Being accountable

I think that 'accountability' is one of the cornerstones that will help shore up our long term success. What works for one person, doesn't necessarily work for another. What do you do to hold yourself accountable?

I get on the scale every morning... and that's a big change. There were years when I didn't even have a scale. It's important for me to 'know' what I weigh. My weight shifts or swings within about a 3 to 5 pound range... meaning my normal weight is 145, so I may go down to 142 or up to 148, but I normally stay at about 144/146. If my weight gets above 146, I start keeping a closer eye on what I'm eating and how much by logging my intake... It usually shows me the error of my ways and I make the necessary corrections and the weight drops back down to where it should be.

I wear pedometer... This gives me an awareness of how much I am or am not moving. I have to say that I'm much more inclined to walk farther, take the stairs, etc., when I have my pedometer on and can see the steps racking up. I try to get at least 10K steps in a day. Some days it doesn't happen, but at least I'm aware and work to get moving more. 

I wear fitted clothes... I've been going through my old stuff as I've been packing it up to sell, donate, etc... and while I did have a few 'fitted' pieces, the overwhelming number of items in my closet had an elastic waist or loose fit that would allow my weight to fluctuate significantly without being able to 'feel' it. Now, my wardrobe is overwhelmingly fitted. I only have a few pieces that are loose or have an elastic waist and to be honest, most of those are PJs or exercise wear.  Believe it or not, now I can 'feel' a 5 lb change in the way my fitted clothes fit.

I treat my surgery as a full time job. The difference between my VBG and the career job is that my VBG job is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days  year. There are no vacations or holidays from it. I get no weekends off. I work alone at it, since nobody else will be accountable for my actions. It's the most physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding job I've ever had. I'll never retire from it. And most importantly, I don't get paid for it in cash. My pay is in looking fantastic, feeling great, being healthy, fitting in, and having a life I knew I deserved to have!

My accountability is to my "JOB".

I haven't been on the board for a while but LOVE this post.  I couldn't have said it better.  With your permission, I would like to lift this and post on my refrigerator.

It is exactly the way I feel.  My husband did not understand my logic for wanting this surgery. It's probably the first time in my 35 years of marriage that I've done something totally for me.

Thanks again for putting into words the way I feel.

I'm delighted that you find it meaningful. 

Wishing you all the best,