One year commitment
 

August, 6, 2012 - August 2, 2013.

I have seen several people refer to one-year commitments they made to stay focused on weight loss. Since I just started a new, temporary job, I decided it would be the perfect time to make a similar commitment. So, these are the dates. I don't commit to doing this perfectly. Just to never giving up, regardless of how difficult life gets or how temperamental the scale gets.

I love the idea of committing to something I can control. Scale numbers are sometimes so fickle. Dates are not.

Anyone care to join me?

Congrats on your commitment!

So how will your focus change this year?

Ah! Leave it to you to ask the tough questions! My pattern for the past three years has been to commit hard-core on breaks from law school. So I saw 20-30 pound losses over summer and winter breaks (depending on the length of the break), then regains when I went back to school. This summer, I have again lost about 30 pounds. But instead of returning to school, I am finally out in the 'real world.'

I spent the last week developing a plan that will fit with my work schedule. But there will still be challenges. The commitment will help me to plan for the blips. Maybe occasionally, exercise won't be feasible. But instead of quitting, I will honor my commitment by planning a mitigation strategy, then resuming full force when things normalize.

I definitely could have done better over the past three years. But the craziness of law school, combined with a divorce, made it very challenging. So I am moving past regret and on to a new strategy. Gentleness and commitment, baby!

I love your quote! I find it easier to say a year than specific scaled numbers. You've got me motivated and I will try to not give up anymore. One day at a time!

Thank you, Slimjem. I love that we're at the same weight as we start this together. And you're right. Even though the commitment is for a year, I can only be successful if I take it one day at a time. Today, I am sleep deprived. But I don't anticipate a year of seamless days, so that will be today's small challenge.

I love this !, I'll definitely join you, though my "year" started 4 months ago when i started my journey and i vowed the day i started eating healthier and getting in exercise when i could, that within one year, i would be at, or be close to my goal weight. I'm slightly different since i have to have a number to strive for to keep motivation up, but i also didn't want to set unrealistic goals that actually might hinder my loss instead of helping it.

I'd love to join you, especially because the 6th August is my birthday! It's the perfect day to end a year of hard work on. I started dieting again last week on the 8th. I too have lost in the past and regained. I need to learn to accept that if I have a bad day/week, I can't just give up like I've done before! I'm not going to lie, I'm nervous! Eek! You're all absolutely right though, not giving up should be the most important goal of all :)

I'm in. I remember someone on here who did this, and it worked very well for her. Part of it is long-term, because a year is enough time to make a solid difference. But part of it is short-term, because it helps you get over the "I don't know if I can do this for life" mentality. I can do ANYTHING for a year... and during that year you slowly but surely build the habits that will allow you to continue after that year.

My problem has been too many cheat days, and too much alcohol. When I drink, my plan for eating sensibly goes out the window. And, when I drink my calories instead of eat them, I'm much hungrier the next day and more likely to overeat.

So, on-plan (JUDDD with a lower-carb framework) and limited alcohol (two drinks on Fridays). I can do that for a year!

Yes! Yes! Yes! :)

Mine started July 10th. This was the day after I kicked out my cheating husband. I'm so much happier now! I've lost 16 pounds so far.

For me my year commitment is lose weight, learn to exercise, and no dating for the whole year. Also, find a way to get a divorce but that's extra if I can swing it :)

My year long commitment started in July (I started Atkins). I have promised myself that I will be at or near a normal weight by my 30th birthday next June. Another part of my commitment is to get moving everyday, even if I am not up to working out I will clean, cook, or whatever!! Nice to have some others to do this with!! We can do this!

September 9 will mark my second anniversary in my local TOPS (take off pounds sensibly) group.

The annual national membership dues are $28 and the local chapter dues are $5 per month (which are usually waived if a member lost weight the previous month, so if you lose every month, you get free dues... though if the treasury gets low, we substitute some other incentive for a month or two).

There are so many ways to "win" prize money that my goal every year is to come out ahead (spend less on my dues and chapter expenses than I earned in prize money).

The first year I broke even. This year, I've come out ahead (though I stopped keeping track once I broke even). This third year, I plan on keeping a better record to see how much I can "get paid to lose weight."

I've always treated the renewal of my membership every September as sort of a rededication ceremony of sorts. It's going to be extra special this year, because hubby is joining with me again (spouses and family members in the same household pay half price for national dues).

I've always succeeded with support groups, but in the past I'd always convince myself that I could and should "do it on my own," and I don't do very well on my own.

The membership dues AND my little accounting game in which I'm trying to "win by losing," has really kept me motivated and participating. In the past, when I wasn't losing I would think "I'm wasting my money," and then I'd quit. Which is why TOPS has been so much more motivating to me than Weight Watchers, because if I really work hard, I can actually "get paid to lose weight." Even breaking even feels like an amazing acheivement (I've "earned" free help).

I also reward every five pounds with a donut charm (for Pandora style bracelets, but super cheapy version from Michael's and JoAnn Fabric), and when I go to my TOPS meeting or when I go out to dinner at a restaurant or at someone's home, I wear the charm bracelet (now two bracelets - 20 charms on one, representing 100 lbs and 1 charm on the other, representing 5 lbs). It's just heavy enough to remind me to stay vigilant about what I'm eating (because if I gain weight I remove the corresponding bead and don't wear it again until I've earned the bead back). I don't think of it as a punishment, just as "I can wear it, when I've re-earned it).

The tangible reminder really helps me stay focused. I've thought about wearing the bracelet every day, but I'm not sure I'd stay as conscious of it, as I do when I wear it occasionally (I probably should wear it during TOM week at least).

SO excited that you decided to join me, MizMelis, Bee, Synger, RJR, and Tiff! And, Kaplods, I always appreciate your well-informed, interesting, and supportive posts.

The past few weeks have been rough, sort of. I am facing a trio of challenges that would normally cause me significant difficulties.

1. I have gone off-plan, and had no real negative consequences, other than slower loss. This is probably the thing that caused me to re-gain about 100 pounds a few years ago. I decided I was happier with slower losses and a looser eating plan, and it quickly devolved from there. I am trying to go against my nature by not being totally OCD about this, because I can't keep a Biggest Loser type schedule and still maintain my 'normal' responsibilities. So I avoid logging food and counting every calorie, cuz that triggers the OCD in me, and I end up neglecting my work or my kids, etc. But I think I am getting sufficiently lackadaisical that I need to start tracking again for a week or two. **sigh**

2. Things are heating up at work, which triggers my 'put in endless hours at work' OCD response. Which means no exercise, which translates into losing touch with my body and poor eating. I need to schedule it DURING the workday for the next few weeks. I can still get in early and stay late, but will get a break that will help me be productive. And I need to do small things like stand to review documents, go to the bathroom on the floor below, taking the stairs both ways, etc.

3. I injured my shoulder lifting weights. Stupid and annoying, but not debilitating. I have continued to do cardio, but I will quit crying about it, and hoping it heals on its own. I will go to the doctor in the next two weeks if it's not better. This will be the hardest of the three, but I need to take care of my health.

It's a commitment, baby, and I will honor it.

I am committing to a year. Just started last week, but you will see a post from me a few times a week until August 2013, and thats a promise! But really I need to commit to a lifestyle change...... so maybe I will commit to 50 years!LOL

Love the name, 42goingon20! Looking forward to your posts. I, too, hope to renew my commitment year after year. But this upcoming year is going to be awesome!

I'd love to join this group! I'm a person who tends to begin a weight loss journey by giving 110% for a month or so and then giving up when the scale plateaus, which causes me to gain back what I've lost. So I'd love to hold myself accountable for a solid year of sticking with it.

August 27, 2012-August 26, 2013 will be the year I finally get myself under control and make the changes in my life needed to drop the excess pounds and sustain a healthy weight when I reach it. :cheer:

My plan:

1. Do some sort of exercise daily! Whether it's the office gym on my lunch breaks or the Wii Fit in the evenings, I've got to get my tail moving.

2. Track my food and exercise on My Fitness Pal consistently. I use the app but am not consistent about it. I can usually for for 5-7 days before "forgetting" to log one day or two. I need to stick with it.

3. Cook more and eat out less. It's cheaper, healthier, and tastier!

Count me in. August 17, 2012 - August 17,2013 :)
I'm dealing with slower than expected losses & adjusting to a new food plan.
I weighed myself this morning and plan to weigh & measure myself on the 1st of every month for a year. Too much concentration on the scale probably isn't a good thing for me right now. For now it's day by day - which will turn into month by month ...and before you know it ...1 year :carrot:

Yay, Susie! Since I decided to track for a few weeks (and did track yesterday), I slipped a bit into OCD mode and wanted to weigh this morning. I resisted, though, if for no other reason than last night was a low sleep night, so the scale would not have been kind. I used to weigh every day, but the weekly weigh - in helps preserve my sanity when I am losing more slowly. Monthly sounds like it will work for you!

Why is it whenever I decide to do something, some outside force decides to try to make that harder for me? For example...I gave myself a goal to be able to run a mile before the month was over. Then, two weeks into the month I really messed up my ankle. It took a week to get back to where I could jog again, but obviously I'm not going to reach that goal. Still, I'm working on it.

I posted on the previous page that I was going to exercise daily. Well, I wake up this morning just fine but by the time I got to work I was sniffling, sneezing, coughing....I sounded like I should be in a NyQuil commercial. Yuck. Still, I made myself go upstairs and work out for a half hour. I felt great doing it and after, but by the end of the day this stupid cold really has me down and out. I came home and napped for an hour. I really hope to feel better tomorrow. And that outside force that keeps going after me, STOP IT! :mad: You're not going to get me! So stop trying. :P

I'm sorry you are having a rough go of it Healthy :hug:

Healthy - I know what you mean. It seems like whenever I start something new, outside pressure wants me to cave. For what it's worth, I've decided that it would happen whether I was exercising or dieting so I just keep plugging away. I've got a nasty head cold and I still ran yesterday. I think it actually helped some of the crap in my head clear out. And on the positive side, I can't smell anything soooo I am not hungry. HA!

So I am feeling unstoppable! I seem to be in a weight loss rhythm, and am enjoying both scale and non-scale rewards. I also had my biggest weekly drop ever this week!

And the problem? This is one of my danger zones. I get overconfident. Sure I can have that in the house! I have absolutely learned to be able to stop at one cookie. You know.

The worst thing I do, though, is increase my expectations. I lost 6 pounds this week? Why - that's 24 pounds a month! I should be at goal by Christmas, right?

So my goal is to enjoy the good time while remaining aware that challenges will come. I just was able to start lifting again this week after a shoulder injury. I have work travel coming up. And I absolutely know that a six-pound drop is a fluke, and doesn't necessarily represent fat loss (though it might, as it has come after weeks of slow losses).

Viva la year of commitment! May more weeks be like this one!

Originally Posted by RJR:
Yes! Yes! Yes! :)

Mine started July 10th. This was the day after I kicked out my cheating husband. I'm so much happier now! I've lost 16 pounds so far.

For me my year commitment is lose weight, learn to exercise, and no dating for the whole year. Also, find a way to get a divorce but that's extra if I can swing it :)

RJR - what state are you in? I did my divorce myself without any lawyers and saved a TON of money. I'm the ultimate DIY'er (Do It Yourself'er). If you need any tips let me know. :)

Hi! Count me in please. I started over Friday the 1st. I'm happy to find this group because it's so hard for me to keep up the motivation after a couple of months. The last time I tried so hard and went for over 3 months and that's the longest I have ever done this so hopefully I can top that and go for-ever. I don't have specific number I'm aiming towards, just anything lower than I am now and to not give up.

Good luck to all you ladies!!
Angie

I am doing my divorce on my own as well. I did go to law school, though, so I have an advantage there. It's still challenging.

Don't know about your financial situation, RJR, but you may qualify for legal aid. Or your state's bar might have a pro bono program that could help. Or if you have a law school close, they might have a clinic. Otherwise, the bar or the judicial branch might have forms online you could use. If you have children or a lot of assets, though, or if you suspect your husband might be hiding assets, a lawyer is probably best.

Sassyangies - good to have you join us. Your goal of patient persistence is my goal too.

Here's to a great year!

Morning folks! I hope everyone's having a great Monday! It's Labor Day here and I am off work. Woo hoo!!!!! :cheer: It's cloudy and cool outside. It's a GREAT day for a run or a walk! I'm so getting out there later on! Right now my husband and I are working on cleaning the house. I'm just taking a 5 minute break and checking in with everyone. ;)

I actually just got a letter from Legal Aid yesterday saying I'd probably qualify for getting a lawyer for 250 and I'd have to pay for file and court fees. I'm currently looking hard for a job so I can try to get this going. With no kids (no kids that are biologically his) and no assets I could probably do it on my own but if I can get a lawyer for 250 I'll do it, just because I'd feel more comfortable with one.

Thanks so much for the comments and advice, both of you :)

I'll be 8 weeks into my year tomorrow and I'm losing an average of 3 lbs a week. I'm really happy with my progress. I'm also happy with my emotional progress... I'm facing all of this stuff head-on and I'm working through the hurt, anger, sadness, and taking care of myself. It hasn't been easy, but in all honestly it's been a lot easier than being with my husband was. This hurt is different and it can get better. My marriage was never going to get better. I'm doing really well, I think :)

That is soooo great to hear RJR! My divorce was tough for me too, but what divorce isn't, I guess?

Oh, I never mentioned that I wanted to join this challenge! :) I started a year challenge on my own on July 2, 2012 so I'm in Week 10 of my 1 year commitment. My 1 year dates are July 2, 2012 - July 1, 2013. I've NEVER EVER been able to make it to a year although I have set LOTS of 1 year commitments in the past. This one WILL be different! :)

im just getting to the end of a one year commitment to the gym...last september, or possibly october, i committed to a one year gym membership and ive been going nearly every work day since then...mostly focused on running, somewhat on weight machines but the running works me out harder than the weight machines do and i like it better...i plan on re-upping my gym membership when it expires here sometime in the next month or so

I'm going to start my one year commitment now, let it be known in my signature 8/4/12... I had lost a lot of weight, and then gained a lot back in the last few years of dating, getting married, having a baby. I think I've been going through a depression after having my baby and feeling like I can't do anything about the weight but I know I can!

My plan is to use sparkpeople to count my calories again, at least to start, as that is what worked for me before. I'm also going to start walking once more. My body wouldn't know how to do it now but I ran a half marathon a couple years ago, and I'd like to get myself back to that point. I also have a lot of workout dvds that I hope I can do with my daughter around. I need to lose the weight because she is already walking and it's getting hard to chase after her and keep up, so she is my big motivation. I actually typed in my stats on sparkpeople this morning, and I put in the starting weight and end weight I hope to accomplish (150), and it told me that 10/19/2013 is when I could expect to reach that if I stay on track... that will be exactly on my daughter's birthday! I know things don't always go smoothly in the weight loss world... I spent a couple years off and on losing a lot of weight before, but that is a neat thing to think, that I could be down to a 'normal' weight by the time she turns 2.

Still here! Starting my 3rd week on WW, down 6.8 lbs. Hope to be down 10 by 9/30.

Originally Posted by 42goingon20:
Still here! Starting my 3rd week on WW, down 6.8 lbs. Hope to be down 10 by 9/30.

Wow! Nice weight loss for just two weeks! That's awesome! Keep it up!

As for me, I'm still moving along nicely. I have taken this entire week off from exercise (9/3 - 9/9) because I went 9 weeks hardcore (Insanity) and I needed a recovery week for my body. As you all can see from my signature info, I only weigh once every 100 days because in the past, EVERY SINGLE TIME, I had become de-motivated by the scale numbers and ended up quitting way too soon. I've gotten to the end of 10 weeks this time because the scale was not in my life LOL! But, that's just me of course lol. I REALLY REALLY want to make it to 1 year and lose HALF MY BODY WEIGHT! :D

Really feeling like I am in an easy rhythm lately. Down 2.4 pounds this week. And it has been painless. I have incorporated some IF principles, so I don't feel obligated to eat when I am not hungry, or even every time I get hungry. So I always have calories for unexpected treats. I rarely eat them, but I am never white-knuckling. I am sure I will need to white-knuckle again from time to time, but it's exhausting, and nice to avoid when I can.

Also fighting an urge to be discouraged over something stupid. My swearing-in ceremony is 9/21 (assuming I passed the bar exam), and I want to be down 50 pounds since I last saw my law school class at graduation in May. This was never a goal. In fact, I have specifically avoided time-oriented goals. And it doesn't matter. And at this point, it won't happen. So I don't know why I am obsessing about it. Oh, weight loss. Even when we're on good terms, you mess with my mind.

I am in. I started August 1 by basically eating less than before and try to get in some exercise although that is difficult due to a recent health problem. (see my other thread) I may not do it fast this time but I hope to see 6 to 10 pounds gone a month. My goals are set to 10%. The first one being about 30 pounds. I try to each more plant based foods and protein each day. (9 days of hospital food threw me off balance for a few days.) 13 pounds so far. I would like to see 4 more by the end of Sept.

Better late than never right. My journey started July 27. I am not sure why but I picked tomorrow to start eating healthy. I think a few days before I saw candid pictures of myself in my daughters yearbook from school. SHOCKER. I knew I needed to do something. Another shocker was when I got on a scale and saw how much I weighed.

SO my year Commitment will be from July 27, 2012 to July 27, 2013. I will continue eating healthy after that but I don't think I will ever go back to eating a whole family size twizzler bag by myself :o. I see what that did to me. That plus sitting on my *** got me to 265lbs.

I am stubborn when I need to be and I will be stubborn about staying on my Plan.

Congratulations - you have made a very wise decision. I made my first one-year commitment on July 18, 2011 and I am convinced that doing so was a key factor in my staying on track for so long. When I did occasionally fall off track, I remembered my personal commitment.

I remember one time in particular, on the first Monday in January this year. I had gotten back from vacation the week before and had not done so well on vacation or in the remainder of the week I returned. On that Monday, my alarm woke me up at 4 am so I could head to the gym. I didn't want to go and thought about just going back to sleep. But I reminded myself that I had made a one-year commitment, so I got my butt out of bed and went to the gym - and had one of my best workouts.

On July 18, 2012, I re-committed for one more year. So I'm right there with ya, working on my two year commitment. Almost 14 months in!

I've also started a One Year Commitment and it will be from Labor Day 2012 to Labor Day 2013. I'm doing Weight Watchers but on my own, I find I prefer to do it that way. Good luck to everyone!

Lisha! So glad to see you here!

Coffeelover - welcome. I, too, don't really like the whole 'group weight loss' thing. Glad to have you join us.

KittyKat - what an inspiration you are. I hope to be able to duplicate your post next year, explaining to someone else how this helped me stay on track.

I had a no-loss week for only the second time since I started-though I have had multiple low-loss weeks. Going to tighten up and adjust strategy a bit, but I passed the bar exam! Will forever be a great week in my memory, and I may not even remember that it corresponded with a no-loss week. Cuz life is about way more than the scale. And the whole point of this commitment, at least for me, is to find a way to integrate weight loss with life.

Congratulations LaurieDawn, what an accomplishment!! :carrot:

I've often noticed that low-loss or no-loss weeks are followed by big whooshes. I'm sure that's the case with your, well, even if not, who cares? You passed the BAR!!

WOW! CONGRATS LAURIE!! That is soooooooo awesome!!!! Yeah who cares about the low-loss week! The bar? This week goes down in Laurie-History! lol! Great job!!! :)

What is wrong with me????
 

Maybe i'm trying to do too many things at once with dieting exercising and trying to cut ALL bad things out of my diet. Its like I want to change everything at once, and when I cant do that, I go back to binge eating.

I don't understand! I WANT to lose weight. I WANT to look at myself and be happy with what I see.

Can someone help me, maybe put me in the right direction as to where to start? I love veggies and fruit but they never fill me up. I just cant seem to get full of of the veggies/fruits. Should I work on one thing at a time...Like reducing sugar intake, or fast food? And when do I add another goal on, like once I reduce my sugar, should I start cutting out breads??? Im just so confused.

Please help!!!