Hello

Posts: 33,952
4/28/11 12:41 A

Greetings and

Congrats on taking the next step to reaching a healthier you by getting active with SparkPeople - it's a great community, wonderful resources and fantastic support.

Please check out the SparkTeams - I think you will find a lot of others 'just like you' there. You can choose SparkTeams by age group, lifestyle or interests, geographic location or several other ways - some of the teams you might like include the Official 10-minute Daily Exercise Streak Challenge, Starting Over Weekly Mini-Challenge Team, 10k Steps A Day and Motivation & Positive Attitude Plan but there are so many to choose from, you can have a great time looking for the ones that seem to fit you best! In fact, I suggest joining more than one group, post your intro there and write blogs as often as you can - you will find tons of friends and support that way, I promise!!

In my experience, SparkPeople is like a in some ways - it's lots of fun and easy to make friends because we're all in this together. I like the way a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE is emphasized instead of a 'quick fix wonder diet' so it's good for people wanting to lose weight, maintain a previous loss, get healthier, improve fitness and many other goals - it's about waaaaaay more than 'just' losing weight so you have definitely come to the right place!



If you ever need any help using features of the site, there are tutorial videos under the HELP section that can show you how to use the features of the site. You can also find them on the START page and several other places on the site.



If you haven't already discovered The Spark book and/or the SparkDiet linked at the bottom of the START page, check them out - the program is simple but extremely effective. There is a TON of information on this site - so much it might even seem overwhelming but fortunately we don't have to 'digest' everything at once! The FastBreak program is a good way to start.



Another nice thing about SparkPeople is that we have permission to be human - we don't have to change everything at once or be in a hurry to reach our goals. Take a few baby steps and then a few more and before you know it, you'll have completed a long journey - I hope you enjoy this community as much as I do - it teaches us how to make positive lifetime changes because that's the only thing that will work over time!

SparkPoints: (18,597)
Fitness Minutes: (18,473)
Posts: 1,703
4/27/11 12:35 P

HEATHER20112,
Welcome aboard! I guarantee you will not be disappointed in your decision in joining Sparkpeople. I will admit though, the results will vary due to your efforts and your honesty towards yourself. I wish you the best in your Sparkpeople journey and if you should need some words of encouragement or motivation, hit me up as a Sparkfriend and I will help you achieve your goals. If you should have some time, read my blogs and sparkpage. It has been a bumpy road but it is starting to smooth itself out. Again I wish you the best! Now, enough writing- go and accomplish your goals (Ooorah)!

SparkPoints: (1,232)
Fitness Minutes: (832)
Posts: 207
4/27/11 12:24 P

This site is your first step to loosing the weight and keeping it off and being supported by the most nicest people around that are just like you!!!!

SparkPoints: (183)
Fitness Minutes: (10)
Posts: 4
4/27/11 10:58 A

Thanks to all for the support !!!

And Reeku, I LOVE your tattoos

SparkPoints: (30,116)
Fitness Minutes: (24,581)
Posts: 1,698
4/27/11 10:28 A

Welcome to SparkPeople!

SparkPoints: (165,724)
Fitness Minutes: (73,982)
Posts: 21,062
4/27/11 10:19 A

Hi and congratulations on beginning your Spark journey!

There's so much here to help you along the way and excellent advice to setting and achieving healthy goals. With the thousands and thousands of fellow Sparkers you will always find someone you can connect with. I am always amazed how many lives have been changed for the better through the use of SparkPeople.

If you have not already done so, I suggest that you check out the videos in the "Healthy Lifestyle" section. Scroll down for the site orientation videos. That should point you in the right direction. I find that if you just start looking around Spark, you will quickly learn about the wonderful tools available for your use. After being a Sparker since 2007, I still find something new and very useful.

Welcome and best wishes!

SparkPoints: (40,534)
Fitness Minutes: (31,675)
Posts: 8,283
4/27/11 9:58 A

Hey there! Welcome to the site! This is a wonderful place with lots of resources & positivity! I hope you are able to use it to help you reach your goals!

We are all here to support you if you have any questions or need encouragement!! Let us know if you need anything!

SparkPoints: (183)
Fitness Minutes: (10)
Posts: 4
4/27/11 9:53 A

I never heard about Sparkpeople until yesterday (I was looking for a calorie counter) since I live overseas.

I decided to give it a try, and so far I only have positive things to say about it.