Newbies and New Years
 

Many people make a resolution to lose weight every year. It's usually the most popular resolution, beating out "quit smoking". Unfortunately, very few follow through with it.

Many people will join FitDay for the first time and find their way to the forums, maybe even find their way to this thread. So if you are new here and reading this, know that there are many great people here to help you along the way. Everyone is willing to help you, few will be willing to carry you.

In general, the success rate with weight loss is extremely low. IMO most people don't want it bad enough, don't have the discipline or just aren't willing to make the necessary sacrifices (life changes) because it's "just too hard". Only the strong will survive, and will be here come February!

Are you one of the strong? Do you really want it? If so, I'll list some things that I've learned from the many successful people here. I'm sure the other members will chime in as well.

1. I find that the ACTIVE members here are the successful members. They are the ones that have lost or are losing weight, they keep themselves accountable. The success rate for them is VERY high.
2. They drop the excuses as to why they can't do something and find a reason why they can.
3. They realize that there will bad days, they may fall off the wagon, but they always get back on. Usually when they fall off the wagon, they'll quit posting AND quit logging (back to the accountability thing).
4. They understand that there was an issue that brought them here and they have to log their food and activities to break that issue.
5. They are honest with themselves. They log everything accurately.
6. They will succeed, despite the naysayers.
7. They will succeed, despite lack of support at home.
8. They will succeed, despite the snide comments from friends and family.
9. They will succeed... because they want it bad enough!
10. Most of all, they realize that there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to diet and exercise. What may work for one person, may or may not work for the next. We are all different in our own way. The one thing that everyone can agree on is better eating habits and more activity will always lead you in the right direction.

Well said Mike, well said

That is so damn right!!

Im still newbie here, but I noticed that there is huge amount of newbies saying HALLO in newcomers section, and then most of them dont log in anymore. And sorry to say I think they just wont make it with their goals :( I know that if I stop login, it will means I failed.

I myself dont write much, but I read a lot and I keep on writing in my own thread about my challenge - trying to log every single day the workout that I did each time.
Maybe someday someone will look at my thread and will see, that I was trying hard - to be where I wanna be.

So in relation to Mike's post - I hope I still be active in May 2012. It will means that I am doing well. :D

I agree completely, and well said!

Regards,
Michael

AMEN Mike,
To add a bit: Logging keeps me accountable, for sure, but it also allows me to reflect on my behavior that day, week, and month. It is often in the reflection, good or bad, that I gain the strength to change my habits. Not all at once, but one step at a time.

While that's true about quite a few being 'one post wonders' it's certainly a possibility that the new members simply stick to food journaling, not feeling the need to have a presence in the forums. Or perhaps they just like to read what's here and don't have much to say. :confused:

At any rate, the sound advice given by our senior moderator should be contemplated by all those desiring to meet their weight loss goals.

Very true, there really could be successful lurkers or those that don't even use the forums. Heck it was probably a year before I ever realized that we had the forums. I know now that I couldn't do without it, I don't know how I did it before. I know that there are a lot of people that post, disappear for a while and by the time they make it back it, they have taken many steps backwards. I see it time and time again. The support that we can get from a group of or peers is priceless, we just have to take advantage of it. :)

I do agree :)
I was talking about login to fitday at all - not just forum.
By the way- when checking someone elses public profile: DATE OF LAST ACTIVITY means last time on forum or last time on fitday at all?

Last activity in Forum. I know this for a fact. I have seen member's profiles that have not posted in Discussions, nor even logged into Discussions for months, yet their Food Journal remains current. The Journal was set to "Public" so I saw that they had been logging in to track their foods. :)

Great question!

my resolution was to eat healthy food i cooked myself.
yesterday i broke it :(
i'll try and pull myself together to start eating healthy again