| IntroductionLosing weight is not rocket | | | | much encouragement as we can get. We need to |
| science. It requires no special diet, no | | | | hear from people like us who have managed to |
| special foods and no special exercise | | | | change their attitude and eating habits, and |
| program. All we need to do is eat less | | | | who can explain how to overcome the problems |
| calories than we burn. Despite this, as well | | | | involved. Above all, we need a safety-net if |
| as an ever growing number of diets and weight | | | | we fail. We need shoulders to cry on and |
| control plans, obesity continues to grow. And | | | | "tough love" to help us win through. In |
| the vast majority of dieters find it almost | | | | short, we need the support of a real |
| impossible to lose weight without regaining | | | | community.Join An Online Community ForumIn my |
| everything within a matter of months. Why is | | | | experience, dieters who join a good online |
| this? Answer: because we don't get enough | | | | community forum can expect to lose 400-500 |
| support.Get Proper Help To Lose WeightOur | | | | percent more weight than those who go solo. |
| greatest need when dieting is encouragement. | | | | In addition, if they maintain their community |
| We need people to cheer our successes and | | | | membership after achieving their goals, they |
| help us overcome our disasters. Amazingly, | | | | have an excellent chance of maintaining their |
| most online weight loss programs fail to | | | | weight loss indefinitely. This is because an |
| address this need. Instead, they focus on | | | | online community can provide a number of |
| what we should eat, how many calories we | | | | specific benefits. First, as stated, it |
| should consume, and what exercise we should | | | | offers personal advice and encouragement. |
| take. And while this advice is useful, it's | | | | Secondly, it offers members the opportunity |
| not critical. Because most of us know this | | | | to help other people - something that |
| stuff already. What we have difficulty with, | | | | typically works wonders for their self-esteem |
| is motivation. We know what to do in order to | | | | and understanding. Thirdly, most community |
| lose weight, but we can't sustain it. Maybe | | | | forums are self-run. Members may progress to |
| we lack a strong incentive, or perhaps our | | | | become moderators or resident experts. This |
| family situation interferes with our weight | | | | too is a real confidence booster as well as a |
| loss plans, or maybe we hate cooking and eat | | | | great incentive to maintain weight lost. But |
| out too often. Whatever difficulty we have, | | | | by far the major benefit is the fact that |
| it's not likely to involve food or exercise. | | | | online forums are in action 24 hours a day, 7 |
| It's much more likely to be a motivational or | | | | days a week. So support and human warmth is |
| lifestyle problem. Yet as I say, most online | | | | available whenever you need it. They are real |
| programs don't offer motivational or | | | | 24/7 safety nets, especially Anne Collins |
| lifestyle support. And even when they do, | | | | forum which has members from all time zones |
| their advice can often be expensive and quite | | | | of the world.Features To Look ForThe best |
| uninspiring!Survey Of DietersThe value of | | | | forums are active, well-managed and provide |
| proper support was highlighted in a recent | | | | quality advice and support. Activity is best |
| survey of members of Anne Collins online | | | | judged by checking the number of "active" |
| weight loss program. The program includes a | | | | members, rather than total membership. And |
| 24/7 community forum specializing in | | | | the greater the number of recent threads |
| motivation and lifestyle support, with | | | | (topics) and posts (messages), the better. |
| several thousand topics and approximately | | | | Assessing the management and quality of the |
| 100,000 posts. Subjects were asked to assess | | | | forum is a bit more difficult. To do this, |
| the personal benefit they had obtained from | | | | open a recent thread, scan the posts and look |
| the forum. A total of 1,348 subjects | | | | for the following. First, how quickly do |
| responded, of whom 81 percent rated the | | | | members and/or moderators reply to questions |
| program's community forum as "important" or | | | | asked? Second, are the questions and answers |
| "very important" in helping them to lose | | | | reasonably serious, or more frivolous? |
| weight, while less than 5 percent said it | | | | Generally, a well-managed forum will have a |
| "made no difference." While in no way | | | | higher percentage of serious posts. Other |
| conclusive, the results indicate the | | | | questions to ask yourself include: how |
| practical value of a "community" approach to | | | | "personal" does the forum appear to be? Do |
| weight management.Weight Loss MeetingsFor | | | | you feel a sense of warmth and caring? What |
| urban dieters, Weight Watchers is probably | | | | age-groups are most active? Take a good look |
| the best option. Their meetings are specially | | | | around, and don't hurry. Finding the right |
| designed to help dieters overcome | | | | forum for yourself is crucial to your weight |
| difficulties, but even Weight Watchers has | | | | loss success.Summary: Focus On What |
| its limitations. First, it's not cheap to | | | | MattersThe secret of successful weight loss |
| join. Secondly, members typically attend only | | | | is to focus on what matters. So don't waste |
| once a week. So if your diet-wagon loses a | | | | too much time or money trying to find the |
| wheel on Saturday night, you may have to wait | | | | "perfect" diet. I mean no disrespect to any |
| several days for the next meeting to help you | | | | dietitian or nutritionist but, for most |
| out. Like eDiets, Weight Watchers now offers | | | | people, a diet is a diet is a diet. As long |
| an online service, but again - at something | | | | as it's reasonably balanced and includes a |
| like $250-300 a year - it's not cheap.Not | | | | reasonable number of calories, it'll do fine. |
| Easy To Change HabitsChanging our eating | | | | What really matters is support - to help you |
| habits is no easy matter. Sure, it helps to | | | | cope with temptation and disruption during |
| know that a cup of fat-free milk contains 40 | | | | your journey. An excellent option is to join |
| percent fewer calories and 16 times less fat | | | | an online weight loss forum and be part of a |
| than whole milk, or that lean ground steak | | | | real community. Because when you have tons of |
| contains half the calories and 4 times less | | | | friendly people cheering you on, you can move |
| fat than regular cheddar cheese, but how does | | | | mountains.Anne Collins, 54, is a qualified |
| this help us to say No to a second helping of | | | | nutritionist and full time weight management |
| pizza? How does it quench our desire for a | | | | consultant with over 24 years experience. |
| double cheeseburger and fries? It doesn't. | | | | attracts 9 million unique visitors per annum, |
| Because facing down temptation requires a | | | | and her weight loss forum is one of the most |
| change of attitude, a change of priorities. | | | | active communities on the Internet. |
| And in my experience, this takes time and as | | | | |