Accountability

sammygeorge83 · December 2023

Hey starting a weight loss journey(again).. but I find myself always falling back into laziness. Need some motivation and accountability to stay on track! Help!

earlybirdlady · December 2023

I’m with you - it’s hard for me to stick to my routine right now. What does your routine look like? Or if you don’t have one, what kind of routine are you trying to create?

twistybinns · December 2023

I can definitely relate to this. Staying motivated and not letting the laziness win is one of my biggest issues on why ive failed in the past.

GeekGirl82 · December 2023

Journaling each morning has helped me stay motivated. Just a short 5 min while I have my morning tea. What am I grateful for, What is my 1 fitness goal (I play a game for this, I take my old DnD 20 sided dice and roll it, it lands on a number and I have a list for each number.... 1 = 15 burpees, etc. Each month I up the amount/time, example today I rolled a 3 and it is a 15 min step routine, that's my fitness goal). Find new recipes to try and write the name and link/book. I love making a "game" out of anything I may not really want to do at the time....

springlering62 · December 2023

Frankly, motivation isn’t something you “get” from others. You have to find a way to create your own.

Trust me, I’ve been through the whole “don’t let me eat this and so” or “make sure I walk/exercise bike” etc etc etc. All it does is put the onus on someone else- usually my long-suffering husband- to be my personal nag, which then unfairly makes me mad at them, and makes me do the exact opposite….of what I’ve asked them to help me with. Talk about the classic vicious cycle.

Maybe turn it on its head.

Instead of trying to get motivation from others, examine your reasons for losing weight and let them motivate you.

It could be that you are avoiding or hoping to diminish diabetes. You want to look better. You want to be able to really play with the kids or grandkids.

Visualize yourself reaching your goal and how it would change your life, and think about what you need to get there.

As dumb as it sounds, I (at size 22W) bought a size 8 navy blue zip up pencil dress I liked at TJ Maxx. That dress would have been pressed to go over one thigh at that point, but it was exactly the type of thing I’d choose to wear, if I could. Plain, simple, chic and sleek.

I hung that dress sideways in my closet, over top of everything else. Every morning I had to physically move it to reach behind it to dress that day. I would talk to it, stroke it, and visualize myself wearing it one day. Whenever I had a bad day or two or three, there was that dress, still in the way, still a visual reminder of a goal I so desperately wanted to reach, and a reminder to hang in there. I could see myself in that dress, and it was important to me.

If I did have that bad day(s), instead of packing it in, I’d tell myself “that’s OK, it’s just an extra day(s) to reach my goal but I’ll still get there as long as I don’t quit .”

The day I wore it was a red letter day.

It’s too big now, but that’s the one piece of clothing I’ve hung on to, because it was special and always silently talked back to me and encouraged me.

Your motivation could be a piece of clothing, a kayak paddle, part of a wet suit for that diving you always wanted to do, an itinerary for a trip you want to take, or a wedding invitation. Stick it where you can see it and have to touch it every single day.

Don’t rely on others to “motivate” you. If they do, that’s great, but only you are as invested in you as you are.

mtaratoot · December 2023

If I had to rely on motivation to lose weight and keep it off, I wouldn't be able to do it.

Before I retired, if I had to rely on motivation go to work every day, I don't think I would have been able to keep my job. It's just something I did. We had a deal, see. I would show up on the schedule they set for me, and I would do their bidding, and in response they would give me money.

The same thing is true for weight management or fitness. You just have to realize there's a deal. You show up every day and do something, and in exchange you get something. Like @springlering62 wrote, you need to look into the future to see your reward. Then you just have to do your part of the deal. In this case it's a weight loss journey and "staying on track" in spite of laziness. You do have to be vigilant. Over time you will build good habits, and then it will just be "what you do" not something you have to be motivated to do. Do you ever brush your teeth? What motivates you to do that? It's a waste of two minutes unless you see the reward.

zebasschick · December 2023

instead of trying to force change, i found very low calorie snacks i enjoy, so i can much without going over my calories. i also found that my favorite calorie-free sodas make excellent popsicles. i can eat them whenever i want with no calories. they can also be run through the blender to be a slush with a little cold soda or turned into snow cones.

AnnPT77 · December 2023

I'm with those above saying accountability is a gift we can only give to ourselves.

No one but me is deciding what I should put in my mouth, chew and swallow. Similar for exercise: My choices create my results.

My advice would be to experiment and find ways to reduce calories (and move more) that require the absolute minimum of motivation. Seek out fun (at least tolerable/practical) ways of gradually reducing calories and moving more. Suffering is optional, and feels icky.

Focus on changing daily routine habits that you follow most of the time, rather than obsessing about that one rare time when you over-eat cake or get in some massive, punitive, exhausting workout. It's the majority of our days that create the majority of our results.

Honestly, if motivation, willpower, or discipline were required, I - as a flaky, hedonistic, aging hippie type - would still be fat and unhealthy . . . maybe even dead (before my current age of 68).

Be accountable to yourself. Your future self will thank you.

Best wishes for success: IME it's worth the effort.

bubbeE787 · December 2023

I am motivated but my mindset is not always in sync. I have been writing in the notes section of this app- the positive things I’ve done, what I need to work on. I know what to do, I just have not always been doing it - so I’m trying to get on the right track. I’m hoping this method- sort of talking to myself- will get me on the right track. Im my own support system.

Accountability

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