannot change it. We cannot even change the water we did or did not drink and hour ago. The only thing that matters is what choices we make in this moment. Everyone has obstacles. If we cannot eliminate them, we work within them.

    For three years I was stuck, thinking my body was incapable of ever being anything but achy and soft. I dwelled on what I didn’t have and was completely blind to my own capabilities. Three weeks ago, I did a headstand in yoga class after 8 weeks of training. That’s what I was capable of, when I stopped focusing on all of the ways my body had been damaged by excess weight, childbirth, and surgery.
  • Lexie71
    Lexie71 Posts: 144 Member
    Good luck to everyone on here! I don't know any of you, but I'm proud of y'all. I know how hard it is to lose weight as I'm only trying to lose a little and it's hard sometimes. Don't give up!
    [/quote]

    Good for you! And your "little" can be just as hard to lose as my "a lot". As a matter of fact, the heavier you are the faster it can usually come off at first. Don't sell yourself short!! Loved your positive post!
  • Steph70508
    Steph70508 Posts: 110
    Medications may increase your appetite, but only you can control whether or not you put the food in your mouth. My fiancee frequently buys unhealthy snacks and cooks high fat foods. I often get angry at him because he does this and it tempts me to eat these things. While I stick with the fact that it is inconsiderate of him to do this, ultimately it is up to me whether I CHOSE to succumb or not...we are the only ones accountable for our actions.
  • Steph70508
    Steph70508 Posts: 110
    Oh, and I am definitely not saying its hard to resist temptations. I know it is! When it comes to sweet treats, my willpower seems non existent. All of us are human and will slip up from time to time. We just have to stop, realize we slipped up and refocus. Don't get bogged down on the guilt. Make your next meal after the slip up be an extra healthy one and add some time to your next workout session. All of us can do this!!
  • RatBoyGL
    RatBoyGL Posts: 100
    It's a hard message to hear, but, it's the truth.
  • oreyna49
    oreyna49 Posts: 152
    I agree with that...no forces you to eat bad, you decide all by yourself. Decisions, decisions, decisions....fries or salad, burger or grilled chicken, coke or unsweet tea, go for a walk or sit and watch tv...you decide your fate. After a lifetime of yo-yo dieting I decided enough was enough. I find that losing weight isn't difficult...the hard part is keeping it off for good. That's where I hope this site will help me lead a healthier lifestyle and most of all "hold me accountable for my decisions." I'm looking for motivational friends to help me on this journey...Feel free to add me as I could use all the support I can get.
  • bugnbeansmom
    bugnbeansmom Posts: 292 Member
    I was just thinking the same thing! I was looking at the last 10 years or so and trying to figure out how got here. BC, Hypothyroid, several pregnancies, 5 months of bed rest, blah blah blah blah. Here is the truth. I stopped giving a crap! I let myself eat fast food at 11 pm and called that dinner. I drank all that soda. I ate the candy bars and I chose to let my active lifestyle go. No one but me. But...... I woke up 88 days ago and cleaned out the fridge of all items that I knew I did not need. I chose to put one foot infront of the other. I chose to show my children a better way to live. I chose to choose me for my kids! Again all my choices! I guess the thing is you can't lay blame then take the credit! I have chosen to accept both and that is why I feel better, look better, and am enjoying my life again!
  • kacarter1017
    kacarter1017 Posts: 651 Member
    Warning! This may make a few people mad...
    In my lifetime I have weighed well over 250lbs (while pregnant). I am currently holding strong at 130lbs. I have to say the ONLY way I have been able to not ever be that heavy again is to REALLY hold myself accountable. When I have started to gain back weight it was because I was eating too much, plain and simple.

    I have given birth to 4 children. Being pregnant didn't get me fat, eating too much when I was pregnant did.
    I have been on different antidepressants and gained weight, because I was eating too much.
    I have hypothyroidism and guess what...it didn't cause me to gain any weight!
    Birth control pills also did NOT cause me to gain weight.
    I believe that if you keep making excuses and blaming others, pregnancy, and medications for your weight gain and not holding YOURself accountable for YOUR OWN actions you will never be successful at losing weight and being healthy.

    Amen
  • Jennyzfit
    Jennyzfit Posts: 175 Member
    BUMP
  • emrogers
    emrogers Posts: 328 Member
    This is so true.
    I think there comes a point in our lives, well I'll say mine, that we STOP making excuses. Mine ran out a few years back when my only child turned about 9 and I thought, I can NO longer say, I'm fat because I have a kid. Plus. That's NOT an excuse.
    I am currently struggling right now to lose one pound and althoug its super frustrating for me, I'm exhuasting all possibilties to find out what I'm doing wrong; because in the end I refuse to stay fat forever.
    Accountability is only one reason I have been this way forever; until I finally decided that I will no longer live like this.
    Great post.
  • kacarter1017
    kacarter1017 Posts: 651 Member
    Birth control made me gain weight

    Some medications or life circumstances make it necessary to change the way/what we eat or how much exercise we get if we don't want to gain weight. It is our choice how we respond to the situation. In the case of BC, it is stated clearly that there is a fairly significant chance of weight gain with many of them. If we make the choice to go on BC, then we are also making the decision to either alter our eating/exercise or risk gaining weight. If it's an accident or surgery that lays us up for a while, it's fairly evident that physical energy expenditure is going to be down, that means energy input (food) better also decrease or weight gain will ensue. We choose whether we decrease our food intake or not.

    Do some of us have an easier time with weight loss/management than others? Absolutely! But we have to work with what God gave us and figure out how to keep ourselves healthy.
  • precious71701
    precious71701 Posts: 105
    I absolutely agree with you...It took some years of overeating to get me where I am today and I have to face the fact that it's going to take some time of healthy eating and exercising to ge back to where I need to be. ...Committment, dedication, and accountability....This time I am holding myself accountable to eating and exercising for lifestyle change not just to lose weight...This site is the best I've seen and all of you have encouraged me todo the right thing for myself and my family...I love me and them and I want to be around for a long time...





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  • amjmomma
    amjmomma Posts: 41
    I agree, it was always easy to blame the fact that I have had four kids, or that my husband is an amazing cook who only uses high fat ingredients, or blah blah blah. They are all excuses and the real thing is that I don't eat the way I should. I can honestly say that I am in the best shape of my life. I run regularly and I recently ran a half marathon without stopping to walk! I think if I can discipline myself that much, you'd think I would be able to discipline myself when it comes to my eating too. But, for some reason, I just can't seem to get it under control. This website is helping me, but it's still been hard. I think I have to accept the fact that this is going to be a lifelong battle for me, but having support and people on my side who think the same way I am will really help me win. Feel free to add me as a friend if anyone wants to!!
  • Majunta
    Majunta Posts: 575
    Food for thought...if one ate a healthy amount of calories but had Hypothyroidism (undiagnosed), that person would gain weight due to slower metablosim. There are times when the person is not responsible for the weight gain.
  • PantalaNagaPampa
    PantalaNagaPampa Posts: 1,031 Member
    Steph, et al.

    I agree with you whole hartedly.

    For me, I lost my left leg and most of my right foot years ago. Prior to the amputations, I was a very ahlteic and fit. I spent 8 years in the military and could run circles around most people. After the loss of my leg and foot, I spent about 6 months in a wheel chair feeling sorry for myself and eating eveything in sight. Gained 60 lbs. Ever since then I have struggled with my weight. Yes, I have used my amputiations as an excuss for many years, saying I can't run or be as active as other people.

    It wasn't until the beginning of this year that I decided enough was enoguh and got serious about loosing the wieght and getting back into shape. I am leaving all my excusses on the table and have already dropped 22lbs.
  • bugnbeansmom
    bugnbeansmom Posts: 292 Member
    Food for thought...if one ate a healthy amount of calories but had Hypothyroidism (undiagnosed), that person would gain weight due to slower metablosim. There are times when the person is not responsible for the weight gain.

    Not having all of the information is one thing, but realizing that something is wrong and not taking action to correct or get that information is another.
  • alpaughmom
    alpaughmom Posts: 18 Member
    well said!
  • erinnmcpherson
    erinnmcpherson Posts: 27
    agreed!
  • casie05
    casie05 Posts: 48 Member
    I totally agree. And wish more ppl would admit that it's them selves not some pill or job they have/take. It wasn't until this website I was able to actually see how much I was putting into my body!
  • Steph70508
    Steph70508 Posts: 110
    Referring to hypothyroidism and weight gain/loss (from the American thyroid association website)
    With special note to the last paragraph.
    http://www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/Thyroid_and_Weight.pdf

    What is the relationship between hypothyroidism and weight
    gain?
    Since the BMR in the patient with hypothyroidism (see Hypothyroidism
    brochure) is decreased, an underactive thyroid is generally associated
    with some weight gain. The weight gain is often greater in those
    individuals with more severe hypothyroidism. However, the decrease
    in BMR due to hypothyroidism is usually much less dramatic than the
    marked increase seen in hyperthyroidism, leading to more modest
    alterations in weight due to the underactive thyroid. The cause of the
    weight gain in hypothyroid individuals is also complex, and not always
    related to excess fat accumulation. Most of the extra weight gained in
    hypothyroid individuals is due to excess accumulation of salt and water.
    Massive weight gain is rarely associated with hypothyroidism. In general,
    5-10 pounds of body weight may be attributable to the thyroid,
    depending on the severity of the hypothyroidism. Finally, if weight gain
    is the only symptom of hypothyroidism that is present, it is less likely
    that the weight gain is solely due to the thyroid.
    How much weight can I expect to lose once the hypothyroidism is
    treated?
    Since much of the weight gain in hypothyroidism is accumulation in
    salt and water, when the hypothyroidism is treated one can expect a
    small (usually less than 10% of body weight) weight loss. As in the
    treatment with hyperthyroidism, treatment of the abnormal state of
    hypothyroidism with thyroid hormone should result in a return of body
    weight to what it was before the hypothyroidism developed. However,
    since hypothyroidism usually develops over a long period of time, it
    fairly common to find that there is no significant weight loss after
    successful treatment of hypothyroidism. Again, if all of the other
    symptoms of hypothyroidism, with the exception of weight gain, are
    resolved with treatment with thyroid hormone, it is less likely that the
    weight gain is solely due to the thyroid. Once hypothyroidism has been
    treated and thyroid hormone levels have returned to the normal range
    on thyroid hormone, the ability to gain or lose weight is the same as in
    individuals who do not have thyroid problems.
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