I live in the suburbs, so I'm not sure which bird is the one, but my point is this:
I've been a member of this site for many years. I've gained and lost weight, struggled with binging / emotional eating. I've had times where I've been on here like 10000X a day, or I've gone months without coming around, but either way I've found the majority of people on this site are warm, supportive and helpful.

Really you all are the support I need and turn to when I don't find it in everyday life. Recently, I got into running. It started as a weight loss venture, and its really turning into a hobby. This is new for me, who's pretty much been the sedentary over weight girl my whole life. I came across a runner forum and I've been posting there. But its no 3FC! I don't want to generalize, because some of the people there are nice, BUT the entire feel and attitude is different. Its a bit colder and people are more harsh and less encouraging, for the most part. Some of the threads have such a nasty tone, that I don't think I've really seen threads of that kind here, and if they were, they'd be handled by our mods.

And so like the chicken, or swallow, or whatever fowl it is, I have come home to roost! Its like home sweet home here. Not just because I can come here when I want to vent about over eating, or because I've been here so long, but because its not a hostile environment.

Hope everyone has a good day!

I hope it's a sparrow; if it's a chicken I'd probably eat it! (Sorry veg/vegans! ) Glad you found a forever home!

I feel the same way about another weight loss forum I lurk on. That's why I lurk and don't post lol

Running forums are horrible I have found. I joined a running forum, because like you I started running recently, and it has become a bit of a hobby. I have not a shred of competitiveness in me, and I just want to run and be happy. Running forums are a bit elitist as a whole, and though there are nice people, they're nothing like here, where the general attitude is, "To each their own"

I second your feeling...even when someone disagrees with you they do it in such a polite way haha! This seems to be the most nonjudgmental site I've ever found!

I've been hanging around here on and off today for a breath of fresh air! Yeah, fatferretfanatic, I'm with you on running to be happy. As someone who couldn't even run a year ago at this time, I'm just happy to be out there! Its a great "me time" healthy hobby, and I don't feel the need to compete.

In those forums it was a very "be tough or you're going to get mocked" kind of place. Reminded me of a frat club! And well, at the ripe old age of 30, I'm done with frats and the "in crowd" and the "cool people" lol. I expend my energy on my kids, DH, work, running, battling my food issues, vaccuuming, dishes, laundry, taming my hair, and well, I don't have the time and energy to have a peeing (PG rated word!) contest with online people, which is what that forum felt like...
I come on here happy and when I get up from my computer I want to leave it a little happier! And I try to make it so the people reading my posts leave a little happier as well.

I know what you mean. There is even another weight loss related forum I occasionally go on which pales in comparison to this one. The atmosphere there definitely has that hostile, elitist feel to it, much like the majority of internet forums, it seems. This place is like an oasis.

Even when people disagree or debate different issues here, it always seems to be respectful. I don't think I've ever seen anything get 'nasty' here... maybe it's the modding or maybe it's just the way people here act. Either way, I really think that's what makes 3fc a sparkling gem amongst a bunch of pebbles.

It's chickens that come home to roost. What it means is, the bad deeds you have done in the past are catching up with you. The bad deed you did was to leave us and look for greener pastures, but in the end you discovered that there's not place like home! LOL How's that for an explanation? We're glad you're back. I agree that of all the forums I visit, this one is the nicest. It is proven by the fact that there are so many people who post here.

Carol

LOL!!! I didn't realize that was what the saying meant! haha! Yes, good explaination though!

I do a lot of reading and even some posting on some gardening forums and am amazed at some of the nastiness sometimes! (note: never ask whether you should prune tomatoes without expecting a fight!)

It might be the people here as well, but I can tell you that we mods do work hard to try to keep this a supportive place as much as possible!! We're glad you like it as much as we do!!