5 Ways Blogging Helps You Lose Weight

Happy Friday!

I hope you are enjoying these giveaways as much as I am. It’s fun learning more about you as I read through your thoughtful comments. Thank you for participating. I really appreciate your support!

Giveaway has ended. Scroll down to see who won.

Time for another giveaway! In honor of Memorial Day Weekend, which for many of us marks the start of summer, we are celebrating by giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card! You’ll find all the details at the end of the post.

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Have You Ever Considered Blogging For Weight Loss?

Before we get to the giveaway details (scroll down if you must), I’d like talk a bit about how blogging has helped me lose weight and keep it off. I have lots of reasons I think everyone, including you, should blog. Today I’ll focus on why I think you should start a blog to help you lose weight and keep it off.

When I launched this blog back in December of 2007 I had no idea what I was doing or where it would lead. Looking back,  I can see how integral it’s been to helping me create the simple, nourished, life I’ve always craved.

When I began I was curious about the world of blogging and wanted one of my own to share all of my interests: yoga, healthy eating, weight loss, recipes, cooking, simple living. Over time it evolved into a place where I focused on sharing my favorite Weight Watchers friendly recipes and healthy eating tips that I have accumulated as a WW Lifetime member.

And the more I focused on healthy eating, cooking, and weight loss, the easier it became to maintain my weight, something I’d never been able to do previously. That’s why I think blogging may be the ultimate weight loss tool and why Peter and I have put together This Ultimate Guide to Starting a Blog if you’re interested in learning more about having one of your very own!

If it were not for blogging, I wouldn’t have been as successful creating and maintaining the healthy lifestyle I have today. I probably would have reverted back to my old unhealthy ways and ongoing cycle of yo-yo dieting long ago. Blogging changes you.

In fact, research has shown that weight loss bloggers lose on average 40 pounds over two years. Reading weight loss and fitness blogs has benefits too. On average, readers surveyed lost 20 pounds over two years.

5 Ways Blogging Helps You Lose Weight and Keep it Off

1. Awareness
A blog is like a journal on steroids.  And as a weight loss support system journaling can’t be beat. There’s clinical evidence to prove it and tons of testimonials too. Singer Carrie Underwood has even gone on record stating that writing down her food choices was a pivotal act in accomplishing her weight loss goals.

Journaling my food has helped me understand the breakfast foods that are best for keeping me satisfied until lunch, the importance of chewing gum while making dinner to avoid mindless munching, and how terrible I feel when I eat too much cake.

Journaling my activity has helped me move more in a way that feels fun and keeps my back pain at bay.

It creates a record of your past decisions, so you can learn from them. Reviewing old blog entries has allowed me to look back at all the important changes I’ve made, places I’ve become stuck and the challenges I’ve overcome these past eight years.

I’ve learned tons about myself that I wouldn’t have otherwise.

Better, than a paper journal, your blog is digital and saved “in the cloud” so it’s easy to search and can never be lost, stolen, or destroyed in a fire.

2. Accountability
Accountability is critical to lasting weight loss. It helps you monitor your progress, maintain focus, and make adjustments as needed. When you’re being held accountable you are much more likely to make healthier choices.

Blogging has held me accountable. I describe myself as a Weight Watchers Lifetime Member maintaining her goal. That means I have to show up and face the scale at least once a month. Knowing this causes me to think about the choices I’m making all month long.

So simple yet so powerful.

I also want to be a positive role model and hold myself accountable to my readers. I’m a real person with real struggles. I know how hard it is to change habits and focus on being healthy in our crazy out-of-control world.

I know what it feels like to juggle competing priorities and struggle with the effects of aging on our weight. It’s not easy. But it can be done. I did it and want to encourage others through my blog that if I can they can.

3. Support, Connection & Community
Losing weight is really tough, so the more support you can get the better. Having a group of people to offer advice, motivate each other, and share ideas can be very helpful.

Blogging gives you the sense that you’re not alone, that there are many others out there in the same boat as you. When you become a blogger, you become part of a community with your readers and with other like-minded bloggers who are friendly and supportive.

Andie Mitchell, a successful blogger turned published author who lost 135 pounds, explains how blogging saved her in this moving post.

Connecting with like-minded folks is more powerful than you might realize. Social scientists have discovered that good behaviors — like quitting smoking or staying slender or being happy — pass from friend to friend almost as if they were contagious viruses.

And the same is true of bad behaviors — clusters of friends appear to “infect” each other with obesity, unhappiness and smoking. Staying healthy isn’t just a matter of your genes and your diet. Good health is also a product, in part, of your proximity to other healthy people.

In this interesting NYT article, Are Your Friends Making You Fat? one of the researchers points out that it’s possible to improve the world with your good behavior. He explains that most of us, within three degrees are connected to more than 1,000 people — all of whom we can theoretically help make healthier, fitter and happier just by our contagious example.

It happened to my husband. Since I’ve been blogging and maintaining my active lifetime Weight Watchers status, he has lost weight and lowered his cholesterol without even trying. I’ve heard many fellow Weight Watchers share similar stories. I believe blogging can have the same positive effect, inspiring others with our words.

4. Personal Growth
Journaling about your goals and projects is a great way to stay motivated and keep moving forward. When you examine your life through journaling/blogging, you’ll see new ways to improve, and you’ll grow faster.

Blogging keeps me learning, exploring and growing. My beliefs and understanding about food, health and weight continue to expand and evolve as I read, write and experiment in these areas

You’ll become a better writer and a better thinker. You’ll gain confidence too.

5. Fun Inexpensive Hobby
I’ve had many different hobbies, but none as satisfying as blogging.

Blogging gives you an outlet to explore and discuss the topics that are relevant and interesting to you, without boring your friends and family to death.

Food journaling, mindless eating, meal planning, slow cooking and the latest Weight Watchers plan are topics I could discuss for hours, but not with those closest to me. I can see their eyes glaze over and sense their desire to run from the room whenever I get on a roll.

Blogging provides me a forum for sharing this information, which benefits me and others who share my interests.  And it can keep my hands and mind busy during dangerous times when I might otherwise be roaming the kitchen stalking something to snack.

I never really expected to enjoy blogging as much as I do. It has changed me and the way I live my life and will do the same for you.

Interested in starting a blog of your very own?  If So, Peter and I have written this Ultimate Guide to Starting a Weight Loss Blog to help. (The steps for getting started are the same for whatever topic you’re interested in blogging about.)

6/1/16 GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!!

The winner of the Gift Card is:

Terry Dunavant,“Like others have said, I enjoy and get inspired from reading others blogs and posts. I am not one who likes to express my feelings publically. I just recently found the WW Connect on the app. Reading what some of the things people have accomplished makes me think WOW I can do this. Though I have thought that maybe writing a blog would help me be more accountable. I am thinking maybe I will start writing on my computer but it would be for me. I say Thank You to all of those you do Blog. I know it helps not only me but many others also.”

Congratulations Terry,  Contact support@simple-nourished-living.com to claim your prize! And thanks to all of you who stopped by and participated. I’m so grateful for each and every one of you.

Update 6/3/2016:
From Terry: I’ve just received my gift card – thank you so much! It will really come in handy. One reason I decided to get this weight off for good this time is that in October my best friend and I are going on a Photography and Birding trip to the Galapagos Islands. I want to be able to get in a swimsuit and snorkel for the first time. This gift card ill help me buy some of the stuff I need and while using it remind me of my weight loss journey. I started writing that journal for myself, I think it will help me. Thanks again.

AMAZON GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY DETAILS…

Now onto the Giveaway… to celebrate Memorial Day weekend we are giving away a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

TO ENTER

To enter the giveaway, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:

1. How do you think blogging/journaling could best help you reach your goals?

Just let me know how you think blogging/journaling could help you most and you’re automatically entered to win the gift card.

THE RULES

One entry per person, please.

Winners will be announced Tuesday night. Be sure to check back to see if you won.

Have a Happy Safe Weekend and Good Luck!

Giveaway sponsored by Simple Nourished Living