How do you feel about blogging/tweeting your journey?
Hello, everyone!
I’m extremely excited about joining this community and supporting each other as we all strive toward a healthier, happier life!
I’ve been considering starting a blog (since 3FC has the option here) or a tweet account. My concern is that the whole thing may lose its luster quickly or that I might devote too much time to the updates; and, then, there’s question #3 below.
Here are a few questions that keep crossing my mind:
1) Has keeping a blog/tweeting helped you in your journey? (Does it keep you more accountable or help you find “friends”)?
2) If you’ve been blogging or tweeting for a while, how much time do you devote to it? (Do you post every week, etc.)
3) If you have uploaded before/after photos on your blog/tweet account, were you uncomfortable doing so? If you were a bit timid, how did you overcome it?
4) Did you start blogging/tweeting but just grew tired of it and quit? If so, did you notice any difference in your healthy way of living when you stopped?
I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s individual ideas and experiences on the benefits/disadvantages of blogging/tweeting.
Weight loss just isn't interesting enough to Tweet about. The size constraints of the medium means that you never going to get in more that 'I lost a lb', 'I gained a lb', 'I didn't eat a box of cookies'.
I'm surrounded by people who love me, but to a woman, every single one now gets glassy-eyed and stares into the middle distance when I talk about my diet/weight loss/fitness programme. If I were sending the messages to their phones about it, they'd all get new numbers.
Blogging is different, your blog will be as good as how well you write; given enough space, someone with passion and verve will make any subject fascinating. The main disadvantage that I can see that is that you will get adolescent boys (of all ages and genders, I use the phrase more as a description of a development phase/time of arrest than as a specific) offering you 'advice' and you will need to be a very strong women to be able to read that 'advice' without wanting to hit the cookie jar/gin bottle/your nearest and dearest.
1) Has keeping a blog/tweeting helped you in your journey? (Does it keep you more accountable or help you find “friends”)?
Yes, tremendously. My blog, along with 3fc, has been SUCH a big motivator and place to keep me accountable. I honestly think that I wouldn't have come this far if it weren't for my blog/3fc (of course! )
2) If you’ve been blogging or tweeting for a while, how much time do you devote to it? (Do you post every week, etc.)
I've been blogging since I started (july 2009) and I try to post SOMETHING at least every couple of days. In reality I'd LIKE to post everyday.. but I usually don't have time to do that until summer. Really, you can put as much or as little time into it as you see fit. There are some months/weeks where I haven't posted at all (those are the times I tend to be off plan, go figure).
3) If you have uploaded before/after photos on your blog/tweet account, were you uncomfortable doing so? If you were a bit timid, how did you overcome it?
I was VERY, VERY nervous about posting my before pictures. To help I didn't show my face and I never mentioned my real name. Now that I'm losing, I'm more comfortable showing my pictures because A) I get so much support and B) I like seeing the difference! Now I feel fine showing my face and signing with my real name.. it just took time to get to that point.
4) Did you start blogging/tweeting but just grew tired of it and quit? If so, did you notice any difference in your healthy way of living when you stopped?
I haven't completely stopped, but I have gone MIA from my blog during times where I was really struggling with my eating/exercise. Personally, it seems that blogging/3fc & losing weight go hand in hand. I mean, it can MOST DEFINITELY be done without blogging or tweeting, but for me it just makes it a little easier .
I blog about my weight loss (on Blogger, started before I discovered 3FC). I mostly just started it for myself, to have a place to track my progress and keep myself accountable. Somehow, along the way I've managed to accumulate a few followers... not sure how it happened, but if I can somehow inspire somebody through my honesty, my struggles and my accomplishments, I'd consider that a real honour
I usually update pretty regularly. I probably average 3-4 posts per week. Yes, I posted before pictures, and I'm really forward to the day I can proudly post my befores!
My blog, Tea at Dusk, is a food blog mostly but it's there to try to keep me on track with eating healthier. At the end of the day, I enjoy food a lot and enjoy sharing what I'm eating. However, it does make me pause before ordering that pizza.
1) Has keeping a blog/tweeting helped you in your journey? (Does it keep you more accountable or help you find “friends”)?
It does keep me more accountable. It's much harder to fall completely off the wagon when I have to take pictures of the terrible foods I choose and show them to my readers. Sometimes I still make bad choices, but a lot of times I make a better choice due to my blog when I otherwise might be tempted.
2) If you’ve been blogging or tweeting for a while, how much time do you devote to it? (Do you post every week, etc.)
My blog posts take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to post. I'm just a one post per day blogger, but I know some who post multiple times a day. I can't imagine the time investment that is.
3) If you have uploaded before/after photos on your blog/tweet account, were you uncomfortable doing so? If you were a bit timid, how did you overcome it?
Yes. On my about page you can see a before photo and current photo. I guess I was never timid about it. I am who I am.
4) Did you start blogging/tweeting but just grew tired of it and quit? If so, did you notice any difference in your healthy way of living when you stopped?
I had another similar blog before and when I stopped posting to it I did slack off a lot. The blog definitely helps me.
I am very much a blogger! I truly love blogging. I love reading craft blogs, penpal blogs (not blogs by my penpals as I don't know if any of mine actually blog.. they're new hehe, but blogs about writing letters). The funny thing is, I am the only person I know that blogs. I mean out of friends/family, none of them do! None of them have any interest in actually writing one themselves.
I have had an online journal for around 15 years at various places before getting my own domain and just hosting it myself for years and years now. I've gone through several blogging softwares until I won a contest that allowed me to have a free copy of the software I use now!
I have difficulty holding a pen many days, so paper journaling is difficult and stressful to get through. Having my blog is just a lifesaver. I don't just write about weight loss though, I also blog crafts, books I read, stuff I watch on tv, when my neighbor's patched their roof, when the kitchen sink drips, when the car gets the maintenance light on and we don't know why, nightmares, unpleasant childhood memories.. just.. stuff. I like to blog about cats and crafts mostly. My neighbor's cat is so much fun hehe. A lot of the older entries were my troubles with doctors, being so sick and not knowing why.. now my doctor entries are generally the anxiety before an appointment followed by an update of relief that the doctor was kind to me and has something else to try for my lupus and other ailments. I can see improvement in my life, but generally I don't read the old entries. Mostly because the formating is all crazy from previous layouts I've had haha
When I can't sleep, I blog. Writing it out helps me to just.. get beyond the intense anxiety I get at bedtime, get some of the fears out, maybe even help me make a list to read the next morning of things to do. When I don't feel good, I blog. When I'm stuck on a crafty problem, I blog. If I run out of tea, I blog about it hahaha
I blog also so my father in law knows what we're doing. Otherwise he will e-mail and ask "Where's the blog lately!?" hehehe Plus that way we don't have to call so often hehe. I don't know who else reads, maybe no one.. I don't allow commenting after so much spam and also the idiotic and unwanted "advice" by total strangers hawking their snake oil style input on my health. It hacks me off when people give me idiotic advice about my health. Telling me to take suppliments to "cure" my lupus is just dumb. So I figure if people want to comment on photos, they can do so on Flickr because each post is clickable back to flickr. If they want to send me a comment about something, they can link up on Twitter and direct message me there!
Otherwise it weeds out the weirdos looking for an instant spam fix
I never share photos of myself online for personal reasons. However I did get my husband to start taking "before" photos. We took the first st at the end of January, next set will be taken at the end of this month. We'll repeat each month. Even if I show no loss, I'll take them. I want to see if there's changes physically because I am doing exercises and strength training too in addition to eating well. They aren't for online viewing though, just for my own tracking purposes.
There's time where I don't blog and my father in law nudges me hehe, but sometimes I just haven't anything to say. It makes me giggle when he calls to tell me to go blog something hehe. Usually during times when I'm very ill, when I don't do crafts, don't watch much tv, mostly just stuck in bed. Other times, maybe too sad to blog.. which is precisely when I SHOULD be blogging!
Just remember, what you write.. others could read. Strangers, your boss, your sister in law, the weirdo at the local sandwich shop. I'd advise you not using your real name, maybe even not listening your home town. I talk about my town but I don't think I've ever given the actual name of it. My town sounds like a hundred other towns. I try to be vague about certain things. I never, ever talk about family when they're annoying me (okay maybe sometimes about my husband but only cause I know my father in law will see and send me an e-mail going "why'd you call my son a slacker?" hahahaha). If it's family or friends and I haven't something really nice to say, I skim over that part of my day. They might see it and they might get feelings hurt, so.. I just don't mention when they're being dumb or rude haha. I also never blog about my husband's work. I may say he's working some overtime, but never about what he does, or anything the coworkers said/did. I think that is not appropriate for my blog.
Blog for you. Don't blog for others. If no one ever reads your blog, it doesn't matter. If no one comments, it doesn't matter. Your blog is yours. If you wrote in a paper diary and no one read it, it would be okay. Your online journal, while significantly more public, is for you. Just remember that
Thank you so much for sharing your personal views and experiences about blogging and tweeting.
Trudiha—thank you for clarifying the difference between blogging and tweeting (for some reason I was under the misconception that they were the same). And, those potential rude comments…yeah, those are definitely in the back of my mind.
Kuhrisuh, your comments, blog, and videos—well, they’re absolutely fabulous and incredibly inspiring! Even if it’s frazzled or inconsistent sometimes, I really think that blogging might “pay-off” for me (personally).
You’re so right, MakingSkinny, about the potential for supporting and inspiring others. I find such support in reading everyone’s posts on 3FC; and, maybe I’ll be able give some of that good mojo “back” by doing the same
MotoMichelle, I’ve never seen a food blog before—that’s a really cool way of keeping track of food and accountability, along with sharing recipes.
Meowy, thank you for putting the whole blogging experience into perspective. You’re advice is really helpful (and very appreciated!) about the public nature of blogging; and, you’re absolutely right—the purpose, self-validation and sharing, needs to stay at the forefront of my mind.
Thank you all—so very much for your feedback! I think I’ve decided to start a blog, but I may upload pics with my face later on…after I gain more confidence.
How do you feel about blogging/tweeting your journey?
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