Who'se looking forward to the January newbies???

As long as they're friendly, I'm happy to meet them. I find them to be succulent and tasty!

In one short month, we are going to be inundated with new people. Do you think your friends list will grow?

I enjoy meeting new people so maybe just a bit.

I think it's not only due to it being pounded in our heads for years, but also because there are a lot of new opportunities that come available in January--challenges, competitions, classes, etc.

I eased into my transformation over a period of a few months and joined MFP a little over a year ago. I didn't get serious about exercise and logging until January. Saw a "boot camp" class advertised at the gym and decided it was as good a time as any to get my *kitten* in gear.

Our first week of boot camp, there were enough people to stretch almost all the way around the gym. By the end of the 8-week class, we were down to half that number. I've signed up for every 4-6 week series since then and we've had as few as 3 people in a class.

I was a newbie once and I've posted some things in the past that probably got eye rolls. I truly appreciate all the things I've learned here since then. If everyone came into this knowing everything, we wouldn't need this site--would we?

Probably not.

Only because it's not growing now since 99% of request's don't contain messages, as I would prefer, and I rarely accept requests that don't have them.

Yeah, I'm one of those people

BOOSH!!

Being a newbie myself I can't say I have any feeling about it one way or the other; I'd love to have more friends, but if they are going to be active for a week and then disappear, no thanks. I'm in this for the long haul this time.

This is how I feel. I did start in January 2011 (not as a resolution) , lost 50lbs, gained some back, and have been here ever since. Even if the gym, if people start and stick with it, that's awesome. But it's obnoxious when people crowd the gym for a week or two just to give up when they get bored... Or come on here and post thread that you can find in plenty by using the search function, and then give up when they don't lose 5 pounds a week.

so happy i sneaked in mid-year so i didn't get the January "initiations"

I will probably avoid the forums for a month or two in fear that my head will explode with all the typical "do I really have to eat back my exercise calories", "I'll start lifting weights after I lose the fat", "a calorie is not a calorie", "starvation mode" derp has at least slowed down :explode:

But then again, MFP just wouldn't be MFP without the same redundant bs day after day :bigsmile:

I was a newbie once and I've posted some things in the past that probably got eye rolls. I truly appreciate all the things I've learned here since then. If everyone came into this knowing everything, we wouldn't need this site--would we?

Yes Ma'am.

I think the more important question is, "how will be respond to the newbies?"
Will we be patient, helpful and supportive or not?

It's funny you say this b/c I was just thinking about putting my beach body programs to the side and joining a gym for the winter months...but this thread made me rethink how frigging busy the gym will get in Jan/Feb...better wait until March :sad: My beef with newbies at any time, is that they can't seem to figure out how to use the search button before posting...