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deskjockey925
Posts: 4,941 Member
Welcome to the July 2024 Ultimate Accountability Challenge!
Life can be fraught with expectations and pressure. This challenge is about making life long commitments and changes -- not simply a quick loss, fix it all fast cure for whatever we need to change. So stick with us, go easy on yourself, and one day at a time we can adopt the habits that will lead to lifelong management of health and well being. ♥️
Some of us have been with this challenge for months and some are brand new. Some are maintaining their weight, and some are striving to lose weight. Everyone is welcome!
Health goals are achieved through small daily practices and consistency — not through one off short term grand gestures. Help yourself be successful by making it your practice to log into the group every day, post on the day's check in thread, cheer on and respond to the posts of others, and keep honest with yourself about logging every caloric bite, sip, lick, or taste.
Please feel free to introduce yourself and share as much information as you feel comfortable sharing about yourself with the rest of the group so we can get to know each other. We look forward to getting to know you a little better.
Please Note: the challenge is open for public viewing until the end of day on the 6th of the month when it is set to "private". From that point forward, and for all time, all the postings made in that month become private and are only accessible to individuals who were registered as members of that month.
Life can be fraught with expectations and pressure. This challenge is about making life long commitments and changes -- not simply a quick loss, fix it all fast cure for whatever we need to change. So stick with us, go easy on yourself, and one day at a time we can adopt the habits that will lead to lifelong management of health and well being. ♥️
Some of us have been with this challenge for months and some are brand new. Some are maintaining their weight, and some are striving to lose weight. Everyone is welcome!
Health goals are achieved through small daily practices and consistency — not through one off short term grand gestures. Help yourself be successful by making it your practice to log into the group every day, post on the day's check in thread, cheer on and respond to the posts of others, and keep honest with yourself about logging every caloric bite, sip, lick, or taste.
Please feel free to introduce yourself and share as much information as you feel comfortable sharing about yourself with the rest of the group so we can get to know each other. We look forward to getting to know you a little better.
Please Note: the challenge is open for public viewing until the end of day on the 6th of the month when it is set to "private". From that point forward, and for all time, all the postings made in that month become private and are only accessible to individuals who were registered as members of that month.
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Hi Everyone! Thank you for joining the UAC this month .. Glad you found us
I'm Diane. Looking forward to another month with the support of the UAC Team!
Although my weight loss is moving very slowly, my doctor tells me to stick with it and that a lot of weight issues are genetics and age and hormones. But I want to lose 20-25 pounds in the coming year. I have been revamping my eating and exercise plans. In April, I joined a local Wellness Center that offers a wide variety of exercise classes. And during the month of May, I have measured my portions; focused on including 5+ veggies and whole foods and less processed foods each day. During June, with this nicer weather, I am spending more time outside .. gardening, swimming, hiking.
... And finally, I am starting to see the scale move downward! And that's what I love about this team - we focus on our behaviors being consistent, rather than the scale. And we just know that the scale will eventually follow .. although for some of us, that will take longer than for others.
A little about me ... I am married 36 years to Alan. We have 1 daughter, son-in-law and grandson who live not too far away and we are able to see them frequently. One dog Freddy and 2 cats Marie & Susie. We live in a fairly rural area (mostly beaches and farms) and I work largely from home as an IT Project Manager. I’m planning to retire by the end of next year.
Wishing you all a very successful month!6 -
Hello! I'm Vicki. I'm super excited to have found this team, as it focuses on my BIG goal: finishing out the day eating within my daily calorie range, and that requires me to track what I eat. Late 2022, I reached my goal weight, but didn't understand the need for maintaining the good habits that got me there. I spent 2023 & half of 2024 re-gaining bit by bit, re-gained 30#, and lost my motivation until I joined this team. My lifestyle is very busy, so having a simple 3 goal plan of accountability is perfect for me. I love the new month re-set button, too, and its opportunity for a fresh new start. I've got my eye on the Winners Circle for July...well, why not, after all?
I'm married, and 2 of my 3 married sons live within 2 miles. We gather regularly and enjoy each other's company. I will continue to watch my 3 year old youngest grandson 2 days a week until Fall, when he starts an all day pre-K program, and then I will have he and his 6 yr old sis 2 days a week after school. I juggle this time with working my own bookkeeping / financial business that I began after retiring from a 24 year career working for a university. I enjoy my family, and especially my one-on-one time with my 5 Grands, reading about the science of food and like to try new recipes when time permits, my coffee and some early morning quiet time, online jigsaw puzzling or Wordscapes, and watching Hallmark movies that are predictable with happy endings.
Wishing everyone a super successful UAC July!!!
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Hey all, I'm Shaun. I've been on and off MFP for many years, however last year was definitely my best year so far in getting things moving as a lifestyle change. I did well for most of the year and lost 35lbs, however the end of the year and beginning of this year were not kind, and I managed to find a way to gain it all back. I've made the jump again and this time I intend on keeping on it. My goals are to lose 8lbs in July, and the long term goal is to be at 190 (Currently 235) by the end of the year.
I'm a father of 2 adult boys, and a 9yr old daughter. My biggest obstacle I face is my work commute of 2-3hr round trip 3-4 days a week. Those days zap me and I don't feel like working out as I get to the gym around 5-6pm, with a 4am wakeup. I have my profile open, and viewable for anyone that's interested or wants to add me. Good luck!8 -
Hi, I'm Michelle, 52 and just restarting my mfp journey again. I've got three kids, 22, 19 and 16. My goal is to lose 5 pounds in July and keep up with my new gym habit, I'm trying to go three times a week to lift weights and to keep up my walking.7
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Hello! I am a returnee, I have used this method on and off as needed since initially losing all of the baby weight I had after having my kids a few years ago. I lost a lot of motivation over the past year and as a result gained a bit of weight and lost some of my fitness, so I'm here to get myself back on track. No matter what else I try, the rules of the UAC are my absolute best proven path to success, so here I am again. I am a runner as my main form of exercise and in the past year I've adopted a dog (Lily), who is my best running buddy.
My goals for July are to run at minimum 100km total for the month, log in to MFP and this community daily, and plan at least two of my pass days ahead of time.
Looking forward to being back, I believe the last time I actually joined a UAC group was 2022! Cheers, everybody!7 -
Hi everyone.
My name is Debbie and live in Barnsley, UK.
I've struggled with my weight for a number of years as I have a thyroid problem so Im hoping that this group will help me stay on track this time.
I was doing really well a couple of years ago, I found a perfect way for me. I was cycling to work and back every day doing a round trip of 15 miles a day and losing a lot of weight then I had an accident and fractured my tibia plateau which I was immobile for 3 months after and another 3 months worth of physio to get me back up walking. Even to this day almost 2 years later I still don't have full movement and strength in my leg.
I've put all the weight back on plus some since.
My goals are to be able to do the ride into work again this year.
Good luck everyone 🙂7 -
Hello all! I'm Katherine. I joined UAC June this year and had a great first week; unfortunately I quickly fell off due to work stress and other life factors. It took me most of the month to crawl back out of the hole; but I'm eager to try again and to continue working on good habits with the help of my doctor.
I've lost about 12 lbs since April, but my measurements are the things that have changed the most. Just losing this much has allowed me to be more mobile and I have less pain, so I'm able to walk longer. I'm looking forward to where this journey takes me, and what fun, new hobbies are out there waiting for me.8 -
Hello! I'm Barbara from NC. My history is probably a familiar one. Started gaining weight in late middle school (US grade 7-8) and kept it up until college, where I lost quite a bit. Lost some more and made it into the Army--then regained. Flash forward to January of this year and I lost a fair amount with Covid when my sense of taste and smell left. Then some more with extensive dental work. Now I'm regaining.
Lose and regain, it's a record I'd like to break.
I find consistent tracking hard to do but it never fails to open my eyes to my poor habits. I think I need to tie it into whatever particular emotional state I'm in as my eating tends to hold hands with my emotions.
Ah well, enough rambling. Thanks for having me. 7 -
Hi everyone. My name is Lynne. I am 75 and I'm from NW Oregon. I am married with two adult children, three grandchildren and one grand-dog. My children live close and we get to see them and the grands frequently. At the beginning of 2023 I had a health scare when some liver tests came back abnormal. Eventually I was diagnosed with fatty liver which tends to be progressive and leads to liver damage. The only treatment is weight loss. I lost 30 pounds from Feb. 2023 - Feb. 2024 and reached my goal weight and have normal test readings now. However, I haven't figured out maintenance. I tried to just make little changes but that led to making small exceptions which turned into big exceptions which turned into full blown carb binges and I gained back eleven pounds between April and mid June. My arthritic foot is complaining about the increased load. Walking is my only form of intentional exercise.
The rules and support of this group will help me get back to maintenance. However, to stay there I will have to permanently remove sweets from my life because I'm one of those people who loses all ability or desire to stop once I start. I've tried the "Just a little" experiment embarrassingly many times with the same results. I don't know why it is harder for me to completely avoid these foods on maintenance than when on a weight loss program, but it is.
For now my goal is to get back to my goal weight through a healthy meal plan and calorie goal, recording my food (as much as possible before eating), and moderate daily exercise. I'm looking forward to my first month on UAC with all of you.6 -
Hi! I’m Kathy, 68, from North Hollywood, California. Many of my friends are in this group,so I decided that it is a good time to start. I’ve been on MFP for a dozen years. Tracking my food choices and being more active has changed my life for the better. I’m a huge Jane Austen fan, and enjoy English Country Dancing and attending balls in period dress. In fact, English Country Dancing was one of the first steps to improving my health. I read a lot and listen to audiobooks.7
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Welcome to the July Ultimate Accountability Challenge! And a special hello to our new members @evileyefirefly @jem302 @Toronto6fan @BodyTalking @twinkle150 @Ange1icious @mtaublcsw @Kimberlee3090 @smlalio66 @mmlovebug28 @Lynne10010 @KelliADoyle @hmosser @phoebelayla
A few of you already said hi below, and our awesome newbie @Neon_hippie already secured a spot on our volunteer schedule for the month! Way to go 👏 We are happy to have you all here.
I know it's not quite July yet, but now is a great time to take a look around 👀 As you wander around, feel free to click the little flag icon in the top right corner of any thread that interests you. When the flag is blue, you will receive notification anytime someone posts to the thread. To unsubscribe, simply click the flag again to turn it white.
If you like what you see, we invite you to say hello 👋😁 right here in the Welcome and Introductions thread.
Here's the July 1 check-in thread, in case you are curious how the daily check-ins work. We look forward to seeing you there in a couple days. Any questions, please ask any UAC member! You can always respond to people directly by putting an @ in front of their username, like I did with your usernames at the beginning of this comment ⬆️
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Hi everyone! I’m HM. 😊🌸 I’m a working mom of two teenage girls, and I live in Texas. I’m new to UAC, and I’m restarting my MFP journey after being away for a couple of years. I have gained and lost 50 lbs multiple times in my adult life. Now it’s time to lose it again.
I do well when I’m tracking my food daily, but after a while I get tired of tracking. I also do well with accountability, so I’m looking forward to being a part of this group. I’ll be trying to run and lift weights for my exercise. 🏃🏼♀️ 💪🏼
Here’s hoping we all stay on track! Thanks! 🌸4 -
Hey all, I just completed my first full year on MyFitnessPal! I consider myself super lucky to have found this group right when I joined MFPl: I started out with a goal of losing 100 lbs in a year, and while I had plenty of motivation, I didn't have a clue how to get started. The UAC was the missing link for me: a non-judgmental place to learn, keep track of what I was doing, and find support when I needed it.
The UAC taught me the importance of daily exercise: I was completely sedentary a year ago, in constant pain, and scared to move. Now I exercise most days, and not just because I should: I truly enjoy getting out there and moving (which I never thought possible). I eat better, I sleep better (work in progress!), I'm almost completely free of pain now, and my bloodwork, blood pressure, etc. have all improved drastically. As of today I'm 86 lbs down, and excited to go the rest of the way. And the best part is knowing that I have friends here who will cheer me on when I'm doing well, help me through tough times, and make me laugh on occasion. Here's to all of us, learning and improving together!
@evileyefirefly I remember your early MFP days, you definitely had the weight loss part down! We have several "maintainers" in our group who have taught me that weight loss and health aren't something I can focus on for a while, and then check off my to-do list... because of course, if I go back to my old lifestyle, that weight will come back too. One of the things I love about the UAC is brainstorming with others who are dealing with similar challenges. Your commute sounds super tiring and I wouldn't want to hit the gym at the end of such a workday, either. The good news is that exercise doesn't have to be done at the gym, and it doesn't even have to be done in one chunk! We had a discussion topic last year where we discovered the concept of exercise snacks: short bouts of exercise done throughout the day which add up to a complete 20-minute "exercise meal." Our members are always sharing ideas on how they fit those exercise snacks into their busy days. By the way: walks, projects around the house, etc. can also count toward the 20-minute rule. The goal is to get off the couch/office chair for 20 minutes a day and just move, it doesn't have to be formal "exercise" like gym workouts or running.
@jem302 Congrats on your new dog! I bet Lily is stoked to have a new running partner
@Ange1icious I'm sorry to hear about your bicycle accident and the lingering effects of your injury. That sounds difficult. I also went through that loss of my favorite exercise (years ago) and I know how that can set a person back for years. I hope you find a new form of movement to be excited about! By the way I'm not sure if it is related to my weight loss so far, but my thyroid numbers just came back normal after years of being out of whack! I'd like to think that my improved overall health had something to do with that?5 -
Hi @Neon_hippieNeon_hippie wrote: »I find consistent tracking hard to do but it never fails to open my eyes to my poor habits. I think I need to tie it into whatever particular emotional state I'm in as my eating tends to hold hands with my emotions. I used to track my food back in the early days of MFP (a looong time ago) but at the time I was thinking about it mainly in terms of calories, which led to all kinds of mind games and cheating myself, and always felt like I had to rein myself in all the time. While I did lose a fair amount of weight, my diet probably wasn't super healthy and the tracking habit didn't last. So of course I gained back all the weight, and then some.
This time around, I view tracking as an interesting tool to learn more about myself and how to feel my best. This has made the whole experience much more rewarding. (Of course food trackers are so much better now than they were in those early days!) I hope you find a way to make tracking less of a chore for yourself.
On the topic of emotional eating, I highly recommend Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Emotional Eating which has changed my life.4 -
Hi @Ange1icious - nice to have another UK member! I cycle quite a bit but I had problems with severe arthritis in my hip. Finally had a hip replacement last year (May 2023) and got back on the bike a few months later. I have an electric bike which I love!
Stick with the physio and you will get out on that bike again!5 -
Hello and welcome to all our new members (and returnees - we've all been there regaining weight and starting over).
I'm a little old lady (152 cm, 49 kg and 73 years) and live in Somerset UK. I live on my own but have a friend (can I use the word boyfriend of someone who is 74?) who doesn't live with me but we spend weekends and holidays and days out together.
I have lost significant weight several times during my adult life but thanks to MFP and the logging habit I have been at maintenance for over 5 years now.
@Lynne10010 , maintenance is tricky.
"However, I haven't figured out maintenance. I tried to just make little changes but that led to making small exceptions which turned into big exceptions which turned into full blown carb binges and I gained back eleven pounds between April and mid June."
I find I have to weigh myself every day and catch the upward trend quickly. I have a lot of holidays (I'm retired) but most of them are less than a week so the damage is fairly small. However, we have a 3 week holiday planned for September. I will try to be mindful while we're away but the main thing is to get straight back to your routines when you get home.5 -
@takinitalloff :Thanks for the recommendation. I will look into Carr's book. I'm currently doing the pink workbook from Judith Beck, and I like the cognitive approach. What did you find most helpful from his book?2
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Hello everyone. Welcome new members. We are glad you are here. A big thank you to those returning. You guys always inspire me. I am DJ. I am 63 years old. I am a wife of 43 years. I have 3 grown kids and 6 grandkids which I adore. This month and August are our hottest, muggiest months in Florida so I will be trying to stay cool. I love my outdoor activities, but hoping I can focus more on strength and flexibility. Good luck everyone.3
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Hi everyone. My name is Mary. I have been in this challenge since last August. The last month was a personal challenge with sick family members. I hope to be more present this month. Good luck everyone!3
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@Neon_hippie The book taught me that emotional eating doesn't actually make me feel good. It doesn't fix anything.Neon_hippie wrote: »@takinitalloff :Thanks for the recommendation. I will look into Carr's book. I'm currently doing the pink workbook from Judith Beck, and I like the cognitive approach. What did you find most helpful from his book?
There isn't any one particular thing about the book that I found most helpful: it needs to be read cover-to-cover because the chapters build on each other. (The author explains this in the foreword.) It's not overly long, and I actually quite enjoyed reading it (most self-help books just annoy me). I felt an incredible sense of relief while reading Carr's book, and I remember feeling understood and supported in ways that I never had before (when it comes to emotional eating, that is). And when I was finished reading, I felt free -- I still do. Yes I know I sound like a cult member
but that's how it was for me.
I'd be interested in hearing more about how Judith Beck's book works out for you. Perhaps you'd be willing to share in a daily opener sometime? I know you already signed up for a day, so perhaps that's what you had in mind already 1
