Weight Loss Support on the World Wide Web

Posted: Jan 17 in Weight Loss Blog by Staff

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram—many 21st century Americans dedicate a significant amount of time to social media platforms like these every day. We use them to keep up with friends and current events, to find entertainment and information, to share bits of ourselves with the world. We’re constantly finding new ways to use them to our advantage, and this can include helping you lose weight.

Though it will take much more than sitting in front of a computer to lose weight after gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy or gastric band in Ft. Myers or Naples, rethinking the way you spend your time online can give you an entirely new form of weight loss support.

Wondering how to use social media to your advantage after weight loss surgery? Start by:

• Announcing your goals. Accountability can be a huge motivator. If you tell your online friends and followers about your plans to hit the gym or eat healthy, you’ll feel more obligated to follow through or risk disappointing them. They can also offer encouragement and feedback, helping to reinforce your progress.
• Joining a group. The Internet makes it easy to find likeminded others no matter who you are. Though support groups can help you connect with peers, social media groups give you access to support any time you need it. Try starting or joining a weight loss group on Facebook or Google Groups—you may even be able to find a group of people to exercise with on sites like meetup.com.
• Tracking your progress. People send out tweets and status updates for things as mundane as the turkey sandwich they had for lunch—why not use yours to share your weight loss progress? If you’re proud of the amount of weight you’ve lost since sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass or gastric band, share your joy with others online. If you’re feeling frustrated that your progress has slowed, use social media to vent and find words of encouragement from your friends. Social networks like FitDay and LoseIt even let you track calories, activity and other elements of your weight loss program.
• Writing all about it. Sometimes, 140 characters just isn’t enough. If you feel that your weight loss journey has given you a lot to share, try starting a blog to document your progress. A blog can serve as a personal journal for your thoughts and feelings, but also gives others a chance to comment on your musings. You can start a blog for free with Blogger or WordPress and can make things even more social by sharing your posts on Facebook or Twitter.

Social media platforms can be used for much more than just keeping up with old friends. How have social media sites helped you lose weight after sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass or gastric band in Ft. Myers or Naples? Tell us in the comments below!