Wow, I am so touched by all of the kind comments. Cements that I am in the right place for this journey. I love how supportive we all are for each other. I told several people IRL about my milestone but other than my DH, I looked forward to sharing with you guys the most...cause you get it. :hug: This diet ain't for the weak or faint of heart.

Can't wait to be the one jumping up and down for you all as we hit milestones together. Just think...many of us will be heading into maintenance around the same time. I love that we are doing this together!!

CenTXChk, I totally hear you. Did you know there was a research study on this very topic published in the Science Daily in January 2015. (And fantastic job on reaching the 100 pounds lost milestone!)

Here is the Research Article ...



Title: Dieters who make more connections in online weight-loss communities lose more weight

Date: January 28, 2015

Source: Northwestern University Research Study

Summary:

This is the first study to explore the power of online social networks in the battle of the bulge. Dieters who engaged the most lost more than 8 percent of body weight in six months. Scientists used data from the CalorieKing online weight-loss community "I was very surprised by how ... social connectedness translated into greater weight loss," a researcher says.

Article:

If you want to lose pounds using an online weight management program, don't be a wallflower. A new Northwestern University study shows that online dieters with high social embeddedness -- who logged in regularly, recorded their weigh-ins and 'friended' other members -- lost more than 8 percent of their body weight in six months.

The less users interacted in the community, the less weight they lost, the study found.

"Our findings suggest that people can do very well at losing weight with minimal professional help when they become centrally connected to others on the same weight loss journey," said Bonnie Spring, an author of the study and professor in preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

The study, published Jan. 28 in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, is the first to use data from an online weight management program to investigate social network variables and reveal which aspects of online social connectedness most strongly promote weight loss.

The scientists found that users who did not connect with others lost about 5 percent of their body weight over six months, those with a few friends (two to nine) lost almost 7 percent and those with more than ten friends lost more than 8 percent.

"There is an almost Facebook-like social network system in this program where people can friend each other and build cliques," said Luís A. Nunes Amaral, senior author of the study. "In this case, we found the larger your clique, the better your outcomes."

Amaral is a professor of chemical and biological engineering in the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and a leading researcher in the areas of big data and complex systems. His also is co-director of the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO).

Spring, who also is the director at the Center for Behavior and Health in the Institute for Public Health and Medicine at Feinberg, and Amaral met through a common interest in the science of teamwork and collaborated on this research.

Spring had access to a large dataset from the CalorieKing online weight-loss community. Users of CalorieKing's program pay a membership fee for access to weight-loss tools and an online community. Amaral's lab had the expertise to analyze user data and uncover trends in this complex network.

The data provided did not include the identities of users, but it provided their sign-up date, age, height, gender and initial weight and time-stamped activities within the online community for nearly a year. Engagement, such as recorded weigh-ins, friendship requests and online communication, was analyzed. The scientists didn't have access to any of the text that was exchanged between users.

"We found that the frequency with which you report your weight is a good indictor of positive outcomes," Amaral said. "If you monitor your weight, you are engaged.f you communicate online with other people you are even more engaged, and when you need support you might be able to get it. There are some nice characteristics about this social network."

The gold standard for weight loss is intensive lifestyle treatment involving a minimum of 16 60-to-90 minute individual or group treatment sessions covering diet, physical activity,and behavior change, Spring said. Those who regularly track their progress, known as self-monitoring, lose more weight in clinical studies.

This study found that self-monitoring was associated with greater weight loss, too, but Spring was surprised that even greater weight loss was associated with being highly embedded in a network of other people trying to lose weight.

"In the clinic, we don't have the ability to connect people with such a large network of others on the same journey to lose weight," Spring said. "I was very surprised by how lawfully each step-up in social connectedness translated into greater weight loss. We could clearly see the benefit of the online social network for weight-loss success."

For those lacking time or geographic proximity to attend in-person weight loss treatment, an online weight loss program seems to be a good alternative, Spring said, particularly if you take advantage of the self-monitoring and social networking features.

Amaral said this online social support community approach could work in other areas of behavioral medicine -- such as depression and alcoholism -- where in-person meetings are recommended.

"Modern life is so complex and stressful, to go somewhere for a meeting is often not practical," Amaral said. "It is hopeful that this alternative approach, of going online for support, could work."

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Northwestern University. The original article was written by Erin White. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal References:

J. Poncela-Casasnovas, B. Spring, D. McClary, A. C. Moller, R. Mukogo, C. A. Pellegrini, M. J. Coons, M. Davidson, S. Mukherjee, L. A. Nunes Amaral. Social embeddedness in an online weight management programme is linked to greater weight loss. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 2015; 12 (104): 20140686 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2014.0686

Northwestern University. "Dieters who make more connections in online weight-loss communities lose more weight." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 January 2015.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0128141926.htm

OMG I am so so so happy for you..:bravo::cp::cp::cheer2::cheer2: You are my inspiration! I am so happy for you! I am following you and hope to catch you soon to share the celebration! Love your reward! I was in best buy last night looking at them. I think I need to do more research.

Amanda - Thank you... I think one of our tests to come is a PET scan. I am sure that will find the primary. One of the reasons they are doign this CT guide Biopsy is to see what they are dealing with....once they know that they said they can figure out where the primary source should be or if this is contained based on the make up. It seriously seems surreal still....

WI today. Scale at home shows the same as last week, but last week was a whoosh so I am OK with that. Did a bit of retail therapy yesterday and bought some new summer tops in 14/16. still cannot believe that size fits LOL.

Avalon - first, belated congrats on your results this week!! :) Also, thanks for sharing the article, good to know that our social-networking is doing us all some good!

Sue - Yay for retail therapy!! Hope you get a good result at your WI today, maybe something will show in your measurements if the scale stays the same - fingers crossed!!

I'm plugging along for the week, will WI tomorrow and hope for a better results now that we'll be comparing the same scale/clinic. The weather is beautiful so I walked to school yesterday to pick up my kiddo after work. Schedule craziness will not give me a chance to do that again until Thursday or Friday.

Morning All :)

Phew, scales have started moving again after 3 weeks of up/down/up/down rinse and repeat. Happy WI of 2.2 down.

Glad to hear that spring is nosing its way in for many peeps. It's beautiful weather here in West Texas - 82, sunny, clear blue skies. Dreading the summer heat, but making the most of the current "ideal" weather. :)

Yay for a great WI and love the new pic!!! :running:

Scale Moved Again!! Down 2 and a full inch in my chest! So happy... I officially weigh less then DH! :carrot:

Go Sue!!!! Great job on the scale and off!

I borrowed one of hubby's belts the other day and asked him what was he going to do when (not if!) I weigh less than him. He blinked for a second and said "celebrate with you" :)

well deserved, Sue! Nice to see the pay off from hanging in there during those slow weeks.

Today was a small loss for me, .6, but I am back on Tuesdays after having some Thursday WIs and last week a Friday WI. So Friday to Tuesday down .6 makes me happy. I feel like I am in the home stretch toward my original goal (which I never really took seriously, just picked it because 100 lbs was a nice round number). Hard to believe I will actually get there in the next month or so.

Now to celebrate that loss with a nice long walk in the cold, but sunny weather.

Woot, victory on and off the scale, Sue! Way to go. Did hubby cheer for you today? :)

Small, but shortchanged on time. I bet it'll show in next week's WI. :)

100lbs - who'd'a thunk it, eh? Good going, loser58, fingers crossed for steady losses until goal. :)

WTG Loser!! Slow and steady :)

What a great thing!

Yup I know slow weeks are annoying...that was my February and March LOL... Slow and steady. I am happy to be back on the losing streak... The end is now closer then the beginning.

Working tonight with a 5:15 appointment which throws off my whole eating schedule for today....Ugh. Will have to adjust with an extra packet. Wont be home to cook dinner till probably 8ish...

Running to Kohls today as I have a $30 certificate and a BIrthday $10 certificate & 20% off.... see what bargains I can find LOL...

Howdy Summer gang!!! I will be driving south today, so not much posting - right now I am having Frawniemae's posted recipe for Salted Caramel Chocolatey Chip Pancakes.... yummmmmm - gives me a bit of time to check in with everyone.

Avalon - thanks for sharing the article - between you and Briael, the scientific and research perspective is always well represented on this thread!

Amanda - LOVE your updated avatar photo! And congrats on the scale that's on the move again!

Loser58 - Those fractions of pounds are heading in the right direction - that is all that counts!

JJTx - you are moving at every opportunity! Pls feel free to poke me about that - I see here and on MFP what you and others are doing REGULARLY, and I realize I am behind the curve. Gotta get that habit happening!
Also - your DH sounds like just the supporter everyone needs -- what a lovely moment :val1:

Along similar lines... before I leave the house for work or head out to dance class, I get the 'wait a minute' routine.... DH says "Lemme look at you!" and then he smiles and gives me a compliment -- "Look how skinny you are getting?!" or "You are doing SO well!" It is so great to have that kind of support and encouragement - it makes the whole journey so much easier.

Sue - you are more than three fourths of the way to your goal!!! Less than a quarter of journey remains to get there!! And just 2 more lbs to One-derland! How cool that you have your birthday coupons right at the time when you should definitely be celebrating the big milestone! It's serendipity!!! I am so glad that you have these really good things happening to help counterbalance the stress related to your DH's condition. Thinking of you two often, and hoping for the best of outcomes there.

I need to make this trip south without too much disruption to my weight loss journey, and with some progress related to selling our house there - we thought we would retire to Hilton Head to this house, but the real estate downturn really annihilated our lifetime financial plan. This is the last property we need to get rid of, and sadly, I doubt we can break even. At this point, just getting out from under is more important even than breaking even. The house needs work and we have no funds at this time to invest to 'cream puff' it. Fortunately it is a great location surrounded by upscale higher priced properties, so maybe we will luck out. We have a long term renter in it, but we have to give him notice to move out so the house can be shown without his interference.

Lots to accomplish in the next several days. A condo board meeting and annual owners meeting for the condo we are trying to hold on to -- I am looking forward to the reactions to my weight loss from the other board members (all men, lol) -- have not seen these folks since this time last year.... and if I manage my time well and the weather cooperates, I will have some health walks on the great beach there. I will try to tune in with you guys periodically. No official WI for me until a week from Thursday... I better take my Aria scale along on the trip to keep me on track.

ta ta for now... :)

Lot's of things to celebrate on this board. Makes me happy to read everyone's progress.

oneuh2 - I know you didn't post it on this thread, but you did somewhere and I wanted to thank you. I made a batch of Quest Bar cookies and they were exactly what I needed :). I've been having a sweet tooth these last few days and those cookies hit the spot! Yum!

I am so glad you tried this!! The Quest bars I have tried so far are kind of like turkish taffy... heavy chewy texture... but when baked, they are so much better.

I baked the Choc Brownie Quest Bar into little cookies last nite -- fixed myself a cup of decaf with some WF creamer -- what a yummy dessert!

I also like to microwave the IP chocolate brownie - and sometimes add a drizzle of WF Caramel Syrup - I think frawniemae shared that idea in one of her yummy posts... another great tip toward a wonderful dessert!