Awareness and Accountability

After six years on this journey, I think that the most important things that I've find to help maximize the weight loss opportunity and maintenance is developing and exercising awareness and accountability. I think that most of us that have had a serious weight issue also have had what I often refer to as 'Three Monkey Syndrome' aka 'Hear no evil, See no evil, Speak no evil.' This lack of awareness and accountability can and have had a crippling effect on many of us. The good news is that we can develop ways to be aware and in tune with what we consume and our level of activity. What we each do to become aware of our actions and the impact that they have on us varies depending on our needs at the time, but the need to be aware never goes away.

What do you do to be aware of your intake and activity?

Do you have things that you do to help you be accountable to yourself?

Have the tools you use to be aware and accountable changed over the course of your journey?

I look forward to hearing from you.

I question and then track everything I put in my mouth. Myfitnesspal is my constant companion. If I eat more calories than I want then I go work it off.  Today, I hit 1,000 for the first time since my surgery. I went to the gym and put in an hour on the elliptical and burned back 650 of them. 

I am am still new to this, though nearing my goal. I am completely honest with myself and hold myself entirely accountable for my results. Even if I indulge, it is never on food that i shouldn't have. 

I have gone from A1C of 11.5, cholesterol over 500, and triglycerides over 5,000 to an A1C of 6.1, cholesterol of 105, and triglycerides of 99 and that is off all of my medication. I am healthier than I have been since I was a teenager. 

Looking forward to maintenance and years of healthy living. I will not return to that lifestyle. It was killing me and it could have happened at any time with those numbers.