A new level of self accountability...

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TrevaNadreau
TrevaNadreau Posts: 11 Member
in Motivation and Support
So according to MFP, I should have lost over ten pounds since joining... currently, I've lost two. I have been fairly inconsistent in logging my food for the last week and a half or so because I had come to the conclusion that MFP simply doesn't work... then, at some point today I saw a quick tip that hit me pretty hard... I use stumbleupon and it brought me to a blank page that said simply "The pain of discipline is much lighter than the pain of regret."

I think I know what this meant... it meant that I needed to start logging every single thing that I eat. Period. I have always prided myself as being proud of who I am... but in this very open and public setting, I may have neglected to include the late night Taco Bell, that 40oz Soda I just had to have, a few beers I tossed back with some buddies...

Turns out that MFP works just fine when it's being used properly... I just haven't been as self aware as I need to be... so today starts a new day of strict self discipline. Everything that I eat gets logged despite how I feel it will be received by myself or others... based on MFP, I should be dropping 1-2 lbs a week... time to make this thing actually work for me.

Anyone out there have any tips to stay motivated? I think that my biggest problem is that despite the fact that I'm not happy with my weight and body fat percent, I'm not entirely unhappy with it... I've reached a plateau at 225 (from almost 280), and although I look and feel way better than I did, I need to finish off what I started...

Replies

  • lraepa
    lraepa Posts: 10 Member
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    How true, how true. Keeping a log of things that pass the lips and then the exercise used to burn them up. This site does keep you honest. I take the measurements and the before picture. I can hardly wait to compare the measurements weekly and then a picture at 6 weeks.
    Pictures are worth a thousand works and as you get control of you body you will even enjoy looking at pictures of yourself and not always trying to hid.
    The guilt of being over weight is terriable.

    good luck
  • Kminor67
    Kminor67 Posts: 900 Member
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    I've been experiencing a plateau as well. What has motivated me to keep going is my day count (I'm over 340 now). I recently changed by activity level and its also working better. Almost 65 down, and 65 to go!
  • breskittle
    breskittle Posts: 75 Member
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    I know it sounds cheesy, but in the beginning I put up post it notes on my wall next to my bed so i saw it right when I woke or on my fridge that has my goals on it. Even something as simple as the weight you're shooting for ... or your mini goal. Or a daily goal. Anything that will keep you motivated. Because until it becomes something obsessive and routine for you then you will need those constant reminders all over. They really helped me. Now its 2nd nature.
  • Brownski860
    Brownski860 Posts: 361 Member
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    dont take NO for an answer, even from yourself!
    Log everything!
    Stick to a reasonable work out schedule. I started with 30 mins a day, 5 days a week.
    This is a slow and steady process. I've been on here 13 weeks. I've averaged 1.57 lbs per week. I know it takes time in the beginning to get used to logging everything, but trust me, it becomes 2nd nature.
    One final tip: Log everything BEFORE you eat it. Decide if its worth it and if you can afford it. Dont wait until the end of the day to log your food in.

    Good luck!
  • TazzytheMotivator
    TazzytheMotivator Posts: 646 Member
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    Watch your sodium level, log your food on a regular basis. Drink water at least 64 oz if you body can take it. Exercise at least 3 times a week more if you can do it. This works, and befriend people who want you to succed not the ones every three seconds they are talking about everything, but nothing you can lose to help you stay on track or lose weight. I have been on this site for 225
    days today. S.W 350 highest weight 369
    C.W. 215
    G.W 150
    Can You do this ? YES YOU CAN ! NOW DO!
  • innerfashionista
    innerfashionista Posts: 451 Member
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    If you're worried about how people will view your diary - they're not your "friend" on here. I don't know about you, but that kind of mentality - the "I'll eat it but hide that I'm eating it" is what got me at my highest weight. Question is - WHY are you worried? We all slip, and it's unrealistic for you to think that you're never going to have taco bell or beer when you're at your goal weight. You gotta figure out how to incorporate the goodies. People who judge that are not good for you and you should make them go away quickly.

    MFP does work, I'm glad you realized that! This is the most weight I've lost in a go, and I'm not quitting, because I found what works for me and got over a lot of emotional barries that made me gain weight in the first place. You have to find what triggers you to want to keep going and embrace that. I try to focus on my NSV - like the fact I weigh less than my spouse, and he can carry me around now, and that I can do more pushups than a lot of girls can, and that people who haven't seen me in awhile are shocked by my appearance. THAT is what keeps me going. You gotta find that for you, or it won't work for you.

    Forget about the weight. Weight is irrelevant. This should be about building a healthy lifestyle. Are you concerned about being healthy? Are there medical issues in your family you'd like to avoid? I bet there are. We all have them. If your health is more important to you than your "meh" attitude about your weight, that may keep you focused.
  • riannenrings
    riannenrings Posts: 142 Member
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    hahah! i am the same way...it sucks that my midnight spoonfuls of peanut butter and those 3 margaritas the other night really do exist even if we dont log them! you're on the right track mentally now. i found that the more i log in, the better i do. if you work on a computer keep a tab with MFP open and check how your friends are doing and whats going on in the forums. doing that seemed to really help me. not that i am losing tons of weight but i am having more better days than not. i try to stay motivated by reminding myself what i really really want---and also the saying, dont give up what you want most, for what you want at the moment. you know you could be healthier and more fit and thats why youre hear, dont let yourself talk yourself out of it. accept that your mind's gonna try to do that. so when it happens, try to catch it.
    hope some of thats useful..
  • cawood2
    cawood2 Posts: 177 Member
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    How to stay motivated? I try to think about why I started this in the first place. Not necessarily the "oh, i should do this to be healthier", though that is important. But focus more on the 'wants' than the 'shoulds'. Yes, I SHOULD be doing this to be healthier, but i WANT to do this so I can fit in that dress and knock my boyfriend's socks off (ok, that probably doesn't apply in your case, but you know what I mean). I do log everything... all the beers at the bf's place, the fries he makes for dinner (where's the salad??) and the 3 junior mints I eat to get a bit of a chocolate fix so I don't start throwing coworkers down the stairs. But, to keep myself a bit more focused, I made my diary viewable to my friends. I don't always hit the "day complete" button to throw up a link in my feed, but I know that people can look at it, and it helps me stay focused.

    Your motivation is going to depend on you, and why you started this journey, and going back and looking at those factors. Or whatever will get you moving ahead. Whether you look at pounds of butter and think about how many of those are floating around your body, or acheive some fitness goal- lifting xxx lbs or running y miles/minutes without stopping. Find what works for you and keep a reminder of it- picture, written note on the fridge, whatever.

    Good luck, and hang in there, you can do it!

    Cheers! :)
  • 27strange
    27strange Posts: 837 Member
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    Great realization and way to start holding yourself further accountable! You've made excellent progress to get to 225. With some discipline and hard work you can honestly count every calorie and exercise and you will see results! Add me as a friend if you would like, I am always looking for more friends to encourage and motivate one another.
  • MisterDubs303
    MisterDubs303 Posts: 1,216 Member
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    What they said ^. Plus, I find it really helpful be able to see my progress as a reminder (see graph below). Despite little ups and downs, it's on a downward trend. Trust the trend. I also keep an eye on my pace (see red goal line). If I pop up above the goal line, I know intervention is necessary (like this month).
  • PalmettoparkGuy
    PalmettoparkGuy Posts: 212 Member
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    Best of luck to you brother. Something that's been helping me recently is planning my menu in advance when possible. I know what i'm going to eat and what I have left over in case I want something else. I keep motivated when I wake up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror and think how much better I feel and look compared to when I was heavier.
  • TrevaNadreau
    TrevaNadreau Posts: 11 Member
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    Man, you've all been amazing!!! For me it hasn't been so much what other people see when they look at my food journal, but what I see (or don't) that bothers me. I think my biggest challenge overall has been that I tend to resist change... and holding myself accountable for every little thing that I eat is certainly change. I have set MFP to my start-up page now and have re-affirmed with myself exactly why I'm doing this.

    Thank you so much for the awesome feedback!
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I find that setting goals besides that number on the scale helps a lot. Keep your concentration on tracking and getting that consistent for now but in a week or two, maybe join in a fitness challenge or find one of your own. In my experience, one follows the other.

    For instance, I've been trying to get better at running. I started out really slowly and have been working up my speed and endurance over the last six months. I'm still not quite up to the level of some of my peers but I'm getting closer all the time! I've even ordered a couple of books about running to get inspiration and motivation (and maybe some helpful tips too) and considering that reading non-fiction has always felt like homework to me, that is a huge step!

    And as far as one following the other, the more I run, the more I notice my body changing and my mindset changing. I still have days where I overindulge in my favorites (like last night's binge on pizza and wings) but for the most part, I try to stay on track because I know I'll feel better and do better on my runs and that's what's important to me right now.

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