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.

Hi,

I don't even own a scale.  I think they are terrible and can tell my the mirror and clothes if I am not making any progress. 

I would like a job where I am moving around.  I seriously need to up my activity level.  I am getting lazy.  With the snow just around the corner, I need to think about inside activities.  I have enough to keep me busy lol.  I just don't do it. 

Hi Paula,

I really appreciate your response. It shows that we all have different needs and ways of staying accountable to ourselves. I know that some folks list what they eat or their activity on the forums; I've tried that and it doesn't work for me. I know that some people are like me and get on the scale every day, some once a week and some use another measure. I don't think that the measure matters as long as we find some way to measure our success, and it sound like you have that managed for you... I have to tell you that I hope to be as successful as you have been in your journey, when I am as far out as you. 

Re: moving around... I have found that the Wii and putting in an exercise DVD are helpful. I also like to crank up the music when I'm working around the house; it gets me moving and the time seems to fly by. 

Wishing you continued success my friend,