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