Accountability buddy

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Replies

  • lianatherunner
    lianatherunner Posts: 45 Member
    I'd like to join in, too. I'm 42 years old and have about 10 lbs to lose. That may not sound like much, but I've already lost 120! My weight has been on a slow downward trend for several years and I'm happy with that, but there is room for improvement. Even if the number on the scale doesn't change, I need more muscle.

    I just migrated here from Sparkpeople. Most of my friends there were inactive and the site is going down, so I figured I'd just pick up and move here.

    I have chronic illnesses that I struggle with, but I manage. I have two half-marathons coming up and I'm busy training for those. Oddly enough, running helps me control chronic pain. Must be the endorphins!

    Feel free to add me.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    It’s been awhile since I’ve checked in but it’s nice to see so many active members! Welcome to @plcarpenter, @laurajbaker, @lianatherunner and anyone else I missed.

    @kiay131982 - I love the advice about looking ahead instead of back in response to @bookworm4623. We can all benefit from that reminder. Congratulations on passing your course and becoming a certified instructor! It sounds like a true labor of love. You’re so good about aligning your work with your values. That’s not always easy to manage ... but another good reminder!

    At the beginning of June, I joined one of the community groups called Fat2Fit (or something like that) where a moderator poses certain questions or challenges to the members for the month. There are about six groups with moderators assigned to each and they tally the results for their individual groups as a friendly competition among the ‘teams.’ I’m a member of the ShrinkingAssets team and think @bumpbreakcar is a member of one of the other groups. It’s been good to have a bit of an extra push. Each member is encouraged to select some goals (limited to five) to track. Mine are:

    -10 minute ab workout & 10 minute stretch daily
    -Drink 70 ounces of water daily
    -Stay within calorie target for the week
    -Cardio 5x per week
    -Sleep 7-8 hours

    I’ve been doing well overall but I’m surprised to see that sleep has been the hardest goal for me to meet. I’ve been best at completing my abs and ‘ebb and flow’ on stretching. I’m on vacation at the beach this week so I can’t participate in the weekly weigh in but we’ve been taking the bicycles for a ride everyday, which feels great. The ocean and sand dunes offer a fantastic view so the hills don’t feel like too much work.

    I hope everyone else is doing well. Feel free to post some short term goals here and let us know how you’re doing. I’m sending encouraging vibes your way. Best wishes for the rest of the week!
  • Kitessa87
    Kitessa87 Posts: 18 Member
    Hey, looking for an accountability buddy, please "friend" me if you up for the job. :)

    Sending friends request 👌💪🏻
  • kiay131982
    kiay131982 Posts: 217 Member
    Morning!

    I joined those groups a while back @PatriceFitnessPal but I didn't stay because feeling like I needed to log in daily made me feel a bit overwhelmed when life was already stressful busy. It was good though!
    I'm still treading water with weight loss, but that's okay...I've realised I need to let some things go in order to be able to put me first....I just haven't established what it is that I am going to let go yet! I need to stop agreeing to so many things, I know they say if you want something doing ask a busy person.... but its getting a little ridiculous now!
  • roz0810
    roz0810 Posts: 1,238 Member
    @PatriceFitnessPal I'm in downsizers! it's a great community. everyone's so lovely.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    @kiay131982 and @roz0810 - Wow ... I had no idea the groups were so popular. I’m a little late to the game but I needed an extra bit of focus to get rid of the final 10 pounds needed to reach my goal. In the end, I might return to my current weight if I gain more muscle so I’ll see what happens during this extra push.

    @roz0810 - Funny, I requested the Downsizers’ group as my first choice - because I’m also trying to downsize my house - but any assignment was fine with me. The ShrinkingAssets name is clever but I’d rather keep my limited assets 😉 and downsize everything else 😂!

    @Kiaya1234 - Your situation resonates with me. There should be a support group for the busy people who volunteer to do too much. I’m on vacation this week, and working on two projects that are really unnecessary ... trying to remember why I thought they were a good idea!

    Initially, I used my younger son’s graduation and the pandemic as a good way to step back from a lot of activities but I can feel myself drifting back into dangerous territory as things are opening up. It’s interesting how everyone comments that I shouldn’t take on too much but they don’t want me to give up ‘their’ particular task. 🤨

    It’s really time to prioritize the things I really want to do ... but I’m still trying to figure out what’s most important to me now that my children are (mostly) ‘grown and flown’. I haven’t been attending to my downsizing priority at home - and can’t while traveling this week and next - but my cousin is visiting in early July so I now have a deadline! It’s the perfect opportunity to make some significant progress when I return home. Of course, it also tells me I haven’t escaped my pattern of doing things for others instead of myself. Oh well, a work in progress. Thanks for being my sounding board as I struggle through the ‘testing’ and improvement process, Accountability buddies! I appreciate you all.
  • highmaintnance
    highmaintnance Posts: 215 Member
    Hello everyone. I hope the week has been good to you all so far. I'm feeling a bit down today. I feel like I was doing pretty well this week, or at least better than the week before. All it took to sink that was my dad (89 with dementia) to tell me that I had gained some weight. From the mouths of babes and old people, right? Lol. So what did I do? I ate a bunch of sugar last night and started into it this morning. I have now quit and got on here to read and post. Ridiculous.

    Some positive things (can't always be negative). I bought season passes to an amusement park for me and my daughter and we went the other day. Boy did I get my steps in! More importantly, so did my daughter and we had a great time. I found a decent Green Giant frozen veggie and bean mix that I like and have now added to my supper choices. I have also jumped on the collagen train. Is anyone else using/ingesting any collagen products? I started with the Vital Proteins water from the grocery store. Some of the flavors are pretty good, only 3grams sugar and 18 grams protein, but they are $3 a bottle (yowza), so I bought some Vital Proteins powder from Amazon.

    @kiay131982 I totally agree with a support group for busy people, but I have to laugh because that would add another thing on our plates, lol. I am trying to write my responsibilities/tasks/projects down and numbering them by priority. The next step would be to determine at which number I would start removing that thing from my list. The hardest part! We have to take care of ourselves! Put on your own oxygen mask on before helping others with theirs.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    @highmaintnance - You’re so right that a support group for overworked parents would add one more thing we feel obligated to do!

    Dementia is so difficult to deal with on a good day. I’m sorry you had to deal with your Dad’s lack of filter but it really could just be a particular outfit or something. I’m glad you were able to resist sabotaging the good habits you’ve built and didn’t get stuck in a negative cycle. Good for you for ‘flipping the switch’ and focus on fun time with your daughter. It sounds as though you burned plenty of calories at the amusement park!

    In the end, one bad day isn’t going to make a difference so moving forward is far more important in the long run. I really like the idea of adding beans to vegetable servings. I always think about increasing my protein intake but need to remember to add beans. I like all types but didn’t grow up eating them so I’d like to try to incorporate more legumes into my meal planning.

    Things are going well so far during our vacation. I took a few long bike rides along the beach and there were a few challenging hills along the path through the sand dunes. We cooked at ‘home’ most nights so I haven’t gone too much beyond my daily nutrition targets. My mother packed a bunch of sweets for us to take with us. I ate some things I wouldn’t usually be tempted to eat but I feel as though we managed reasonably well. The coming week, we are staying with family so it might be harder to balance. We’re also likely to eat at restaurants as we connect with family and friends after not seeing everyone for quite awhile during the pandemic. I’ll do my best to walk along the nearby beach, etc. My siblings are good about meeting for hikes, dog walks, or walks along the waterfront. So, even if it ends with an ice cream cone, it will be better to add a little activity to our time together. Best wishes to everyone for the coming week!
  • highmaintnance
    highmaintnance Posts: 215 Member
    I don't eat many beans either and I think it's the same reason as you, I never really grew up eating them. I did much better today, even though I really wanted to go get a pint of ice cream, lol. I had a dark chocolate truffle earlier and I'm about to drink my kombucha to squelch the craving.

    Vacations are tough! It sounds like you are doing great balancing the food and activity. My family sounds similar to yours, we mean business when we eat and play, lol. Enjoy your family and vacation time!
  • HoistTheColoursHigh
    HoistTheColoursHigh Posts: 1 Member
    edited June 2021
    Hello everyone. Looking for like-minded buddy/buddies to start strength training for health/weight loss.

    47 year old 320 pound mom of 2 awesome boys, loving hubby (my family means everything to me), lifelong obesity, stress / emotional eater. I've made runs at weight loss and do well for 4 to 6 months but then *insert excuse* happens - some examples of my personal boots off the wagon - COVID shutting down my gym membership/routine, my dad died following rapid progression of horrific cancer, injury that wiped out lower body exercise for weeks, work gets more crazy than normal (work 12 to 16...to 36 hr days sometimes - little control of schedule, high stress), etc. I do so well if I fill in my spreadsheet (I love numbers, obsess on gathering all the data, which is a reward in itself) and record all food/exercise - that motivates me seeing the data all filled in.

    In the last couple years, understanding my martyr penchant, I have been trying to focus on taking time out for me and perhaps not so overloading my mind, my schedule, and my life. Trying to remember it's ok to just walk away and take a little me time, the work never stops and it will still be there whether I skip breakfast, lunch, and dinner or not.

    Contrary to a lot of stories I hear, I do not hate myself, I don't cringe looking at the mirror, and I don't particularly care what others think of me/my appearance. If someone wishes to try to fat shame me, so sorry about your small dingle, I don't see how it's your concern. I've got a husband who loves me, my boys are amazing, and I can find joy in the smallest things. I do, however, have a problem with all the stress of my worklife (which admittedly I heap on myself, as well as absorbing the stress of the job/on call/variable prolonged hours) and I can fall down the rabbithole of "f-it" mentality when I reach my breaking point. That's the trigger that boots me off the wagon and I do dumb things and gain it back.

    Yes, I wish I were lean for my health, but not be to one of the "beautiful people", which does nothing for me.

    My hubby is tall, lean, and does trail races for fun, which he wins. I'm proud of him, and he would support me in whatever I wanted to do, but I wouldn't be motivated by him, someone who has never had the body shape, size, and out-of-control work life that I live in. Not to mention, his ambling/slow walking pace for his long limb length almost requires me to jog, short little round self that I am. He's long and lean, build for long distance running. I'm short, strong, and dense, much better tuned to body-building. I'm surprisingly healthy in the foot/hips/back realm, though I have one knee that will twinge from time to time if I overdo it/tweak it.

    Sweetheart that my hubby is, he surprised me with a Tonal gym this week (and I mean that sincerely, not sarcastically), which is nice because I do much better with someone just telling me what to do when it comes to exercise. I'm good at biting down and pushing through it if I'm told to, so having a virtual trainer through tonal works for me. I enjoyed and was doing well with a personal trainer before COVID stopped that for a year. I learned a fair amount at the gym, but found it hard to find a time to go in when it had minimal people present. I'm a big introvert and don't particularly enjoy the company of people, I much more enjoy workouts by myself / one-on-one. Public/group time is mentally exhausting.

    My main areas of exercise include walking/jogging, swimming, and strength training in my basement. My boys are in Tae Kwon Do and I've learned a lot watching their classes, so am incorporating some of that, as well, for giggles, altered to match my older, rounder self.

    So, to end this rambling diatribe, I'm just putting my story out there to see if it resonates with anyone - if so I would love for you to message me. Feel free to friend me if you'd like to share progress/successes/struggles on the day to day. Seeing what someone else is doing in a similar situation is motivating to me and if my progress can help keep someone else engaged, wonderful.




    Aren't they wonderful? :) Love my boys beyond measure.

    kbt4mfc0zgpz.jpg


  • lianatherunner
    lianatherunner Posts: 45 Member
    Is anyone else using/ingesting any collagen products? I started with the Vital Proteins water from the grocery store. Some of the flavors are pretty good, only 3grams sugar and 18 grams protein, but they are $3 a bottle (yowza), so I bought some Vital Proteins powder from Amazon.

    I have been using collagen for a while but I'm going to phase it out because I am trying to go plant-based. I'm going to use up what I have at home and then try a vegan collagen booster and see how I like that.
    The most notable difference was in my fingernails. Holy moly, did they grow! I have never, and I mean NEVER, had nails that grew far beyond my fingertips, but within about six weeks of taking collagen, I had long, strong nails. I can't say for sure that I look younger. I used to have a lot of joint problems that have gone away but I'm not sure if that's collagen or not. I also lost a lot of weight, which helped.
  • renaegry
    renaegry Posts: 1,253 Member
    I think I used to belong to Fat2fit and just left a similar group. This group thou you log into the spreadsheets everything. I found the last few weeks I don’t have the time to sit and get it done plus at the lake the cell service is aweful.

    I recently joined weight watchers again and have finally seen some weight drop. It was an eye opener with the calories ca the points with weight watchers. I am trying to log in both WW and MFP

    Hope everyone is doing well. I plan on checking in way more often.
  • highmaintnance
    highmaintnance Posts: 215 Member

    I have been using collagen for a while but I'm going to phase it out because I am trying to go plant-based. I'm going to use up what I have at home and then try a vegan collagen booster and see how I like that.
    The most notable difference was in my fingernails. Holy moly, did they grow! I have never, and I mean NEVER, had nails that grew far beyond my fingertips, but within about six weeks of taking collagen, I had long, strong nails. I can't say for sure that I look younger. I used to have a lot of joint problems that have gone away but I'm not sure if that's collagen or not. I also lost a lot of weight, which helped.
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    I feel like my fingernails are starting to look healthier but I'm really hopeful that my hair health will improve.

    I hope everyone is doing well. I haven't been doing too badly lately with my eating but I have been eating most of my food in the evening and not during the day. I don't like doing that, but it kind of shakes out that way. I'm going to try to eat a heftier lunch and smaller supper. I'm back to making smoothies with all the good stuff. I'm still only getting minimum movement even with a walking challenge to spur me on. The allergens outside try to kill me on a daily basis, so I have to try to avoid walking outside, and I have not been a fan of the treadmill recently. All excuses, I know. I'll figure something out that's doable.
  • emccand
    emccand Posts: 195 Member
    I definitely need some accountability buddies! First goal is losing 26.8 lbs!
  • AmyBeth_TN
    AmyBeth_TN Posts: 6 Member
    Anyone can add me as a friend! Let’s get this done together!! 💪🏻👊🏻

    47, mom, blah blah blah!! 🤣
  • sabshane
    sabshane Posts: 9 Member
    Daily accountability buddy. Looking for a 1 to 1 accountability partner as well. Message me if interested. Mostly re food, sleep, exercise. Thanks!
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    Welcome to all the newer members!

    @churley2020 - You seem to know yourself so well, and I’m impressed with your outlook and positive self image. Good for you! I’m not familiar with Tonal Gym but I’m very interested in adding more weight or resistance training to my workouts. I’d like to focus more in body recomposition or sculpting/ toning. It’s always a bonus to have a resting metabolism that works more efficiently, too.

    Your family introduction made my smile! I just returned from a visit with extended family and my heart feels full 😊. While every family has its difficulties and quirks, I was so happy to be laughing and finding joy in one another again. I was feeling strange emerging from the isolation of COVID that became so familiar and the visit was exactly what I needed to emerge from the cave. My eyes aren’t squinting from the sunlight now. I’m getting used to more interaction.

    In late July, my sister and closest friends from high school are all getting together in Charleston, South Carolina, where one of the friends lives now. She decided to give up alcohol a couple years ago and we all visited her to lend support during a difficult period. It was wonderful to spend a weekend together with good friends after too many years of being ‘too busy’ on the treadmill of family life. So, we are trying to make it an annual event (though we could only meet virtually last summer).

    We can spend hours catching up so it’s a good thing she planned a moonlight kayak trip one night to get us out of the house and moving a bit. The next couple of weeks are going to be extra busy for me because I’m behind with my work and also need to get ahead so I can enjoy a long weekend in South Carolina.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    @lianatherunner and @highmaintnance - I’m intrigued by the idea of adding collagen to my diet because my nails have always been weak and I’d like them to get stronger. They sometimes break at a low point on the nail bed and it can be a bit 😖. It’s only a short term pain but happens too frequently … and relief for some of the joint pain - emerging more with my increasing age - sounds like a great reason to try it. I’ll turn 55 in July and it takes a few minutes to get the feet, hips and knees warmed up in the morning! 👵🏻

    @renaegry - I hope you’re enjoying the lake and it might be a good thing that the bad connection helps you ‘unplug’ during your visits. @beshamama also joined Weight Watchers and she said she’s been having success with the program, too.

    I’m feeling on track to meet my ultimate goal of 125 pounds by the end of 2021. It’s very slow progress at this point but I’m about 132 now. As long as I can stay between 125-135, I’ll be happy but I’m guessing it will take another year to experiment with getting my ‘maintenance’ calorie target and fitness routine in place. I also want to work on building strength and conditioning for better rowing. If I can tone up and improve my muscle strength, I might try to set some competitive goals for rowing in the coming years.

    I hope everyone is doing well. Have a great week and I wish you all success in reaching your short term goals for the coming week!
  • renaegry
    renaegry Posts: 1,253 Member
    Morning all. Back from a weekend at my dads. Was my step moms 50th bday. Partied till 5am on Friday. Bad bad weekend. lol. Today back on track. Will get a run in this morning before it gets to hot. Last day of school for the kiddos. Grade 7 and 10 in the books. Goal for summer is to maintain and not gain. Drink my water. Stay active and don’t go to crazy in the hot summer weather st the lake.
  • PatriceFitnessPal
    PatriceFitnessPal Posts: 1,306 Member
    edited July 2021
    @renaegry - I hope you were able to rest after the all night birthday celebration. I guess the good news is you had fun with your family! Congratulations on finishing the school year, too. It was not an easy year so I’m glad there have been some uplifting times since more people have been vaccinated.

    I’ve been dragging a bit because of the heat this week and have a lot of work to do but it rained tonight so I’m emerging from my funk as the cool weather moves in. I’ve managed to stay within my calorie target most days (except one day that was still within maintenance range) this week. My weigh in day is tomorrow so I’ll report more then and set some new goals for the week.

    Enjoy the lake and any other summertime activities you are doing - or looking forward to - Accountability buddies! Best wishes for the coming week. I hope you are feeling good and achieving your goals!