Are friends helpful?

RuthieMuffin

Hello!

I've been using MFP for almost two years, and have had success over the last year. So far everything I've done has been by myself - but I recently discovered the community part of MFP. I like reading posts and making comments, but I'm not sure I'm ready for friends!

That sounds a bit strange (I love being social), but my weight loss has been for me and me alone; I'm concerned about adding friends because I don't want to be competitive with anyone but myself, and I don't want make comparisons between myself and anyone else.

All that being said, I have a question for you! Have you made friends using MFP? What has your experience been like with it? Do you find it helpful? I would appreciate reading about any kind of feedback you have!

Thanks for reading!!


-Ruth

afacetocallhome

Hey! My name is Ruth, too!

Anyway, to respond to your question... I have quite a lot of friends added on MFP and I love it. It's really nice to have a community of people who are ready and willing to support me, and for me to be able to do the same in return. It's a lot more fun to log on, and see what everyone has been up to, than to have a very dull newsfeed with nothing happening, in my opinion. The friends I have have been extremely kind to me, and are so encouraging and supportive, so it's been a very rewarding experience.

I generally avoid discussing my weight with people I know personally (excluding my fiancé) because I'm embarrassed to tell them how much I weigh, what size my clothes are etc so I really enjoy have a community where I can discuss these issues and know that other people are right there with me, on the same journey and with similar goals.

Friends might not work for you, but from my experience, I'd recommend it. I've tried MFP in the past, and not had friends, and I haven't lasted very long because it felt quite lonely. Although, deep down, I knew it was ridiculous, I'd find myself feeling like the only person in the world who was struggling with their weight. The additional support this time around is really motivating me and helping me to push forward.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you all the best in your weight loss journey!

CaffeinatedConfectionist

RuthieMuffin wrote: »

All that being said, I have a question for you! Have you made friends using MFP? What has your experience been like with it? Do you find it helpful? I would appreciate reading about any kind of feedback you have!

IMO, the helpfulness of friends depends entirely on your perspective and what you expect to get out of your interactions with them. Are friends going to somehow magically motivate you to work out and eat within your goal? No. (Not that I think this is what you're getting at, mind, since it looks like you're having plenty of success with that on your own, but I see plenty of of posts on the forums that seem to incline toward this viewpoint).

That being said, I love having an active friends list, because I can learn about new exercises or new lifting routines, or ask for advice or suggestions on my own routine. Most people I know IRL have no interest in fitness, so it's pleasant to have a group of people with similar passions who understand both the rewards and struggles intrinsic to weight loss and fitness.

I also do find having friends motivational in the sense that seeing other peoples' workouts helps keep me focused on my own. And I feel that having an active friends list helps keep me accountable, so that I am less likely to skip workouts (but again, of course, the real motivation has to be internal).

Besides, I'm pretty chatty on my feed. I like to get into conversations with people on my FL, and it's nice to meet people with similar interests, hobbies, and senses of humor. It adds another dimension to weight loss/fitness, so that MFP isn't just all about logging food and exercises. It took me a few years to start to build up a friends list, and I was hesitant about it because at first I found having friends kind of weird and slightly invasive, but now I enjoy it a lot.

Capt_Apollo

the friends on your news feed are a great source for some ideas, or to bounce some thoughts off of. also, i know that no one on my facebook gives a crap that i lost a half pound, so i talk about the fitness and weight loss stuff on here.

tialynn1

I have friends on here. But, I keep it fairly low. I rarely go over 40 friends. But, the friends I do have on here I just don't talk about fitness and healthy eating with them. Most of them I know about their families and their struggles. Either that or I know them personally. The ones I know outside of MFP, I don't communicate as much on here. But, we keep in touch outside of here. Having friends on here keeps me motivated.

ArkMom35

I actually planned to do this alone as I'm a private person but I decided to try having some friends and have actually found them to be a great addition to my journey. I like receiving the support and encouragement as much as I enjoy giving it. I like seeing people's food and exercise diaries, it helps keep me accountable and motivated.

crystalstinson7

I like having friends--and I don't have that many active friends--because I like to see them post their workouts or complete their diaries. It makes me want to log my stuff! It doesn't make me competitive. I don't think, "Oh, Joe worked out for an hour. I need to go for an hour and half." It's not like that. It's more like, "Well, look. Joe worked out today. I should probably get busy myself." Then it's nice when people "like" that I've burned calories or came in under my goal on my food diary. It's like a pat on the back. And I like knowing that I can shoot off a message to a buddy if I'm feeling friendly, and I always get a reply back! I've made some really good friends on here. I don't do the forum much, but, yeah, I like the social aspect of MFP. Also, as someone already mentioned, having a news feed that actually has something going on makes it so much easier to get on MFP. It seems like less of a chore with the social aspect.

RuthieMuffin

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate all the feedback you've given me!!

csk0018

Hi Ruth! I've actually been on MFP for 2 years but my first 6 months, I was pretty much on my own until I found the community. Now, I love seeing my news feed blow up with everyone's workouts, frustrations, accomplishments, etc... It is a great motivation for me and also, you know that you are not alone in this. I don't really talk much about my weight loss in real life so it's nice to have my own little hole where I can share my thoughts and everyone is so supportive. And I don't believe it to be a competition at all -- everyone's goals are different from your own. Congrats on your hard work so far!

lessismoreohio

In my humble opinion, yes MFP friends are very helpful for encouragement, advice and as a role model.

RuthieMuffin

I wish I could like all these comments! I appreciate what everyone has to say! I think because I'm getting close to my goal, I could use some friends who are low-maintenance. I don't need support for the day-to-day stuff, but as the final goal comes closer I could use support if I need an extra push to get over a hurdle! And I would of course do the same in return!

lizzocat

friends are definitely helpful for encouragement and motivation. I don't compare myself to anyone in my friend's list because it's definitely very individual but it's helpful to see people exercising, losing weight, it pushes me.

4leighbee

Capt_Apollo wrote: »

the friends on your news feed are a great source for some ideas, or to bounce some thoughts off of. also, i know that no one on my facebook gives a crap that i lost a half pound, so i talk about the fitness and weight loss stuff on here.

^^ this. My weight loss and fitness are a *huge* part of my life, and I do subject my friends to it on FB - I can't help it. But on MFP, people really get it. They do care. They want to help, if you've hit a roadblock or whatever. And - they have experience where I lack it. I genuinely like my MFP friends, and so occasionally the topic will not be about MFP-related items. I think that's a great thing.

Julesbait

Capt_Apollo wrote: »

the friends on your news feed are a great source for some ideas, or to bounce some thoughts off of. also, i know that no one on my facebook gives a crap that i lost a half pound, so i talk about the fitness and weight loss stuff on here.

This x 1,000,000.