Friday, September 09, 2005

Weight Loss Blogs

Needless to say, having set up Losing a Hundredweight, I thought I’d see if I could find other like-minded sites out there in blogworld.

Too many hours wasted.

What I’d hoped, nay, expected, to find were plenty of blogs by people who were out there losing weight, getting fitter and sharing what works and what doesn’t.

What I actually found was hideously depressing. There appears to be only three kinds of blogs to do with weight loss:

1. Non-starters.
I lost count of how many sites have one, or maybe two entries that start along the line of “My plan is to lose 40 lbs before Christmas and this blog is going to detail my highs and lows, record my experiences and help me along with my quest. By writing this down, I know it will help to keep me motivated over the coming weeks.” Dated October 2003 and there are no further entries. So many people starting with great enthusiasm that has vanished within a week.

2. Lipophobes
There are just too many sites out there of people (primarily, but not exclusively, young women) who are clearly suffering delusional self-images and are obsessed with the culture of thin. Not health, you must understand, but thin. People for whom the term ‘ideal weight’ would place them somewhere between a baked bean and a helium balloon.

3. Money Makers
The only other sites I could find of people who had lost weight wanted to charge me a minimum of $24.99 to discover their secrets.

I mean, yes, I know the multi-billion $$$ world of dieting is screwing up millions of people’s metabolisms, mental health and bank balances, but I really thought that there must be some people out there who have a reasonably sensible attitude to the whole thing. But I gave up looking after several wasted hours.

8 comments:

Sayre said...

My blog started out as a number one on your list. Then it evolved into something entirely different. I was still working on the weight, but realized that weight, by itself, wasn't inspiring to write or read about. So I wrote about my life, and some of the things I want to do to get healthier have slipped in along the way. My blog has become an open letter to family and friends (and strangers too) about what it's like to live my life. Mostly, it revolves around my son - who is the main reason I want to be healthy. I want to look back and be proud that I could write all that because I was HERE! I didn't keel over from a heart attack or a stroke early on - which is where I've been heading for a while.

I'm on drugs now - and I hate it. I want to be OFF them by the time I turn 45. No more blood pressure pills. No more cholesterol pills. No more Advil for my aches and pains - some of which are caused by weight.

Health is my goal now. Weight is a bonus.

Kim Ayres said...

A few weeks after writing this entry I was approached by the Knights of the Round Bottoms asking if I wanted to join them. Steadily, over the past year I have discovered other blogs of the kind I was looking for.

You're absolutely right - health has to be the goal. If you eat healthily and cut out the crap then your body will reach its own natural weight and, importantly, will have the nutrients it needs.

Anonymous said...

I don't think my blog falls under any of those. It's changed over time from a blog about faith and life to a blog about weight and life. I managed to lose 60 pounds without too much trouble, but the last 10 won't budge. I chronicle my ups and downs and cheats and general life stuff there.

I'll settle for either 140 pound goal OR 21% body fat.

Kim Ayres said...

Hi Newbirth and welcome to Losing a Hundredweight!

This was an early entry when I struggled to find other weight-loss blogs worth looking at. Fortunately I've found a few since, although most of them still go through periods of not posting out of embarrassment when they've put on weight rather than lost it, which feels a bit like they've missed the point of the blog somehow.

Pandora Woman said...

*smiles as I see Sayre posted here too*

My Blog defenitely does not fall into the three categories you mention, but is more like your own. A person turning losing weight into a healthy way of living, where losing weight is a means to an end. Searching for the reasons why foremost, as only the answer to that question will ensure lasting success.

I find day by day my energy increases, and my pride in eating healthy does as well. Oddly enough my self esteem stays level, because it has seldom been low at all. I learn about myself, and the lies I tell myself, but foremost when and why I eat or overeat.

I did not start losing weight out of a need to be slimmer, but out of a need to be healthier.

I will not conform to targets set by programs, but one where I feel and believe I am healthy. I will let my body and dayly activities dictate when I reach that point.

I am in no hurry, and I enjoy the road to a healthier life very much. It is a challange and fun to boot!

I enjoyed perusing your blog Kim. it was and will be interesting to return here often. I will add your blog to my links list gladly.

Kim Ayres said...

Hi Pandora, welcome to Losing a Hundredweight and thanks for taking the time to comment.

And thanks for the link - I will return one after I finish writing this comment :)

Princess Dieter aka Mir said...

I'm trying to be a long-hauler, posting both ups and downs. I had some nice ups. Now I'm struggling, and trying to learn better habits. Learn about my own physiological responses to eating times, certain foods, etc.

My reason for starting was and is mostly HEALTH. I have damaged and am damaging my health. My goal weight is flexible. I have it at 160 (hardly thin. That'd be like a size 16, which is still considered FAT in the US, and it's still over the ideal weight in those medical charts). But I'm not going for "I wanna be skinny." I'm going for "I wanna NOT be killing my liver and my pancreas and my joints and my brain and my heart."

As long as I get to where I don't need blood pressure pills, or have high LDL, or worry about diabetes hitting me; when I can get up stairs without feeling like I'm gonna pass out, when my feet don't swell from carrying my enormous weight (281 now, down from 299), then I'll consider myself successful. I just want to feel energetic and flexible and strong and fit in public seating without straining or needing seatbelt extenders. :)

AT 47, its' DO or DIE. And I'd rather do and live. :D

Your blog is cool. I dream of making the superb progress you have. Way to go.

The Princess (Mir)

Kim Ayres said...

Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment. Health has to be the focus, otherwise we end up doing unhealthy things to our bodies in the pursuit of "thin" which does even more damage to our health. I wish you every success on your journey :)