The following details my social media experiment to lose weight.
PROBLEM: I am too fat.
HYPOTHESIS: I can lose weight via a combination of E-Health home monitoring technology and positive and routine input from my social media communities.
EXPERIMENT DESIGN: I will use a web enabled scale to automatically populate my weight to the Internet. Additionally I will elicit support from the Internet via Facebook and Twitter.
VARIABLES:
- In order to begin a weight loss process, I will change certain food intakes: No Aspertame, limited high fructose corn syrup, no chocolate, limit daily food intake to 1,800 calories maximum (reduced from 2,600 on July 30 due to the community recommendation).
- In order to initiate a healthier metabolism, I will change the way I move: 2x 15 minute walks per day, 20-30 minutes of sustained exercise per day.
- In order to maintain committed to the weight loss process and keep a positive state of mind, I will interact with multiple people via social media outlets: via Twitter and Facebook, via HealthTechnica.com updates
(I ask that readers of HealthTechnica.com leave comments of suggestion and support on this page, and interact via Twitter and Facebook).
DATA COLLECTION: Data will be collected and displayed on this page via multiple widgets for all to see.
APPLICATION: Application will be shared with others for use by individuals that believe they can benefit from a non-tradition weight management method. Data will be shared openly to anyone looking to apply this concept to an E-Health strategy or Patient Centered Medical Home model.
Any additional questions or information requests can be directed to the comments section of this page.
Thank you for your support!
Shawn R.
My trended weight:
DATA: Baseline started June 28th – July 5th. Experiment launched July 6, 2010 to conclude December 31, 2010.
Got your tweet-for-help.
IMO, you’re eating too much and moving too little.
I think one of the most important things to do is to incorporate walking into your daily routine, both as you go about your day to day activities and as exercise. You’re doing some of that – but thirty minutes is not enough.
Can you walk or bike to work? Can you take the stairs instead of an elevator? In addition, are you putting your groceries in a cart or carrying them by hand? Think of all the little things you do (or don’t do) during the day. When you’re sitting, move around, fidget.
Do you have somewhere pleasant to walk? Do you have a walking partner or doggie? An ipod? The trick is to make this pleasurable. Walk (or bike) at least one hour a day. This should be in addition to more strenuous exercise. Exercise can be more walking
or anything you enjoy. Ideally as I’m sure you know you should include strength training and flexibility.
Main point is to move more and make it fun.
I have too agree. Too much food.
Hi Shawn,
So glad to have found you! Yours is a glorious effort but, just to make sure you succeed, I suggest you visit Calorie Count to run your stats through the tools and your intake through the analysis to be sure your diet is healthy – and you like it. I say all of this as a registered dietitian for 30+ years, and not just because I am the Director of Nutrition for Calorie Count. Really, I have seen all ways of helping people to lose weight and this one is really something – and it is free! (No catch. We have a Pay-per-click model.) Anyway, I have a Q+A column,” Ask Mary, your Personal Nutritionist”, under the Advice tab at Calorie Count. I look forward to following your progress.
Mary Hartley, RD, MPH
Do you have an iPhone / iPad app for Calorie Count?
Go get’ em Shawn.
Knowledge is power.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM
About 45 minutes into this one, he discusses the metabolism of various sugars and alcohol from a biochemical perspective. Very useful knowledge that has given me the incentive I needed to avoid some of the sugars that we encounter at every (EVERY) social function. Summer is a time of sweet treats; it’s hard to attend a graduation, wedding, or picnic without being bombarded with simple carbohydrates. Knowing what this guy knows gave me the “won’t power” – and I find that the less sugar I eat, the better salads taste. And believe me, I am NOT a lettuce person…