Accountability buddy

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Replies

  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    edited May 2021
    @beshamama - Yes, I hope you continue to connect via the MFP forum by checking in here. I look forward to seeing your updates. In the photos you’ve shared, you always look great. So, I’m wondering how you feel physically. From what I’ve read on MFP, it often seems as though goals based on a particular ‘number on the scale’ weight can be discouraging. You know best, and many people have had success with Weight Watchers (WW), so I definitely think it’s a good idea to try it. My sister is a ‘lifetime member’ and extremely fit. I guess once you achieve your goal, you can weigh in periodically and attend meetings (at no charge?), as long as you stay within a particular maintenance range. I’m not sure if that’s the case for the new program, or how it works exactly, but the program seems to support a lifelong change.

    I joined WW with my colleague once (about 8 years ago?) and remember losing some weight, but I didn’t stick with it very long. The meeting location required too much dedicated planning and time for me at the time. I found the classes helped me focus on my health goals but felt as though the meeting leaders didn’t really share information that I didn’t already know. The emphasis on building new habits into everyday life resonated with me, and I think that’s what helped me most. In the end, my work and family life left too little time to get to meetings regularly - or, it wasn’t worth enduring extra time in traffic to attend - so I ended my membership. My colleague had trouble ending her online subscription and continued to pay for months but I went in person and didn’t have that problem.

    One aspect of the new WW program I liked was not having to count calories for fruit and vegetables. Personally, I think fruit can add up. I try to treat fruit as a snack or dessert these days so, even though it adds calories to my daily targets, at least it’s better to have a cup of strawberries than a cup of ice cream. Small changes - or replacement habits - seem to be a key part of WW that I can benefit from but I found the aggressive approach to selling food and other items off-putting. I have a WW Points counter with instructions in my donation pile if you want me to send it to you. Feel free to send a direct message through the friends section if you want me to mail it to you.

    Your progress update reminded me that I should use my scale more! I bought a WW food scale, and use it occasionally, but I think I need to pay more attention to tracking food more closely. Best wishes on your new endeavor! There are a lot of positive benefits from the kind of support you can get through a dedicated program or the expert guidance of a registered dietitian. Good for you in continuing to set goals and test out new approaches!
  • beshamama
    beshamama Posts: 240 Member
    @PatriceFitnessPal
    It’s always so nice to get your perspective on things. 😊 I don’t have to go to in person meetings...not sure if this a Covid thing or if they realized people didn’t want to do that 🤷‍♀️ So that’s good because I have no desire to go in person meetings....would make me feel like I was in AA or something 🤣 That always held me back from joining in the past.

    Physically I feel blah. I saw a pic of me the other day my hubby took and blah I just look fat and pregnant which I’m not but that’s where all my weight has decided to settle 🙄 I know weight isn’t everything but right now for me it is.

    So far I’m excited about it...it feels like a game with the points instead of the calories. Little tricks right? 😊

    Not sure if I’ll need the point calculator but thanks for offering it 💕
  • kiay131982
    kiay131982 Posts: 217 Member
    Morning all!

    I thought I posted a couple of days ago....but must have hit Done instead of Post!!!
    Ive had a few days full of heavy cold, on top of All the extra work meetings I've only just been keeping my head above water and haven't really made good food choices or been able to exercise (far too much snot!!) However this morning feels like I may have turned a corner so back to it!!

    This week I am really going to focus on my water intake as that has been lax of late. Plus get back to the gym a couple of times (I've missed lots of classes in the last 3 weeks due to work).

    Have a good week!!!!
  • Anewbody2021
    Anewbody2021 Posts: 22 Member
    Anyone can add me!
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    edited May 2021
    @beshamama - 😂🤣😂 - You really captured the reason the in-person meetings felt odd. I never put it together with the AA vibe but you’re right. I think even people who find AA helpful for sobriety are rejecting meetings in church basements! I’m glad society is working to reduce all types of stigma and shame.

    Anyway, I like your idea of approaching it as a game and hope you can leave the blah feelings behind soon. These days, I feel waves of negative emotions and then appreciate all the positive aspects of life. So, the ups and downs seem to take extra energy from me, especially on the weekends for some reason.

    I start out with lots of plans but often waste time. I think I put too much on the list for the weekend, between catching up on work and balancing household chores, family time, and time to recharge by myself. It’s frustrating but I’m just going to keep chipping away at work and downsizing, hoping that clarity will come through reflection and the ‘cleansing’ process. It felt good to have a Mother’s Day hug from my son this morning and I’m sure my mood will pick up after running around the soccer field a bit tonight. But, it’s been a strange ride this year with so many adjustments.

    I hope all the mothers enjoyed the day (which I know differs around the world) if you celebrate, and people who find the day difficult were able to cope. I feel both love and sadness because my father died on Mother’s Day but the day also brings some joy and connection with loved ones. It was 17 years ago that my dad died so it’s not as raw but I always find myself a little agitated so maybe I should find some special way to mark the day ahead of time in a more intentional way.

    @kiay131982 - I’ve lost my posts a couple of times, too ... ugh! 😖 It’s tough to build a new rhythm when work is so busy. I’m always terrible at stopping work so I either have to workout in the morning and pack my lunch, or set up an exercise appointment so I’m accountable. I don’t know why I prioritize others instead of myself but it’s something I’ll just have to keep working to improve.

    @anewbody2014 - Welcome! Feel free to post some weekly goals and introduce yourself, if you want. Usually, we set some achievable short term goals to help us with the longer term changes. I check in on Wednesdays or Thursdays to list the goals and then report my progress about halfway through the week. So far, I’m doing alright. I’ve gone slightly over my nutrition targets but have been on pace with workouts.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    I didn’t give much of a progress report above so here’s my update:

    -Row 4x weather permitting - I only completed one row so far, which means I’m unlikely to meet my goal. It was partly a weather problem and part lack of proactive planning. I have 2 more outings planned before my week ends so I might be able to pull off 75 percent progress. ❎
    -Personal training with husband 2x. ✅
    -Soccer on Sunday. ✅
    -Abs with son every day ✅ and try to build a habit of stretching after abdominal workouts. - I’ve had mixed results. I’ve stretched more but haven’t built a regular habit and haven’t added stretches to the abdominal workouts. ❎
    - For nutrition, eat 4 extra vegetable servings this week, preferably in place of fats. ❎ - This needs work. I’m glad I checked in because I had forgotten this goal. 😬
    - For mental health, continue decluttering and drop off donations on Sunday. ❎ - Prioritized Mother’s Day activities after being lazy in Saturday.
    - For social-emotional wellbeing, reach out to friends and plan a fun activity together for some time later this summer. ✅
    - For civic responsibility (?), schedule a time to work through an annoying administrative glitch with taxes. ✅ - I’m so glad this worked out but I need to rectify the base problem that led to their mistake. They got my son’s name wrong and we had to submit the information using the wrong name so I’ll still need to work through the main issue. At least we met the deadline for submitting the taxes. Onward!

    How are others doing this week? Best wishes for reaching your goals!
  • bumpbreakcar
    bumpbreakcar Posts: 191 Member
    Hey Hey

    I've been pretty good with the diet. although over the weekend I went out for sushi and ate until I was stuff... Still working on this self control and eat until I'm satisfied business.

    I have to start incorporating some weight training into my journey now because I've a lost good amount of weight and I feel like I'm starting to look a bit saggy now. I gave a few exercises a go over the weekend and it was a very different experience then what I was dealing with before!!! like forreal.. my knees used to be in pain for days after exercising, this time- of while taking it slow and being cautious- no pain.

    I'm feeling much more comfortable. so that's a plus and I'm officially 3lbs away from my goal that I set for myself by June 10!!! I know I will get there but then there's the matter of maintaining it so that should be an interesting journey to come.

    Goals for this week (May 10 - 15):

    1) 5 days a of 30 minutes of exercise

    2) 96 oz of water day ( I'm already a little behind on this goal but I have to push through)

    3) No unplanned snacking (I'm such a snacker but again this where that self control that I'm working on will come in handy)

    4) Back to logging my food … ALL my food!!

    Good day to all <3
  • bumpbreakcar
    bumpbreakcar Posts: 191 Member
    beshamama wrote: »
    Physically I feel blah. I saw a pic of me the other day my hubby took and blah I just look fat and pregnant which I’m not but that’s where all my weight has decided to settle 🙄 I know weight isn’t everything but right now for me it is.

    OMG I can totally relate to that feeling!! that's what put me on my journey... I saw a picture and was like wow that's how I look!!! Also I took a picture recently and it was still bad so I've come to the conclusion I just suck a taking pictures.. but the double chin and the belly spewing over was reduced :)

    Please keep us posted on your journey & Congrats to you ;) !!
  • bumpbreakcar
    bumpbreakcar Posts: 191 Member

    Goals for this week (May 10 - 15):

    1) 5 days a of 30 minutes of exercise

    2) 96 oz of water day ( I'm already a little behind on this goal but I have to push through)

    3) No unplanned snacking (I'm such a snacker but again this where that self control that I'm working on will come in handy)

    4) Back to logging my food … ALL my food!!

    Good morning,

    Ok struggled with water yesterday but going to try again today!!

    and I realized I need to give set days for my workout or I'll just keep saying I'll do it tomorrow

    My Plan:
    Tuesday- Lower Body
    Wednesday- Cardio Walking
    Thursday - Abs & Arms
    Friday - Cardio Walking
    Saturday - Full Body
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    edited May 2021
    @bumpbreakcar - Congratulations on all your progress! It’s helpful to learn from the insights you shared about what’s working and not working for you. Thank you!

    I rowed one more day, continued with my abdominal workouts and stretched a bit more but not much has changed since the update on May 10th. I’ll give some more thought to this week’s goals but I’ll probably need to monitor the nutrition side better, get more sleep, and drink more water.

    I hope you all are doing well. I’ll look forward to seeing your updates.
  • Anewbody2021
    Anewbody2021 Posts: 22 Member
    edited May 2021
    @anewbody2014 - Welcome! Feel free to post some weekly goals and introduce yourself, if you want. Usually, we set some achievable short term goals to help us with the longer term changes. I check in on Wednesdays or Thursdays to list the goals and then report my progress about halfway through the week. So far, I’m doing alright. I’ve gone slightly over my nutrition targets but have been on pace with workouts.[/quote]

    This week is 2 weeks and a half back into the exercise/eating healthy routine since August of last year. Slowly building back up to exercising but been faithful daily and will continue even after I make goal🤗

    Oh and if anyone would like to add me would be a great boost! We can encourage one another 😊
  • bumpbreakcar
    bumpbreakcar Posts: 191 Member
    I got my workout in yesterday and about to get another one in today!!

    @PatriceFitnessPal please keep us posted!!

    @anewbody2014 I will definitely be adding you! and I agree I plan to keep up with a regular exercise routine even after I meet my goal :blush:
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    edited May 2021
    @anewbody2014 - Great work building a regular habit of exercising! I agree with you and @bumpbreakcar about the importance of getting into a regular routine that we can stick with over the long term.

    I enjoyed a nice row today. It’s been more difficult than usual to get out on the river because my usual boathouse is associated with the schools and, even though the students and crew athletes are back to in-person, they haven’t opened up to the community rowers yet. So, instead of a 10 minute car ride (or 15 minutes by bicycle) it takes me about 30 minutes (one way) to row across town on a different river. The good news is the water is very calm there compared to where we usually scull. Since I’m new to the one person sculling boats, I appreciate the calm water without much boat traffic. Usually, our 8-person shells have to watch out for water taxis, ferries, sailboats, etc. on the Potomac River. And, after driving through Washington, DC, it’s amazing to see so many turtles, ospreys, eagles, and other wildlife are living so close by in the relatively isolated section of the Anacostia River. Today, we even saw a beaver swimming with a baby in (presumably) her mouth!

    Next week, my work schedule is really messing with my workout schedule because I have meetings in the middle of the day. It’s tough to carve out 3+ hours to travel, get the boats out, spend an hour or so rowing, and then wash and put away all the equipment. I’ve decided to row this weekend and try to run or visit the gym during the week. I’ll continue the daily ab workouts, too. We’ve only missed one day of abs this month so that’s going well. The stretching hasn’t been consistent but I’ve been doing a little more so I’ll keep trying.

    I hope everyone is doing well. Go get those goals!
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    Here are my goals for the week 5/13-5/19:

    -Take more/ longer walks with the dog (daily)
    -Running or gym cardio (3x)
    -Rowing workouts (2x)
    -Personal training (2x) - 1x completed
    -Soccer (Sunday)
    -Abs & stretching (10 min. each daily) - OK so far
    -Drink more water (70 ounces) - Starting today
    -Declutter office space (8 hours)

    How’s everyone doing? I hope your week is going well.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    There hasn’t been much activity on this thread so I’ve decided to update my status daily this week to help maintain my motivation:

    -Take more/ longer walks with the dog (daily) - Walked 60 minutes so far today.
    -Running or gym cardio (3x) - Ran about 3 miles (30 minutes)
    -Rowing workouts (2x) - None today
    -Personal training (2x) - 2x completed
    -Soccer (Sunday) - Planned for tomorrow
    -Abs & stretching (10 min. each daily) - Done
    -Drink more water (70 ounces) - 48 ounces so far
    -Declutter office space (8 hours) - 2 hours today

    Eating well and should be under my target on calories with balanced macros. It’s a beautiful day here. I hope your week is going well.
  • kiay131982
    kiay131982 Posts: 217 Member
    Hi @PatriceFitnessPal you're right....I've let coming on here slip as I've been so busy!
    We have now reopened 6 of our support groups so that's a huge success....although instead of being drop ins I'm now managing an appointment system too which is taking up a fair bit of time!

    My husband has handed in his notice at one of his jobs so he can give more time to the other....and it will also free up some evening time for me which means being able to fit in some more workouts!!!

    Goals this week:
    Drink more water...always!
    Attend 2 gym sessions (I've missed at least one a week recently due to work)
    Get one run in (also have not succeeded with this lately!)
    Replace evening snacking with a protein shake.
  • Anewbody2021
    Anewbody2021 Posts: 22 Member
    @anewbody2014 - Great work building a regular habit of exercising! I agree with you and @bumpbreakcar about the importance of getting into a regular routine that we can stick with over the long term.

    I enjoyed a nice row today. It’s been more difficult than usual to get out on the river because my usual boathouse is associated with the schools and, even though the students and crew athletes are back to in-person, they haven’t opened up to the community rowers yet. So, instead of a 10 minute car ride (or 15 minutes by bicycle) it takes me about 30 minutes (one way) to row across town on a different river. The good news is the water is very calm there compared to where we usually scull. Since I’m new to the one person sculling boats, I appreciate the calm water without much boat traffic. Usually, our 8-person shells have to watch out for water taxis, ferries, sailboats, etc. on the Potomac River. And, after driving through Washington, DC, it’s amazing to see so many turtles, ospreys, eagles, and other wildlife are living so close by in the relatively isolated section of the Anacostia River. Today, we even saw a beaver swimming with a baby in (presumably) her mouth!

    Next week, my work schedule is really messing with my workout schedule because I have meetings in the middle of the day. It’s tough to carve out 3+ hours to travel, get the boats out, spend an hour or so rowing, and then wash and put away all the equipment. I’ve decided to row this weekend and try to run or visit the gym during the week. I’ll continue the daily ab workouts, too. We’ve only missed one day of abs this month so that’s going well. The stretching hasn’t been consistent but I’ve been doing a little more so I’ll keep trying.

    I hope everyone is doing well. Go get those goals!

    Good job!
    I start week 4 tomorrow 😊
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    edited May 2021
    @anewbody2014 - Great! You’ll have a month behind you in no time. I think a new habit takes about 3 weeks to form so that’s a fantastic milestone. Enjoy!

    @kiay131982 - Congratulations on the reopening of so many groups! I’m sure the support and sense of belonging that breastfeeding group offers new mother’s is a welcome sign that we are moving forward safely. It’s so important to both the children and families but I’m sorry to hear about the extra work involved to make sure everyone stays healthy. I hope your husband’s schedule change helps with the balance so you can get some stress relief and time for yourself, too!

    No added pressure to post here. We are all doing the best we can to make time for the things we care about and everything can’t be a priority, as much as I wish there was time for everything on my list! I’m feeling really tired today and finding it hard to motivate myself. I have some work I want to get done but I’m procrastinating here because I don’t feel like doing it. I’m still planning to do my ab workout, stretching, and play soccer tonight but didn’t walk with our dog as far as I planned. We stopped at the dog park after about a 20 minute walk instead. I’ll try a longer walk later. For now, I’ll get that work done. I’m going to sit on the porch so it feels as though I’m enjoying the weekend weather a bit. Best wishes to others!
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    I went over my calorie target by a lot and only walked about 20 minutes with the dog. He walked twice more than I did today. 😬

    -Take more/ longer walks with the dog (daily) ❎
    -Running or gym cardio (3x) - 1x so far.
    -Rowing workouts (2x) - ❎
    -Personal training (2x) - 2x ✅
    -Soccer (Sunday) - ✅ but we had 1 extra woman so we each rotated in & ran a bit less than usual.
    -Abs & stretching (10 min. each daily) - ✅
    -Drink more water (70 ounces) - Not 100% but 👍🏼
    -Declutter office space (8 hours) - Only 2 so far

    This week is heavy mentally for me. I’m hoping to improve my perspective but I’m only dragging along. I hope others are doing better!
  • roz0810
    roz0810 Posts: 1,238 Member
    edited May 2021
    Hi everyone.
    Daily goals for this week:
    - Stay within or under calorie goal
    - Drink 2+litres of water
    - Walking with my friends dog, 45 minutes
    - Minimum 10k a day steps

    I'm currently weighing in daily to keep an eye on things as I kept losing and gaining the same 2-3lbs over and over. Here are my stats from the 12th.

    5/12 252
    5/13 252.6
    5/14 251.8
    5/15 249.8
    5/16 249.8
    5/17 249.6
    5/18 248

    Have a great week everyone!