twitter-related stories
Twitter Scale - Tweet Your Weight, Shed Pounds?
Photo: Getty
I know what you're thinking: Why on earth would anyone want to post their weight on twitter? Withings, the French company behind this product, thinks that tweeting your weight will provide a you with a much-needed kick in the butt, "further motivating them by sharing their progress with followers," reported the LA Times. In other words, they want to shame you into sticking to your diet. It's a good concept in theory, but I have my doubts that this kind of 'shame' diet actually works.
What's your take? Would having your weight published on twitter motivate you or embarrass you horribly?
Best Breakfast, Signs You Exercise Too Much and More: Twitter Finds



Got any great advice for our Fit Follow Friday post? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!
This Halloween, Tweet What You Eat
Tweet Your Way to Weight Loss
While the idea of a food journal is not new, sharing it with thousands of strangers is. Users basically log on to Twitter and tweet every morsel they consume throughout the day. "Recently tweaten" foods are then totaled for calories and reported, along with your weight, to everyone. With more than 8,000 followers to date, creator, Alex Ressi claims it is the easiest food diary you'll ever keep.
There is also an online forum that allows users to post questions, support and feedback. Some tweet about having no idea how much they were really eating until it was on the screen in front of them. One twitter rejoiced about losing eight pounds in the last two weeks; another confessed to eating McDonald's every day for two months.
Surprising Sources of Fitness Inspiration
This week we asked, "Who's your fit inspiration?" Here's what these twitterers had to say.

Others chatting about this topic offered up these tweetspirations:



Read any good Tweets? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!
Marissa Jaret Winokur's New Diet Trick? Tweet Before You Eat
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Motivation
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| Marissa is sharing her weight loss struggles in a new blog. Photo: Mike Coppola, WireImage |
"It's kinda like my own little support group!" Winokur said. "I had never used Twitter before, but I thought what an easy way to beg for support while standing on line at the deli!" Winokur reported that she followed her "Before I eat, I shall tweet" diet commandment all weekend -- and it stopped her from ordering a vanilla latte at Starbucks (instead she went for the Americano, just 15 calories!).
"My fellow Tweeters (is that really a word?) gave praise and love when I ate some of Judah's chips! It's weird: The stranger support group works better then family. I guess strangers are like, "Come on, we can do this" while my family is more like, 'Oh, Marissa is on a diet again. Whatever, eat this red velvet cupcake... you know you love it!'"
Winokur's other diet triumph? Resisting the minibar in her hotel room. For those of you who go weak in the knees for an in-room candy bar, try Marissa's trick: She called the hotel ahead of time and asked them to lock the minibar. If you can't get to it you can't eat it, right?
Marissa recently sat down with That's Fit to share her other favorite diet and exercise tips. Check out the video below to learn more about Marissa's weight loss strategy and "Dance Your Ass Off."
Vegetarian, Vegan or Flexitarian Diet? - Twitter Fit Tips
Diet & Weight Loss, Alternative & Green Health
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| Photo: jupiterimages |
This week we asked, "Would you go/why have you gone vegetarian/vegan?" And these fit Twitters had these tweet replies:
dmtweets@Thats_Fit Started because I was allergic to meat and milk. Cut everything else because I believe it's right.
ColletteAM@Thats_Fit became vegetarian @ 11yo for animals, vegan @ 20yo when I had my 1st child so we could have a long healthy life together.
jend420@Thats_Fit Wouldn't go Vegetarian. Love vegs. Love animals. But no issues eating said animals. The body needs animal proteins, iron, etc.
thenewswineflu@Thats_Fit I could never, ever give up sushi. And I am aware of the Califauxrnia roll. Still, no way in hell :)
priorfatgirl@HealthPop I think I'm pretty close to being a Flexitarian
Get_Lean_Fast@HealthPop Would be hard...Chicken and fish have so much nutritional value
Your Biggest Fitness Challenge - Twitter Fit Tips
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation
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| jupiterimages |
This week we asked,"What's your biggest fitness goal or challenge?" Here's what these Twitterers had to say:
bodybypizza@HealthPop 6 months ago, tying my shoes used to be a 'big fitness challenge'. Now I'm training for a 10K!
priorfatgirl@HealthPop Goal: get to 100lbs lost by August 1st. 4lbs stand in my way - stay tuned!
fitsmi Great question. Being consistent in an exercise routine. Maintaining that is HARD.
lmbwrites@Thats_Fit My biggest fitness feat is kickboxing consistently for the past 7+ months and losing almost 40 pounds while doing it.
aggiegrl@Thats_Fit finishing P90x and getting amazing results!
Best Post-Workout Snack? - Twitter Fit Tips
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This week we asked, "What does your post-workout snack, or meal consist of?" And you offered up these tips:
NoLimits4me@That's_Fit - Usually a clean protein source and small amount of carbs/fat and 16 oz of water or organic green tea.
jend420@Thats_Fit post-wkout, I dont snack. I wait for dinner bc I dont think I burn enough cals to justify an xtra snack.
boschae@Healthpop I really like a Zone bar after a workout. Almost feels like having a candy bar, but good for you.
What's Your Guilty Pleasure? - Twitter Fit Tips
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| Getty Images |
This past week we asked (and confessed), "What's your most outrageous guilty pleasure treat/snack? (Ours would have to be fair treats: Kettle corn, funnel cakes and more!)"
Here's what our fellow getting-fit Twitterers had to say:
boschae@HealthPop Pralines and Cream ice cream covered in hot fudge with whipped cream and of course a cherry on top! Yummmmm!
bodybypizza@HealthPop NACHOSSSSSSSSSSS
jend420@Thats_Fit my guilty pleasure -- triple layer cheesecake we make at Thxgvg. Topped with ganache! What ISN'T amazing when topped in ganache?
Which is Better -- Exercising in Hot Weather or Cold? - Twitter Fit Tips
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This past week we asked, "Which do you like better -- exercising in hot, humid weather, or icy, windy?"
Here's what our fellow getting-fit Twitterers had to say:
boschae@HealthPop I have my treadmill on the deck in the shade for summer. Can't stand really hot weather but like the view! lol
LouLou197533@HealthPop Somewhere in between is probably ideal but if I had to pick one it'd be icy cold. Bring on the brr, brr, brr.
RemoveMyFatSuit@HealthPop hot, & humid =D I hate the COLD!!
choose2befit@HealthPop Hmmm...that's a toss up. Hate exercising when cold, but don't care to be TOO hot either. My vote is hot over cold.
Weighing in Live - New Online Diet Trend
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation
Once a lean teenager, personal tragedy led Gayle Jordan to emotional eating and weight gain, coming in at 234 pounds at her heaviest. In response, she tried NutriSystem, Alli, Body Bugg, Isagenix Cleanse and more, with no success. "The moment I would stop using the product the weight would come back times 10," Jordan says. She even considered weight-loss surgery, but when a friend experienced complications with LAP-band, she turned to the Internet for help. There, she discovered the body-and-mind-changing power of blogging, tweeting, live vlogging and good, old-fashioned exercise, in the form of CrossFit. As of her most recent weigh-in, she's hovering around 160 pounds, but she hopes to lose another 20 to 30. Here, she tells That's Fit about the latest online dieting trends.
That's Fit: On your blog -- RemovingMyFatSuit.com -- you post weekly weigh-in pictures, even when the numbers don't go down. How do people respond?
Jordan: I started this blog for me. I needed to get real with myself and that meant posting the scale pictures, good or bad. People need to see that not every week will be a good week but that doesn't mean you stop! Most [of the comments I get] are good, but like most online blogs you get that one percent of negative feedback, but that's life, and this is my journey.
Hugh Jackman, Twitter Diets and Dominos Breadbowls - Week in Review - May 11 to May 17
Get into your skinny jeans by lowering your stress levels. Laura will show you how.Dominos tried to deceive us, but Kristen got to the bottom of their Pasta Breadbowls in the end. There's a moral here: Eating out is tricky, and you can't believe everything you read on a food label.
Hugh Jackman was fit to begin with, but for his latest turn as Wolverine, he describes himself as "ridiculously fit." What do you think about Jackman's look?
Get a Michelle Obama-worthy set of guns, just in time for sleeveless season. Fitz will show you how.
Most of you aren't using Twitter as a diet aid just yet. It can be a valuable tool, but as Maggie warns, watch out for scams.
Marie Osmond and Valerie Bertinelli face off on whose diet is better. Come on, ladies. You both are looking and feeling great -- do we need to go there?
Hydroxycut has been pulled from the shelves, and Jonny's glad. There's no magic pill for fitness.
Americans may have a sedentary lifestyle, but obesity can be blamed more on diet than exercise.
Cheerios are not a drug, says the FDA, so they can't advertise cholesterol-lowering claims anymore. Does this mean they're going to start cracking down on other food manufacturer's claims?
You Don't Twitter Your Diet

- 52 percent of you aren't familiar with Twitter. Really? You mean you're not sharing the mundane details of your every moment with the Internet? (Seriously -- good for you. I don't Twitter either, but I do have a serious Facebook addiction that I need to seek rehab for.)
- 32 percent of you like Twitter, but you wouldn't want to use it for dieting updates. You don't want everyone to know that you're dieting. When you're trying to lose weight, it's important to have support. But it's wise to choose who you share information with; you want people who understand what you're going through and will really be in your corner.
- 16 percent of you do Twitter about weight loss. A lot of people have had good results with dieting and social networking.
And remember, while it can be a great source of support while dieting, Twitter might not be the best place to look for reliable weight loss information.
Twitter - Where is the Reliable Diet Information?
But if you're looking for reliable diet information, Twitter might not be your best friend. After all, it's not just average Joes and Janes tweeting about their day-to-day activities. Twitter is an ever-increasing tool for marketers touting their goods. Just take Twitter user "LoseWeight123" for example. Rather than useful, helpful dieting articles, they link to gems (and be sure you read the word gems with as much sarcasm as possible), such as "How to Get Your Wife With Ugly Belly Fat to Lose Weight" and "How to Lose 20 Pounds in Two Weeks." I have two words: Offensive and baloney. In actuality, they're selling a diet product. And you can read Jonny's Take to get some good information about unsafe diet products.
When browsing Twitter and similar sites, beware of marketing scams wrapped up as advice. The advice can be unhelpful at best and dangerous at worst. Stick to reliable sites when looking for information and raise a red flag whenever you see a specific product being advertised within the article. And remember, if you have a specific health or diet-related question, you should turn to experts such as your doctor, nutritionist or personal trainer.
































