NEW POST - DD and Weight Loss?

Hello guys.  So I have a question for you.  I have heard some of you use DD in the past for helping you in your weight loss goals, and wondered if any of you would be able to share things that worked for you, or things that were real pitfalls in using DD to help you towards your goals?

Here is what is going on for us.  I got an early birthday/mother's day gift of a pedometer because it was on sale quite cheap.  I'd been wanting one for close to a year, and we decided the splurge was worth it.  It has really helped.  I got one with a heart rate monitor (Garmin Vivosmart HR) so that I could see how I was doing with that as well.  Well my first day was May 15th, so about a month and a half I have been doing it.  Seeing the numbers on my wrist band really help.  I am much more active now.  I would say I was only getting about 5k steps a day before, now it says I average 13k steps a day, and that's in total since the beginning.  I just started taking Sunday as a rest day the past three Sundays, and seem to be getting about 6-8k those days.  It also helps to see how many minutes I've been active, and to see my resting heart rate go down over time.  It's now 67 on average for resting heartrate!  My first couple of days, it was so hard to get below 100, and near impossible to get below 85 and 90.

So right now this is all new to me, and I am very motivated to keep doing this, but I know a day will come when I just want to quit.  I know me.  I'm hoping it's a way off, but I want to prepare anyway.  I want to put some rules into place.  So far I haven't changed much of how I eat, but I've still lost 10 pounds as of yesterday, though I had lost none in the first month, so glad to finally see some results.  I have changed my lunch to a salad at least three days a week, but that's it diet wise.  I am doing changes slowly so that I stick to them.  I usually jump both feet in and give up pretty quickly.  I am hoping that by making a small change every 3-4 weeks, I'll be more likely to stick with it.

So... what rules do you have for yourself to help with your weight loss, or weight maintenance goals?  Do you have to be active so many minutes/days a week?  Do you have to reach a certain number of steps?  Are you allowed cheat days if you're dieting?  And what were your consequences if you cheated or didn't work out, etc?  Would just love to know the things that are working for you, and maybe know about some of your pitfalls as well so that we can learn from them. :) :)

Finding Our Groove

SO, I think DD is on a good path for us right now.  I haven't earned any punishment spankings, sorry to disappoint. LOL  We will not add to the fact that I have neither had the time or the energy to act out at all to get one. :P

I have been working on my health more.  Got myself a fitness tracker, and been aiming for 13-15 thousand steps a day for six days a week.  I am feeling better over all, but having a very hard time after I eat all the sudden, so will have to look into that if it doesn't settle soon.  But the great thing is, is how much the Duke is supporting me in all of this.  Before when I would try to lose weight, he'd be okay with it, and occasionally notice how hard I was working, but now, he's very attentive.  He's very supportive, and he's very quick with genuine praise.  And not just "GOOD JOB!"  But "GOOD JOB, Honey!  I know you're tired, and you're working so hard.  I'm proud of you."  and things like that.

It's more of the little things that make me so happy to be in this lifestyle.  He's firm more often, I was so tired last night after 6 hours of a bloated, PAINFUL stomach cramping ordeal.  I was only at 10k steps, but he put his foot down.  I was not doing any more last night, and I needed that.  I needed someone to step up and save me from myself.  And that may be my most favourite part of DD.  The Duke knowing when to save me from myself.  I KNEW I needed to rest, but I also KNEW I had promised myself to get to 13k steps a day if at all possible.  Thankfully I didn't have to decide.

Loving the place we're at.  Playful swats as he catches me alone, having a hard time to keep his hands to himself, last night he even pinned me down just because he could.  He's checking in with me several times a day to see how I'm doing, taking my not so baby anymore when I need half an hour to myself, especially when I was in so much pain yesterday, and on and on.  Something has changed lately... and I'm not sure what it is, but I'm feeling like a teenager in love again.  :)  When I figure out what has caused the change, I'll let you know. :)  But for now, I'm enjoying it. :)

I hope all is well in your worlds.  I know DD is a different world, and I worry about doing these posts sometimes because of how hard DD can be, but it can be REALLY good too. :)  If you're reading, and you're new, please don't think we started off this way, or even got there quickly.  LOL  This has been a long road, a lot of give and take, talking and listening, fighting and making up, tears and joy, broken hearts and healing, and on and on.  The first 2-3 years especially were so hard, and I can't even tell you really how we got through them, except that we decided we weren't going to give up.  Not sure this paragraph matters... but I remember reading posts like this in the early days, and getting very idealistic... and that isn't always bad... but for us it was, and so just to help you see the reality of our road to this point I wanted to share. :)  I think it's been about four and a half years now since we started, about 5 since I started mentioning it... but we're getting there.  I really feel we've found our groove now, and am enjoying it. :) 

PS just realized I still have a bunch of old posts I haven't put back up yet... will try to do that asap... not that they'll get read, but I'd still like to have them up for those of you that write me and tell me you've gone back to the beginning.  Every time I get a message like that, it surprises me, and humbles me.  I am so thankful for my readers.