Long-term VFers, what motivates you to stay here while others left after a short time

[lfcjasp]

Where else is there to go? Okay, okay...if you're not into fitness, interested in fitness videos...there may be lots of other places....actually there are:embarassed: Anyway I've called VF my cyber/online home and so it is. And VFers are like my family..."where they call me one of their own"

[paideiamom]

Well, I am not a long timer, but I have been here a while.
I consider you all my friends with benefits .

Y'all are the best friends because you don't ask me to babysit or let your electrician in or pick up your mail or drive you to the airport. You are there when I turn the 'puter on, but if I just can't deal with you at the moment, you just patiently wait. If I need motivation, you motivate; if I need commiseration, you commiserate, while telling me that you are ready to kick my butt when I want my butt kicked.

And if for nothing else, the Cathe threads are worth the price of admission.

[Whimzee]

It's hard to add anything new to this thread. You've all said it so well. Thanks for everyone's input, help and motivation!

[Laura S.]

Originally Posted by Lexy

You know I love you and your sweet self. I'm just doing my part so you don't sway to the "sickening" side.

And that points out another reason I stay here - the check ins (seriously!). They are probably my main source of motivation. When I first started exercising and joined VF (all at the same time), I would exercise because I didn't want to show up in my check in without something to report. Since then, they have expanded to represent a lot more to me in terms of support and fun and friendship.

[sandi]

I check in daily, but mostly lurk. I consider VF a'fitness google'.

It's all your fault I have kettlebells (2 Katami DVDs from Mary today), a Wii (Walk It Out), DDR Dance pads, several Beachbody systems, a spin bike, 2 rebounders (just got the JumpSport), treadmill, cardio coach etc....The preceeding confirms my extensive lurking - Debbie S, Renda, Sue B, Barb (Horsemom), KateTT, the Crone's and the list goes on.

My DD age 26 has started tri's, and is using my P90X now. She asked for KB's last Christmas. My DS age 24 received AOS ropes and dvd's last year, and I just received a kettlebell set to surprise him this Christmas. DD age 28 is into pilates. They all use me as a resource, and I wouldn't be so informed without y'all.

With so many neat folks, I can't decide on a check-in group. I do usually participate in the New Year's Eve workout marathon.

Other fitness forums are too hard core are have tunnel vision for only one workout type. VF seems like a group gathered in someone's kitchen - there's even recipe sharing.

Cozy, personal, caring and well informed. Thank you for being there.

[Dorothy J]

Originally Posted by Laura S.

It's where I get the motivation and information to keep going with my fitness efforts. And, like the theme from Cheers said:

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.

Originally Posted by Lexy

I'm here cuz I have no life.

I love the inspiration.
I love the friendships.
I love the atmosphere.

And VF gets my butt moving when the butt doesn't feel like doing much of anything.

Originally Posted by paideiamom

Y'all are the best friends because you don't ask me to babysit or let your electrician in or pick up your mail or drive you to the airport. You are there when I turn the 'puter on, but if I just can't deal with you at the moment, you just patiently wait. If I need motivation, you motivate; if I need commiseration, you commiserate, while telling me that you are ready to kick my butt when I want my butt kicked.

And if for nothing else, the Cathe threads are worth the price of admission.

What else can I say? VF is my home on the big, busy, overwhelming Internet...

[Jacqi A]

The internet has always been light purple for me. I've been here for YEARS.

[CarlaShanti]

This is where I find out about all the fitness trends and new workouts, and the only place I know where I can say, hey, I just did 20 on-toes press ups in a row and have people congratulate me instead of just looking puzzled.

[aunatural]

I read the forum for about six months before I joined. I'm still here and posting because I like that all fitness levels are represented here. So, whether you're a hardcore two hours a day type or just starting out, there are always others here you can identify with. I also love the reviews, the exchange, bargain watch, annual secret santa gift exchange, and the share the wealth threads. I admire the generosity and trust that is proffered to people we've never met.

[Barbara P]

Wow! What a great question.

Well even though the earliest join date you will see on this forum is November, 2001, that is just the date of the "new software." The forum existed for several years before that, however, it went through several incarnations and looked *much* different than it does today.

I joined not long after its founding, I joined in May 1996 when I got my first home computer and the first thing I did was search for "workout videos" and got VF. I'd been working out for 16 years at that point, added in videos sometime in the mid-to-late 1980s, but everyone thought I was weird for working out at home, especially since I belonged to the Y (where I still swim) and went to group exercise classes on my lunch hour at my work fitness center.

When I joined VF in 1996, I think I had maybe 12 videos, mostly Kathy Smith and jane Fonda....well that certainly has changed. 6 months later when Power Max (Cathe) came out and I saw everyone raving, I bought it and got hooked on Cathe.

I have been a VF supporter since before there was the "VF Supporter" program.
I don't know how many know this but there was a time when Wendy thought she was going to have to shut down VF. There were a bunch of us who wouldn't stand for that.

You can read about it here:
http://www.videofitness.com/about/sponsors.php


Not sure how many on that list are still here, I know Jen R is (I met her also when I went to Hawaii 3 years ago), Joni O and Michelle S are still here....but not sure about any others (speak up if you are on the list!).

I come because this is where I hear about new workouts, new releases, new equipment, read what others think about workouts, and of course - the friendship.

Videofitness has made a HUGE impact on my life, and I will never, ever be able to thank Wendy enough. It wasn't jsut about exercise, I would've still done that if VF never exsisted....

But in 1997, I remember reading here on VF about the Firm, which I also started doing because of VF around the same time I started doing Cathe, starting an email mailing list. I think I was one of the very first to join, I did join on the 2nd day of its existance (for many years I had my welcome email but alas it has disappeared).

Even in those very early days of the Firm list (topica, before Sparky even....) there were some people who joined that I ended up going on Firm trips with (some of them we were on 6 trips together....) and there are, from those very early days, about 8 or 10 of us who email each other every single day....on our own little list...we are so close and I never would have met them without VF. Thank you thank you thank you Wendy, because without VF I wouldn't have these life-long friends.