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Countdown to the Big Day…

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If you have an idea for a button or want a custom phrase on one, let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to accommodate!

We apologize for the later notice about the conference room rate. The Marriott was in the process of launching their new reservation system. Now have our own web site!

The standard room conference rate is $215, which includes in-room Internet this time. Click here to visit the location page with all the hotel information and reservation link.

Note: Reserve your rooms as soon as possible even if you aren’t sure you are coming. The conference is the same weekend as the Preakness and rooms go fast in Baltimore for the famous horse race (It’s one of the reasons I couldn’t get the rate lowered even more.) Just remember you can always cancel your reservations if plans fall through!

Oh! and remember.. feel free to use the Who’s Comin’ page comments to look for roomies!

If you have an idea for a topic that you want to see covered at the conference leave it in the comments below. We can’t promise to cover it all but we’ll do our best!

How about speaking? Have an idea or skill you’d like to share with the attendees at FitBloggin’11? Click here if you are interested in speaking or being a panelist.

This year FitBloggin is a two-day event that will kick off with some fabulous fun fitness activities Friday morning. The conference will continue with the Expo area opening Friday afternoon and a full day of scheduled sessions on Saturday. Sunday is left free for blogger-planned meet-ups and activities.

Join the conversation on twitter using the hashtag #FitBloggin and don’t forget to friend us on Facebook!

Click here to register today!

We are *this* close to having a concrete date and location for FitBloggin’11. THIS CLOSE!

To make up for lack of updates may I offer a peace treaty.

If you would like a review copy of The 10 Min. Solution Wii game please contact Melissa at Melissa-FitPR@verizon.net

If you’ve already received a copy from attending FitBloggin’10 please let us know what you think! I haven’t gotten a chance to try it out for myself just quite yet.

Stay tuned for updates! They are coming soon!

Everyday there is more buzz about building positive body image in the healthy living blogosphere. It has been the hot topic in blog conferences, on twitter, and is the ultimate goal for many bloggers. We strive daily to utilize our blogs to record our personal journeys of becoming our best selves, whether that be losing weight, implementing exercise routines, or working to love ourselves each day a little bit more than the day before. As a community, we are building networks around these goals, supporting one another, and reaching out as a means of keeping ourselves honest to our personal struggles and obstacles that we work to overcome – in front of a live audience.

Having an impaired body image negatively impacts our lives in a myriad of ways, such as: getting dressed in the morning, our ability to find (and keep) healthy relationships and positive sexual experiences, having the confidence to excel professionally, and raise happy, healthy children. When you suffer from a negative body image, it is though a rock is thrown into a pond, and there is no aspect of our lives that the ripples do not touch. If this personal issue remains unrecognized, we suffer, very personally, on a daily basis in both small, large, and complicated ways.

Often, negative body image is a result of having learned at some point in our lives that we are imperfect. This traumatic incident can come from almost anywhere, and can range in severity, but the effect is the same – we have learned somewhere along the way that we are: worthless, unlovable, fat, stupid, slow, [insert painful experience here], and we have internalized that message, allowing it to fester shamefully somewhere deep in our hearts. We have learned to make our bodies the ultimate scapegoat for all of our subsequent failures, and have fixated on it as a catalyst – Someday when I am [thinner, prettier, married, in a relationship, in better shape, a size six, etc. etc.] I will be happy. My life will be perfect.

Writing therapy has long been touted by mental health professionals as a tool for sexual trauma and domestic violence victims, as it allows the victim to recreate the experience in their own words, thereby increasing their agency, and their ability to regain control of what is often a very out-of-control experience. How can we take these tools and implement them in our own body image recovery? That is exactly what many bloggers are quickly finding out, as they use their blogs to slowly reinforce their negative self perception and body image, instilling confidence, and reaching out around the globe to find others that sympathize and are strengthened by the similarities in their own personal struggles.

How can you use online writing to reinforce and mend your body image?

• Above all else – be honest. When you are honest about your experiences, you inspire honesty and strength in others. You never know who are you are going to impact with your blog – or who is reading it from far away that might be struggling with the same issues that you are. Honesty is community building. Honesty is refreshing. Not ready to be publicly honest? Write about your body and your emotions in the privacy of your own house. Dedicate a journal to it. Tell yourself that you are safe to unleash all of the negativity that you’ve been storing up in your heart. Bottom line – get it out of your head and onto a piece of paper.
• Find some writing prompts to get you started. Did you love a post that you read? Did it inspire you to write your own version of the story? Do it! Contact that the writer of the post and let them know how much you loved it and identified with it. Create a post on your own blog linking it back to the original. Doing this will generate a community around the issue that you are grappling with, and you never know what kinds of supportive comments your post will garner. Looking for some prompts to write about in your private body image journal? Check out my Body Loving Homework, these prompts are easy, accessible, and can be done in the privacy of your own home.
• Become friends with other body positive bloggers on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media networking sites. Build relationships with them. Generally people are happy to help, share their experiences, and support you as you work to overcome some of your personal obstacles. Extend yourself. Ask questions.There are plenty of people out there that have had similarly heartbreaking experiences! Band together and support one another as you pledge to love your body a little bit more everyday.
• Elicit support and love from your readers. Was a post that your wrote particularly painful or difficult for you? Say so. Again, be honest about your personal experiences. Likely when you extend yourself to your readers or blogging community, you will receive that love and trust back ten fold. Do you want to know what others think? Ask them. I’m sure they will be more than happy to comply.
• Do not be intimidated by the smallness of your blog, or your position on the weight/fitness spectrum. We all have to start somewhere, and what I’ve found is that when it comes to damaged body image or perceptions of self worth – the number on the scale is not a good indicator. You will be surprised by how many people identify with your struggle. Damaged body image knows no boundaries, it can be as strong within someone who is a size 2 as someone who weight 450 pounds – pain is pain, so reach out to other bloggers within your community and do not be fooled into thinking that someone has it all figured out just because they have a huge following or are the perfect example of fitness and health. We are all working to love ourselves more, and this is a struggle that deserves all of the tenderness, support, and strength that we can collectively muster.

Have a post idea? Want to publicize you and your blog? FitBloggin’ is now accepting guest posts on all Fit Blogging topics! From monetizing to marathon training tips. We want to cover it all for the FitBlogger. If you’d like to submit a guest post simply shoot us an email at posts@fitbloggin.com

May I present… Using Social Media to Reach Goals: The Power of an Online Community. A fascinating discussion from some of the best online community builders I know.

Connecting with people who share our viewpoints, can support us through challenges and cheer us on — well, that’s the reason we all blog, right? And that’s certainly what events like Fitbloggin’ are all about.

But there’s a a fine line between community and clique, and recently it seems more and more bloggers are finding themselves left out and feeling vulnerable. Take a look at some of the comments made during a recent Fitblog Chat on Twitter:

wearingmascara: I’ve felt this since day 1 of blogging 2-years ago. It’s hard to not get sucked in and feel left out. Almost like high school.

yourinnerskinny: I feel left out because of the fact I’m a guy in a girls world

leavingfatville: As a newbie, I’m so far behind everyone. I feel like trying to break in is akin to eavesdropping/butting in on private convos.

MissyRayn: I don’t feel I fit in a lot because my blog isn’t a food blog or isn’t a huge blog. But just being willing to read things helps.

Nobody got into blogging as a way to shut anyone out — so I’m not playing the blame game…I’m simply asking that we all take a step back and make sure we’re not contributing to the problem.

Here’s one thing I’ve noticed recently, and I fear it may be contributing to the growing sense of isolation for some bloggers…

There’s been a lot of describing what we’re not:

• I’m not (enter age/lifestage here)
• I’m not (enter dietary choice here)
• I don’t (enter exercise regimen here)
• I don’t (do giveaways/accept freebies/wear purple/have long hair/etc.)

instead of what we are. I get it — one of the best ways to identify yourself and your blogging style is to describe what sets you apart from the crowd. But the second you focus on what you aren’t, even when you aren’t trying to be judgmental, you isolate people that are those things.

It’s hard to feel like you can connect with someone who is different than you when they’ve laid down a definitive bullet point list of specific lifestyle choices they have eschewed. And it’s easy to wonder if you, yourself, are wrong for being any of those things.

I’m not asking you to give up even a small part of your personality. I’m not telling you to censor yourself or you viewpoints. I’m simply asking that you take a step back and remember that you are blogging for two big reasons: yourself and your community. In defining yourself, don’t shut out your community.

Here’s my challenge — come up with a mission statement for your blog. Focus on what you are rather than what you’re not:

• I blog because
• I am proud of
• I choose to
• I feel good when

And if you ever feel yourself focusing on the things you’re not — go back and rewrite your mission statement.

Finally, take the advice from some of the big brains doled out during that same Fitblog Chat on Twitter:

LowFatKat: I think being open to reading, considering thoughts from others who aren’t your “blends” is super-important

VoiceinRecovery: You all have a voice. We don’t have to always agree. There is much to learn from respectful dialogues where we disagree

RonisWeigh: I hate when people feel left out. blogging is about finding your voice not trying to fit in with others. Do your own thing!

workoutmommy: There will always be cliques. Just hold your head high and find your tribe. (and screw those who don’t like you, lol!)

Nicci_NiftyEats: I try to not be in a clique and love all bloggies equally!

AndSoIRan: I don’t do cliques, I think it’s silly and we should all support each other and learn from each other

If you’re feeling left out, here’s one tweet that really stuck with me…if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em:

burp_excuzme: The blog world is like high school. There’ll always be labels and cliques. But there is always a group to fit in.

And if you want to connect with bloggers from all across the healthy living world, check out our weekly Twitter chat. Everyone that comes does so to engage and communicate — no cliques allowed!

Have a post idea? FitBloggin’ is now accepting guest posts on all Fit Blogging topics! From monetizing to marathon training tips. We want to cover it all for the FitBlogger. If you’d like to submit a guest post simply shoot us an email at posts@fitbloggin.com