The FastDay Forum

[Moogie]

Well for some time now we've been discussing a bit of a rejig of the forums & categories here. The site has grown so much that things are a bit jumbled and questions end up all over the place.

I'd welcome other people's input on how best to reorganise/re-categorise the forums!

Here's my first stab at it:

New to the 5:2 Fast Diet Forum

• Introduce Yourself
• Forum & Progress Tracker Help
• Inspirational Stories
• Resources & Links

Questions & Discussion - primarily an amalgamation of the FAQ forum and the general diet, health & fitness chat

• General 5:2 Questions
• 5:2 Health & Medical
• 5:2 Diet & Nutrition
• 5:2 Exercise & Fitness
• Weight Maintenance
• Other forms of Intermittent Fasting
• Fasting Today?

5:2 Food

• Fast Day Recipes
• Feed Day Recipes (is this necessary, or can these be shared elsewhere? maybe this should be in a forum in the off topic area?)
• 5:2 Cookery Discussion, Tips & Ideas (to keep recipes & general cooking stuff seperate)

5:2 In Depth

• Nerdy Talk (questions & discussion about the science of IF)
• Nerdy News (for the posting of relevant new research)
• Progress Reports
  
  • Less than 1 month 5:2 progress
  • 1-3 month 5:2 progress
  • 3-6 month 5:2 progress
  • 6-12 month 5:2 progress
  • Progress 1 year or more on

Off Topic Discussion

• Non-Diet Chat
• Suggestion Box

Thoughts? Alterations? Better ideas? New forums? Post 'em!

I think it all looks good and well thought out. Go for it!

Ballerina x

Looks good Moogie! Just one comment re. Inspirational Stories. Understand why you've put it in the newbies section but I would say the oldies still like to go back and read these as well (especially when we're stuck on a plateau!). I don't think these necessarily need replying to because they speak for themselves so maybe could just have a link to them on the left hand main menu? If anyone wanted to update their's, they could contact you to do this (and if there was some way of showing an update has taken place on the menu, even better!). Thanks as always for the time and effort you clearly spend on this fantastic forum.

Racking my brains for a way to encourage newbies to publish their stats - Do you think something like Before You Introduce Yourselves, with something extolling the virtues of filling in the tracker right at the start with as much info, especially present weight and measurements, as possible with the proviso of course that this does not have to be made public, but how beneficial this info. is for other forum members. With the speed the site is growing I for one cannot always be bothered to trawl through a lot of earlier posts to find out a more complete picture of their particular history - the tracker is so quick and easy - also, if no info. is forthcoming on stats, please a location? And of course, stats can always be posted for public view later (or withheld). I also agree with Madge's point about the inspirational stories. Keep up the good work, you're doing great! thank you.

[carorees]

Looks great! Re the science watch thing... what I was thinking was to have a section for reporting new science evidence and one for asking science questions. So the science watch would be just for sharing new scientific info (preferably with links to the original research)...perhaps the name needs to make it clear...how about "latest science" and rather than nerdy stuff...science questions or science debate

[Betsysgr8]

...how about "latest science" and rather than nerdy stuff...science questions or science debate

awwwww I like 'nerdy' stuff, 'science' seems a bit stuffy. lol Maybe it can be "lastest nerdy science"? and "nerdy science questions"? I love reading all the nerdy stuff and am just amazed at how quickly the conversation can go over my head when the debates really get going.

As for the Non-fast Recipes, I think you should keep them right where you have them on the list, after the fast recipes. Some of the recipes can easily be converted to fast day recipes, especially for those of us that save 400-500 calories for evening meal.

I'm new to this diet and also to forums, is there an easy way to give a "this is where you find out how to do it guide"?(I mean use the forums and posting messages etc. like a "How to use this site. I'm sure I've seen something similar on another website but don't remember which one, but because it guides you through each page and what each section is for, it was very helpful.

[Moogie]

I'm new to this diet and also to forums, is there an easy way to give a "this is where you find out how to do it guide"?(I mean use the forums and posting messages etc. like a "How to use this site. I'm sure I've seen something similar on another website but don't remember which one, but because it guides you through each page and what each section is for, it was very helpful.

Something like this?


I expect you mean something with a few more pictures and pointers, which I'd like to find some time to put together sometime!

I am a newbie so I may well be missing something but.....
I was trying to read a full blog from someone to get their story over time but I seem to only find individual enteries. So if I click on a blog I only get that day's entry. Is it possible to click on a blog and get everything that person has written. Its possible the blogs I clicked on had only written one day.
I'm excited about a new lifestyleI am discovering on the 5:2 journey

Looks good to me!
Maybe a guide to forum abbreviations in the newbie section I have been on here over 2 weeks and only just worked out what IF means - intermittent fasting!!

[Moogie]

I am a newbie so I may well be missing something but.....
I was trying to read a full blog from someone to get their story over time but I seem to only find individual enteries. So if I click on a blog I only get that day's entry. Is it possible to click on a blog and get everything that person has written. Its possible the blogs I clicked on had only written one day.
I'm excited about a new lifestyleI am discovering on the 5:2 journey

Welcome I suspect you probably clicked on someone who only had one blog. Just as a quick example, here's a blog from a user who's posted multiples:
blog/The+Fishbaum/
As you can see, they're all listed




@Claire23 - the guide is the 'forum wiki' which should be at the top of the topic lists

[carorees]

Re nerdy stuff: how about, instead of "5:2 in depth" have a "nerdy stuff" forum with the two sub forums I suggested and then have "progress reports" and "inspirational stories" as two sub forums together under the banner "5:2 in action"?

Just me being slow then...

I can't find the forum wiki

Seems really well organised. I like caro's idea of two sciencey forums - one for discussion of papers and studies and the other for questions where people might want a more scientific answer - or where topics can be split to if they go off-topic on the study side.

I'd quite like the idea of non-5:2 food whether that's as a sub-forum of food or tucked in the off-topic threads. I did also wonder whether 5:2 exercise will cover all exercise regardless of whether you are doing it on a fast day or not? I'm assuming so and if we need a subforum later if it gets too generic/specialised, it could be added.

Under the off-topic ones, the non-diet one might get split as the community here gets to know each other more and talk less about 5:2 and more about generalities like what's in the news, what's on TV, who's got a new partner, celeb/sport gossip etc.

My only other thought is whether you want to differentiate the international aspects of it in any way - so perhaps sub-forums for UK/US/Aus and other big blocks of membership in case there are specific questions on products/sources of equipment/media. I don't think it needs it as yet although perhaps the recipe section could do with a glossary of ingredients/measures/weights as a sticky!