Accountability buddy

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Replies

  • jennacclark
    jennacclark Posts: 1 Member
    I have never been involved in a "group" on myfitnesspal before. I am looking for an accountability partner, to make sure I log my nutrition daily, with most focus on weekend. I am a 36 year old mom of a 4 year old, I workout daily My biggest issue is staying on point with nutrition. Anyone interested in being accountability partners.
  • Naz_2020
    Naz_2020 Posts: 79 Member
    Week 3 plan is to:
    - stay under my calorie goal.
    - increase my protein intake
    - be active
    - drink more water
    - and get proper rest
    Week 2 went well. I reduced my carb intake. I lost 1 kg in the last week and in total 3 kgs so far.
    I am focusing on the effort I am making rather than on the result/numbers.
  • Mahoganylit
    Mahoganylit Posts: 28 Member
    edited July 2020
    Hello Friends.

    Ite been a minute since I’ve logged in the group. Miss you guys.

    You all are what kept (keeps) me going in MFP. You all are so motivating.

    Just trying to get myself back on track. Going to do a modified version of JLo’s no sugar/carb challenge. Whew. We shall see.

    Have a great day ladies.

    🌺
  • kiay131982
    kiay131982 Posts: 217 Member
    Morning all!!

    @jennacclark welcome. We tend to all just post on here but feel free to send a friend request and Im happy to buddy up :)

    @nazah_sakin well done on the loss so far! Keep it going :)

    Welcome back @Mahoganylit you can do this!!! Whats the challenge? Xx

    I havent tracked calories since Sunday.... Probably not the best week for it as my youngest son turned 5 yesterday so there has been cake!!! But otherwise its going ok!! Im aiming for a couple of completely and utterly clean days now at least!
  • EdTheGinge
    EdTheGinge Posts: 1,616 Member
    Morning all, some years ago I lost 70+ lbs and maintain for a few years but in time that's all changed (with the help of health issues, not an excuse I know). I know I need to screw my head back on but I just can't seem to stick at it. Everything is so much harder than it used to be, I used to run but it was easy and now I resemble a fat snail.

    If you don't want to be like me, you'll keep fighting the good fight. Take it easy.
  • kstpierre52020
    kstpierre52020 Posts: 60 Member
    Hi guys. Checking back in after a while too. So good to hear where you all are and how you are continuing to work! To new folks- welcome to the group! EdTheGringe- stick with us! We’re here to celebrate each other and encourage each other to set small goals along the way!

    Still plugging away - had a few days with a bad headache and weight fluctuated a few lbs- but on the good side of all that now.
    I’m realizing - this is life- headaches, birthday parties, aches or full on pain that inhibits our workouts and great days when we’ve done it all right and step on the scale and are going the right way. When I was in the middle of my headache and didn’t really care about what food I ate, I kept thinking- just nourish yourself, you’ll care again in a few days. And today, I’m not several lbs up. I haven’t lost but made it through. We have to coach ourselves to sometimes eat the cake (maybe just 1 piece or a half a piece) and then move on, or choose a healthy option when we’re tired or hurting, or go for that workout we don’t want to do - because have you ever regretted a workout after you did it? And all of this sums up to life.
    My goals- keep it up! Mindful eating, plenty of hydration, feeling slightly hungry when I go to bed. If I can drop 1 lb, I’ll be lower than my previous- covid weight and 5 lbs from my goal.
    Must. Keep. Going!!!!!
  • highmaintnance
    highmaintnance Posts: 215 Member
    @EdTheGinge give yourself a break! You might not be able to jump up and start running right where you left off, and that's ok!! You're still running more than you did when you didn't run at all, so it's a victory. You will get there again if you give yourself a chance. Hating on yourself will just make you feel worse, which brings on emotional eating and slugging around. We all know that vicious cycle. @kstpierre52020 is right, that's just life.

    Welcome to the new peeps, I'm a returning newbie as well!

    I'm going to a lake for the weekend with my immediate family. I have prepared and packed some good options and also slipped one can of Lay's Stax for a treat. Everyone else eats like stoned teenagers in a 7/11, so this will be interesting. I'm thinking that if I stay in the water when we're out on the boat, I won't eat the stuff I'm trying to stay away from. Fingers crossed.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,307 Member
    @jennacclark and @EdTheGinge - I’m adding my welcome. This Accountability Buddies group is a fantastic support and I echo everything @kstpierre52020 wrote above!
  • Naz_2020
    Naz_2020 Posts: 79 Member
    I had a bad bad bad day today... 😭😭😭😭 Since last night I can't stop thinking about fried chicken. So I cooked chicken today but it wasn't about chicken. It was about fried food. I wanted to eat something I shouldn't eat. I wanted something unhealthy. I was cranky all day. I ate more than I normally eat. Though I was under my calorie goal as I burned some calories. I didn't like this feeling. Ughhh! I hate itttt! I know this is gonna happen again. I just don't want to give in. Last time I was out of track without even realising it. That's why I am posting here. Reminding myself. I wish I didn't feel this *kitten* way either. Why is it sooo hard?! 😭😭😭
  • kiay131982
    kiay131982 Posts: 217 Member
    @nazah_sakin its OK to have cravings!!! Its also ok to give in to them in a controlled way every now and then. Do you allow yourself a treat meal or anything? Could you plan that fried chicken so that you have a little bit, with healthy sides... And know that the rest of that day/week you will eat healthier?
    One stumble does not stop the journey.... But not getting back up after you fall will xxx
  • carriestrine
    carriestrine Posts: 214 Member
    @nazah_sakin i love some of @kiay131982 suggestions... lots of ways to learn how to satisfy the craving in a healthy way:

    Can you have one, light meat piece of fried chicken with a vegetable filled salad? Or what if its not about the chicken, could you have a lower calorie fried veggie or fritter instead. Sometimes on the weekend I enjoy vegetable pakoras which are fried, and a small piece of fried fish with a chickpea flour dusting instead of batter. The calories are surprisingly reasonable.

    A few weeks ago I was dying for a cheeseburger from In-N-Out. I ate a healthy but low calorie day, then figured out how to fit a small cheeseburger and fries into my daily goal. I didnt order the way i used to... no double double, no milkshake, no toppings on my fries. Honestly, it was much more satisfying to enjoy the treat in a more healthy way.

    I personally try not to have cheat days because I know bad binge eating habits are something I want to unlearn, but I do know I need to be flexible to manage cravings with a mind for moderation sometimes!
  • kiay131982
    kiay131982 Posts: 217 Member
    I guess cheat day is the wrong way to look at it. Sounds like eating all the wrong things from morning till night. But I'm definitely not adverse to planning a treat meal into my week :)

    I've been signing up to a whole load of virtual events to keep me active and motivation.... Signed up for Virtual Tough Mudders last night... Excited about that one as it feels like it will be a real challenge! :)
  • Naz_2020
    Naz_2020 Posts: 79 Member
    Thank you so much for your responses guys. I am feeling lot better now. I don't mind eating a fried chicken as long as it doesn't go over my calorie goal but what I had was more like an emotional reaction. Maybe I was a bit stressed and like my old habits my mind wanted to divert itself towards food and binge eating. I didn't and I don't want to respond to such cravings. Thank you for being so supportive. I felt relieved when I shared my feelings.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,307 Member
    @Mahoganylit - I’m so glad to see you back and feeling supported by the group! You are always so wonderful about supporting others through the ‘friends’ section. I appreciate your ‘likes’ and feel motivated knowing friends are checking in. Let us know how the JLo challenge is going for you? I am not able to cut out carbs entirely but I’m trying to reduce my carbs while increasing protein. I hope it’s going well for you!

    @nazah_sakin - It’s great to hear you’re feeling better. Your reflections show that you’re really learning about yourself as you work to build new habits. That alone is a positive change so I’m sure you’ll get better at riding out the emotion-driven cravings with intentional practice. We are not our emotions so taking the 90 seconds to let them pass through us is a habit worth building. I have to work in getting better at this but there are lots of articles on the neuroscience of the 90-second rule if you are interested.

    I appreciate all the fantastic advice and tips above - @kiay131982, @highmaintnance, @carriestrine, @kstpierre52020, and others ... Thanks for sharing your ideas and encouragement!

    @EdTheGinge - BTW, there are many reasons I WOULD want to be like you: you were successful at losing 70+ pounds!! ... and maintains the loss for a few years!! ... You dealt with health problems (a very valid reason for weight gain) and you are committed to working in a more sustained way to improve your health again! I hope you’ll take a minute to celebrate - and build upon - your past accomplishments. We’re all in this together! So, your success is our success. Let us know what your goals are and how you plan to achieve them.

    I feel good about getting through my recent (54th) birthday relatively unscathed. Our family had a big healthy late lunch and then ate strawberry shortcake - with extra mixed berries - as our dinner that evening. We were all satisfied that night but I was hungry the next morning. So, I had an extra egg for breakfast and the hardy dose of protein did the trick! I’ve been rowing most days but it’s been hot so my goal for the weekend is to mix in some other exercise and also drink more water. I’ll probably play some tennis with my son and join the pickup soccer that recently started up again. I play in a (old people) masters’ league that has been on hiatus due to the virus so I’m planning to approach re-entry slowly. I’ll wear a mask and just practice some light ‘touches’ of the ball ... or watch from the sidelines if the guys get too serious. During the summer off-season, we don’t keep score so they’ll probably try to tone down their competitive streak but we’ll see ... On the nutrition side, I’ll just keep trying to add more protein in place of my too-many carbs! 😳😬

    Best wishes, Accountability Buddies! Enjoy!!
  • beshamama
    beshamama Posts: 240 Member
    I’ve been working out everyday and trying to stay in my calories but I am stuck. I guess I’m not logging my calories correctly or maybe I’m overestimating the calories I’m burning working out? Either way I am frustrated. I feel like I am working so hard and trying to be so good for such a little payoff. Yesterday I was so depressed with it all I didn’t even log in to MFP.

    My hubby has been exercising everyday and eating better too because he had a high blood pressure scare. Of course the weight is just sliding off him and his blood pressure is getting back to normal which I’m really happy about but a bit jealous 😣 Why’s it so easy for him and not me? He doesn’t even do MFP!

    Sorry for the rant but I’m discouraged.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,307 Member
    @beshamama - I’m sorry you’re feeling frustrated! It can be disheartening when we’re doing all the right things but the scale isn’t showing a change! It took me 50 - FIFTY! - days to move one pound (to get from 150 to 149 pounds) recently. I’ve been thinking about calculating my servings, calories and exercise more carefully, too, but I haven’t made that change yet. For now, I’m just trying to underestimate my exercise and overestimate calories, which is a bit lazy, so I’ll revisit more careful tracking as a goal in the coming weeks.

    I think my slow down might be because I’m getting closer to the ‘normal‘ BMI weight range, which is 145 for my height. It seems to be taking a lot of work to lose each pound now but I’ve started exercising a bit more so I’m going to see how it goes over the next couple of weeks. Are you getting close to your goal weight?

    Since your husband is just starting out, I think it’s natural to lose weight more quickly. He is also likely heavier than you so it might help to think in terms of ‘percentage of body weight’ rather than comparing each pound. Usually, men have more muscle mass than women so that will help burn calories more efficiently, too. In any case, good for you for having such a positive influence on your husband. It’s great news that his blood pressure is improving along with his weight loss.

    Some people might recommend checking to make sure you’re eating enough calories so your body doesn’t hold on to fat as a way to maintain a level that feels comfortable (i.e., prevent starvation mode). I don’t know enough about the complex intersection of nutrition and weight loss because I just followed the recommended goal for MFP and ‘eat back’ any extra calories burned through my workouts. So, I’ll let others advice on that ...

    Please know that we are all pulling for you and I hope you can feel at least some satisfaction that your building such great habits by exercising and eating healthier each day. When the scale wasn’t budging, I added some other goals, such as taking some measurements. My waist measurement has stayed the same but I dropped an inch from my hips, which makes my slow 1-2 pound loss a bit more palatable ... but only a bit! 😀 Hang in there!
  • kiay131982
    kiay131982 Posts: 217 Member
    @beshamama how frustrating. Its so hard when we feel we are doing absolutely everything we can and the scales arent budging.
    Do you usually eat all of your exercise calories back or some? Are you actually logging everything properly or just hazarding some guesses? Its so normal to plateau for a bit, so stick with it.... Staying the same weight is better than gaining it... So maybe you need to let your body rest at this weight for a week or so.... And then have a renewed effort to get it moving again.
    I also find that if my husband decides hes going to lose weight that he instantly looks slimmer and yet he still manages to eat all the things I feel I cant.... 🤣

    You've got this... And we've got you!!

    As for me I've just completed my first week of no tracking. It still feels so alien! I lost only a quarter of a pound but thats ok because he had a birthday (my son was 5) was the cake was immense so I ate some!! :)
    I've been working out alot... Really enjoying the virtual tough mudder challenges!!!
  • beshamama
    beshamama Posts: 240 Member
    Thanks for the encouragement. Logging food is such a pain because I love cooking and have way too many cookbooks so every night I’m making a new recipe and I hate logging it into MFP. So I guess mystery solved I’m not logging my food 100% correctly 🤦‍♀️ I have a kitchen scale but the batteries recently died...I’ll have to order new ones and then weigh my food?

    I do eat back the calories....should I not do that? I’m so confused with it all.
  • carriestrine
    carriestrine Posts: 214 Member
    @beshamama if you enter the recipes under my recipes and meals it will save them for you! I find this annoying too, but after awhile I built up a real library of added recipes from my cookbooks that I don't usually have to add them anymore. I add one or two new a week. MFP also lets you import from recipe websites.

    My mom's nutritionist and personal trainers both told her not to eat back exercise calories. You're right, we are most likely to under-log our food and overestimate our exercise. Ive been "loosely" following that. I try not to eat back more than half of them, or if its some crazy high amount of calories like 500, the I'll only eat back like 150 of them at most assuming the calculation could be wrong.

    Dont be too hard on yourself or give up yet!! The steadiness still might mean you're developing new and better habits!
  • roz0810
    roz0810 Posts: 1,238 Member
    Hi everyone. I'm still here lurking around, just been terrible with posting.
    How is everyone getting on?
    Gyms are open here this week so I'm starting back on Sunday. Getting married on 19th August so that's definitely going to encourage me to go 😂 everything is pretty much all ready though.
    xx