I don't know what my check-in post later may look like (should be on track though) so I'll reply to the topic now.

I joined July 15, 2014, and I can honestly say I am not 100% sure of the exact motivator other than this site had a number of useful capabilities for me. At that point I had already lost 66 pounds since January 2014 tracking my food intake via spreadsheet and keeping my carbs within my doctors guidance. So obviously the food tracking was useful.

But at that point I was transitioning from daily 6 mile walks to starting to run a little during those walks. I felt I could not afford any more time walking so I needed a better form of exercise. I had no bike or other equipment and knew my feet were free to use, so I chose running (little did I know about the costs of running shoes then). Because of that timing, I found the community on MFP extremely helpful in regards to all sorts of questions I had as a "new runner" about running, diet, you name it. So it wasn't too long before the social aspect of the site was my primary motivator for using the site, and it still is. The food database and macro tracking is the best sort of icing available for this cake called MFP (in my opinion).

I've come and gone a couple times due to injuries or otherwise just quitting entirely, and lost some friends along the way. The best ones re-friended me after they saw me posting or commenting somewhere. Others have also disappeared themselves. Sometimes I recall being friends with someone who is no longer in my friends list, and try to remember what their screen name was as when I get curious about how they are doing. Sometimes I remember and typically find they have been inactive for a while. Some have sadly moved on from this world, which I only learn about by reconnecting socially here. That part really sucks, but that is how life goes.

Currently I stay because of that community and the tracking. It works hand in hand for me that way. Granted, I'm back to primarily tracking my main numbers in a spreadsheet, but I still log everything in MFP and just take the total numbers into my spreadsheet for tracking.

ETA: I keep forgetting to mention, but anyone in UAC looking to add friends can send me a friend request if you mention you are in UAC (or I simply recognize you from here). I don't advertise that all the time because it can be hard to keep up when the friends list gets huge. But I also know that people come and go from here a lot, so in a way the list maintains itself. For now though, anyone here can send me one if they desire.

WhatMeRunning wrote: »

October 12
✅✅✅
Exercise today was another strength workout (Upper Body B: DB Rows, DB Overhead Press, DB Bicep Curls)

My foot is feeling a lot better but is not 100% yet. I've had tennis elbow before and it was a bear to get rid of, this is so much like that.

I found out today I will need to have a surgery performed in the next week or so that may keep me sidelined from walking/running anyway (not the foot). Been feeling a little weird simply due to that knowledge. No one word comes to mind, I'm just "not happy" about it. So making myself feel better by trying to be happy about it. It has at least brought an inner chuckle and smile.

I am so sorry for all of the bad luck you have been having!

slimtastesbetter wrote: »

I've been a

MFP member since August 12, 2013. I was a Weight Watchers member back then, had been since Jan 2003. Despite becoming Lifetime in June 2003 (reached 128 lbs having lost 20 lbs in that time) I continued going to meetings and counting Points. I couldn't sustain 128 lbs, which I was all right with--I fluctuated pretty much between 132 and 138. I liked the points system back when the points were determined by CALORIES, fat, and fiber. But then at some point WW changed it so that calories were no longer in the equation and I found my weight was hovering more in the 138-141 range. 141 is the top weight in the healthy weight range for my height. So in 2013 at 141 lbs I said enough is enough and I joined MFP in order to be able to count calories. I continued going to WW meetings until early 2015 when I finally quit WW for good.

Besides going to WW meetings, in 2005 I started to use the WW message boards, specifically a thread called the Binge Enders Challenge. Then in 2006 I started my own thread, the 10 Cent Healthy Habits Challenge. In Aug 2016 we moved the group from WW to MFP. This is the group's description:

"This is a thread that was first established on the Weight Watchers message boards in 2006 until WW eliminated their message boards end of July/beginning Aug 2016. We earn "dimes" by following our Healthy Habits and then when our dimes add up we buy ourselves something special as a reward for our good efforts. Earning and spending the dimes is a fun way to stay on track, but the real reward is the support and encouragement we give each other as we get closer and closer to our weight loss goals."

We are a small group of 14 members, but really only 10 of us post either on a daily basis or at least check in about once a week. I post there at least once a day.

I go through phases where I do really well tracking my food in MFP but other times I don't do so well at all. The reason I joined UAC in September was to give me more accountability so that I could start making tracking one of my Healthy Habits that I actually follow on a regular basis again. It has been working!

I love the idea of this 10 Cent Healthy Habits Challenge! I did a MFP Community search but can’t find it — could you share info on how to find and join it?

Thanks!
Julie

TerriRichardson112 wrote: »

@Mrs_Hoffer
I have almost all my auto posts disabled. I post my streaks when I remember, usually every 25 days.

Thanjs @Mrs_Hoffer and @TerriRichardson112 — I had no idea there was a place to control all this posting and sharing! Found the place for those settings snd have turned it off. I now resolve to only cheer people on their anniversaries of 25 days!