Hi Everyone!! I wanted to get feed back about the new forum set up. I have been thinking that since we now have our own forum to build threads in how would it be to create specific threads for the topics that come up often? Maybe it would help us reference back to something we read or assist newbies to get acclimated???? Also, if someone were to have a question that didn't fit a category but was important, maybe they could start a thread specific to their question so it wouldn't get lost in the long chats each week. These ideas might also help us free up some post space each week so we don't run over the 500 post mark so early.

I researched our old conversations for some ideas for things that could have specific threads. I looked for topics that come up frequently or we have elaborated a lot on. What I came up with was:

exercise, ketosis/ketones, travel, eating out and restaurants, holidays, supplements, bodily changes, female issues, sweeteners, alternate products, occasional products, extras: gum, noodles, sodas, sparkling water, what to expect, adjusting thru cravings/hunger/headaches, packet tips and tricks, restricted foods, PCOS/insulin resistance and IP, Hypothryoid and IP….


What do you think? Might it help some in keep things more organized and keeping the chat , “chatty” but not over 500 posts a week?

Please share your thoughts!

This is fantastic, Carla... everyone should take the time to explore a little and see what a great improvement it is. Thank you for taking this on. You totally rock!

Good idea.

I was away a couple of days and when I returned I thought....where did it go! The admininstrators were quite fast at setting up our own sub forum. I think this is an improvement from where we were!

Hooray for our own forum!! Can I just say thanks Carla for organizing and getting this going...I've been thinking we needed to do this for a while!!

How about this for sub-sections:

"staying motivated"
"IP newbies"
"20 lbs to lose"
"50 lbs to lose"
"100 lbs to lose"

just throwing it out there!! Lots of other diet forums seem to have different threads you can join to support people in the same position you're in! Plus sometimes I think newbies feel intimidated to join in to a big conversation with all of us who've been around for ages and maybe easing in to a "newbie" page would help?

Thanks everyone! I know the idea of a sub forum has been around for awhile. In fact, the original users of the threads from last year tried to get the sub forum but there was not enough activity yet. SO, not my idea just something that seems to be at a right time.

I love the new suggestions Jordanna! I also was thinking we should add an INTRODUCTIONS thread for those who want to say hello/share their story AND continue to generate CONTEST THREADS or GOAL THREADS like your JUNE contest. It seems to have really helped a lot of those who participated.

What about a weekly thread for our weigh ins? I think sometimes those tend to get lost in the general thread and I personally love seeing everyone's successes or offer encouragement after a not so great weigh in.

Along the same lines maybe a weekly thread for NSV?

Just a thought, I'm totally fine with whatever, but thought I would throw those 2 suggestions out there.

You all deserve it !!!

Thanks for getting this set up, it will help. I agree having a Newbies/getting started thread would help. But we do want to be sure we don't have so many threads we get too fragmented and either lose the sense of community, or people are always being "policed" on what to put where.

I'd rather not divide by "pounds to lose" because although there is no reason you can't read multiple threads, I would feel like an "outsider" unless I was in my own category...and I am SOOOO inspired by people who have more to lose than I do. And it's been interesting seeing how as people get down to the last 5 or 10 pounds how they can generate excitement for all of us. So, I feel the integration is important to the support (for me).

I'd vote for no more than 4 or possibly 5 total.

It's easy to add more, but hard to narrow down later.

Maybe:
1. Welcome Newbies! IP basics and protocols
(this would be all the basics on ketosis, carbs, muscle vs fat, everybody's different, finding a coach if you don't have one, taking your supplements, eating all the packets every day, protocols, what to expect, etc.)

2. Food, drink and supplements
(this would be alternative foods and comparisons, recipes and packet tips, tossing out new product ideas to see if people have tried them, vitamins and other supplements which coaches may or may not recommend, etc.)

3. The IP Community
(this would be chatty, NSVs, WIs, observations, goal sharing, life stories, etc. All the stuff that makes us care about each other)

4. Exercise and Health
(this would be all about exercise, hormones, wellness, other physical issues like insulin resistance, etc.)

I like the way you have the categories broken down. I also think you have a very good point about too many categories and making the environment here seem less "homey".

Everyone is really giving good thoughts.

Keep in mind, we already have some threads in place. There is a starting structure built in with some of the sticky threads we already have and some of the main threads that get a lot of activity. Of course, every one should create what they need to for the support. If it is a matter of general interest or concern those threads WILL inherently get the support and high traffic required.


ALREADY EXISTS AS A STICKY THREAD:
recipes 1 and 2
FAQ
phases
restaurant guide
food alternative ideas and tips
OLD posts from 2009 july to October


THREADS CURRENTLY IN USE WITH HIGH/HIGHER TRAFFIC:
What we are already using frequently:
weekly chat
alternative weekly chat
june1 challenge
day 3 of ip
60+
questions about IP products
cost of ideal protein diet
pcos and ideal protein
typical day’s menu
vegetables on ip
ip on maintenance, break, or cycling with another diet
ip frustrations
ip travel

. edited to next post

WORTH ADDING as a sticky:

Welcome Newbies! IP basics/protocols, forum help
Packets and Walden farm tips/tricks
new product alerts
vitamins/supplements
exercise
general health
Travel tips
Holiday Help
Vegetarian Tips (we need someone who is vegetarian to help with starting this... I think we have 4 vegetarians on her now. at least we did back in February)


Worth maintaining as a thread: we can move the best information and not chat up to the sticky threads like we do now with recipes, exercise, alt product, program basics, restaurant advise, and exercise

INTRODUCTIONS
Weekly (or monthly) IP COMMUNITY CHAT
WEEKLY (or Monthly) IP ALTERNATE CHAT (alternate comparisons, new alternate foods, alternate products, alternate support)

I might be the only one but, I personally would prefer to keep anything related to how to do an IP LIKE DIET with ALTERNATIVE products as a different thread. That topic can create a great deal of chatter and confusion that doesn't effect or impact those who are committed to using IP ONLY. I understand all the reasons from the financial perspective and I am fully in support of anyone who wants to do something like IP finding a way to do it. I just think it deserves a space for all the discussion and relaxed guidelines. I think it deserves to be responded to by people who are researching it and looking at it from that angle of what is LIKE IP.


FOOD, DRINK and SUPPLEMENTS (packet tips, tossing out new product ideas to see if people have tried them, vitamins and other supplements which coaches may or may not recommend, packet tips and tricks, restricted foods, sweeteners, occasional products, extras: gum, noodles, sodas, sparkling water, etc.)

EXERCISE and HEALTH (exercise, ketosis/ketones, bodily changes, female issues, supplements, what to expect- cravings/hunger/headaches, PCOS/insulin resistance and IP, Hypothryoid and IP, Diabetes and IP)

STAYING MOTIVATED: inspiration, jokes, quotes, extra support in general

CHALLENGES/CONTEST THREADS ( these could be set up to run as long as needed they just need to fit a 500 post maximum or be split into multiple threads

GOAL THREADS long term and mini (one was started and it was great to see what people had to say)

VICTORIES: NSV’s, WI, and other success ( it is nice to be able to have these accomplishments not lost in 10 pages of chat… especially when PITA and ERIN get going… KIDDING )


REQUIRES COMMUNITY SUPPORT:
We can create the threads below and, if people want them they will latch on and use it, keeping the thread active and on the top of the first page or, the threads will go by the wayside. I know some people do find it nice to compare by weight goals. We see it happen all the time as different ones say “you are like me. you started where I did. you have as much to lose as Ido.” It could work.
Suggested:
"20 lbs to lose"
"50 lbs to lose"
"100 lbs to lose"

OR What about?
“almost there! final few lbs to lose”
"under 25 lbs to lose"
"under 50 lbs to lose"
"50 to 100 lbs to lose"
“more than 100 lbs to lose”


OF COURSE... People will always be creating all kinds of threads. They really should create a unique thread for any important question they want answered and not lost in chatter. It also allows us to keep things more collected for answers and provides and easy reference for someone with the same question down the line.

I’m going to bump this up to remind folks that—thanks to showgirlaz—we now have an IP forum that will support a more structured approach to posting and building a knowledge base. But if you’re like me, you’ve mostly stuck with what you are comfortable with: posting on the weekly chat. That’s fine, but it can still make valuable information difficult to find, and with so many more members on the boards than there were even a few months ago, not everyone has time to keep up with all the content!

Showgirlaz and I have been conferring, and I’d like to make a suggestion. Think about what it is you want to get from and/or contribute to these boards. Take a look at the threads we have out there, and see if any of them capture the spirit of the discussions you would like to be involved with on a daily or even occasional basis. We’ve got a few pages of stray threads, so make sure you look through them all. If nothing exists, consider starting one or more.

We have had some very good “special topics” pop up recently, and it would be great to keep them active and “near the top.” Several people made suggestions when Carla made this expanded forum happen for us, but we largely haven’t taken advantage of the capability yet. Someone mentioned having a “cheat” area; if folks want a place to confess or find out how to recover from a slip, that might be a perfect thread to consult. Others have mentioned (and I might even have seen an old thread for) posting photos. It would be great to have one place to go to put faces to names and track people’s progress through pictures.

Think not only about specific topics, but how you like to post or otherwise be involved in chats. Some members seem to enjoy a “twitter-like” approach—posting repeatedly throughout the day. But that makes for a tremendous number of posts for others to read. Perhaps a special thread could accommodate that preference. Or if people have non-diet events/successes/difficulties they want to share, think about a place for that.

I am going to start a “Life After Phase One” thread for people who are transitioning from IP or are in maintenance. Carla’s advice is to “keep it helpful and informative; have it be a regular chat for all in the Phase 3 and beyond stage... a place for people to go as they graduate from the weight loss stages.” I would also hope that we can begin to amass a central knowledge base for the later phases, as they are very different from Phase 1 and 2.

As I’ve said before, the people on this forum played a huge role in my success on IP, and I know many of you feel the same way. Let’s see if we can “give back” and assure that it will always be available as an important component in the IP weight loss program.

I tend to agree with Rocky Monarch about the division of weight categories. I am always motivated by peolpe with 100 pounds to lose as well as those with 20 to lose! We all have the same purpose: Reach our GOAL! I really love the sense of community we get from all being together.

You all have wonderful suggestions for the other threads: FAQ, Newbie, Vitamins and supplements, recipes, alternatives, phases, exercise...

I think showgirlaz is absolutely correct in saying that there are numerous topics that repeat themselves daily in our conversations. It would be much easier to find the info if it were more organized.

I personally started feeling overwhelmed trying to go back and find things later. I started copying posts that I thought I might need later and pasting in to my own word document. This too will get overwhelming at some point.

Thanks for working on this ladies!

BTW: Maybe we need a "GUY" thread for our male friends to share man stuff???

Brilliant idea! Any volunteers out there? (You know who you are...)