Well that wasn't a very nice thing to say.

I often look at people's profiles to see how much progress they've made, but it doesn't really influence whether or not I value their opinion. Either what they say resonates with me or it doesn't; whether they started at 300 lbs or at 150 lbs doesn't really change that.

It is interesting to see where people started, where they are at now, and what their goal is. And I often look at people's profiles to see how old they are; most of the time I have a pretty good idea by what they've posted but sometimes people surprise me. There are a few folks that post here that show a level of maturity far beyond what I showed at their age.

There are a few forums that I just don't post in, even if I see topics there that I think I could comment on. For example, the 100lb club or the depression and weight loss forum. I didn't lose 100 lbs and I've never really had to deal with depression, so even if someone is just posting a question about cream cheese in those forums, I figure they don't want to hear from me. Sometimes I've accidentally posted in one of these forums (I saw the thread on the home page and posted before I noticed what forum it was in) and I've gone back and deleted my post.

I really don't think that by looking at someone's stats or ticker you can tell whether that person is credible or not. After reading enough posts by a particular person, you kinda get a better idea of how much knowledge or experience they have. Also, some people are just better with the written word then others. I DO know this - there are A LOT of very intelligent, articulate, witty, warm, and helpful women around here.

I know what you mean. I tend to take advice better from someone who's had a lot of success losing weight because I have a lot to lose. I know to all of us weight loss is difficult no matter how much you have to lose, be it 5lbs, or 100lbs, but I tend to favor the advice given by people who have the same goals as I do and are close to meeting them.

For instance...my brother's gf is about 120lbs, 5'8" tall. I'm 5'6" tall, 320lbs. She's never been heavy, yet she constantly gives me advice on how to lose weight. To me, she's not a credible advisor. Someone on this site whom I've never met but who HAS lost weight is more credible.

There's lots of specific people who I recognize as frequent posters and therefore take more of an interest in them simply because I'm more aware of their habits/lifestyle and such. I also take note of people who have lots, sometimes thousands, of posts, because you know they've been on 3fc for quite a while and have a lot to offer. Just my 2 cents :)

If I am reading a thread, I make an effort to read every person's contribution. Whether or not I take the advice or comments to heart is really a matter of whether what they say applies to me. I also take into account the spirit in which the comments were written. Was the person genuinely trying to help? etc.

I try NOT to judge based on how long they have been on the website, for example. I remember with some of my first posts I felt dismissed because I was new, and don't want to do that to anyone else. That dismissal feeling may have been purely in my head, but it makes me want to be super careful of others.

Finally, I probably do favor people that just have a way with words. I feel so many times like I just have no idea how to say what I want to say. My words sound choppy and my point is not clear. Then someone else comes along and says what I wanted to say, except better. I love that- it means that I can try to remember what they said, and hang onto it for next time, to hopefully help someone else.

I've "accidentally" posted in forums where I don't think I fit in (like UK chicks and 300+) and felt kind of silly afterward, but no one flamed me! In fact, on one post, I kept going back and adding to the conversation.

Um...maybe you would like to see what that was in reference to before you judge??? Just a thought.

For your info..........I said that and it was because Susan has lost 30lbs with 10 to go. As a result I don't think that she quite could realize the extra skin issues that those with 100+ to lose deal with.......especially when naked.

As for "credibility"-----I think that I have alot. I have after all lost 128lbs and know what it is like to have a very heavy body and what it is like to have now a lighter body but with the same skin as my heavy body.

It is just a different experience, and one that is lucky enough never to experience it wouldn't understand.


On another note.......Susan posted a similar thread a while back in general chatter asking if people follow other posters around on this site.

I try not to preocupate myself with what others are doing. I certainly don't stalk anyone. I read the regular forums in which I post and if something is of interest to me---------I post.

Oh, also, I am sometimes curious about people's tickers: do you put your "starting weight" as your highest ever weight, or do you put it as the weight that you started at when you joined this site? Because mine are 2 different weights, and I use the weight I was at when I joined 3fc :p

Well, for me my HW and SW were the same. I also started my weight loss journey a year before finding 3FC and so I had already lost weight and I gave myself credit for it. So, my ticker has my hw/sw but not my 3fcsw. :)

Well, no, I didn't quite mean it that way. I just meant that by looking at someone's ticker you can see how much weight they've lost and see their starting point.

If I'm viewing a particular subject of interest, however, I read everyone's opinions, whether they've lost a bunch of weight or not.

Maybe I do....

I know there are a few posters that I would definitely take extra time to listen to what she had to say because of all the posts I read since I have been here, I think they have approached weight in a fairly healthy manner etc. etc. Even if I disagreed with their advice I would probably take a second look at what they are saying.

There are also a few people that over time I have realized that they aren't losing in a way that seems healthy to me or they seem a little out of line with what I believe in so I am likely to discount their advice

But that is only for people that I have seen posts from often enough to have a strong feeling for. Everyone else I try to take a look at evenly

Is that at all what you mean?

I'm really uncomfortable with judging whether someone is worthy of reading or paying attention to, and I remember wondering about that earlier thread as well.

But I do recognize that someone whose "enough, must change NOW" moment is not fitting into a 14 in the missy department will have had a very different experience of fatness and probably of losing weight from someone whose initial goal is to get under 200 (or 300) pounds.

Which thread are you all talking about? Not sure if I missed it or not.

It depends what the suggestion is. I had someone say something to me once, and I was like WTF? and when I looked into their diet and how they were losing weight, it was the COMPLETLE opisit of mine. In the sense, I dis-regarding what they had said - because it was the total oppisite of what they were doing.