Ultimate Accountability Challenge January 2020

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What's on your mind today?

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  • am_change
    am_change Posts: 1,010 Member
    I would love a ten minute blitz to fix my home! I have a 3 year old and 7month old. There's a clip I've seen a few times on Facebook of a mum folding and putting clothes back in the drawers while a little one is simultaneously taking them out. That's my life! 🤣 🤣 🤣 Today as I put clothes away my daughter hid all 26 pieces of an alphabet puzzle in different places around the house
    . As I then hunted them down she took all of her clothes back out to look for one dress. Cushions constantly off to make dens and castles, things everywhere and now the baby's adding to the mess by getting food everywhere weaning aaaaagh!

    My resolution for this year is to be productive. I can procrastinate and feel my to do list is never ending. But also I want to balance this with being realistic aims and expectations.
    I want to lower my carbon footprint and use less single use plastic.
    I want to establish a routine that allows me to eat well and exercise regularly.
  • yellobird13
    yellobird13 Posts: 118 Member
    What are everyone’s thoughts on cheat days? I’m thinking of eating at maintenance or slightly over every Saturday - to avoid wearing my willpower out, which always seems to happen. Also torn about whether to count a cheat day as a pass day or not - I guess if it’s planned and if I track/exercise it would technically not be one...
  • Impala007
    Impala007 Posts: 293 Member
    @yellobird13 I don’t see anything wrong if you have set a calorie limit for that day higher than the rest of the week and adhere to it. Everyone sets their own calorie limits and if yours happens to be, for example, 2000 instead of 1500 for Saturday then that is what it is.
  • pridesabtch
    pridesabtch Posts: 2,479 Member
    I wouldn't call it a cheat day. You aren't "cheating" you are just adapting your plan to fit your life.
  • LesIckaBod
    LesIckaBod Posts: 719 Member
    @yellobird13 Interesting question about higher calorie days. Is this what they call calorie cycling? I think planning one is probably a good idea, using @impala007's idea to track the calories and keep them under a certain higher amount.

    I've found myself thinking recently that the problem with counting pass days is that if I go over my daily calorie goal, I will have lost my extrinsic motivation to restrict calories. So, if I go over by 50 calories, why not go over by 1500? The barn door would be wide open to eating all I can cram in, because why not, the day is already a "pass". (My little demon is talking here!)

    A planned higher calorie day might help avoid that problem. Over the course of the week, some of my days are quite far below my goal, and some are right at the goal. Looking at the average of the week would give me more calories to spend periodically.

    I'm still working through this idea myself. I'm curious to hear what others might have to say!
  • yellobird13
    yellobird13 Posts: 118 Member
    @lalabank, @LesIckaBod, @pridesabtch. Thanks everyone for weighing in. I agree it kind of depends on how one looks at it. I think I’ll stick to the challenge I set myself for this month, but will “schedule” my two remaining pass days. If this works well, I might incorporate one day a week with an elevated calorie goal into next month’s challenge!
  • Dory_42
    Dory_42 Posts: 3,586 Member
    I'd be interested to hear @RangerRickL weigh in on this discussion.

    I occasionally allow myself a higher calorie day for various reasons, but they don't always equal a pass day for me.
    Reasons that would not be a pass day in my way of working include if I have had a number of days that were lower than normal and I balance out with a higher budget on one day so over the accumulated days the average is within my range. Another reason would include if I am feeling very run down and I give myself a bigger budget to boost my energy levels. This is normally when I have been pushing harder than normal at training or working harder than usual and I am burning more than normal. I don't generally consume exercise calories as I work better with a regular budget that takes my activity into account.
    Pass days are used if I go over my budget for that day, even if it is a higher than normal budget or if I have a treat day (I prefer this term to cheat day) where I either don't log or don't set a limit.

    One of the things I like about this challenge is how it allows us to find a system that works for us, but rewards consistency within that system. Just because a system works for me, does not mean it suits anyone else.
  • KCJen
    KCJen Posts: 1,089 Member
    Hello everyone, I am a little late joining the January group, but I am glad to see UAC is still active and going strong.
  • am_change
    am_change Posts: 1,010 Member
    @yellobird13 I think that's fine and I think it has come up before and been fine. The rules are to benefit the individual. If these are the lifestyle habits that you want to work on I say go for it - it's planned which, to me, is different than going over budget and then retrospectively allowing yourself more calories if that makes sense.
  • yellobird13
    yellobird13 Posts: 118 Member
    @am_change Thank you for chiming in! I see both points of view and will try a scheduled higher calorie day tomorrow to see how it goes! I’ll probably use my second pass day for it, mainly so I don’t feel like I’m cheating this month.
  • WMEJA
    WMEJA Posts: 652 Member
    Goal for today as always is to keep track of what I ate and exercise. I am also trying to control what I eat and how much of the sweets, salty high caloric foods that I eat. It is kind of hard right now but, I am working hard to get my eating habits under control. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.
  • yellobird13
    yellobird13 Posts: 118 Member
    @WMEJA finding a few healthy recipes that I really enjoy and can cook ahead of time or always have the ingredients around for really helps me. I do this for all meals. I try to plan ahead and go shopping when I’m not hungry. That way I don’t have the unhealthy things I’d prefer to avoid at home and more often eat healthier foods I really like. I repeat a lot of the healthy dishes I like, it makes tracking easier.

    On the other hand, I do make sure that I eat small amounts of treat foods pretty regularly before the cravings build up. For example today I had a 200 calorie bag of pita chips in the afternoon and 50 calories worth of chocolate after dinner.

    I also try to remind myself that it’s easier on some days than others and to accept that. It’s all work in progress.
  • KCJen
    KCJen Posts: 1,089 Member
    defiantlyoptimistic wrote: »
    My goal for 2020 is to weigh under 300 lbs. Its a big goal, but I think I can do it...

    You can do this! So glad you are here in this group - UAC is a wonderful group.
  • KCJen
    KCJen Posts: 1,089 Member
    edited January 2020
    I am a little late to the discussion, but the goals discussion and what are you planting for 2020 was a great topic! I am not a big fan of new year resolutions, but I believe we need to set goals, chase our goals, and then make new goals to chase. I have goals that I have set for rebuilding my life from my divorce, and graduating in December was one of those goals. Another goal is learning and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, which includes multiple components like learning portion control, exercise, eating healthy, tracking calories, and making this all sustainable for the rest of my life. I have other goals as well, but I feel convicted as I am also trying to learn how not to have "too many irons in the fire" but I think that is a lifelong lesson for me! : )

    Oh, another goal that would be UAC related, would be that I would like to also be a better active member in the group by posting more and getting to know everyone better.

    @yellobird13 great question on the cheat days, and I really liked reading everyone's responses. I don't have anything to add to it that hasn't already been mentioned except I am not good at handling cheat days because it turns into multiple cheat days for me.
  • nodm
    nodm Posts: 264 Member
    About controlled splurges. It behooves me to remember that the body has more pharmaceutical armamentarium than the local pharmacy, sharpened by evolution over time, so it is important to listen to the body and vary the plan once in a while. Sometimes, I just need a little break.
  • yellobird13
    yellobird13 Posts: 118 Member
    @KCJen - it turns out I’ve not been able to handle the controlled splurge either :-/

    The last two Saturdays I went way over and this weekend it led to a Sunday splurge as well. I have to learn how to eat better when I know my energy level will be low (the weekends). I had planned to food prep on the weekend, but the last two weekends this didn’t work out.

    But I’m still here and will keep making an effort for the last days of this month.
  • KCJen
    KCJen Posts: 1,089 Member
    @yellobird13 I am a yo-yo roller-coaster dieter, where I will restrict certain foods or view foods as "good" or "bad". So I am finally learning that a healthy lifestyle means no yo-yo and foods are not "good" or "bad". All food is good and ok if within my calorie range. Learning to think like that is hard to reprogram my brain over the years of the yo-yo. Cheat days will trigger the yo-yo and then I have a couple of cheat days. It's a struggle for me but I will do this. I need to get healthy for me and my son. I am glad I found the UAC.

    We can do this together :)
  • pridesabtch
    pridesabtch Posts: 2,479 Member
    KCJen wrote: »
    @yellobird13 I am a yo-yo roller-coaster dieter, where I will restrict certain foods or view foods as "good" or "bad". So I am finally learning that a healthy lifestyle means no yo-yo and foods are not "good" or "bad". All food is good and ok if within my calorie range. Learning to think like that is hard to reprogram my brain over the years of the yo-yo. Cheat days will trigger the yo-yo and then I have a couple of cheat days. It's a struggle for me but I will do this. I need to get healthy for me and my son. I am glad I found the UAC.

    We can do this together :)
    I am right there with you. Here is to doing it the right way this go around.
  • Luke_rabbit
    Luke_rabbit Posts: 1,031 Member
    How does everyone determine that they have met their calorie goal every day?

    Although I know that I need to balance my lower calorie days with higher calorie days (essentially using banked calories) in order to stop losing, I have this mental roadblock that I would have to consider it a "pass" if my calories are over on any particular day.

    I really love UAC, but keep wavering on continuing into February because of this concern.

    I could use guidance from long term members, especially those in maintenance

    I think my (usually minor) OCD is tripping me up here.
  • cjane917
    cjane917 Posts: 688 Member
    @bold_rabbit
    I'm not a long-term member so will defer to others, but I'll share from what I've seen. I know some UAC members have their weekly calories be their cutoff for pass days or not, rather than daily calories.

    I think this would especially apply in your situation since you are in maintenance and also have found yourself losing weight too quickly. UAC is all about setting your own limits, so for you this probably makes sense health-wise. Ultimately your limit is up to you, and it would work for you to stay in the UAC if you find the community and tracking helpful for your health goals.
  • nodm
    nodm Posts: 264 Member
    @bold_rabbit
    UAC should work for any plan as long as we stick with the plan and stick with our own “budgeted” calories, whether we are in maintenance, bulking, cutting, recomposing or just tracking to remain in health. Good luck!
  • Luke_rabbit
    Luke_rabbit Posts: 1,031 Member
    @cjane917 and @nodm

    Thanks for your input!

    I've brainstormed with my family and figured out a fairly easy way to calculate and feel comfortable determining that I am, in fact, "within my budget" even if my current day is over/in the red. I now feel good about continuing into February.

    I'd still welcome info from anyone doing UAC while in maintenance, but I truly appreciate the 2 of you weighing in!
  • cjane917
    cjane917 Posts: 688 Member
    @bold_rabbit that's great! Glad you figured it out and it's not too complicated. You might want to post earlier in the day on the Jan 30 thread to get input there since I don't know if everyone follows the what's on your mind thread
  • nodm
    nodm Posts: 264 Member
    edited February 2020
    @bold_rabbit

    I am also glad that you figured it out and feel comfortable with your plan. Your plan reminds me of what people are doing in Weight Watchers while trying to lose or maintain. They have daily points which they can consume and weekly points that they can consume anytime within the week. I believe that they are now able to “bank” points that must be consumed within 4 days. It’s a system. The three basic principles of UAC: tracking everything with calories, staying within the “budgeted” calories and expending a minimum of 20 minutes in exercise daily, are what we are supposed to be doing anyway for the rest of our lives. Therefore, these basic but important principles should work with any plan. Good luck.

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