Hey guys,

I think I might change my name to starting over seeing as how I seem to keep doing it lol. Not that I've fallen off but I started really strong in april with a cleanse then I moderated eating started going to a walking club on wednesdays joined a bootcamp fitness club in May. That ran up until the second week in July. I lost a total of about 10-14 lbs since then. But after July 4th weekend I really didn't do any working out for about 2 weeks, my eating has been modified but not drastically and I stopped posting on fitday when I saw the scales yo-yoing back and forth.

I'm back on track as of 2 weeks ago and instead of just working out in the group functions and doing a little here and there on my own I'm actually getting up early on the mornings and completing the c25k program(on week 4 right now) by wogging around the neighborhood as serious penguin/turtle pace lol (no seriously my 5K running is about 51 minutes. 18 minute miles ) . I think I may extend week 4 for another week as it is proving to be a little more difficult. I'm watching what I'm eating now as I can definitely feel it when I run in the mornings lol. Slowly coming around to posting again and no longer lurking as I tend to do when I feel guilty and I think I logged into fitday for the first time today since early June. I feel physically better, not seeing changes on the scale and I've put up the tape measure but I feel tighter, and not heavy and tired all the time. I do get sore from time to time but it's a good sore lol. I feel my energy levels coming back.

How do you all get past the road blocks and the discouragement to post? It's funny I ask this because I used to be the motivator and the bubbly go getter (first time around losing weight) but I find myself NEEDING the accountability. i started out logging calories and adjusting to 1800 cals a day then one of the people in my walking group told me that was too low for my weight and to get on a BMI calculator to figure it out. i checked the BMI calculator and it said I needed to consume 2300 cals to lose?!?! I mean that is ALOT shoot it takes 3500 cals to gain a pound and I was just barely underneath and it seems I was just maintaining instead of losing. So i pretty much got discouraged from counting calories and now I'm back to square 1 as far as journaling food. I think I may begin to record cals again and stick to the original plan of 1800 cals a day because that was working for me.

Any suggestions, encouragements, ideas? All are needed right now. I am also looking for a email buddy to chat with and stay motivating each other.

I have the same issues to be honest . . . I'll be going great and then something distracts me for a week or shorter . . . and next thing I know its been weeks to a month where I have been off plan.
I need that accountability and sometimes that other person to say ever so nicely "Stop making excuses and get off your butt!"

As for posting . . . . dont feel guilty, ever, that's what this place is for. No one is going to judge, we've all been there before . . post away! It really helps, I know it's helped me.

Good luck to ya!!!

i can relate to the need for accountability. since starting over a few weeks ago, after too many previous failures, i decided i would post my accountability every day, because i somehow knew that was what i needed.

there were 3 days in a row where i didn't post, and almost quit. but i forced myself to post again and haven't stopped.

there are lots of days when i don't want to. i actually think to myself, no i'm not posting, i don't want to do it, and i'm not going to do it. but i know i need to do it, that that is the thing i needed to be different this time, and so i force myself to post.

and i have been very glad that i have been able to do it, because it keeps me focused, and it keeps me directly, consciously in touch with where i am and what i am doing. i can't hide from it or pretend that it's not happening (even though i often want to, and end up saying just that in a post, because it is where i am at that moment), whatever "it" is, whether progress, or a stall, or a day that i failed to work out, or a day when i broke through a barrier. it's in front of me and i have to deal with it and take it in. and that has been really helpful.

so i can relate to the need you are talking about, and thought i'd share my recent experience with it, in case it helps.

First, welcome "back" to the boards! I find that every time I fall off the wagon and start back again, this is the first place I come. I enjoy using the support and accountability of 3FC to keep me going. And to share my struggle and triumphs with those who understand!

As to BMI and calories, for those of us who edge over "overweight" and into higher categories, those BMI calculators that tell you how much you need to eat each day for your weight are notoriously incorrect. What works at an overweight weight does not necessarily have a natural curve into high-BMI-land.

I started about where you are, and decided to begin with 2000 calories/day. It's a nice, round number, and I thought it would be fairly easy to hit that target (and I needed something easily accomplished to begin with as I adjusted my food choices within my target range). After a few weeks, I lowered it to 1800, because that's where I was most days. Now, three months into it, I've lowered it again to 1600. This is the level that I can comfortably keep to within my plan, without hunger or cravings. And I'm losing a steady 1-2 pounds a week.

As to motivation... I highly recommend two books -- The Four Day Win, and The Beck Diet SOlution. They both work with just about any food/exercise plan, and they focus on HOW our minds work as we diet. It's about retraining your mind to feed good habits and to discourage and learn strategies to minimize the bad ones. They've made a WHOLE LOT of difference for me.

Other ideas I've seen around the board include committing to do this (whatever your plan is) for a whole year. No giving up after four or six months when motivation wanes and weight loss slows down (which is always the hardest part for me!). Others are very involved in daily accountability threads, or find encouragement in face-to-face groups like Weight Watchers.

Ultimately, you'll find what works for you. And we'll be here to help you through each step of it, if you need us!

@coondocks thanks for the encouragement I think I will post more often and use that as my accountability. If you ever need someone to keep you accountable we can always share email and send reminders to each other. My email is [email protected]

@skygirl I think I have commented on your post about accountability. That is what made me post actually i think accountability is the missing factor in this whole process to me right now. I've done WW but don't have the funds for weekly meetings right now, so I will utilize my wonderful lifestyle changes in a cost free way http://fitday.com, http://3fatchicks.com, http://runnersworld.com, http://mapmyrun.com

@synger I love your avator by the way lol. Thanks for the advice on the BMI calculator. I think I will stick to the 2000-1800 cals a day and see where I am as far as hunger. 1-2 lbs a week is a really good healthy rate of loss

Thanks guys for all of your suggestions
if there are anymore please keep them coming.

well, welcome back! it sounds like you've got some great tools/sites that you are going to be using. congrats on reaching out and posting, and good luck on your journey! you can do it!