I Can Lose Weight, Because I Know YOU Lost Weight

February 19, 2010 @ 10:43 am

So while browsing about the web a while back, I was in search of real-world before-and-after photos of people who've already done this journey.  I wanted to see it was possible. I wanted to see what the transformation could look like. I wanted hope that my 300 pounds of blubber could in fact dwindle to a paltry (dare I hope, svelte) sub-200.

But there was little out there.  Sure many of the people I follow on blogs and Twitter have some pictures of their success and that's helpful, for sure. But frankly I was hoping to find more - some sort of treasure trove of motivational milestones from around the web.  Mostly the sites I found were just trying to sell me something. A miracle fat-burning berry here, a vibrating dumb bell there. It really is ridiculous all the crap that's out there, and the fact they attach potentially fake before-and-after photos as "proof" is just insidious.

But I know the power of seeing proof that real weight loss is possible - no matter how a person goes about it. It's just a matter of collecting those stories and the photos and putting them out there for others to get inspired along their own fitness journeys. So with that in mind, I'm launching MyJeansFit.Me

This site is going to be simple - it's a place for people who are making their way along their fitness journey to share their success as a way to encourage others. Real people. Real stories. Real success.  No gimmicks, no sales pitches, no nonsense.  This site isn't going to be selling something. It's not going to be making a pitch. It's going to show others that losing weight and living healthfully is possible - and it's possible for them.

Right now the site is open for gathering stories.  When there are a bunch of good ones in the hopper, it will launch. If you have lost weight, I hope you will be a part of this project! You don't have to be "done," if you're 50 pounds into your 100 pound journey, that's fine - in fact that's great, because it's a reality that weight loss is a slow methodical progress, and all levels of success should be celebrated:

• Visit the site and tell your tale through the guided interview.
• You can be as specific or vague as you like. Answer just the questions you want to answer. 
• The only thing we ask for is a "before" photo and a "current/after" photo. 
• If you have a blog or website, your Jeans profile will link to it - driving search engines to you
• If you Twitter, your profile will link to that too.

And whether you want to submit a story or not, follow Jeans' Twitter at @myjeansfitme to find out when the site launches and when new stories are added.

I really hope you'll join me on this project. People like me - who are at the beginning of their journeys with a long way to go - really treasure the kind of motivation that comes from seeing people like you succeeding.

Here's the link again - use it, share it, link to it, and look out for the official launch: http://MyJeansFit.Me

4 comments | Topics: My Jeans Fit Me, inspiration, motivation

Stuff Worth Noting, Again

February 11, 2010 @ 12:02 pm

More articles, news, stories, things of note from around the web and other blogs I've saved recently.

News & Science 

Couple Accused of Starving Baby So She Doesn't Get Fat (Faux News)
People are stupid. That's all I'm really going to say around this one.

Food Deserts Could Bloom if City Hall Helps (Gotham Gazette)
i should finish reading this one .

Spam E-Mail Appeals to Young, Overweight (NYT)
As a web technology practitioner, I will never understand why so many people actually click on spam. But apparently, college-aged overweight people are more apt to click on spam that promises the next great weight loss solution. My armchair psychology degree wonders if the same instant-gratification culture that helps lead to the obesity problem encourages college kids to try to instantly gratify they're desire to be thin. If Only.

Are Childhood Obesity Screening Guidelines Misguided (Dr Sharma)
We need to be careful how we address child obesity. These kids get enough humiliation everyday at school, they don't need it to be institutionalized as well. Nevertheless, we need to do something.

Mayor challenges citizens to lose weight, get fit, in town-wide Biggest Loser competition (Pasadena Star-News)
I used to live next door to Duarte - it's a beautiful little town with big sidewalks, perfect for walking around town to get fit. I hope this is a success and a model for more towns.

Tips & Tricks

What You Eat After Working Out Matters (WebMD)
Your body needs fuel after a work out or it will freak out and shut down. It needs to know that despite the fact you just ran for your life from the tiger, you don't actually need to conserve energy for future runs. But what's the best thing to eat just after working out? Not carbs. Low-carbs are best, so avoid breads and shoot for nuts or vegetables.

Inspiration

Kepa is No Longer Obese (TFLB)
Many congrats to Kepa at The Fat Lazy Guy's blog who has been trucking along in his intrepid journey to lose weight and live fit - and he just passed through the barrier between obese and overweight. Inspiration to know it is indeed possible.

1 comment | Topics: inspiration, news, stuff worth noting, tips

Stuff Worth Noting

January 26, 2010 @ 09:10 am

As I read and study up on obesity and learn all I can to enrich my weight loss journey, I find a few key things I want to remember. Every so often I'll post them up here to share and remember down the line.

News & Science

Eating Junk Food Will Spoil Your Mood (Diet Blog)
Writing in The British Journal of Psychiatry, experts found that consuming a lot of processed food--such as desserts, fried food, refined grains, processed meat, and high-fat dairy--actually raised the likelihood of depression. It's more than sugar highs and lows or crashing - it's the chemicals that go into the processing of food, turning it from something wholesome and fresh to something preserved. I'm not sure we really know what we're doing to ourselves.

Play, Then Eat: Shift May Bring Gains At School (NYT)
Schools that rearrange recess to be before lunch see marked increase in attention, better eating habits. Could this be another tool to systematically beat back child obesity?

Obesity System Influence Diagram
Just in case you thought obesity was a simple matter of being too lazy. An attempt to chart the various influences and feedback loops that trap so many in this plight.

After a Year of Learning, the First Lady Seeks Out A Legacy (NYT)
And that legacy will be child obesity prevention and reduction. Finally some attention from the White House on a major issue affecting the health care issues they value so highly.

American Obesity Rates have Plateaued (NYT)
Likely because we've hit the limit of those genetically predisposed to obesity, not because of any good effort to educate and improve health.

Tips & Tricks

Super Slow Weight Training (MizFit)
MizFit discovers strength training very slowly (10 seconds up, 10 seconds down) makes her workouts faster and more effective. Because her muscles mutiny sooner.

Inspiration

Kepa & Mary went bungee jumping! Hoooly crap. I don't even do ladders well - I don't think there's any chance of getting me to jump off a perfectly good platform, no matter how skinny I am. But seriously you two, rock on.

Weight Loss Success Story: Max Fargotstein
Dieting here, exercising there, but never simultaneously, nor with any results, Fargotstein had all but thrown in the towel. While celebrating the Super Bowl last year, a friend's father showed up minus his spare tire ... That was enough to inspire him to give it another shot, this time combining new eating habits with regular exercise at the gym twice a week.

0 comments | Topics: inspiration, news, stuff worth noting, tips