Hi all,

I love it here so much at 3FC that i'm thinking about writing an article about it. I want to know:

how you got here?
what made you stay, what was different about this site than others?
what you like best about 3FC?

Looking forward to reading everyone's answers! thanks!

I think I got here by googling weight loss forums.

The number of forums focused on different topics offers something for everyone, and a LOT to read, which made it better than other sites (IMO).

What I like best: Hands down the people and the unwavering support they offer. People who really UNDERSTAND the struggle and really understand how to succeed. I SO appreciate the number of folks who have met their weight loss goals but stick around to offer the rest of us advice, support, hope, a shoulder to lean on, a kick in the pants, etc. They are invaluable.

awesome! I totally agree about finding people that really understand what the struggles. I can't even say how many posts i've read that i was feeling the same way.

I like this thread!

I found the forum after reading the book from the library. Three Fat Chicks on a Diet, I thought the title was so funny! Plus I've been a quintessential dieter, and I loved reading what the three sisters thought about each individual diet plan. I loved the no-nonsense, comical conversational way the book was written. In fact, I ought to buy that book because I remember the references to several of the more successful members and I'd like to go back and re-read about them.

I like that the members here have lost their weight in a sensible way. No gimmicks, no quick fixes. The forums move FAST and there really is always something new to read. The support is invaluable, whether you're really on a roll or struggling. I love challenges and I love reading success stories. There really is something for everyone on here, such diverse sub groups.

I imagine we all like 3fc for about the same reasons!

I think, but am not 100% sure, that I found 3FC when I started exercising on my treadmill and quickly developed (what I think was) a shin splint on one leg. I was googling up stuff about treadmills, exercise, running, etc. and somehow fate drifted me up to 3FC.

This was beg. of February and I can't really answer your question what made me stay, but I just know I was hooked after I spent the first couple of minutes here. It just looked like a great forum - it had a good vibe (I am big on vibes).
I never looked back. I have learned SO MUCH here, just by reading posts (not only successful stories but also those less successful ones). I love exchanging ideas and suggestions with others, and if I can't contribute with any advice of my own I at least read the posts and "file" the info for later reference. I am absolutely positive that without 3FC my weight loss would not go as smoothly as it did - and what more, it would not have been FUN to lose weight without 3FC.

I will be meeting a couple of posters from my area in person soon and I look forward to it very much. I cannot imagine a day without browsing 3FC at least once, if not several times.

how you got here?
hmm *tries to remember* I'm pretty certain if it wasn't google that led me here it was that I'd googled for weight loss blogs and one of those had a link to this site.

what made you stay, what was different about this site than others?
This time I'm doing it! I may come and go at times (when I'm quiet I find I go off plan - rule is to keep posting/reading and it keeps me focused)
I love the categories! It's a good layout for a site anyway but love the fact that I can skip stuff that isn't relevant to me or what I want to know and head straight to certain bits (I love the uk section, weight loss support, 100lb/20s support groups, and maintenance/exercise/body issues. I don't necessarily post in all but I read a LOT)
It's a community - a proper one - people genuinely seem to care when you're having struggles, they suggest ways to overcome things and congratulate each other when someone achieves something.
Oh and it's not like magazines where they show this picture of someone who has lost x amount of weight and 'all I did was eat less and move more' etc. Whilst I know that this IS the principle of weightloss we all know that there are daily struggles etc - we're all in this ride together

what you like best about 3FC?
Ooops I think I just answered that up there

I got here through a search for Fitday and The Daily Plate reviews. I wanted to know what others thought of the software.

I stayed because it WAS different.
~ everyone seemed supportive - genuinely - not competitive but compassionate and caring
~ I found others with struggles very similar to my own
~ I found very wise folk - that knew more about weight loss and maintenance than I did
~ I connected with several forums and really enjoyed chatting with people that are intelligent, caring, and fun!
~ I felt like I could make a difference and help others the way that I had been helped

What I like best is the sense of community. It really is about helping each other. Almost everyone genuinely celebrates the successes of others.

I have absolutely no recollection of how I found this place. I do know that I found it in 2005, though. What is most interesting to me about 3FC is the correlation between me coming here & me losing versus me leaving here and me gaining. There really is something about having a whole virtual community of wonderful, supportive people out there cheering for you. I've come to know quite a few people here very well, and have made a few email friends out of those I encounter on threads.

Everyone here is on average so upbeat and positive. Another thing I think is important to note is that our moderators do such a great job - they work so hard - to keep this place friendly. I've seen other diet support groups that just fall into bitterness, snark, and pure rudeness when views collide (I don't mean on politics or something, I mean on WL issues). Take the WW boards for example, or the Craigslist dieting forum. Both those places are filled with bitter people, prone to attracting haters. Somehow 3FC is immune to people like that, and I think that's just amazing. Way to go, moderators.

There are a ton of things I love about 3FC in general (scope, informativeness, variety of topics) - but it's the people who keep me coming back!

I found out about this site in a magazine (probably Woman's World).

I stayed because I found acceptance. No matter what kind of day I'm having or whether I've been successful following my plan, I find complete acceptance here from all the posters I've encountered. I have been on other sites where there was obvious animosity over trivial matters and that's not what we need when we've lived with that all our lives concerning our weight issues.

I just like that I have somewhere I can go to communicate with other people in the same situation I am. I love seeing the success stories, because that makes me believe that I can defeat this weight monster also. I also like that people are willing to share their failures, letting us know that we all struggle, but we can put it behind us and get back with our plan.

Good questions-best wishes on your article!

I got here like others by googling weight loss.

What made me stay was the support I have received on my weight loss journey, the variety of topics in the forum, the food databases that I use all the time, the moderators (who do a great job), and the fun stuff in general chatter that I'm addicted to.

What I like best is chatting with people all over the country, heck all over the world, who are on here. We are all so similar with our struggles and our joys. I really enjoy reading others comments and I have learned a lot from others.

So true!

I did lurk for a bit, but the mods and admins work very hard to make sure that this would not be one of those boards. I mean, they make for a good spectator sport, but what makes 3FC so effective is how inviting and generous with support it is.

I found 3FC on a google search when I hit maintenance and was so very lost. I had all of these feelings and just needed to find a place that was supportive and that could relate. I mean, no one in my *real* life wants to talk about diet, exercise, and weightloss as much as I do

I think it's great that there is a place for people that is not only welcoming and supportive, but contains such a wealth of information that's not diluted by the marketplace. No matter what theory of diet and exercise you subscribe you, you are likely to find whatever answer you are looking for

I don't remember how I first found 3fc. It was a long time ago when the boards were a lot smaller. Life got in the way of my weight loss efforts that time. In January I decided I had to fix this and remembered 3fc being a great site so I came back.
Favorite thing about it: Reading all the posts from those who've been successful and are so helpful in sharing their experiences and encouragement.
What makes me keep coming back is the same as above.

I landed here thanks to the world famous google- and I echo what everyone else has said- the unwavering support, the resources, it's free, and the priceless personal satisfaction that I get when I edit that weight loss ticker to move in the appropriate direction every week!!

I found 3fc the same as everyone else, looked up weight loss.

I joined a challenge, and I have been involved ever since (comming up on two years ) I have made some very good friends and we are all here to help support each other during our good times as well as bad times.

What do I like best? There are so many people from different life situations here. Everyone has experiences with weightloss plans, both good and bad. I don't think I have come accross anyone that has told me their plan was the best plan. There are so many good things about 3fc, but best of all is the support and knowledge from all over.

A friend told me about the site back in 2001, she was posting some and I got on, created an account, then promptly forgot about it. I wasn't trying to lose weight at the time, so I didn't look around too much. Fast forward to 2006, I had lost about 75 lbs and was trying to decide if I wanted to keep losing weight. I hadn't started with any particular goal other than wanting to feel better. I remembered this site - well, kind of remembered it, I went to 2fatchicks.com instead, which used to be and may still be a porn site. After my misstep, I found the right site.

What really drew me in was the unwavering support. No backbiting, no snarkiness but real support and encouragement. Oh yes, like mango683 mentioned: the ticker - I loved getting to move my ticker (ahhh, the good old days - I haven't moved my ticker in ages).

I stay because I truly enjoy being here. I feel like I have broadened my horizons in more ways than just weight loss. Some of the smartest people on the web hang out here. I also love that there is an active maintainers forum. People who share their experience of maintaining weight loss for years. I don't know anyone in real life who has done that.