The FastDay Forum

[Moogie]

There are still so many things I'd like to add here and so many things I'm working on, it may be a while before I get around to this... but first I wanted to see if folks thought it might be a good idea?

How about a list of our 'biggest losers'? Everyone on the tracker (or perhaps just those who have their stats set to public?) could be included - listing those who have lost the most, those with the best mean weight loss, those who have been doing it the longest etc?

I guess we could include all users, even those with private stats - but not mention their member name, just list them as 'anonymous' or something?

Could be quite encouraging for new users to see some of the biggest/fastest losses all on one page?

*facepalm*

Isn't it amazing how a couple of words can make all the difference to an idea? I had never intended this idea to imply any kind of competition and it wouldn't necessarily have been called the 'biggest losers' page, but I just used that in my post to quickly describe what the content of the page would be >.<;;

But, it seems the consensus is no, so that's fine. Less work for me
Really only meant it as something to encourage new members so they can see how folks have done & in what sort of timescale/average loss.

Yes, perhaps it would be better just to more highly publicise the Inspirational Stories thread - perhaps it shouldn't just be a thread, perhaps a whole forum for inspirational stories, each with its own thread (but no replies allowed). We can have it so members can write their own thread but that it needs to be approved by a staff member before it's visible. I could include a nice clear link to it somewhere along the page header.

Better idea?
(have copied this into my opening post so folks can see the change of plan easily!)


(edited 15th April 2013, 09:39)

I'm not keen on the idea. It can bring in an element of competition and be disheartening for those who are struggling and a bad influence on people prone to eating disorders. I've not been to a slimming world meeting myself but I've never liked the sound of the way they run the meetings for similar reasons, calling out everyones progress and awarding slimmer of the week and so forth. I think weightloss should be about personal battles and achievements.

I like the stats section of the site. Its interesting and anonymous.

[Betsysgr8]

I'm not sure that sort of competition would be right for this WoE. However, I do enjoy hearing about and from those that have reached their milestones, goals and/or maintenance. I find their stories very encouraging.

I am always pleased when people publish their stats and go public on "view". I find it frustrating when people don't publish any of their tracker info. and find it very difficult to arrive at any conclusion about what they can do about stalled weight loss, lost weight etc. when I don't have any idea of their starting weight, bmi etc. it's just dancing in the dark...but it's their choice and their right to keep all or any of this info. private. I don't think that this site will be improved by listing the biggest losers - I think a better way to go would be to actively encourage all followers of the forum to lose their shyness about publishing their stats. but not in a way that encourages competitive loss of weight, more as a tool to see what works well for each and every one of us so we all benefit from each others many and varied experiences.

Sounds like a dreadful idea . Reminds me of all those slimming magazines I used to read years ago. Sad thing was the biggest losers usually featured elsewhere as having put it all on again. I thought 5:2 was about sustainability not quick fixes.

I agree the competitive element isn't appropriate. In particular it doesn't seem good to draw attention to the quickest losses, given that a pound a week is what makes sense technically. And this is all about so much more in the long term. What would be interesting and helpful I think is to look at people who've been doing this a long time. Thanks for all the great work!

I really appreciate the fact that you are constantly thinking of ways to keep things on the forum fresh and exciting but Im in agreement with the others,,,I dont think it would be a positive move.

I don't think we need the competition element in this forum.

Actually I am not here or there about it, but what I would like in my own stats in % weight loss (yeah like the Biggest Loser) because I would find that interesting for myself. However the 'biggest loser' as such would be the person with the most weight to lose surely? So not really relevant to me, but it is nice to congratulate those who have done well, but then people usually post when this happens.

I'm going to be the voice of dissent. As a new member this would be very interesting and encouraging for me, with a lot to lose. I agree about the competition but if it is just a page for interests sakes, and not an awards page then people don't need to look at it if they don't want to. Perhaps a different name wouldn't imply competition.

I started this WOE/WOL primarily for the health benefits after watching the program very recently (on the internet) - the obvious side effect is the weight loss but this is not what drives me and I do appreciate that it is what drives others.
We are all generally motivated by one of three things (if you are at all in to motivation theory) and these are power, affiliation and achievement. This site is a great help for many in terms of its provision of affiliation motivation. For those who's motivation is achievement though I can see that somehow being able to reference how well one is doing may be of benefit.
My suggestion to help these people whilst also not having it 'in your face' for those who may well be demotivated is to have a place where you can enter your stats and run a computation where it showed you how you were stacking up against others at a similar place (length of time, starting BMI etc) with the results displayed as the quartile you were in - upper/1st etc.
The maths behind this and appropriate comparators I can leave to the nerds but this way it will be optional so if interested you can take a look, if not interested then you will never know and never know anybody else's either.

My general feeling is no, (although I agree that of course I could opt not to look at it) for the reasons already given further up this thread.

Many members don't have their progress charts visible, but I sometimes sort of do what oldestswinger suggests, by clicking on those which show a similar BMI to my own. And when people publicise their losses or concern about not losing, I find it interesting to see the graph on their progress chart as it helps to give the discussion context. Just seeing bald stats wouldn't give the story of the journey for me.

I also don't think this would be a good idea. This is a change in lifestyle for many of us not a weight losing competition. But I have found it interesting & inspiring reading posts from forum members who have been following 5:2 for a longer time which gives a much better idea of how this WOE works out. How about a length of 5:2ing section when we need to be inspired?

I think what Carol does is fine, if you want to play that game post in the thread, if you don't then don't.

The statistics from the tracker with out names would be encouragement for noobs though.

No has mentioned the fact that people could actually make up information just to come top!!!!!! (naughty naughty people)

I think new people have different expectations about how much weight they will lose.

Interestingly, several people who've lost a lot in the first couple of weeks, have been on a severe calorie restriction and that has affected their starting losses, then others see that other people have lost more and get discouraged.

I think if something like this was done then it would have to be along the lines of the inspirational stories, a more long-term loss. Anything that emphasises the average loss is 1 lbs pw and that 1 lb loss is hard to see on a weekly weighing schedule is a good thing, though.