Basics

What is Weightcircles?

Weightcircles is a community for healthy weight loss. Anyone can join, on any weight loss plan or none at all. Our goal is to create a community of support and encouragement so you can stick to your plan.

To join, simply click on the JOIN link at the top right of every page. You will be asked to fill in just a little bit of information.

After you join, be sure to fill in your profile, so that others know a little bit about you and so we can match you to circles.

What Can I Do at Weightcircles?

You can:

• Browse around and read what others are doing
• Leave encouraging comments for others
• Blog about you and your weight loss, and include pictures
• Join Conversations to talk to a circle or to everyone
• Join Circles and get to know others like you
• Read Articles about weight control
• Rate and review Products that help with weight loss

How much does it cost to join Weightcircles?

Weightcircles is 100% free!

How can I find my password if I forgot it?

• When you try to log in, and your password doesn't work, you'll be taken to a page that has a "reset password" link.
• We will send you an email with a new password
• Use that password to log in
• Go to the Account page to change your password to something you'll remember

How do I change my password?

• After you log in, choose the "Account" link in the upper right of your screen.
• On this page you'll find a form to reset your password.
• You can choose any password, including one you've used before. Must be at least 4 characters long with no spaces.

What if I forget my username?

If you forget your username, send us an email at info@weightcircles.com and BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS. We will email you your username.

What if something on my page, like blogs or Edit Profile, doesn't seem to be working?

We wish it wasn't true, but we do sometimes have bugs. We want to fix them - so please tell us if you have a problem!

The more technical details you can provide, the better - please tell us 1) what you were doing right before the problem happened 2) what screen did you see when the problem happened (an error message? A blank screen?) and 3) what type of browser (IE, Firefox) and internet connection (DSL, Cable, Dial-up) you have and send it to us at info@weightcircles.com.

We'll do our best to fix your problem!

My Home Page

What's the difference between My Home and My Profile?

My Home is a page that only you see, that shows you what other people in your circles are doing and recent activity on the site. It also shows you some private information, like your Bookmarks.

My Profile is information about you - your profile information, your blogs, circles, and conversations you've participated in. Other people can see all this information about you too.

What are Bookmarks?

A Bookmark is a way to keep track of someone on the site that you find interesting or inspiring or you want to keep track of. You can Bookmark someone easily by clicking the "Bookmark" link on their profile page. Don't forget to check back with your Bookmarks from time to time to leave them some encouragement.

How can I delete a Bookmark?

Just click on the "Manage Bookmarks" link to get a list of all your bookmarks. You can check those you want to delete and click the "Delete" button.

How do I mark a tip as a Favorite?

You can mark other people's tips as Favorites when you're browsing around the site. You can delete them again if you want to by clicking "Manage Favorites".

My Profile Page

Who can see my profile?

Anyone can see your profile, the information is public. Do not post pictures or information that you don't want others to see.

Do I have to fill out my weight?

Certainly not! Some people like to track their weight loss publicly, but you don't have to.

How do I upload a picture?

Just click on the "Manage Photos" button in the Photos section on the bottom right hand side of "My Profile" page. Use the "Browse" button to find the picture on your computer, and click "Save" to upload.

If you don't want to upload a picture, you can still choose a thumbnail picture from our lovely selection of fruits and veggies (of course).

Blogs

Why should I blog?

Blogging:

• helps you think through your challenges and issues
• clarifies your plan by putting it on paper
• tracks your progress, physically and emotionally
• makes you feel accountable to actually do what you said you would
• helps others know how to support you

How do I write a blog and what should I write about?

Blogging is informal writing, and you don't have to spend a lot of time thinking about what you write.

To get started, click on the "New Blog Posting" button on your profile page. Start with a title and get writing. It's easier for others to read if you leave a space between paragraphs.

You can write about anything - but if you need ideas, we have a list of blog topics for you:

Goals and Motivations

• Why I want to lose weight
• My biggest weight control challenges
• If I could change one habit to lose weight, it would be...
• Diet or exercise, which is tougher?
• How my lifestyle affects my weight
• All about my bad habits (and how I'm going to change them)
• All about my bad habits (and which one I'm going to work on this week)

Daily Blogging

• Today's food diary
• Today's exercise diary
• Exercise plan for the day
• Eating plan for the day
• Today's challenges
• Today's challenges and how I overcame them!

Support from Others

• The support I get (or not) from people around me
• How others can encourage me
• I could use some encouragement today because...
• A story about someone I know who was successful in losing weight

My History

• My personal weight loss history
• What I've done that would inspire others
• Challenges I've overcome
• My biggest success
• How I lost weight before
• How I felt about food when I was a kid
• Food and my mother
• Weight loss plans I've tried, and how they worked (or not!)

Diet

• All about my diet plan
• How I chose my diet plan
• Ten things I like to do instead of eating
• My favorite foods
• My least favorite foods
• My favorite foods that are actually ON my diet
• What my kids eat and why

Exercise

• All about my exercise plan
• Working exercise into my busy schedule
• Making exercise a habit
• My favorite exercise
• My favorite sport, and the last time I played
• My least favorite exercise, and why I do it anyway
• Ten ways I like to burn calories
• How I exercise with my family

Society

• How society undermines our weight control efforts
• Why my job makes it hard to lose weight
• Why my lifestyle makes it hard to lose weight
• Changes our community can make to encourage healthy lifestyles
• Changes I've made that contribute to a healthier community
• Changes I've made to help my family live healthier

Challenges

• The hardest part of losing weight
• My biggest weaknesses
• French fries, ice cream, and other sins
• Tales of a nighttime snacker
• True confessions
• How I overcame temptation
• My secrets for sticking to my plan
• I fought the ____ and the _____ won

Weekly Challenge

• Why I picked this week's goal
• How I met my goal this week
• Why I didn't meet this week's goal, and what I learned from that
• Choosing a realistic goal for the Weekly Challenge
• How the Weekly Challenge keeps me motivated!

Other

• What I like about Weightcircles
• What I did this weekend
• My upcoming vacation
• About me and my family
• Why I'm beautiful (regardless of weight)

How can I add a picture to my blog?

When you write your blog, there is a box at the bottom called Images. Click on the "Browse" button to choose a file from your computer. When you click on the "Save" button the picture will be uploaded to your blog.

How do I edit or delete my blog?

Stay tuned - we're still working on a way to do this!

Circles

Why are Circles important?

Once you've joined a circle, your Blogs, Conversations, and other activity will show up on the MyHome page of your circle members. You have to be a member of circles to get connected with others.

How do I find circles to join?

You can find circles by browsing the Circles page, or you can fill out your Profile by clicking "Edit Profile" on the profile page. Be sure to answer questions on all 4 tabs. When you come back to MyProfile page, you'll see some suggested circles. To join them, simply click on the circle name to go to the Circle page, and click the "Join" button. It's that easy!

Can I leave a circle after I've joined it?

Yes, you can. Simply go to the Circles page and click the "Unjoin" button.

Can I create my own circle?

Yes, you can create your own Circle. Go to the Circles page and click the "Create a Circle" button. You will need to add a description. You can add a photo too if you like. You can also choose whether you want the membership to be Open - which means anyone can join - or Closed - which means others have to ask to join and you can decide whether to accept them.

Once you've created your circle, you can leave comments for other members inviting them to join your circle

What does "member-created" mean?

Member-created circles are those that are created by members instead of by Weightcircles. We are amazed at the creative Circle ideas our members come up with.

Can I join a member-created circle?

Member-created circles can be Open or Closed. If they are Open, you can join the Circle just like any other. If they are Closed, you can ask to join, and the person who created it can accept or reject your request.

Conversations

What is the difference between a Conversation and a Blog?

A Blog is a place for you to share your thoughts, feelings, or information - it's you talking to the world. A Conversation is a way to start a topic and let everyone add their own thoughts.

What is the difference between a General Conversation and a Circle Conversation?

General Conversations are show to everyone on the site, and Circle Conversations are just shown to members of one Circle. If you want to ask a Circle a specific question, start a Circle conversation.

Can I delete a Conversation?

Once you've started a conversation, it's out there! If that bothers you, let us know!

Messages

How do I send a message to another member?

You can go to the Member's profile page, and click the "Send Message" button at the bottom of the Comments section. Or, if you know their username, you can send a message from your Messages page.

Are messages private?

Yes, Messages are private. The only person who can see your Message is the user to whom it is addressed.

We'd like to remind you to use caution when revealing any personal information to people you meet on the internet. You should not give out your address, full name, or other personal information unless you are sure you can trust the recipient. If you want to meet another member to exercise together, we suggest meeting in a public place, at least the first time.

Can I delete messages or view my sent messages?

You can delete messages on your Messages page. You can't view your sent messages yet - but we're working on this is it should be available soon!

Product Reviews

What are Product Reviews?

Our Product Directory is a list of all kinds of products that might be used by someone who watches their weight - health, beauty, exercise, and food products as well as weight loss products. The Directory is created by Weightcircles, but the ratings and reviews are done by members. We encourage members to rate and review products to help others know what works and what doesn't.

How do you know the reviews are real?

Anytime you have a public website, there's the chance that spammers will try to put up false or misleading reviews. Weightcircles makes every effort to monitor these reviews and is willing to delete reviews that it feels are false. If you suspect a review is false, please report it at info@weightcircles.com.

Can I add a product?

If you have a suggestion for a Product to add to the Directory - a product you've used or even a product that you sell, please send us the suggestion at info@weightcircles.com.

Are some products sponsored?

Yes, we do sell premium listings in the Directory. These listings are shown first, highlighted, and have a link to the product website. If you are interested in purchasing a premium listing for your product, contact us at info@weightcircles.com.

Articles

What are Articles?

Weightcircles is primarily about supporting one another, but we found that so many members didn't know how to get started, that we added a section with Articles about the basics of healthy weight loss and how to get started.

Who writes the Articles?

The Articles are written either by Weightcircles staff or by freelance writers who have background or knowledge about the topic they're writing on. If you are interested in submitting an article to Weightcircles, contact us at info@weightcircles.com.

What do the ratings mean?

As with most things at Weightcircles, we felt it was important to get member input. Members can rate Articles and can also submit comments with their response to the Articles.