Thoughts on Blogging Article

I read an article this week in the April 2006 issue of Health magazine, entitled, "Blogging the Pounds Off". It was interesting to me, to read what the "experts" say about the benefits of blogging in the process of weight loss, and how online communities can be very beneficial in helping people reach their goals.

Some of the benefits of keeping an online blog are: they help you commit to your goals, virtual support (as people comment on your blog, you create a virtual support system), and a cost-saver (it's cheaper than paying someone for medical advice or paying money to diet organizations).

The article also cautions readers of blogs to use creative thinking when reading. As Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, professor at New York University's Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, says in this article, "if advice you read in a blog sounds unhealthy, ignore it."

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Some of the benefits that I see with blogging my weight loss are:

1. Having a daily plan for blogging, reminds me what my goals are on a daily basis. I frequently make goals, sometimes simple, sometimes elaborate, and then promptly forget those goals a day or two later.
2. The difficulty of having to indicate on the blog that I didn't exercise has on several occasions, been the motivating factor in getting me moving.
3. Having something public for everyone to see makes me want to do a better job at this, watching more closely what I eat, and putting that extra effort into my workouts.
4. It's helpful to read that others are having some of the same struggles that I have.
5. Watching my progress can be very motivating for me as well. I become my inspiration.
6. Setting my goal for the next day at the end of my entry has helped me focus my workouts and achieve those goals.
   

I'm sure there are other reasons, which I will think of later.

Are there any others you can think of?