Using Social Media & Blogs to Help Lose Weight

When we finally make the decision to lose weight, it can feel like we’re totally alone and fighting an uphill battle. However, this need not be the case. In actuality, there are many ways we can feel love and support from others when we start our path towards losing weight. Here’s how social media and blogging can help you feel like you’re part of a community and not by yourself.

You Are Not the First

What’s important to remember when you decide to lose weight is that many, many others have gone through the exact same thing as you.

Everyone had feelings of pressure and doubt when they started, so to help assuage those thoughts of your own, why not do some research first and read about a few success stories? There are hundreds of people who have recorded their journeys online via a blog and these are some of the most popular. Everyone on the list has written about their struggles and taken photos to document each step of the way. Read through them and be inspired.

Start your own Blog

Think of a blog as a deposit of sorts. If you’ve gone through the effort of making one, you must then try your best to see it to the end. This is especially the case if you inform your family and friends of your new endeavor, as they can keep track of your progress via the blog and encourage you if they notice you taking your foot off the gas a bit. Plus, a blog is a great way of creating a lasting record of your progress and weight loss achievement. A common route is to set up a blog with WordPress and then self-host it with another provider so you have more flexibility; see these packages for example.

Make an Instagram Account

Instagram gets a bad rap as a social media platform that is perhaps not based in reality, as many users upload photos that can make their life appear better than it is. Some Instagram models have even quit the platform and spilled the beans on how fake the whole process can be. However, if you’re joining Instagram or indeed already have an account, then your agenda is not to pull wool over anyone’s eyes, but to tell the truth. Just like blogging, you can document your journey of losing weight through photos, which can be as simple as photos at the gym, pictures of healthy meals you’re having, and some weekly progress images.

Kerry Swift is one of many people who used the social media platform to track her weight-loss quest and was all the better for it. With the support of her loved ones and even strangers cheering her on, Kerry dropped 84 pounds in 19 months. “I saw the photos of myself [at my son’s] christening and all I could see [were my own] rolls of fat and the unflattering outfit,” Kerry says. “I was just really ashamed of how I looked – I hated [the photos]. It made me cringe.

It was a special day for him and I feel like I ruined it. I found my healthy meals looked great in photos, so I decided to share my results and use the feedback to stay on track. It became a hobby. It was brilliant to see people inspired by my meals, and putting it out into the public domain definitely helped keep me on track. It feels brilliant to be able to be inspiring other people to achieve their goals too.”

Some Challenges along the Way

Some bloggers have commented that documenting a weight-loss journey on a blog or social media made them a target for critics and internet trolls, and that they found it embarrassing to upload pictures of themselves that weren’t at a weight they felt comfortable with. Some also expressed that it was time-consuming to write about their progress and to take/upload photos all the time.

But it won’t Be like that forever

As you’ll find with a lot of blogs and social media pages, the initial documentation of weight loss won’t be the only thing you’ll discuss. Many bloggers start uploading their own recipes, exercise tips, or even linking to other people going through a similar situation to themselves. Some even turn to writing books or giving motivational talks. The point is that your blog is simply the start of a bigger process, as losing weight is only the beginning – what follows is keeping that healthy lifestyle going and inspiring others to do so.

A Fascinating look into the Past

For most people, losing weight is a long and hard process. But the point of recording all your hard effort online is to one day look back and see everything you’ve accomplished. Sometimes it can feel like we’re making no progress at first, but day by day, week by week, you’ll slowly start to see results if your mind is on track, your exercise regime is adhered to, and your diet is full of delicious and healthy options such as vegan yogurt. Always remember that the longest journey starts with a single step, and that trusting others to support you is being human. Just give it everything you’ve got.

Other tips that can help you lose weight from around the web include;

Reader’s Digest suggests the following tips

• Unfollow indulgent food
• Keep a social accountability journal
• Follow fitness gurus
• Find recipes and workout tips
• Read and share inspiring articles
• Engage in friendly competition

Yet more tips

• Use mobile apps to log your meals
• Write about your challenges: ups and downs
• Tweet, share or pin your progress
• Create your support group
• Pin inspirational healthy weight loss tips and tricks