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SMILEYNIKX
9/30/05 6:10 P
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| Just a note to say congrats on the weightloss! You're doing really well!
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REDFLAGFLYING
9/28/05 6:41 P
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| Thanks so much, Coach Jen. That's great! I have come to the realization that for me, it's not as much about food intake as it is amount of exercise. And as you have told me before, the more you do, the more you can do and the more you want to do. It's a very rewarding cycle. The points are just an added incentive to stay on track. Take care, Tricia
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Oh Coach Jen! That is so COOL!! Thank you all so much! I know there have been days when I exercised more than the alloted points allowed, & while this was more than ok because I NEED to exercise, there's been times when I thought it'd be nice to get the extra points.
Thanks again. Jennifer
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SPARK_COACH_JEN
9/28/05 8:18 A
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Hi Everyone!
I just wanted to let you know that yesterday we increased the possible points for cardio (from 12 to a max of 24 per day) and other exercises (from 5 to a max of 10 per day). Thanks for your feedback! Hopefully you'll find that this promotes being active a little more!
Coach Jen
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I normally would not use the message boards, because of not having the time. However, I thought the idea of giving a point for logging in was a good idea, because it did motivate me to begin to meet and say hi to other people. This may be a personal journey for us all, but I know that when I read some of the messages or join a challenge, I am actually helping myself by being more involved socially. In addition, if i might have an idea or a added comment of support for someone else who has just joined, than that makes me feel better too. The point system seems to me to give you that added..smile.."spark" to look into an interesting story or something that may give me more knowledge about nurtrition. So I read and get a point:-) The point was fun..smile..but the information was more important..so what ever brings you to do something a little different each day here..what does it matter? I am still new here, but by using the point system I am beginning to get to know myself around this site. Loosing weight can be fun..come to think of it..more fun than trying to squeeze into the clothes i wore last year.What ever works..for each of us is what we all should be doing. best wishes..diana
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I am not really certain that I would like for the point structure to change a lot. I have learned that extrinsic motivation (through personal experience) can damage or destroy intrinsic motivation.
I want to exercise because it makes me stronger and healthier - not just to accumulate a few more Spark points.
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UNICORN_MOM
9/13/05 1:39 P
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I think a great part of the Spark points you can personalize your goals and earn points you want to achieve.
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I agree, Celebr8tr --
I really appreciate the community aspect of posting but, I think it would be great if there were changes to reward you more for exercise -- although, I have to say my biggest motivation this month has been TURBO6X2's Challenge to get in 4000 mins of exercise!
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I really enjoy earning the SparkPoints - however that may be. It's fun to compete and I agree that some people probably post way too many times in the Cafe, but who really cares.
I know I've logged in to earn the points I could on a particular day even when I was absolutely exhausted. It has motivated to keep going, to track my food, drink my water, work out, read the articles and generally keep me honest and that is a very good thing.
I'm sure there are modifications that could be made, but in general terms, I love SparkPoints. It appeals to my competitive nature.
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| Here here. My thoughts exactly.
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| I couldnt agree with you more! Hang in there and take care of you. Remember, no one can really take care of you except you.
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When I started SP I found all the information everywhere to be very helpful. However, now I notice there seem to be quite a few people who post just for the sake of posting and quite frankly I stopped reading most of the boards because of this. Yes, the points are extremely motivational. However, I can't spend more than 30 minutes per day on the computer and it takes me that long to post my food and exercise so I have no time left over to do anything else. I like the points, it just isn't working for people who have extremely limited time on the computer.
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I agree about the points being motivational. I think getting points for reading the articles is reasonable too. But then, we're not getting 50 points for reading 100 articles either. The way the point scale for the articles is set up seems perfectly reasonable to me. Doesn't take all day to read 3 articles, whereas it does to post 100 posts. (for us desperate people fighting for top rung - lol)
Jenn
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| I just love the site. The points keep me motivated makes me want to read the articles and do what I need to do to keep up. I also enjoy the information I receive to help me succeed.
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Okay, I agree you should get more points for being active. That being said, I find it silly to dispute the worthiness of earning points on certain boards. Personally, there are days where I just do not have the mental capability to be serious all the time, thus I go and have some fun in the cafe. Other times I read posts that are informative, and have even been challenged by them. But let's be real here - just because one group isn't as serious as another doesn't mean it has no worth. We all need a break, and that's what the cafe board is for. And we all have control over how much time we spend on the computer, regardless of what we are doing.
Like someone else pointed out, points have no value, other than to motivate you in achieving your goals. It's okay to have some fun while you are reaching for them, even if it does seem unconstructive.
JMHO
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PAMELAANNE
9/3/05 10:18 A
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I have found that I spend more time on the site than I should. I love reading the articles, figuring out what I can do to make myself healthier, posting, reading what others have to say, getting support, etc. So I've been thinking about setting a goal for myself limiting the time I actually spend on the site/computer.
When it comes to the points, that is just a personal goal for myself. It keeps me on track to ensure that I'm doing the right kinds of things on a daily basis. I'm firmly convinced that this is what has helped me establish good, life-changing habits over the last 4 months.
All this being said, I do think more emphasis on physical activity is appropriate.
Pam
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SHOOTER222
9/2/05 12:18 A
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Personally I could care less how many points I get for the month. I find it fun to sit on the computer in the evening when the kids are in bed, my exercise is done and I have had a good food day. Even if it is to post something silly like that I like tanning beds more than real sun bathing.
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I was pleased to find this thread. I have DEFINATELY noticed that amount of time I've wasted playing games at the cafe. Oh yes. I got in a competition the other night with another lady (an unspoken competition, but it was obvious), & got so obsessed with it that I stayed up late, lost sleep, & wasted bookoos of time at it. By the time it was over, I was even becoming tempted to cheat. While I realize everyone doesn't share my obsessive/compulsive behavior, I thoroughly agree with the original post here. I need to MOVE!
Two days before August was over, I took myself OFF of the Leaderboard. It had gotten beyond ridiculous for me. I have a life for goodness sake, & posting just for the sake of posting was missing the entire point of the site. (& of my life)
However, ONE GOOD POINT!!!! I DID get in the habit of posting more!!! I hardly participated in the boards at all before Sparkpoints, & now, even off the Leaderboards, I'm still posting to my favorite boards & to welcome new people, etc.
Jenn
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REDFLAGFLYING
9/1/05 6:52 A
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| I post all over the place and although my points have been high this past month, I'm not sure that I need them to be high inorder to feel successful. I do enjoy reading the articles, making some recipes, and keeping in touch with SP friends. I enjoy welcoming newcomers and letting them know we are here to support one another. It was very important to me to feel that support at the very beginning of my program when I had low self-esteem. I agree that the "other cardio" is important. Several of us have discussed how we are no longer having just "exercise time", but are more active throughout the day. I have all but finished painting my entire house (outside) in the last 6 weeks. I've done a couple of hours each day. I cut the grass 2-3 days each week which is probably 5 hours worth. (it grows fast here on Hatteras!) I think the points are good and each person gets something different from them, depending on their needs.
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We should also remember this is a website. The more involved with the website, the less likely you are to cancel your subscription and try to do it on your own. Positive reinforcement for investing yourself in the website is a great way to preserve the website. Follow the money.
But of course, these points are secondary (or at least should be) to the primary individual health goals. And their value is rather trivial.
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SOONERSUNFIRE
8/28/05 12:15 P
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Hmmmm. I think this is a very interesting subject!
My "support group" happens to be on the Cafe, so I definitely don't want to see points eliminated there!
That said, I do agree about the emphasis on sedentary activities. Cardio exercise definitely needs to be worth more than the posts! Also, I would like to see the "other exercises" max points raised. I spend one hour a day, three days a week doing weights workouts, and they don't count for very much point-wise. It's a little discouraging.
I also do not like the idea of taking points away from people who post a lot. Many people on this site are unable to do loads of cardio, and earning points for sedentary activities is a way that they can still feel like they are contributing to increasing their health. There's nothing wrong with that! So maybe increasing the number of exercise points that can be earned is the best solution.
Just my thoughts!
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| I have really enjoyed the articles. And the recipes are great
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| Frankly, I don't care about the points.. I post a lot because I like the people here and I enjoy their on-line support and friendship.. There are other web sites that I go to and post also and they don't "award" points for it. Its about the people, support, and the conversations not the points... I like my t-shirt but if I didn't get "awarded" one I wouldn't stop coming here... I agree that the SP system is a little "off" but you can always make up your own... Like any business I'm sure they are trying to please as many as possible, they are catering to a wide array of different types of people with different needs and different abilities....
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So those of us that actually read the articles can only get points for 3 articles per day. That one has never made sense to me, you get more points for just posting messages than you do for trying to get information about a healthy lifestyle. So I agree posting on the threads where you are either giving or asking for help should earn you more points. Spark points are a great idea, but what are we actually working towards? I received a t-shirt for reaching 100 posts, so I guess my question is what are the points for? I personally use them as a reward program for myself, after getting 200 points I get to buy myself something.
Well that's my 2 cents worth.
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STACIESHELDON
8/25/05 9:19 A
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I think that a fair solution would be to let people get their points posting like they have been but also let people earn more with exercise. I mean, you don't have to take away anything from the posting aspect to increase the exercise aspect.
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| I would like to point out that there are many many boards here that are trivial but there are a few that have dedicated supporters that check in every day with each other. These are the posts that really help each other and act as support groups. Even when I get to goal weight I will want to bring the others along in the group. What friends I have made here! The points don't carry a lot of weight but we do.
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SPARK_COACH_JEN
8/18/05 12:10 P
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Hi Beckie!
Thanks for the suggestion. We are actually looking at how we can make changes to SparkPoints to reward you more for exercise.
As far as rewarding for calories burned, I would think that would be a tough one since you burn more or less depending on how much you weigh. So if we did the same workout and I weigh more, I would burn more. But I understand the point you were making.
Thanks!
Coach Jen
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I can't stop thinking about this. So I was just thinking AGAIN!!!
I think it would motivate me more to workout if it was 1 point per minute up to 30 minutes max. Right now it maxes out at 12 points. and I would have to workout for 60 minutes to get the max. OR maybe so many points for X amount of CALORIES BURNED. Since I think a lot of people put in slow walking and others will put in Tae-bo. There is a HUGE difference in time and calories burned. I think this could be a better alternative.
And then maybe only 1 point per post max out at 5 or 7. instead of being able to get 15 points. Plus the bonus points for posts should be only 25 not 50.
OK, I think I have said enough now.
SORRY,
Beckie
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| THANKS. I thought both of them were linked together.
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SPARK_COACH_JEN
8/16/05 2:50 P
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Cuda,
You are awarded SparkPoints for the day the active is recorded for- so if on August 1 you put cardio into the Fitness Tracker for July 30th, those points would be added to your July total.
You are right about the 10 Million Minute Challenge. As it is right now, you can log minutes up to 2 weeks back and they count towards your current month's totals. We are working on a redesign for that site that should be completed by the end of the year, so look for changes coming soon!
Hope that helps!
Coach Jen
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I thought it was rather humorous that someone took the time to mathmatically figure this out. But noticed it is true.
I can't stand to even look at the Cafe board because that is all it is. I just stick the Challenges, Fitness, Diet etc ones.
I think a lot of people tend to add a whole weeks worth of workouts and it goes by the day they enter, not the actual day that it was done. So Monday (8/1) a bunch of people had to enter the cardio from July 24-31 which added a bunch of points to Aug totals. AND puts them at the top of the 10 Million minute fitness challenge. there are even a few that enter them 2 weeks after. I wish it could total for the ACTUAL month.
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Sparkpoints have no monetary value to them at all, so it really doesn't matter if you have 100 or 1,000 points at the end of the month or if you are at 1st place or last place, none of it matters. Everyone here are winners and the ultimate goal is to make a lifestyle healthy change.
I learn a great deal sitting in front of the computer reading articles. I love to try the recipes, because I get tired of fat free chips for snacks. I have learned so much about what I was doing wrong in my program, and how to structure myself better just from reading the articles. So the time that I spend in front of the computer reading articles have been a very rewarding experience for me. What each person does with their time is self controlling.
There are many people that can't get any points from exercise because they are not physically able, so they get points from other ways.
As far as getting the extra 50 points from posting on the cafe, I still say what different does it make. I may sit for a couple of days and post a lot, and then I may go for several days and not post at all, but not all of my extra points come from the cafe thread. I post equal amounts in the journals, food and exercise section, and I try to welcome most everybody. The points that are accumulated by the cafe does not mean a thing, it's just people having fun and playing games with their other SP friends. If they earn 50 or 150 points a day posting they have not hurt anyone, or taken anything away from someone else, they are just have some safe fun, that doesn't cost anything to do. No one has to participate on the leaderboard if they don't want to, but the ones that can do. It's all about choices.
Acutally I earn a lot of my extra points from cardio. Horeseback riding is listed in the cardio section and I spend anywhere from 4-8 hours a week riding. So it doesn't take long for 1000 minutes to add up.
At the end of each month, if you feel good about yourself, and are pleased with your accomplishments then points can not change anything.
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REARIN2GO
8/11/05 12:28 P
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