I am getting ready to ditch my coach (or at least am pondering the idea). We aren't a good fit and IP is E.X.P.E.N.S.I.V.E.

But I am concerned that I may lose the most important motivator: Being accountable to someone else for a specific moment each week.

How do you that are going it alone handle this problem?

ETA I am beyond embarassed how bad my spelling is in the title of this thread. But that is one thing that edit won't change.

I am accountable to MOI. Its a mindset, and really, IMO who you should be accountable to, coach or no coach.

Its working for me. I just WI each week, haven't done measurements for a while...maybe next week. Just thought of doing that part monthly.

Good luck!

I know exactly where you are coming from. I think I responded to you about your demoralizing coach as I experienced that same thing with mine and yes, IP is expensive.

I am a very independent person. I have always taken care of myself. But, I know know not everyone is like that and I am willing to be your accountability. I know WUV has done that for others. I moved from 12 weeks on IP 11 weeks ago to alternatives, so I do have some background and experience with both. I will be here for when ever you need someone personal to talk (PM me if you want), for questions, to report weigh-ins and measurements. I will keep a spreadsheet for you and chart your progress. I will NOT demoralize you when your WI is less than 3 lbs. I've had zero twice now. That was demoralizing enough in itself without someone chastising me.

I still have a lot of weight to lose so I understand what it's like to not just have 20 or 30 lbs and being in this for the long haul. We can do this together.

BTW, where in the high desert are you from? I lived for 20 years in Riverside.

Molly

I stay accountable for keeping up on my blog on a daily basis. No matter what crapstorm rains down on me, it ends up in the blog, for the whole world to see.

Molly, thank you for your offer. I am considering it. I am also considering joining the local T.O.P.S group for a weekly weigh in and a chance to meet with real people once a week. My "job" is an online job so meeting with real people is rare for me, especially when hubs is on business travel, I am trying to force myself out of my self imposed hermitage. Job is in quotations because I don't get paid, I am a 30+ hour a week volunteer missionary for my church.

I live quite a bit north of you on the extreme North East edge of Kern county, just an hour's drive from Death Valley. We live in one of the desert military towns where everybody is either military or a military scientist.

I think TOPS would be an excellent idea.
I keep myself accountable by looking forward to changing my ticker each week on my selected weigh in day.
I am a very independent person too and just don't take well to coaching. I find it much easier to be accountable to myself.

Pat

I am thinking of recruiting my kids to attend my weigh in each week. I also have had my daughter make me a beaded necklace: we had one bead for every 5 lbs lost. She asks me all the time "are you ready for a new bead yet Mommy".

Coming here helps me stay clean too. Yesterday I mentally argued with a Snickers bar that I knew was in my desk drawer. I signed in here and started reading, started looking at before and after pics, and the candy ended up in the trash can...uneaten.

good job! Like the fitness gurus say, if it doesn't go in the cart at the store, it isn't available to tempt me.

I am having the same debate at this point. I actually do like most of the coaches at the center I go to ... but still considering going it alone. At this point I have gotten into a nice routine using alternative products - haven't seen any change in weight loss - and am sure I can keep up my progress. Although WI doesn't take long they are ALWAYS behind schedule and honestly I am exhausted at the end of my work day and I want to go home and spend time with my family - not drive an hour out of my way for WI. So basically that sounds like I am a spoiled brat lol!!! It really is a time/convenience issue for me - it was a money issue as well but I have been mostly using alternatives for a bit now so I can't really use that. My biggest concern is all of the phasing out stuff at the end. I am afraid I will mess that up if I don't stay with the center ....

Good work Phoenix in avoid that Snickers bar. But - IMO it would be better to not have it in your desk drawer tempting you in the first place. Who needs that temptation? Maybe stash an IP bar or snack there instead?

ITA. I love being able to add my little 'clappers' to my ticker every -5 lbs. And to reporting that I've stayed firm in my resolve and am getting results each week.

I work from home and am in my 60s... since moving to this new city a few years ago, I haven't been very 'forward' about making new local friends. Joining something like T.O.P.S. would be a good idea, but the thing that holds me back is fear of some of the others questionning me too much about my diet program? I'm a private person and prefer just to do my own thing and not have to deal with other people's questions about whether it's the 'best' way to lose weight, etc. etc. But of course it is working...the 'proof is in the pudding' as they say - and I feel great. I guess I should be willing to stand up for myself and just go with that?

I didn't know coaches would still coach if you were buying much of your food elsewhere.

I liked my coach and my clinic. I left totally because of financial issues. My Mom needed help and the buck stops here. I am accountable to me, though I do miss the clinic atmosphere.

They took my measurements the first week and I don't know what they were so I guess I should do them myself before I get too much farther down the road.

What is T.O.P.S.?

Good luck going it on your own. It is probably a little more challenging but totally doable and oh, so worth it. I have only been at it two and a half weeks, but it already feels like a 'way of life'. 100% OP.

I have been doing this on my own since day one. I am accountable to me, and I am very hard on myself. I also have everyone here. Luckily I have not strayed from this plan once since starting it, but I know if I did and I came on here and said something about it, there would be alot of support and alot of tough love. I may not want to hear the tough love parts, but I know it would be true. I have been on every singe diet that you can think of, tried all the diet pills and have failed miserbly on all of it, if I can do this on my own, I believe you can as well. I have adopted WUV as my coach, she is my go to person when all else fails, as well as everyone here.

I can so relate to this! I've even come back around for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th tries on all the diets I've tried. I have been trying to lose for about 20 years now. Of course, 20 years ago I only had about 40 lbs to lose...now it's double that. I used to cry over all the weeks, months, years wasted but that never got me anywhere either.

THIS place is going to keep me grounded and secure; it has in the past, but I have been the one to abandon this place. NOT.THIS.TIME.

You look fabulous BTW; so do so many others here -- I look for posts by certain ppl, just to see their pictures! Oh gosh, does that make me a Chick Stalker?

I am also going to go it alone with alternatives, like everyone else here I am finding IP just too expensive as both my husband and I have been on it since the middle of April (hubby is now done but I still have about 25 lbs. to go) so I will be accountable to myself, and will continue to post on these boards to give me extra incentive. Wish me luck.

Caren