We want your suggestions!! :)

31prvrbs
31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member
The EM2WL fam has been asking for its own location; a place to call home. A place where information is organized, easy to find, and relative to each individuals needs. From YouTube to FB and Twitter, we've been attempting to do just that, & give everyone the avenue that works best for them.

And now the website. With the time, energy (& even $$ :ohwell:) that goes into these projects, we would hate to miss the mark & not actually be meeting the needs of the fam. So, it's OUR turn to ask YOU guys the questions ;)

Although the site is obviously still in the development stages, we are asking: What would you like to see on the new site?

Have you ever thought, "if only EM2WL could do [BLANK] for me, life would be so much easier?" ...Tell us about BLANK and how you would find it useful.

Talk away...and be sure to "like" each others ideas, as it gives us a better idea of what is most needed/wanted.

Feel free to answer here, or join the conversation on FB or Twitter :wink:

Thanks fam! :flowerforyou:

Kiki
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Replies

  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member
    Bump. Lol. Trying to resist making another sticky..

    stuff hits page 2 so fast... :P
  • Zylayna
    Zylayna Posts: 728 Member
    I'm just wondering if you need a 'Reset' Thread in you Forum since it's such a popular thing here?

    Also, link your favorite calculators (like scooby) under your resources/Start Here page perhaps? You need a place with a 'starter kit' so to speak. If you can give people an easy to find section with all the starter tools, calculators, exercise program recommendation, set macros info, maybe even a downloadable sheet to keep track of particular measurements and how often to measure, etc. I think it would help those that are just totally lost and don't know where to start and just want someone to tell them what to do at first! :happy:

    Think of it as EM2WL for Dummies Kit lol! (just in case - that's in reference to the 'Dummies' Books you see all over the place, not a slam at people!) :flowerforyou:
  • _stephanie0
    _stephanie0 Posts: 708 Member
    a few things:

    link to scooby calculator, or your own calculator on the site for calories
    the sticky about what to expect when upping cals
    testimonials
    recipes
  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 751 Member
    Bump for later....
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member
    I'm just wondering if you need a 'Reset' Thread in you Forum since it's such a popular thing here?

    Also, link your favorite calculators (like scooby) under your resources/Start Here page perhaps? You need a place with a 'starter kit' so to speak. If you can give people an easy to find section with all the starter tools, calculators, exercise program recommendation, set macros info, maybe even a downloadable sheet to keep track of particular measurements and how often to measure, etc. I think it would help those that are just totally lost and don't know where to start and just want someone to tell them what to do at first! :happy:

    Think of it as EM2WL for Dummies Kit lol! (just in case - that's in reference to the 'Dummies' Books you see all over the place, not a slam at people!) :flowerforyou:

    Thanks for such detail, Nicole!
  • listabit
    listabit Posts: 28 Member
    Perhaps suggestions on various recommended strength training programs. I like the recipe idea, especially high veggie and high protein ideas.
  • jomatho
    jomatho Posts: 311 Member
    Frequently asked questions section.
  • bsinno
    bsinno Posts: 344 Member
    You need a place with a 'starter kit' so to speak. If you can give people an easy to find section with all the starter tools, calculators, exercise program recommendation, set macros info, maybe even a downloadable sheet to keep track of particular measurements and how often to measure, etc. I think it would help those that are just totally lost and don't know where to start and just want someone to tell them what to do at first

    like this "starter kit" its a lot of info and i feel like a lot of people post here asking others to double check their numbers...
  • qtpie2006
    qtpie2006 Posts: 10
    For sure success stories with pictures!
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member
    We've also had requests for members only areas, newsletters, even personal training/ meal coaching, etc..

    Thoughts?? Useful to you? What would expect to see or have delivered from features like that?
  • qtpie2006
    qtpie2006 Posts: 10
    Meal coaching would be extemely beneficial.
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member
    There always seems to be questions from newbies on how to eat "that many calories" and looking for suggestions on foods that will help them meet their calorie goal.

    So....how about some sample daily menus. Or an area where members can post meal ideas or something like that.

    I'm a diary stalker...I love seeing what other people are eating and how they're adding up their calories and/or meeting their macros!!!
  • gypsybug
    gypsybug Posts: 106 Member
    If you are going to build a website, the "Start Here" that leads to a step by step starter kit as suggested by jyska is a must. That would be on your splash page along with the tab and/or link to testimonials. People that are just starting out are interested in two things right off the bat. What can I expect to achieve and what do I have to do.

    Additional areas could be a members only section requiring a log-in. A forum is always needed along with moderators. Recipes, FAQ, Tip of the Day, Resources/toolkit page (with all the links to trackers, calculators, etc, ). I would also include blogs for you two highlighted on the splash page. You could populate that at first with all of your existing blogs and video's.

    You could do a featured member page. Highlight someone in the group every week or every month that is willing to do a write up on their EM2WL journey with pics.

    If you did a coaching section that would likely have to be a log-in area too and you would have to include disclaimers in the sign-up process there.
  • bsinno
    bsinno Posts: 344 Member
    i second sample menus...

    dont see the value in a members only area but i could be missing the point. seems so exclusive...this group has seemed so open to all since ive been here
  • cinblog1965
    cinblog1965 Posts: 133 Member
    Recipes, recipes! I'm like twin mom and look at diaries of friends when they've posted successes.

    Workout plans, and not just for the heavy lifters. Not all of us can do that. Some of us have challenges, joint issues, back issues, age-related issues that will keep us from ever being able to put a 100 pound barbell on their back without doing more damage. I am all for building muscle and I think the NROL books are great, but if you can't do them, you still want to find a way to be successful and build muscle. I've seen a few people get tremendous results from the gym machines, you just have to find innovative ways to strengthen your small back and hip muscles on the side when doing those (planks, etc.). Heck, pushups can change your upper body appearance by leaps and bounds if you don't currently do anything.

    Check with me in a few months after I've done my plan for awhile and if it's successful, I will be thrilled to share it. It's a mixture of body weight exercises, gym machines, lower back strengthening and a little cardio.
  • Some before and after pics of peeps who have lost on em2wl but include people with little, middle amounts and more to lose so everyone has healthy (th)inspiration.

    Be great to have the food and exercise diary function as well as the info all together.

    Social forum... I love the em2wl one but don't like the main ones on mfp.

    Maybe Some links to national/ international resources for people with ed so we can feel confident they can be directed to appropriate support.

    No slimfast / silly vlc diet adverts on the side of the site like we have to put up with on mfp.

    Workout/ training partner matching/ search function so you could advertise if you would like a workout/ jogging/ gym buddy in your area and search who also looking in your area.
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member

    dont see the value in a members only area but i could be missing the point. seems so exclusive...this group has seemed so open to all since ive been here

    Thanks for your honesty, that's why we're asking.

    Although the suggestions were made privately, the general consensus on the "members" area were:

    •An opportunity for clients or others who need more personalized info, and one on one interaction. We give a lot of general info, but when someone works with us personally, they quickly realize that there is much more to the equation, depending on their specific needs. Some clients are a bit peeved, honestly :ohwell:, that info they pay for is given so freely, so they've asked for a "special" place.
    •others have suggested it as a way to have access to specific guidelines/ 12 wk plans (pertaining to their specific stage of the journey), newsletters, videos, e-books, etc.
    •one person said that they just wanted a place for the community to hangout, without some of the limitations we currently have
    •a few actually suggested it as a way of helping to support the site, & the time that will be required as EM2WL grows.
    •others just wanted a better forum, where searches can be performed information on the forums can be found easily.

    So the ideas have all been from different perslectives. Some want all inclusive, others just wanna relocate, others just want personalized coaching, etc. Because it was seeming like a common thread, I wanted to present it here. We want to offer something for everyone. This forum obviously wouldn't go anywhere, nor would the blog or YouTube, but if people want more personlized breakdowns, it will take much more time and energy. :wink:

    Lots of great suggestions in this thread! Recipes/menus seem to be a winner all aroundl. We do love to eat!
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member
    We have opened up a test forum for those that would like to test it out and give an opinion.

    It's not "official" so it will still have ads...for now :wink: but if we decide to go with this feature, we will be using paid hosting (vs free) so we will have control over any ads (great tip, btw, Cleanandlean! We'll look into that for sure!)

    Forum.eatmore2weighless.com
  • Leigh14
    Leigh14 Posts: 871 Member
    Honestly, at this point, I have no suggestions other than maybe a Pinterest account, too! Haha :)

    BUT, I wanted to offer something if you guys can use it! At my job I use social media, manage a website, edit, write, etc. I can totally help out any way you guys want! Please let me know if you need help. (I'm kinda addicted to the whole social media thing! Tweet!)
  • bsinno
    bsinno Posts: 344 Member

    dont see the value in a members only area but i could be missing the point. seems so exclusive...this group has seemed so open to all since ive been here

    Thanks for your honesty, that's why we're asking.

    Although the suggestions were made privately, the general consensus on the "members" area were:

    •An opportunity for clients or others who need more personalized info, and one on one interaction. We give a lot of general info, but when someone works with us personally, they quickly realize that there is much more to the equation, depending on their specific needs. Some clients are a bit peeved, honestly :ohwell:, that info they pay for is given so freely, so they've asked for a "special" place.
    •others have suggested it as a way to have access to specific guidelines/ 12 wk plans (pertaining to their specific stage of the journey), newsletters, videos, e-books, etc.
    •one person said that they just wanted a place for the community to hangout, without some of the limitations we currently have
    •a few actually suggested it as a way of helping to support the site, & the time that will be required as EM2WL grows.
    •others just wanted a better forum, where searches can be performed information on the forums can be found easily.

    So the ideas have all been from different perslectives. Some want all inclusive, others just wanna relocate, others just want personalized coaching, etc. Because it was seeming like a common thread, I wanted to present it here. We want to offer something for everyone. This forum obviously wouldn't go anywhere, nor would the blog or YouTube, but if people want more personlized breakdowns, it will take much more time and energy. :wink:

    Lots of great suggestions in this thread! Recipes/menus seem to be a winner all aroundl. We do love to eat!

    yea, i figured there was more to it than i knew! Those are all great reasons, especially if you have clients paying for one-on-one help! i just registered and played around on the forums a little. very exciting stuff!
  • Oh and two more ideas..... If you have a food diary bit..

    A way to see other peoples recipes easily

    And

    A way to tweak your own recipes easily from your day diary page so if you need to change an ingredient on one day you don't have to revise the whole thing.
  • nyspotlight
    nyspotlight Posts: 124
    It would be great to be able to search the forums, since if you search here, you are searching ALL MFP stuff. So I'd love that.

    Yes to a starter kit.

    In general, it would be nice to have forums like the MFP ones - exercise, food, whatever - but knowing there was an EM2WL option. That way when talking about, say, CLX, I don't have to anticipate someone telling me to follow her meal plan will 1100 cals a day or some nonsense like that.

    I'd like blogs from whomever is doing the site. I get very motivated reading about what others are going through based around exercise and this way of eating. And guest blog from your members are always good.
  • hollydohrman
    hollydohrman Posts: 492 Member
    I like the starter kit idea. Maybe include how to determine activity level.
  • Daymia
    Daymia Posts: 57 Member
    Love the ideas about a starter kit, listing the calculators, and other resources.

    I also like the idea of meal plans, but building on that, I think it would be great to have a list of foods broken down by macro. For me, it wasn't enough to see the diaries of friends when trying to up my protein: I had to geek out and use google so I could see a list of protein-packed foods. So, something that breaks down food into say protein, complex carbs, simple carbs, fats (healthy!), etc.
  • vatblack
    vatblack Posts: 221 Member
    I want to add my voice to the starter kit. Also, this is going to be such an unpopular statement, but can the information be a bit more bullet pointed and narrowed down. I realize there is an audience for the videos and they came about for the reasons they have, but I found the information confusing in that format. Since I am a visual learner that does better with flow charts, tables, graffics and bar/line graphs, I found the videos confusing.

    Instead of replacing the videos, just add to them? (That is to say if the videos will make it on to the new site?) Or perhaps a video that is animated with only a voice and the information is written also?
  • kazala
    kazala Posts: 115 Member
    I just posted a thread about this, so I would like to see some secialist diet advice. I have PCOS and only seem to lose weight with very low cal & very low carb. But Im knackared all the time & really want to EM2WL. Do you have a dietician who could give some specialist dietary advice for people like me who dont seem to do well eating a 'normal' diet but who still want to be healthy & eat more?
  • 31prvrbs
    31prvrbs Posts: 687 Member
    I want to add my voice to the starter kit. Also, this is going to be such an unpopular statement, but can the information be a bit more bullet pointed and narrowed down. I realize there is an audience for the videos and they came about for the reasons they have, but I found the information confusing in that format. Since I am a visual learner that does better with flow charts, tables, graffics and bar/line graphs, I found the videos confusing.

    Instead of replacing the videos, just add to them? (That is to say if the videos will make it on to the new site?) Or perhaps a video that is animated with only a voice and the information is written also?

    Most of the vids are actually spoken versions of what's already been written in blog or other format. So they are just "extra" ;). You'll find most of the info written out as well. I'm a reader, as well as a writer, but many people get overwhelmed by my bullet points, lol, so we created the vids as an accompaniment :)

    The idea of captioning the vids is something we are looking into for some of our members who cannot, for whatever reason listen to the vids. So thanks for seconding that motion ;)

    The site will make the written stuff easier to navigate as well, since blogs will be tagged & categorized. We are finding that the bigger issue we face here, is not the lack of info, but more of an abundance, lol. And due to the lack of search feature and categorization, it is near impossible to find vital info that has been buried within hours after posting it. :-/


    Again, guys, be sure to check out the test forum. We want to explore all of its features and make sure it's the right fit for us. And we'd love some feedback. You can leave it here or the feedback section of the forum.

    Forum.eatmore2weighless.com
  • vatblack
    vatblack Posts: 221 Member
    I want to add my voice to the starter kit. Also, this is going to be such an unpopular statement, but can the information be a bit more bullet pointed and narrowed down. I realize there is an audience for the videos and they came about for the reasons they have, but I found the information confusing in that format. Since I am a visual learner that does better with flow charts, tables, graffics and bar/line graphs, I found the videos confusing.

    Instead of replacing the videos, just add to them? (That is to say if the videos will make it on to the new site?) Or perhaps a video that is animated with only a voice and the information is written also?

    Most of the vids are actually spoken versions of what's already been written in blog or other format. So they are just "extra" ;). You'll find most of the info written out as well. I'm a reader, as well as a writer, but many people get overwhelmed by my bullet points, lol, so we created the vids as an accompaniment :)

    The site will make the written stuff easier to navigate as well, since blogs will be tagged & categorized. We are finding that the bigger issue we face here, is not the lack of info, but more of an abundance, lol. And due to the lack of search feature and categorization, it is near impossible to find vital info that has been buried within hours after posting it. :-/


    Again, guys, be sure to check out the test forum. We want to explore all of its features and make sure it's the right fit for us. And we'd love some feedback. You can leave it here or the feedback section of the forum.

    Forum.eatmore2weighless.com

    Thanks for the clarification. I think that might be the problem I faced. I could hardly find the bit of information I needed and found it easier to just post a question about it again. So, as a PP suggested a FAQ section will be great.

    ETA: Thanks for all the work though. I am so grateful to have found EM2WL!!
  • waldenfam2
    waldenfam2 Posts: 203 Member
    There always seems to be questions from newbies on how to eat "that many calories" and looking for suggestions on foods that will help them meet their calorie goal.

    So....how about some sample daily menus. Or an area where members can post meal ideas or something like that.

    I'm a diary stalker...I love seeing what other people are eating and how they're adding up their calories and/or meeting their macros!!!

    I like this idea but one step further to consider. I'm a diabetic, I cannot get 40% or even 35% of my calories from carbohydrates. If I do I would never be off medication and probably wouldn't have my feet either. :( I have a really hard time getting in my calories without going over on carbs. So meal/food ideas for a person with my particular dietary needs would be wonderful.
  • rosied915
    rosied915 Posts: 799 Member
    Just stopped by and registered and took a look around~ VERY nice.

    I like all of the suggestions too esp. the Starter Kit and Sample Menu ideas for folks who are intimidated by "all this food".

    Would you consider having an place where folks can discuss the "emotional side" of eating and what EM2WL has done for them in that area of their life?
    (you had to know "Mrs Stay Off the Scale" and "Have Patience" would bring that up!)

    I, for one, cannot wait to continue on this leg of my journey with all of you!