Go Team COTH!

Okay, so I need some extra motivation. I didn't even realize that I did until someone posted a thread on COTH about a weight loss clique. I didn't even read through all of the posts until I jumped in and joined. Then I went back and started re-reading what I had skipped.

It looked like everyone was joining a website called SparkPeople. I began looking around, and am thoroughly impressed with the site. It's free to join, and allows you to track what you ate, how much exercise you got, how much water you drank and other goals. You can use their goal suggestions or create your own. You are rewarded for staying on track with points. You are given meal-plan suggestions that you can chose to follow or not. They have weekly weigh-ins. They have options where you can chose to track your blood pressure, blood sugar, mood, sleep quality, and stress level, if you so desire. This is like the "WebMD" weight loss site on steroids. I love it.

My favorite part about this site? They have an extra "community" aspect. Members can join "teams" where everyone on the team is working to accumulate points. This is EXACTLY the motivation I need. When I am working out for me, myself, and I, I don't get very upset if I have to miss a workout or two (or ten). When I have a team that needs my points, I feel SO guilty for not pitching in, that I tend to become an overachiever.

So, the kind ladies on COTH started a COTH team. So far we have 17 members. I am so excited to have some form of a support group- especially since they are all horse-people, too, and they understand exactly what I am trying to achieve when I say "I want to lose weight to become a better rider."

I joined the site last night, and today is my first full day of my new "lifestyle makeover." If you'll excuse me, I have to go walk my dog so I can get an extra point for my team...