Accountability buddy

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Replies

  • ajpopoca88
    ajpopoca88 Posts: 32 Member
    I too am looking for an accountability buddy. Im 31. Ive been trying to lose weight for a few years but its hard when Im doing it all by myself. I just got a membership at a local gym. Feel free to add me.
  • mlt1596
    mlt1596 Posts: 14 Member
    Feel free to add me. I'm trying to get back to my diet and start this all over again.
  • kiay131982
    kiay131982 Posts: 217 Member
    Weekend check in!!
    The scales are down this week which is great news as I'm now two weeks into not Tracking my food... Just focussing on clean, mindful eating :)

    Today is rest day, which is good as my body is so fatigued although my mind feels Positive. I've discovered the benefits of ice baths this week :)
    My second Tough Mudder challenge starts tomorrow... And because Im a sucker for punishment I'm also doing a 50km bike ride 🤣🤣
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,307 Member
    @ajpopoca88 and @mlt1596 - Welcome! Typically, we post our goals for the week and then check in with the group to report our progress, encourage one another and chime in with tips that might be helpful in response to questions posed. So, please jump right in to let us know what you plan to do to reach your goals. We’ll help keep you accountable and offer support, and feel free to make friend requests if someone seems to be working on similar goals or you want additional motivation!

    @kstpierre52020 - You’re so right: there’s no finish line! 😀 but you’re making great strides!! Keep up the good work and you’ll continue to succeed for that final stretch. I think you only have a short range before you reach the point you want to maintain, right? You’ll get there!

    @kiay131982 - Wow! You DO seem to enjoy punishment, adding ice baths to your torture regimen. It’s like ‘50 Shades of Fitness’ 😂 ... I’m inspired by your energy, courage and positive attitude - and I’m willing to put a toe in the water of experimenting with new techniques - but I’ll have to gradually work up to diving in at your level! Enjoy your next Tough Mudder and 50km Ride!
  • Chi_Hien
    Chi_Hien Posts: 9 Member
    I don't think you need to do anything. This is already a message board, so I think we just start talking. I introduced myself yesterday, so I guess I'll continue talking and hopefully you all will join in.

    For the most part, I stick to 1200 calories a day. Every once in a while (usually when I eat something new that tastes REALLY good), I convince myself that I can't stop when I'm full even if it means I'll go over my calorie budget. I tell myself I'll never have it again, so I need to take advantage of it now. Or I tell myself that I can't waste the money it cost for the food, and I must eat it all. A long with other excuses. I know this thinking is wrong, but I struggle with this. Any advice?

    Yea, I'm kind of the same. I decided that I can only eat whatever is actually plated. Afterwards I'll have something desserty if I want more. For me desserty is a piece of fruit or half serving of yogurt with a couple of berries. Then drink a lot of water.
    Or just brush my teeth. Lol

  • Hi, my name is Amanda. I live in Toronto.
    this quarantine is kicking my butt I’ve put on 10 pounds in five months. I’m currently 174 pounds and looking to get down to 125.
    As part of this plan one of my fitness goals is to walk 7500 steps each day. Also, I’m a notorious night eater, so I’m committed to not eating between 6pm - 6am.
    Is there anyone here that I can lean on to be my accountability buddy??
  • kiay131982
    kiay131982 Posts: 217 Member
    Morning all!

    @PatriceFitnessPal 50 shades of fitness.... 🤣🤣🤣 I used to really hate exercise, but once I started paying someone to make me do it and began to see actual results I changed my mind. Now I feel really bleugh if I have a day where I dont feel like I have done enough... Unless its a planned recovery day!

    @healthytink and @Chi_Hien 1200 calories is really low. From experience this is the lowest amount of calories that is safe but its really not sustainable... Which is why you are finding that you are binging occassionaly. Then feeling bad. Are you exercising at all? If so do you eat back exercise calories? Can I suggest a trial of eating 1500 calories a day for a week or two and seeing if you find it easier to stick to? X you might find then that actually you lose more weight as you dont need to binge. It took a long time for my PT to convince me this was true xxxxx

    @amandahenriques2014 welcome!! Good goal to get moving to start with!!! :) do you use a tracker for your steps?? Personally I would break that goal down into small steps so that it feels like you are winning... So I would look to get below 170 first... And then celebrate that... Then move the goal posts... Youve got this!!!
  • beshamama
    beshamama Posts: 240 Member
    Check in!
    Ugh last week hubby was off work and we went camping and we did take out almost every day. But we also went hiking. I don’t think I logged in at all last week. Also haven’t weighed myself 😱 I didn’t really exercise at all last week. 😞

    But one sliver lining I bought some outdoorsy pants from REI a few years back. They were a little snug back then but were on clearance so I had to buy them. Since then when I wore them in the past they were really snug and I could hardly button them 🤦‍♀️ But this time they fit! They weren’t perfect yet but fit better than when I 1st bought them! So that’s my proof that all my hard work is slowly paying off.

    This weeks goals
    Exercise every day!
    Stay under my calorie budget at least 2x
    No late night snacking!
  • Chi_Hien
    Chi_Hien Posts: 9 Member
    kiay131982 wrote: »
    Morning all!

    @PatriceFitnessPal 50 shades of fitness.... 🤣🤣🤣 I used to really hate exercise, but once I started paying someone to make me do it and began to see actual results I changed my mind. Now I feel really bleugh if I have a day where I dont feel like I have done enough... Unless its a planned recovery day!

    @healthytink and @Chi_Hien 1200 calories is really low. From experience this is the lowest amount of calories that is safe but its really not sustainable... Which is why you are finding that you are binging occassionaly. Then feeling bad. Are you exercising at all? If so do you eat back exercise calories? Can I suggest a trial of eating 1500 calories a day for a week or two and seeing if you find it easier to stick to? X you might find then that actually you lose more weight as you dont need to binge. It took a long time for my PT to convince me this was true xxxxx

    @amandahenriques2014 welcome!! Good goal to get moving to start with!!! :) do you use a tracker for your steps?? Personally I would break that goal down into small steps so that it feels like you are winning... So I would look to get below 170 first... And then celebrate that... Then move the goal posts... Youve got this!!!

    @kiay131982 Yea, I do roughly 1500 a day. I just have bad habit of mindless eating. I think it's been helping seeing everything outright first. I'm not concerned about the actual number but rather developing new habits. I do worry if whether 1500 kcal is something that is sustainable though. I don't mind slow weight loss if it is due to healthy habits and the way of living.
  • Illicitlitmisfit
    Illicitlitmisfit Posts: 11 Member
    ayo bros wuts crackalackin, i need someone to gimme a self loving body boost too, imma great supporter/motivator, help my mom out w/ her goals remind my fam to be healthy. So a stranger pshhh i gotcha, no hard feelings just pushin eachother 💪 i like to be aggro typa motivated, coach screamin in ur face type shi hahaha, but i also offer nice advice and positivity. im tryna tone up and slim down, do for me ill do for you :3
  • highmaintnance
    highmaintnance Posts: 215 Member
    hello all! @Chi_Hien I love your comment, "I don't mind slow weight loss if it is due to healthy habits and the way of living." That hits the nail on the head! I would love to be at my ideal health in four weeks but that would require actions that wouldn't be sustainable or healthy.

    I am trying to workout more. I know that it's not AS important as what you consume, but I tend to consume healthier things when I workout more often. I am also trying to get my daughter to move more as well, so hopefully we can be do better scrounging the effort. My goals this week are to make almost everything I eat myself (no drive thrus) to get outside with my daughter on the days that I have her and to say no to the extra sweets!
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,307 Member
    Welcome @Chi_Hien, @amandahenriques2014 and @Illicitlitmisfit! Thanks for adding some new tips ...

    I like the idea of not eating anything that’s not on a plate @Chi_Hien. Yesterday, I found myself doing too much mindless snacking so this is a timely reminder for me to put an end to my ‘grazing.” Even though my food choices were relatively healthy (e.g., cashew nuts, dried mango, etc.), the lazy behavior left me over my daily calorie count!

    @amandahenriques2014 - There are a number of people in this group trying to put an end to night snacking so you’ve come to the right place for support. Some of the previous messages include tips from other Accountability Buddies related to breaking the night time snacking. I found that I ate more at night when I was tired and thought snacking would give me an energy boost to get through some tasks but it never went as planned so I started setting my alarm to get up earlier the next day instead. It helped because I was more focused in the morning and got the sleep I needed by paying attention to what my body needed. How is it going with your 7,500 step goal?

    @beshamama - It’s great to hear from you! It’s wonderful that your clothes are fitting better and you recognized that ‘non-scale accomplishment’ That kind of reward is so important! Personally, I think it’s far better to reflect on the fun time you spent outside with your family - and the way you’re feeling in your clothes - than the scale (if possible)! Congratulations! 🎉 I also smiled that you ordered takeout during your camping trip because that’s definitely something my family would do! My husband says his idea of ‘roughing it’ is no cable or direct television. He made that comment before we could stream anything on demand but the other families were shocked that he was disrupting their more purest approach to enjoying nature!! 🙄

    @Illicitlitmisfit - My father was a professional athlete and coach - and I work at the intersection of health, mental health and education - so we often used to talk about what motivates people. I never interfere with my children’s coaches but I think we’ve learned a lot from research that tells us positive reinforcement and immediate feedback in making corrections leads to better results In the long run than the in-your-face screaming coaches. I’m eager to hear what you like about that more aggressive approach though ... and I’m open to expanding my thinking about it. You bring up a great point about encouraging ourselves and others (e.g., your mom and family) so I’d love to hear what approaches work for others.

    What motivates you all? What strategies have you found helpful in motivating others?

    @highmaintnance - I like the way you are modeling an active lifestyle for your daughter and rewarding her with quality time together. I think that’s a perfect example of a positive approach to motivation if we can find something that really appeals to the person we are supporting! My younger son likes to play tennis together and also wanted to sculpt his abs before going to the beach with his friends so we scheduled a daily abdominal workout together. I haven’t been able to find such an easy match with my older son but he likes hikes in nature and he’s a curious learner so we spent some time last month trying to find a comet while walking by the river (where we thought there would be less light pollution). I’d like to work on a more consistent activity together but he’ll be moving to college soon so maybe it’s better to build in a new approach when we help him move and quarantine there for two weeks before school starts.

    I’m going to focus on my high-protein snack at about 3pm each day to cut down on my ‘grazing’ with snacks. After dinner, I’ll follow @Chi_Hien’s good advice and replace any unhealthy sweet cravings with fruit for dessert .... as a last resort.
    The hurricane interrupted my rowing but I’m going tomorrow and I’ll add some exercise on Friday (like jump roping and using the new an roller my son ordered ... to replace my motivating workouts when he leaves for college 😂). Hang in there everyone and let us know how you’re doing in achieving your goals. You’ve got this!!
  • renaegry
    renaegry Posts: 1,253 Member
    Hi all. Been awhile. Slowly trying to get back at things since July was a total bust. I know things won’t get back to 100% committed till September but will try to have a better August then September. Still at the lake a lot and tend to drink quiet a few Michelin’s while there. lol. Did get over 12K steps in so far today. Haven’t had over 10K in a week. Hope everyone is doing well. Will try to go back and at least catch up on August posts.

    @highmaintnance i love the Fitbit bingos. Something different. Also like doing custom challenges sometimes to
  • kiay131982
    kiay131982 Posts: 217 Member
    Morning all :) (well, morning here anyway!!)

    Hope everyone is doing ok?!
    Rest day for me today after a few days of intense exercise, so maybe an ice bath later :)
    I am definitely finding that only eating clean ingredients and then not having to weigh everything is so liberating!! I am going to keep watching the scales and if they start to creep up then I might do a week of tracking to remind myself of amounts.... And then go back to just focussing on what I am eating opposed to how much.

    @Chi_Hien maybe eat a couple of days without tracking calories... But write down everything you do eat (and weigh it). Eat as you normally would. After a few days then input it all into MFP and see where your calorie level is normally for you, then try and drop it by just a little bit every few days until you find the level that is sustainable for you? I think alot of people go from eating 2000+ calories a day and then drop it to 1200/1500 and really struggle with hunger and give up... Maybe a more gradual approach is needed? X
  • highmaintnance
    highmaintnance Posts: 215 Member
    @renaegry I tried to accept one of your bingo challenges but I don't have the premium package, so I couldn't. It sounds like fun!

    My newest struggle to add to the list is juggling my daughter's virtual learning this fall with work. My employer is not allowing work from home (don't even get me started on how furious I am with this) so I will have to make up my hours missed on evenings and weekends. I'm sure I will be less inclined to cook supper too, so add that to the list as well. I am so overwhelmed and stressed. Does anyone use a food delivery company to send prepped meals? I've been thinking about subscribing to one, but I will have to do the math to make sure it doesn't push me over my food budget.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,307 Member
    @highmaintnance - Some of the families I know are setting up ‘learning pods’ with a few families carefully expanding their quarantine circle to allow students to study together, with rotating supervision from the parents in the group, so they can cut down on the amount of work time missed. Our school district is allowing some students to meet in-person at the school with physical distancing protocols in place under certain family (or individual student) circumstances so it might be worth asking if there are any similar options.

    I used to prepare some meals ahead of time using a place called Let’s Dish when my kids were younger and I was working trying to finish my dissertation. It was helpful for me but that’s a little different than the meal preparation services that deliver to your home. I know some people who like Hello Fresh (Is that the right name?), which didn’t work for me at the time. I had some business trips and it felt as though it would take too much energy to make sure the boxes were delivered at the right times, etc. Of course, that wouldn’t be a problem now! I’m not sure if the price but maybe preparing meals ahead of time would work. I’m terrible at that but my friend has a lot of success cooking ahead of time. She liked cooking more than I do ... but I have enjoyed our new family arrangement of taking turns preparing dinner together. So, maybe there’s hope for me learning to like it more ... !

    I’m sorry you’re dealing with so many moving parts and added difficulty of your employer. Hang in there!!

  • beshamama
    beshamama Posts: 240 Member
    @PatriceFitnessPal 🤣🤦‍♀️ I accidentally misled you! We did not do take out while camping(although if there was a way to do that I would love that!). We just went camping one night ate hot dogs but every other night while we were at home we did take out. It was fun getting a break from cooking 😊
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,307 Member
    @beshamama - Shoot! I guess my husband is alone in his approach to camping! 🙄 It’s probably best that way!! 😉 I have great memories of camping as a child and we have replicated it with larger groups but, on our own, he’d need to pick up coffee somewhere nearer to a cellphone tower!
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,307 Member
    I didn’t have a very successful week but I’m just going to count ‘no gain’ as a win.

    There hasn’t been much activity here to keep me motivated. As you noted @renaegry, many people have different summer (or seasonal) schedules so maybe the energy will pick up again in September. It was great to hear an update and I hope you find a good balance of fun, fitness and health while at the lake. Time to reconnect with family and friends is important to our health, too, so I’m glad you’re embracing the lake experiences ... and making a conscious effort not to over-indulge while there.

    @highmaintnance - Any positive movement in removing the work and learning/ child care obstacles that have been taking time and energy away from your healthy goals? Our personal health is the foundation for everything else but it’s always tough to balance when our children need attention.

    I didn’t build in my twice a week yoga goal and I didn’t make up for the exercise I missed when bad weather interfered with rowing this past week. The reduced exercise meant I didn’t have the extra calorie allotment I count on to reach my daily and weekly goals. So, there were a few days that I exceeded my calories and one day when I went off track with snacking more than usual. It was disappointing but I’m recommitting today!

    My son picked up on my disappointment and suggested playing tennis so I’m looking forward to that time with him today. I will have to generate more intrinsic motivation until the Accountability Buddy community reengages in September. It will be up to me to sustain the long term changes anyway, so I better build my own inner strength!

    I’ll keep posting my goals here to stay accountable. This week, I’ll row four days and take my dog for long walks three days. I’ll set up some strength training with a personal trainer for later this month or at least get on his calendar for September. I’ll also play soccer tonight. For nutrition, I’ll add one additional vegetable serving at lunch and try to eat more salad, etc. I hope others had a better week than I did. How was it for you? What did you learn? Do you have any goals or insights you want to share? Best wishes for the coming week!
  • msunat97
    msunat97 Posts: 511 Member
    @highmaintnance I usually log all my food and exercise. I got into a long streak of logging in, clicking a few likes and then not doing anything else. I have rededicated myself to logging properly my diet and exercise. How about you?