The FastDay Forum

I do try and come on everyday but don't always post. I do lurk a bit though.

I'm the same as others on here, now maintaining and don't feel there is much I can contribute. I think there has always been a lot of non-diet related 'chit chat' on here, and think that is a strength not a weakness. I agree with others that the forum is now tucked away and not as easy to find, and think if this was rectified there might be an increase in traffic. Make it easy for people please!

And @CandiceMarie actually there are not 'lots' of people doing hangout. At the most there is around a dozen of us, and even some of those do not post on hangout daily. This in my opinion has not affected the traffic on the forum one bit.

I took a break, but am gathering my determination to go again. I love the forum, but don't always have something to say.

I don't see the chit-chat as a problem for people who are already familiar here, but when it makes up most of the board postings it will discourage new visitors who are looking for diet support and/or information and may not feel welcome as there is an air of people knowing each other in the chit-chat with little insider jokes which aren't of interest to new visitors and in some cases can make them feel like they've intruded on someone's private party.

So if this were my board (which it isn't) I would redesign it to make it much easier to reach the forums and to put in much clearer acknowledgement that someone is signed in. Right now on my tablet the only way I know I'm signed in after I sign in is if I go to the menu (the parallel lines at the top) and then click. Then I see a silhouette on the left hand column. But I would never think to do that since it is not how any other boards work. An immediate "welcome Username" message would be much more helpful. And if the person had gone to sign in from reading the forum, they should be taken immediately back to the forum after creating an account. This is how other PHP board software works.

Understandably, but to my mind, unfortunately, the main home page of the site has been optimized in a way that so deemphasizes the forums, and with the cartoons and general tone it looks like so many other for-profit diet sites. So it may be hard for visitors to realize what a wonderful resource is hidden here in the forums. They have to click a LOT of links to find them, and the forum is so deemphasized with the new layout. You'd have to be very familiar with using forums and WHY you'd want to use forums to find them.

This redesign makes sense in that the people who have gone to all the trouble of creating the forum need to monetize it, and in my experience active forum traffic does not translate into monetization, even with ads. But it may explain why the redo of the site has significantly dampened the flow of new visitors.

Hiiii @silverdarling thanks for letting me know x
If its quietened down a bit, i might give it another go..when it first started i found it too busy to keep up with
Tho TBH,i sh'd be spending less time online now spring is round the corner ( we hope) Get outdoors and smell the roses..Or cultivate a hobby!

@peebles i think you make a valid point about newbies maybe put off by all the cosy chatter on here.
I do feel we all make a big effort to be welcoming but i remember being a bit daunted and feeling shy when i first joined because of the in jokes etc...i stuck with it and began to feel at home fairly soon but it took a big effort on my part.
Keeping newbies involved,i guess it takes two to tango...we need to be even more welcoming and newbies to give it a little time for them to feel part of the family.I think this is probably an issue on most forums.

A point about members who are unwell..speaking for myself, i have very limited concentration due to health problems and cant read in depth,or for long,so i often cannot digest a serious post and make a long thoughtful informed response on threads about the " sciency" / health side..i have to keep my contributions pretty lightweight.

I hope this forum continues to be up and running as i think despite less contributions etc,its a very valuable source of info and friendship. X

omg Rawkaren. ive been here for nearly 3 years and didnt notice you can do last post first by editing ucp.php?i=prefs&mode=view

doh. and thanks for the tip. its a good one. would have been helpful in viewing the 100 page christmas club thread lol

Wow - obviously I didn't know that either - we live and learn !!!! Thanks @rawkaren.

Oh i' m such a dumb cluck..when you get on that page,how do you get last post first pls @rawkaren? X

Oh i' m such a dumb cluck..when you get on that page,how do you get last post first pls @rawkaren? X

@candicemarie
Go to User Control Panel
Board Preferences (top tabs)
Edit display options (left panel)
There you can set your display topics and display posts to your liking. I have mine set as post time and descending. Just have a play about - you can always reset it if you mess up.

You have a lot to say with those green stick men Candy! They speak volumes and so little typing required!
No, I must agree: when it comes to serious, long discussions I can't really take it all in. My brain just explodes (oops I think Hannibal got to it first!)

Hmmm what people are saying over on @peebless " one year and 52 fasts" makes me realise,we need to keep touching base here..the probs really dont go away do they even when our star fasters reach maintenance.
I guess we need to keep talking and looking for solutions..
@GMH hits the nail on the head for me,saying "it will always be a challenge mentally to restrict myself.".... Me too..thats what panics me a bit..have i got to stay forever fasting two days a week,being very careful five? Fasting can sometimes make me feel marvellous but it really IS a challenge...not sure am up to the fight for ever and ever,day in and day out.

I'm a bit of a fair weather friend if I'm doing well I'm really happy to read and contribute, but at the moment I've not lost any weight for two weeks so I'm peeved and annoyed although I know its perfectly normal, I tend to stay away and sulk
I really shouldn't because its so easy to give up and I know the support is there should I want it.
I wouldn't venture into some of the established threads as I feel an outsider, but then I think that's my problem not the sites

Yes some of us come and go, depending on our 'fasting' status But I find it's a great way to make myself stick to a 'low cal day' as I call it, by commiting in writing that I'm doin' it. I guess when I joined almost 2 years ago, 5:2 was the next big thing and things change. Please maintainers don't think you have nothing to say! To me maintenance is the holy grail and any tips are really welcome. Let's face it you have lost the weight and are maintaining, yippee, some struggle to lose, some like me struggle to maintain, tips always welcome.

Totally agree with @GMH 's comment that mainteneers have a lot to contribute!

I have put my thoughts on this in the maintenance tent, as it seems more appropriate.

Also, as a number of us have mentioned, it would be great if some of the "problems" with this site could be fixed. Given most of these problems did not exist in the previous version, I assume these should be fixable??

@sassy1, actually I was thinking that maybe non maintainers didn't read maintenance thread and that the maintainers could post of their weight loss solutions as well as maintaining solutions. Personally I liked the forum better before all the tent business, sometimes I don't look in to tents as I feel it's not my area.