Better Body Goals-Accountability Thread

[SeaGlass Siren]

B: DAT ASS.

[eyes2theocean]

DANG dude. That butt is a great accomplishment. Speaks volumes to squatting with heavy weight, and what can be achieved. Well done!

[Mermaid Oshun]

I am going into my 2nd bottle of garcinia cambrosia and have not lost one pound. Now I did not diet or exercise though because they say you don't have to with this. I will take the other 2 bottles since I have them, but I don't expect much at this point.

[PearlieMae]

This has started to go viral lately: http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/comment...ce_f54/c59o7f4 (check out the photo link at the top, too)

And I listened to this Monday and it makes a LOT of sense: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/201...t-and-obesity/

I've lost 22 pounds since January just by cutting out my two pieces of morning toast with butter and halving the sugar I add to my coffee (That took a while).

The only thing that really works is eat less, move more.

[Mermaid Oshun]

My problem is I love food Pearlie. I just polished off a bowl of spicy chili for lunch and it was just scrumptious . I counted my calories yesterday and I think I eat about 1200-1500 calories everyday but I am very sedentary.

I had been on the HCG drops from walmart and I actually gained about 5 pounds

[eyes2theocean]

Golden Pearl - you seem so eager for a magic quick fix (aren't we all?) if a pill or a gimmick actually WORKED (and the HCG in particular has been proven as a placebo by multiple doctors, you simply cannot absorb it into your system the way it is advertised, even IF it worked once in your system) wouldn't everyone be clamoring for it? We'd KNOW about it, is the point, rather than it being fringe, it'd be mainstream.

The only way to take weight off (and I assume we're talking FAT LOSS here, not just the goal of less pounds) and keep it off is to do it slowly, increasing your physical activity and decreasing the amount of calories you consume (within reason). Incorporating weight training into your fitness will astronomically improve your chances of sustained fat loss.

[Mermaid Oshun]

Yeah I will have to start walking again. Thanks for that

[Mermaid Syrena]

Golden Pearl- that bowl of chili sounds absolutely delicious! You're making me crave for it now!
Maybe try walking with an mp3 player? I always find music really helps me. I get really envious of people who can exercise without music.

[PearlieMae]

http://happyplace.someecards.com/260...p-on-the-scale

[Merman Arion]

Golden Pearl - you seem so eager for a magic quick fix (aren't we all?) if a pill or a gimmick actually WORKED (and the HCG in particular has been proven as a placebo by multiple doctors, you simply cannot absorb it into your system the way it is advertised, even IF it worked once in your system) wouldn't everyone be clamoring for it? We'd KNOW about it, is the point, rather than it being fringe, it'd be mainstream.

The only way to take weight off (and I assume we're talking FAT LOSS here, not just the goal of less pounds) and keep it off is to do it slowly, increasing your physical activity and decreasing the amount of calories you consume (within reason). Incorporating weight training into your fitness will astronomically improve your chances of sustained fat loss.

I agree 100%.

[SeaGlass Siren]

I'm feeling a bit lightheaded. I think I should go back to eating 0-0

[Mermaid Oshun]

that was so funny pearlie

[PearlieMae]

that was so funny pearlie

Happy to share!

[Lotus]

Hey all, checking back in! I'm down to 158 pounds! That's two pounds heavier than when I got pregnant with my first girl almost 10 years ago. I haven't been this light since before I got pregnant with the second little one back in 2008.
I know I mentioned before that I got into a weight loss program and I am exercising more, but I wanted to expand on that a little. In the past, I've gone at this weight loss thing in a very half-assed way. Either by exercising but not changing my diet very much if at all, or by dieting but not working out. In all honesty, changing my eating habits has always been the easiest way to drop pounds, but without the exercise, any tiny little indiscretion showed up IMMEDIATELY on the scale. And working out without dietary change made me feel better overall and I did stop gaining weight, but I never lost any. Part of the problem there is that I have always loathed working out. Even when I got into a routine of doing it, I never pushed myself hard at all. So I was stuck in the cycle of "work hard", see no results, give up and resume old habits. Not smart. This time is different, here's why:

I didn't start running with weight loss in mind. I did it because I felt totally horrible all the time (mentally) and my already present mental health issues were beginning to take over my life. So I started running to reap the benefits of the endorphin rush you get when you tax yourself. I started running every other day from my house to the lake nearby, half way 'round it and back. About 2 miles. About three or four runs into my new routine I got a free Strava account for tracking my runs. Strava is great! It tells you how far you've gone, your moving time, and how many calories you've burned. It also shows you your split times, and keeps track of your times so you can see your improvement. Honestly, the Strava thing was the biggest boost to my workouts because it reawakened my competitive personality- I started pushing myself harder to get better times, and to try to get on top of the leader board of other local women who run in my area. I even started using the app when I mountain bike, and it's improved my ride times too! Racing the clock! now look, here's the important part. I feel like I'm about a third of the way to being truly fit. I feel so much better, but I still have a long way to go, and I have already overcome so big hurdles to get this far. It's taken me THREE MONTHS of solid work to get into decent cardiovascular shape. And I wouldn't be this far if not for the second commitment I made- changing my eating habits FOR LIFE.


About a month into the running and riding more, I went out on a ride with my husband and as we were going along, we were talking about different bikes and how the materials used to build them affects the overall design of the bike. Like a steal framed bike has a thinner frame, while an aluminum bike's frame is bulkier to make up for the difference in the metals strength. And how even the much bulkier looking carbon bikes are still much lighter because of the material it's made from. I told him I couldn't see myself ever needing a bike that light (not to mention expensive!) and he agreed, but added if we were serious racers it would matter because "when you ride and race that hard, every ounce counts," And it clicked- if I actually drop pounds, running and riding and even swimming will be easier! So I went to a weight loss program. NOT because that's the best way to lose weight, but because I know myself well enough to know that I needed help. I needed someone to TEACH me the right way to eat, and I needed the support and accountability that comes with checking in with someone two to three times a week. It's been wonderful to have people to talk to when I hit road blocks, so I know how to overcome them rather than allow them to get me to quit. In this process I've learned one really important thing- yes, calories count. But all calories are not created equal. 1200 calories that mostly consist of starch, fat and sugar will do far less for you than 1500 calories of lean protein, veggies and fruits with small portions of healthy oils. I now eat veggies with every meal. I cook with cooking spray, I stopped using better almost entirely, and I have fruit for my carbs instead of bread or the like to satisfy my taste for sugar. For me, these were drastic changes, and tough to handle at first. But I went into this understanding that to become the woman I want to be, I was going to have to change my lifestyle. And as time has gone on, it's become second nature. I can SEE the changes in my body that I could only feel before. It's amazing! oh, also, I keep a journal of what I eat, and I always plan ahead with meals so I don't wind up out someplace starving and fall into the "one cheeseburger can't hurt" routine again.

Please understand, I realize that what I just described is not for everyone, but I wanted to share in case it would help others. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, EVERYONE!

[Mermaid Oshun]

Congratulations Lotus! I actually gained weight.

[SeaGlass Siren]

I gained weight but I'm skinnier. Um... ._. I mean I know how it works but I don't think jumpin on a scale is gonna help me anymore. Lol.

Turns out my chubbies came from period bloating

[deepblue]

I'm actually curious about my weight now. I'll see if my (new) boyfriend has a scale... he's in fitness, too, which is so helpful for my own motivation. This month has been the worst! Because of the heat.

But if he has a scale, I'm not going to make it a habit to check.

[Mermaid Syrena]

Good going, everyone! Try not to worry about weight gain if you've been doing things right. Sometimes it's muscle growth, other times it's water retention (certain types of exercise, believe it or not, can make you retain slightly more water in your muscles). I get bloated A LOT even if I'm very good, but I try to calm that down with fennel tea (a proven diuretic), and I do a teatox every once in a while to cleanse the system. It's a long journey for me though, and I'm always ricocheting up and down. I feel like a sexy little shrimp one moment and then a beluga whale celebrating Christmas the next, lol!

Has anyone tried Blogilates? Youtube "Blogilates". If you like peppy, girly things- she might be great for you. She can be hyper and she talks A LOT, but she mixes up her exercises a lot and it's fun to do a few videos once in a while.

[Lotus]

Checking in! I'm down to 156 pounds- my pre-first-pregnancy weight! It's been FOREVER since I've been this light. Still running, riding or swimming nearly every day of the week and sticking to my eating plan. SO HAPPY!

[SeaSister]

I haven't posted on here in a long time, but I just wanted to check in and say that I've FINALLY committed to a regular exercise regimen... sort of. XD

I haven't done any sort of regular, on-going exercise for the past few years. Yikes. It's always been, I dunno, maybe a hike every other weekend or so. Aquafit once a week for about a month. Yoga every now and then. For the most part, however, I never really felt that I was pushing myself (okay, except for a couple of serious hikes that left me heaving at the end). But this semester, I finally decided to get off my lazy bum and register for something that I'm now PAYING to go to. So, I pretty much have to go or else I'll feel like crap - not just for being lazy, but for wasting money. That is... a master swim class. Twice a week, only an hour long each time, but pretty intense. I was kind of peeved when I first went actually - they say you "must be able to swim four lengths", so I'm thinking "oh yeah, I can do four lengths no problem". Then I go only to find out that we're actually expected to do about a KILOMETRE of swimming (ie, 40 lengths). I don't know if I misread it or something, but either way it's a really tough work-out. I'm the most out of shape person in the class, too (although, there's only four of us) so I feel like I have the most to prove. Plus, being a naturally competitive person I can't stand to come in last... so I'm motivated to push myself far more than if I were just swimming alone. So, it's good. It's tough - my legs are shaking after each class and it takes me a while to catch my breath - but good. I feel like I'm starting to accomplish something, so I think I'm going to start regulating my weight again. Besides, once I get used to the twice-a-week classes my goal is to be fit and motivated enough to do other things as well, such as taking up yoga or biking.

Anyways, that's all I have to say for now. Just wanted to share how much better I feel about myself now that I'm committed to doing something, rather than just wasting away and gaining weight like I've been doing for the past, um, several semesters of school. XD