Accountability buddy

Welcome @alexandrajam! Do you have a specific goal you’ve set to be accountable to this week?

It’s good to know you’re still active with the group @roz0810! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Our 30-year anniversary was in March, which is hard for me to believe. We traveled a lot before we had children so they’re still relatively young (18 & 19) and it’s nice to have them home for the summer despite the challenging situation. This is certainly a memorable time to get married so I’m sure you’ll remember it for years to come. Enjoy this exciting time together!

@carriestrine - Thanks for the nutritionist and PT guidance on how to handle exercise calories (i.e., not eating calories to match those burned). My daily calorie intake is low because I’m fairly short (5’4” or ~163cm) and it’s incorporating a deficit already, so I eat back exercise calories when I feel hungry. Sometimes I’m left with an added deficit and I’ve been considering it a bonus. I’ll see if I can keep more exercise calories in reserve but, if it’s not sustainable because I feel too hungry, I might just have to be more patient with the longer time to lose weight. After playing soccer last night, I wasn’t hungry but that’s not always the case. I’m really in this for the lifestyle change so I’m curious to test out the advice you passed along from your mother. Thanks for sharing what you learned.

Hello everyone! I just wanted to check in, welcome the new people and say hello to the lurkers. I went to the lake this past weekend and did pretty well with the eating. I stayed in the water and constantly moved my legs and arms to keep active and to keep me from beating up the kids and stealing their doritos, lol. I did eat a few chips, but not nearly as many as I was afraid I would be tempted to eat. I am not in three fitness challenges, thanks to Renae for the latest Fitbit challenge invite!

Does anyone on here drink kombucha or drink apple cider vinegar? I used to drink acv with water but it was still too strong and I was worried about the effects of that on my teeth and esophagus. I started drinking kombucha and I have found that it is just as helpful! I buy the flavors that have no added sugars (very important) and I have found that I crave desserts less, which is a blessed miracle for me! I also bought a fiber powder that has prebiotics in it and I think it has done wonders for me. I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy!

@ladyyyy_j_ Welcome to the group! We post our goals for the week and then check in to let everyone know how we’re doing. For example, did we steal the kids’ Doritos at the lake or manage to resist the temptation? ... 😂

@highmaintnance is clearly stronger than me in that regard! 😳 I gave an ‘inspiring’ mark above for not overindulging on the chips and telling them it must have been one of their siblings who finished them ... good job!! Recently, I tried kombucha and liked it but haven’t built a habit of drinking it regularly. I think I still have some in the refrigerator so I appreciate the reminder! Your caution about making sure it’s a healthy version is so true! There is a real range of trendy products out there. I got the one flavored with ginger and the price was very reasonable at Aldi compared to others I’ve seen. My plan was to try a different flavor each time I shopped to experiment with how to build it into our diet. My son put some in his smoothly, which was fine ... but a little fizzy. I use a little apple cider vinegar in pasta salads and now I’m intrigued by the idea of trying other ways to incorporate probiotics this summer. Maybe you’ve touched on a good ‘lifestyle change’ for @kstpierre52020 to consider adding for that final push 🤔. It’s great that you’re so close to your goal @kst... Keep up the great work!

My exercise routine was disrupted a bit by heavy rain today. I was supposed to play tennis with my son this afternoon but we got a warning of flash floods in the area. We had no trouble at home but it was quite a downpour ... A beautiful and powerful display of nature, but not good tennis weather. We still did our home abdominal series so it wasn’t a complete wash. Ha! ... no pun intended! Anyway, I hope the weather has been kind to all of you visiting the lakes, etc. Enjoy! ... I clearly need a vacation.

As for this week’s progress report ... My rowing group also canceled due to heat all week, but we still managed a group workout using Zoom. I’m leading the online workout tomorrow so I’ll sign off now and go put some exercises together. MFP has some ‘body weight only’ routines but I‘d welcome any recommendations you all have for sites I can use in the future.

I’m still hoping to fit in an afternoon row if the weather improves tomorrow so I’ll report back how it goes with meeting my exercise goals. I’ve been meeting my calorie targets - and getting better with adding protein in place of carbs - but I’m not there yet with balancing my macros and tracking more precisely. I’ll keep working at it this week. Although it’s a slow process viewed through the lens of the scale, I hope I’m making steady long term changes that become more visible overtime. Best wishes to all our accountability buddies out there. Seize the day!

How's your week going, my friends? I am doing okay and still on track. Taking one day at a time.

@highmaintnance - Getting a motivational group together at work sounds like a wonderful way to build in daily support! Do you set a certain time for your ‘stair stepping’ break or does someone send a message to the group? I’ve tried setting reminders in my calendar but, if it’s only me, I often just ignore the reminder. 🙁

I’m slouching at the desk and need to improve my posture because I ended up with a shoulder injury. I’m definitely more aware of the need to get up regularly to stretch or move, but haven’t yet built a daily habit. I’d say I’m remembering about half the time. As you and @nazah_sakin said, I’ll take it one day at a time and keep working at getting better. One of the small things I do while working is try to drink water. I’d like to walk more during web-based calls but I don’t usually think about it until the day is over. I’ve been enjoying sitting on the porch we just screened in - and I suppose that keeps my stress level down - but it’s not active.

My goal this week is to follow the diet required for a routine health screening later in the week (e.g., no nuts, seeds, and limited raw vegetables, etc.). It will be very different than usual so I’m also hoping to drink lots of water because I got dehydrated last time. I’ll try to exercise the same amount. I can only row twice this week due to work meetings so I signed up for an hour of standup paddling on Monday. Have a great week everyone! Let us know what you are committed to accomplishing this week. It doesn’t have to be a big change but, when you go to sleep each night, you’ll feel good knowing you followed through on your goal for the day. No guilt ... Go get that proud feeling, sleeping with a smile and deep sense of peace instead! 😴 ☮️ 😎

Morning all, had a quiet few days.... Sometimes I forget to come on because I'm not tracking food at the moment.
Yesterday I did a 20k run event with my personal trainer. Hard work but ALOT of fun!
Im also really close to completing my first Tough Mudder, which will have seen me run 100km and climb 6000ft plus loads of other exercises by Wedensday. Its felt really good to push myself.
Hope you are all ok!!

Hello looks like we are all looking for the same thing. Accountability and motivation. Motivation you can say is my biggest weakness. I’m like rocky during training sessions with eye of the tiger motivation for a week and then after poof no eye of the tiger lol any tips or advice?

@highmaintnance - Thanks so much for sharing how your work group motivates and encourages the team to take a break from the computer screen every hour. It’s a double benefit when you add the burst of exercise into the necessary computer break ... good for the eyes, posture, overall physical health, and even offers a little social-emotional connection to your colleagues! I’m going to invite some of my co-workers to try it. I also like your strategy for adding water. Thanks again for the tips! I appreciate it.

@msunat97 - Wow! That’s quite a streak logging in to MFP. Keep up the good work 🤩 ... Are those workouts - Body Beast & Bulk - also part of MFP?
I know many people participate in Beach Body but I’m not clear if that’s part of Premium membership or a separate ‘on demand’ streaming access.

@kiay131982 - You’ve been really challenging yourself with impressive workout routines! 🔥 Do you run with you personal trainer or set your goal with the help of the trainer and then follow through on your own? I’ll be (virtually) cheering you on as you complete the ‘Tough Mudder’ this week. 🎉

@kstpierre52020 - Thanks for the reminder about all the benefits of improving our health. I’m so glad you were nearby and able to help. 😇 Good for you! ❤️

@estrad06 - That’s great advice In the post above from @highmaintnance. It takes a few weeks to build a new habit so (from a Rocky perspective) I guess that means starting with a manageable run and adding the stairs - and punching the frozen beef - over time ... as you build each new habit. 😂

This week’s prescribed diet requires some focus so I’m glad I didn’t add too many additional goals. For example, I realized AFTER I ate a piece of toast yesterday morning that it had seeds on the crust. It’s not a big deal, because I still have 4 days before the procedure, but it takes a bit more planning. Yesterday’s paddle boarding was nice. We saw a couple of eagles and lots of other birds, turtles, etc. just a couple miles from the center of downtown. That’s one reason I enjoy getting on the river whenever possible. It’s not quite the same as the ocean I experienced growing up in Boston but similar beauty and convenience in close proximity.

I appreciate reading about the progress and struggles that others are facing along this health journey. So, thanks to all of you for checking in with the ‘Accountability Buddy’ group. It’s motivating, supportive, and offers positive momentum whenever I feel stuck. There was one day this week that I felt a bit of a setback but it would have been far worse if I had felt alone. Instead, I managed to end the day with only a small deficit and start fresh the next day. I think I’m realizing that both of my sons will be heading off to college again soon. I’m excited for them but have to be sure to fill the void with positive thoughts and activities as I transition to this new lifestyle. I hope we can travel soon so I can distract myself! I know this can be an opportunity for personal growth so I’m working on reframing my thoughts...

Best wishes to all ... Go get those goals!!

Discouraging morning. After a very very busy 10 days or so where I’ve barely had time to even think about food, I’ve gotten on the scale and I’m up 2 lbs! As I look back at my last stated goals- mindful eating, not eating at night, and continuing to exercise, the only one really achieved was the exercise goal. I guess the saying, “ abs are made in the kitchen” is right!!!
So while feeling discouraged, I know the only thing to be done is to start again today with renewed commitment. I have 3 days by myself- good time to reset. SO-
I will track all 3 days
I will sleep enough
I will continue to exercise
I will renew my commitment and remember

@kstpierre52020 - You have a great attitude! I like the way you are reflecting on where things went right and where you need to concentrate or make adjustments. I hope you enjoyed the three days you had to yourself. Were you able to recalibrate after your busy ten days? If so, it might be worth thinking about how to incorporate at least a little bit of “me” time into your next busy period. You’ve pointed out many good reasons for self-care with your list above ... and all those items benefit the people you care about in the long run, too! Two pounds is a usual weight fluctuation so you’re smart not to dwell on it. You’re doing so well ... keep up the excellent work and you’ll definitely continue to see progress!

@alexandrajam - The weather sure has been hot in many places. I’ve been taking extra precautions by wetting my hat and hosing down before rowing and taking a little extra time between finishing my row before carrying the boat from the dock to the racks at the boathouse. Was it cool enough for you to walk on Thursday and Friday? Good luck with your yoga! I’m always inspired to hear about others practicing yoga because I don’t stretch enough so it reminds me about the importance of it, as well as the other benefits. I am going to build yoga into my goals this week by committing to at least two sessions (today and Monday, for sure, and maybe Friday, too).

@kiay131982 - Congratulations on the Tough Mudder! You are rocking the workouts! It’s very motivating to hear about all you’re accomplishing. It helps me get through my much-less-ambitious weekly goals and I feel as though I get an extra workout 😅 just reading about your routine! 🤣

I’m steady at 147 now and still working towards my short term goal of 145, which will bring me into the ‘normal’ BMI range. So far, my online workouts 1-2 times per week, and rowing 2-3 times per week, seem to be moving me in the right direction ... albeit slowly. I’m going to keep the same goals and tracking for the next month because my family has some upcoming trips to get my sons settled into college life. There are still many adjustments to get used to during the pandemic before I feel as though I can add another fitness goal. So my short term goal (145 on the scale) is the only August health goal. In September, I’m going to get back to working with a personal trainer a couple times per week and track my food more precisely.

In the coming week, my goals are: (1) row four days; (2) join online exercise workouts two days; (3) stay within daily calories and continue paying close attention to the balance of macros ... Oh, and two days of yoga. I’ll add bonus points for contacting the personal trainer to set up appointments for August and/or September, reengaging the physical therapist to work on my shoulder impingement, and starting to add to ‘my favorites’ to compile more accurate data in preparation for next month’s enhanced tracking plans. How about you, Accountability Buddies ...

What are your goals for the week? Stay cool, safe, and follow through on those healthy commitments!