The internet brought on many great things when it entered into our residential homes. One industry it completely changed upside down was the weight loss industry. Information, stories, testimonials, products and companies exploded onto the world wide web which flowed right into our homes. This gave birth to more weight loss fads and diets. Many have failed but many are working and we should thank the internet. The internet with its social web built in is one of our best weapons against weight and it's important to understand why.
Social Online Communities Educate about Weight Loss
One way to ensure that you will lose weight is to join a community of people who have the same goals. Programs that offer you a weight loss regimen as well as support have been popular all over the world for decades. Now, social media is in vogue, and people are beginning to take advantage of it to help them drop the excess pounds. There will be someone who will post a diet strategy and you'll naturally fall in love with it. There are weight loss communities all over the social web. Google+, StumbleUpon and even Reddit offer content platforms where people are constantly posting weight loss articles. More education than ever before is flowing through these platforms.
Why Use Social Media to Lose Weight?
People begin diets and exercise programs with the best of intentions, but it isn't unusual for them to give up, lose interest, or become frustrated with how things are progressing. However, joining a weight loss community has the effect of keeping people accountable to their goals. It can also really give motivation by listening online to how others overcame their failures in their diets. The social web can be our greatest motivator when the going gets tough.
Sometimes, the problem is that people around you do not support what you are trying to do. They don't understand because they are not having the same problems that you are having. The answer to this is to join a social media website that is geared toward improving your health. The members aren't necessarily going to be in your city, but you will have a great deal of support for the weight loss that you wish to achieve. This is common in weight loss, not all family members support dieting and it can even be humiliating. By having your online social support you can overcome the challenges offered by family members.
Support
On days when you feel as if your objectives are impossible, your Internet weight loss community will help you. For example, rather than beat herself up for cheating on her diet, one poster to a weight loss website wrote about her struggles with overeating. Since the people in her community had experienced similar days in the past, they were able to offer encouragement and help her get back on track.
Motivation - Public Recognition
When you post pictures of yourself on social media websites, the community has a chance to congratulate you on your success. This can work as an incredible motivator for you. You will want to continue to receive positive feedback, and you will know that the only way to make this happen is to keep progressing toward your goals. Therefore, you are more likely to remain on your program. Public recognition serves as a great motivating force in our society. With Facebook alone, a simple post about how much weight you lost can get the 'likes' and comments rolling. This will inspire enduring to the end.
Inspiration
You can also be motivated by other people's success. When you see that another member looks better with each new picture that she posts, you will be inspired to lose weight so that you can do the same thing. You will learn from other people's difficulties, and they can teach you how to overcome seemingly insurmountable impasses. Positive testimonials of others having success is motivating to all and serves as a big part of the social web.
Responsibility
People are posting more than just pictures of themselves online, and this has the effect of helping them to remain on track with their weight loss goals. For example, some people list their weight and measurements on their social media profiles. If you decide to do this, you will want to occasionally update your status, and this is another great way to remain motivated. It helps and is just an idea.
Technology - APPS and Tools
Companies are launching new tools and apps that help with weight loss. There are now food journals, calorie counters, meal apps, you name it, all available in the palm of our hands. Food journal apps help you remember what you eat and they serve as great weight loss tools. Weight loss apps can connect to your social profiles, which help with your social weight loss plan. MyFitnessPal, TR90, and the Visual Food Journal are popular dieting social apps that help people lose weight which socially connect. Don't shy away from getting into the apps, they will serve as great weight loss tools.
In Summary
Weight loss is not easy, for some it can be their most difficult challenge in this life. People often times have to go their whole life-fighting weight loss. Don't be discouraged, let the social web help you hit your goals, educate you, and stay on track. Weight loss is not easy, and this is why it's truly inspiring to hear the stories all over the social web. Let your online community help you lose weight, it will if you use it correctly.