Dec
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When I went to BlogHer last July, I spent a long bus ride jabbering in Kristin’s ear about my half-formed ideas involving a fitness website created for actual human beings. Instead of being designed to feed into insecurities or sell magazine subscriptions, it would be a place for people to share their stories and encourage each other. Instead of blathering endlessly about how to Get Bikini-Ready In Six Weeks!, it would offer individually written accounts of successes, struggles, how-to tips, workout reviews, recipes, and more.
The best thing about this website, I thought, is that the stories would be personal and real, and it would feel less like a marketing-driven LOSE WEIGHT NOW! self-esteem-suckfest, and more like a conversation among friends. It would be a motivating place to visit. Ideally, it would be enjoyable to read even if you didn’t give a shit about fitness.
Well, it’s taken a long time and there’s more work yet to do, but I am thrilled to show you Bodies in Motivation. Some amazing people have already contributed to this, and I am kind of insanely proud to share their stories with you.
I’ll be updating Bodies in Motivation as often as I can, publishing articles from folks and writing my own posts. I really hope you like it.
(Thanks to Kristin for encouraging me to go forward with this, and my friend Jon Bell for all the awesome web design work.)
congrats on setting up something new and exciting. Your fitness success is enough to inspire anyone–i’ll head on over and check out the new site.
Congratulations. You’ve done a really great thing. This may be just the tool I need to get back to my own fitness program.
Congrats are in order for producing a fitness website! I love the concept behind it and while I was just over there poking around I think I’m really going to enjoy it! AND benefit from it. I’m rather excited!
I’ve been a reader of yours for a while and trust me you’ve been more of an inspiration to me than any other writer I’ve come across. Watching the new you unfold since your first go round with diet and exercise and then again after your second son has encouraged me to live a healthier lifestyle. And so far it’s worked, I’ve lost 45 pounds to date.
Thank you!
RAD.
You’ve done an amazing job friend and I can’t wait to follow along on the ride.
Congrats and good luck!
Linda, the site looks awesome! I read quite a bit of it and totally found myself saying “Me too!”. Life has gotten in the way lately of my workouts and I WANT desperately to get back in the routine. I was having a torrid affair with a certain elliptical machine at the gym and I miss it.
Perfect timing to introduce your new site! I need the motivation!
YEEEESSSS! I’m so excited! I totally NEED this, and you are such a motivating person already. YAY!
Linda,
Well done – can’t wait to see where the site goes!
Wow Linda, the new site looks great! I am going over there right now to read more.
This is such a terrific idea (and the site design is beautiful!). I’m really looking forward to reading, and would love to contribute!
YAY! Linda, this is awesome. I already added it to my “favorites” and am getting ready to read every little bit of it right NOW!
Just wanted to drop you a line to say Great Job! and I LOVE IT. Oh and you ROCK!
Thank you!
How awesome! I’ll definitely be looking at it and waiting to step into the conversation after the baby gets here. My parents bought us a Wii and Wii Fit, so I’m interested in seeing how well I can use it to help lose the baby fat (and then some).
Also, I forgot to mention, I have a quiet motto I tell myself when I think about working out- “If Linda can do it, so can I.”
Long time reader, etc…. This looks ace! Congratulations on setting it up, can’t wait to check it out properly!
What a great idea, and exactly what I need right now. I could have written that lack of motivation piece for you, good lord do I need to get off my ass and DO SOMETHING.
Can anyone contribute their story/journey? Maybe a looming deadline will get me started.
the new site looks good! I like the idea! I love this one site, the weigh we were, for their stories, but I like that you are trying to cover more than *just* the end result. It’s the process that screws me over every time. I’m at 286 and even a quick talk with Jillian Michaels (from Biggest Loser) hasn’t gotten my ass going. Maybe this will perk me up a bit!
Dude – I have soooo much work to get done today, but all I want to do is read EVERY WORD on your new website :)
I’ve FINALLY gotten myself back into a routine of hitting the gym at least 4 days a week and it feels so good! Running a marathon 2 years ago totally burned me out and it’s taken this long to stop being lazy :) I still have around 10lbs/4% body fat to take care of before I can wear everything in my closet – but I’ll get there!
Congrats! The new site looks great.
Oh, sweet! It looks great and I can’t wait to start reading.
I don’t even know you and I’m so proud of you! This was great inspiration for me this morning. Not to make me exercise, but to make me take an IDEA and run with it. Good for you, sister. (And the design is fab.)
Awesome! And Congratulations! I’ve been working out regularly (finally!) for the last couple of months, and I’m thrilled about your new site! Some of your fitness related posts here really inspired me to get my ass in gear.
Congratulations! It’s beautiful, and very cool to see an idea come to fruition like that.
Please don’t be offended, however, if I don’t visit until after I get rid of the parasite, because I don’t want anything to get in the way of my guilt-free pregnant eggnog drinking and cookie hoovering. Thinking of getting back into shape while still on a three-month path to becoming even more … round … is too depressing for words.
Amazing! can’t wait to start reading. Any and all positive motivation is much appreciated!
I love the new site. I am all about real former fat stories and the truth that it sucks to get there, sucks to maintain it but damn it looks good.
Know what I’d really love to see on your new site (and congratulations on getting that going, BTW)? A Health at Every Size blogger/contributor. Fitness is a worthy goal in itself, even it’s not about losing weight, and having that perspective represented on a general-interest health and fitness site would be a breath of fresh air.
It would also be great to see an older (60+) contributor or two, especially if she got into fitness late in life. Maybe you could recruit Aunt Linda into starting an exercise program, if she doesn’t have one already.
YAY!
I know this sounds super corny and cheesy but I have to say it….I am sooo proud of you! You are so inspiring, not only with your weight loss but your ability to set a goal and go for it….for not choosing to settle but for continuing to challenge yourself to try new things. When you talk about your past and you being an alcoholic, I can’t even imagine it. Just think of how far you’ve come and how much you’ve accomplished! You should be so proud. Congratulations. :o) I am sooo happy for you.
Congrats Linda on going for it, bringing a vision to fruition, and doing it all so well! I will be competing in my first triathlon in July (it’s a sprint…don’t get too excited!) and I’ll be looking to your site for lots of motivation!
I am tickled that I got to write for you, and look forward to what else goes on over there.
It’s an ongoing battle, this health and fitness thing, and we need all of the (Honest) help we can get.
This is so wonderful, Linda. I’ll have my first child this February, and I’m already nervous/apprehensive about the weight-loss journey I’ll be on come then. This site is going to be a great motivator for me. Really, you’re inspiring on so many fronts. Thanks.
It’s wonderful Linda! I just added it to my feeds (also love that it is full feed in Google reader) and read everything. I’m so impressed. Thanks for the motivation!
Yeah! This is great news. I’ve been meaning to send you an obsequious and overly-loving fan letter for a while now. Because of your post “3 Months” and your recommendations, I’ve been doing 30 Day Shred for a little over a month, and while I haven’t done the measurements again. I’ve lost inches, pounds, and clothing sizes. I’m so thankful to you for motivating me to get off my butt.
What a refreshing concept for a fitness site-REAL people with REAL issues and solutions.
Nice work, Linda :)
Congratulations, Linda. I just spent 20 minutes poking around. I can’t wait to read it all. Thank you for doing this. You are so motivating on this website, I can only imagone one totally devoted to fitness.
The new site is awesome! I totally needed something like this right now. :)
Awesome. You look fantastic, and have been such an inspiration to me. I unfortunately have not had much success despite a lot of lifestyle changes, but maybe your site will help me keep it up.
LOVE the new site!!! Thank you!
I think you’re awesome.
Cool! Thanks for doing this, Linda. Looking forward to checking it out.
This is awesome. Just what I need to get me started up again, after all, new year’s is right around the corner…
Thanks so much!
Awww, it’s like you had another baby and didn’t even tell us you were pregnant! Congrats on the new website, it looks fantastic!
Wow, how exciting! I can’t wait to uh…start working out again…so that I can implement the new site and contribute my success story too! I love the design on it and can’t wait to read more.
Awesome! I’m so proud of you! How wonderful to see an idea come to fruition…
Love the new site. Thank you, thank you, thank you for producing a fitness site that doesn’t make want to vomit!
Amazing! I read every article! I too am sick of the magazines and websites promoting unrealistic attempts at losing weight. Bodies in Motivation not only has amazing tips, great stories and yummy recipes, but it looks great too! Good luck with this and keep pumping out those posts!
Great new website! I have those last 10 lbs to lose after having my son so I will be a regular on the site. Congrats and am thrilled for you! Maybe you can eventually quit the day job. Keep up the good work!
Perfect timing. My BFF and I are embarking on a new weight loss plan.
Cant wait to check out the new site and be INSPIRED.
That is such a stellar idea! I actually work at a magazine, although not one of those “lose six pounds in 10 days” ones. We’re all about being empowering, and that’s exactly what your site is. Congratulations.
Congrats! I’m embarking on my own fitness struggle right now. And wow, do I admire your progress now that I’m trying to work out.
Wow, Linda! This is so cool! I definitely need motivation. Congratulations on your new venture!