Soooo....does making friends on here really help?

Matoskha
Matoskha Posts: 2 Member
in Introduce Yourself
The app says making friends will help you lose weight, and the research seems to bear that out. I'm generally bad at making friends online but I'll try anything if it will help

Replies

  • o0kody0o
    o0kody0o Posts: 642 Member
    I find that having the support of others who have similar goals to myself helps. We’re all in the same boat, so to speak. I’m part of The Biggest Loser group and I’ve found everyone there to be so supportive, inspiring and so helpful. It’s nice to have people there to spur you on, especially when you’re having a tough day and feel like giving up. I actually love the MFP community side of things because people do care. A thread was started yesterday by someone who was struggling with being overweight and this person also had depression. They felt awful about themselves. However, the responses that person got from other strangers was incredible. So yes, I think it’s important to become friends with like-minded people here.

    You said you’re generally bad at making friends online. You could start a thread to introduce yourself to others, let them know your goals etc and just say “feel free to add me”. I’m sure you’ll build a great support system!

    All the best 🤗
  • Machafin
    Machafin Posts: 2,988 Member
    Yes, someone to provide encouragement and/or accountability can be very helpful. Being there alongside of someone with similar goals can really help you to stay motivated when it drops off (as if often does). Add me!
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Matoskha wrote: »
    The app says making friends will help you lose weight, and the research seems to bear that out. I'm generally bad at making friends online but I'll try anything if it will help

    Being a friend and encouraging others brings increasing returns and keeps you going.
  • conniewilkins56
    conniewilkins56 Posts: 3,391 Member
    Depends who you make friends with!

    There is a Larger Loser group at the bottom of the opening page...if you have a large amount of weight and if you are willing to share your ups and downs, it is a very supportive group...check it out!....good luck!
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    conniewilkins56 wrote: »
    Depends who you make friends with!

    There is a Larger Loser group at the bottom of the opening page...if you have a large amount of weight and if you are willing to share your ups and downs, it is a very supportive group...check it out!....good luck!

    The first line is so true. Not everyone is here to be encouraging. You have to be here to work too. It's hard to support someone who makes every excuse to not put the effort in and just wants to find support for reasons why they can't do it
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    iheartmyyorkie wrote: »
    AliNouveau wrote: »
    Not everyone is here to be encouraging. You have to be here to work too. It's hard to support someone who makes every excuse to not put the effort in and just wants to find support for reasons why they can't do it
    I told my Dr. I was sure my weight was caused by my thyroid. He said yes. If my thyroid weighed 200 pounds. The nerve of him...

    Hahah you're dr needs to get on stage for comedy.
    Losing weight and staying fit is a challenge. I like challenges hahah
  • ConfidentRaven
    ConfidentRaven Posts: 1,428 Member
    I agree with Connie (but she's on my friend's list so I'm biased there) that it really depends on who you make friends with. I've been lucky on MFP to friend great people who have offered encouragement. However, I used to be on a different site while doing keto and once had someone tell me (I'm not kidding here) that I had only lost weight because I was doing it wrong and keto wasn't about weight loss. Yeah....
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,415 Member
    AliNouveau wrote: »
    conniewilkins56 wrote: »
    Depends who you make friends with!

    There is a Larger Loser group at the bottom of the opening page...if you have a large amount of weight and if you are willing to share your ups and downs, it is a very supportive group...check it out!....good luck!

    The first line is so true. Not everyone is here to be encouraging. You have to be here to work too. It's hard to support someone who makes every excuse to not put the effort in and just wants to find support for reasons why they can't do it

    That and not everyone communicates enough to be helpful. The friends I enjoy *most* actually use the interface on their home page to reflect on what they plan to change and why, ask for advice, and shout about their cool discoveries - even if it's a great sale on whey protein at GNC or the new exercise that properly targets their "trouble area" for hypertrophy gains.

    You kind of get out what you put in. If your entire wall is "completed his diary for the day" and a private diary and no commentary, no one can really get to know you or understand your struggle.
  • oocdc2
    oocdc2 Posts: 1,361 Member
    I think it's helpful, though I tend to only lurk on the "fun" pages, like the foodie page or some gif threads. It keeps my exposure to trolls at a minimum, yet keeps me logging in. I respond on community threads if I think I have something meaningful to contribute.

    I admit I don't post much on my feed, though I like all the friend posts, b/c it hurts my heart a little when I do post and no one responds. :/
  • JenniferM1234
    JenniferM1234 Posts: 173 Member
    Oof. I hope it's helpful, as that's quite literally the only reason I'm here. I am hoping the support/accountability will finally break my decades-long habit of yo-yo dieting.
  • shira324
    shira324 Posts: 156 Member
    I find it's helpful to be accountable to other people, even if I don't know them in real life. Plus I like the gratification of people liking my daily updates and giving encouragement. Every little bit helps!

    Welcome friend :-)
  • JenniferM1234
    JenniferM1234 Posts: 173 Member
    @oocdc2 Aw. I like some of the fun pages but others make me feel like an old un-fun-loving woman. Like, no, I wouldn't make out with the person who left a message right before mine in a thread...but I haunt the motivation and success story categories like a friendly ghost. ;)
  • DWBalboa
    DWBalboa Posts: 37,259 Member
    Having friends in any and every aspect of your life is a good thing. Someone that will listen to you when you needs an ear to chew on but one that will throw the BS flag on you. One that will give you motivation when you need it.
    Many of my friends simply motivate me by seeing their success.
    Most importantly, friends are the family that we choose.
    Peace easy. :wink:

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