I don't post very often mostly because I don't really fit in anywhere
My diet plan is constantly evolving, somewhere between South Beach Diet (primarily) with calorie-counting, low-carb and a bit of Ideal Protein alternatives thrown in.
I don't have much weight to lose, but when I used to participate actively in the Featherweights forum, it made me insane comparing myself to people who were my height and weighed 20-25 lbs less than I did. It just made me obsess about my weight rather than my habits ... though I have to say if I can get my head on straight, there are some chicks there working hard to lose the last few and maintain, and they are great inspiration.
I have never really partaken in a "chat" thread ... for stuff that is not diet or exercise related, I feel guilty already enough about not staying in touch with my real-life friends. But it seems nice, like people actually get to know each other a bit through these chats.
When I did Couch to 5K, I participated in a thread about that. I did a false-start of the New Rules of Lifting for Women program, so I was posting in a thread about that for a while... great group there, but so many of them had gotten to a really low weight and then built up muscle and told me I probably wouldn't lose any more if I started lifting heavy, so I decided to hold off on that. Fast-forward to that "holding off" being like a year now.
I probably should hang out with Chicks in Control more, because I think I have "dieted" myself into a low-level eating disorder
.
But the biggest reason I don't post much is that I feel like an absolute disaster at this whole dieting process!! I have all these ideas, I want to be healthy and not focus on a scale number, I want to be active and strong, I want to eat a variety of whole foods, primarily vegan/vegetarian, and not constantly be a slave to the "white carbs." I spend a ridiculous amount of time reading and planning and then hardly ever follow through with my good intentions. There are all these amazing success stories on this site, but I'd imagine the less successful, like me, are reluctant to post when we aren't doing well, as it might just come across as whining. Especially in my case, since I have been trying to "lose a few" (well, a
minimum of 15 lbs from my max) for FIVE YEARS now. (and yes, I do need to lose some fat - the extra pounds are mostly in my belly - it is approaching the "danger number" of 35 inches, and my overall body fat is rather high for my weight)
That said, I do participate most in recipe threads and meal-planning threads (usually South Beach Diet), and I try to offer congratulations to some of the amazing goal transformations that people post here. Actually, that's how I first found 3fc, through a "before and after".
A big shout out of
to all those who are consistently posting information and experiences. You are helping far more people than you probably imagine! I for one have learned an extraordinary amount here.