Fitera Day Zero

Yeah, Yeah, I’m at it again.

I’m not even going to talk about, or link, all the diet “programs” that I’ve tried while keeping this blog.

I will also try not to be embarrassed by myself.

Two posts ago, I discussed “failing” at WAG – Working Against Gravity – the latest “hit” program for weight loss. It’s particularly aimed at very athletic, alpha people. It makes you sign up for three months, at about $130/month (it’s a Canadian company, so that’s “about” what it costs).

I know! Pricey, right?

They promise you lots of things, not the least of which is your own “personal coach.”

I have tried other programs (as those of you who follow this blog know). I actually have had success using a number of them – but I get bored, and unmotivated. I don’t really have a “tribe” that is tied to the program, so no matter how great of success I have (which usually equates to about 10 pounds lost), I slack off and then just stop.

I think I am trying to see if anyone notices. No one does.

Well – my mother does. But she’s been pointing out issues related to my weight (she’s perennially slim and trim) since 6th grade – even though in actuality, I haven’t really had that much of a struggle with my weight (as I pointed out in my last blog post).

So, two days ago, I got one of those email solicitations.

You know the ones – something you signed up for a while back sold you to someone who sold you to someone, who is now trying to sell you something. You get the program “for Free,” but then if you want an actual hard copy . . . or you want it on a DVD . . . or you want personal training . . . or you want a metabolism “kick starter” to get you going “faster” . . . or you want a special place to log your meals/exercise . . . you pay (and pay, and pay).

I have so so many of these programs saved on my computer, they have their own digital file folder.

It’s stuffed. It’s embarrassing.

Every time I get one, I tell myself “THIS ONE I will do.”

They promise online support, groups, blah blah blah. I never even get past first base.

I’m trying not to be embarrassed.

And now, this new one – FITera.

The interesting part about this is that you can get a personal coach. Now, I’ve heard THAT before – supposedly in WAG I got a personal coach – but I was only to “ask her one question at a time, daily,” and I had to “wait 24 hours for an answer.” I also was chastised by my coach once for asking her three questions in a day (I discussed that in the blog post.)

Also, you supposedly get a community. Discussed that in the blog post too. In WAG, it’s a private Facebook group. So what you have is a group of folks who are all paying to be there like you are, and a “trail” of texts. Not super helpful, if you’ve ever found yourself trying to find an entry that you “know” was in any Facebook group you’ve ever been a part of.

Also in WAG, there were no daily emails or “Atta Girls” of any kind. I did get a quarterly “newsletter” of sorts, but by that time, I’d already given up. (And when I gave up – e.g., didn’t report in on my day – I heard nothing from my coach – not a peep, not a word.)

So here’s my Day “Zero” experience with FITera.

You get a big huge workbook to go through and a short “Executive Version” of the same. I haven’t read the workbook yet (tonight), but in actuality, it looks a lot more detailed than the WAG one.

You also get a welcome video from the founder, and from your coach (if you choose to pay for one – want to say it’s $45/month). The coach states that they are available 24/7 for you. You get their cell/text, a Skype number, email, and phone number. Also a private Facebook group, and a portion of the “Community Boards” on the Fitera website. Fitera itself is free – it’s the “add-ons” that might cost you. Like the personal coach.

I am still trying to find my way around the FITera website – but it’s not hard.

You’re counselled to fill out a worksheet (similar to WAG), to fill out your profile, and to visit the boards. You’re also given a “day one” video about things to start thinking about – surprise surprise – this one was about water. But they gave you a “trick” on how to remember if you’re getting enough water in each day, which might prove helpful. Water is one of my biggest downfalls, and I know it.

I had a couple questions, though.

I thought about posting them to the Community Boards, because they were pretty easily-answered ones. The first was whether “non-caffeinated hot drinks,” sparkling water, and also water with like a packet of Emergen-C or Nuun in it would “count” as water. The second had to do with their contest (more on that in a bit).

So, I texted my coach.

No way, thought me, is this going to work. I figured I’d ask the water question, not both at once

In 1 minute, I had an answer.

I sat there, staring at my phone, slack jawed. I think I might have even said “Get out of town!” out loud.

So I asked the other question. They have a 12-week program going, where you do a “Before” photo and video, and then an “After” photo and video. The Community apparently gets to vote on it, and the top vote-winners get an all-expenses-paid trip for a week to a resort that looks pretty amazing. My question had to do with the fact that you need to take the photo with a newspaper, and we don’t get the newspaper.

My coach texted back and forth with me – even “laughing at” my suggestion that I just get up super early tomorrow, steal a neighbor’s paper, do the photo, put it back in the bag, and bring it back to their driveway.

Quick, and with a sense of humor? What?

My coach in WAG was in her 20s. She seemed really nice, but the way that she would try to answer my issues just did not work for me. It might have worked for “me at 20,” but not “me at 50.” In fact, it was very frustrating. My current coach seems to be somewhere between late 30s and 50 (though of course one knows never to “ask someone’s age” lol) – and even in her “welcome video” she seems very grounded and down-to-Earth. (No welcome video or really much “information” on your coach from WAG – I happened to stalk mine on Instagram to even see what she looked like, but that just depressed me more . . . she could almost be my grand daughter.)

Fitera also counsels you to keep a blog in their online Community. I don’t think I can keep two blogs going, so I’m going to see whether it’s possible to just link this over there.

I’m very very cautiously optimistic, in my first “hours” of sign up.

So Far, So Good.

Now to go steal that newspaper.