Thank you for making VF a diet-free zone!

Many new visitors wonder why we don't allow discussion of diet here at Video Fitness except in very general terms. This page is meant to elaborate on this rule and why we have it, including some examples of what is and is not within guidelines. If you ever have any questions about whether a food related post is within guidelines or not, don't hesitate to send a private message to me (user name WWWendy) or one of the moderators, or to email me at wendy@videofitness.com.

Diet is, of course, a fundamental part of a healthy lifestyle, but every health and fitness or women's site seems to focus on diet. I wanted to create a different type of online culture at VF, a haven from all that diet talk and the emotional baggage that tends to go along with the issue of eating. I wanted there to be a place where home exercise fans can go to focus exclusively on the exercise component of the health and fitness equation.

I believe that taking diet discussion out of the picture has enhanced the supportive nature of our community. Discussions of diet, though they may not start out this way, tend focus on diet and exercise for weight loss, rather than diet and exercise for health and self esteem. Though weight loss certainly comes up in discussions here, losing weight is not the primary focus of conversation. Our community members see fitness as a lifelong journey rather than just a means to improve appearance.

Because what falls under the heading of "general" and what is too specific can be confusing, I've written up a list of examples below.

OK - Examples of topics or comments that are general enough to stay within the guidelines:

• asking for suggestions for healthy lunches to take to work, or healthy snacks to have around. This would be most appropriate in the Recipes Forum.
• discussions of food as fuel for workouts: for example, whether to eat anything before morning exercise, favorite "recovery" foods after grueling workouts, what do eat before/during/after a long race, etc.
• asking for advice on how to stop snacking in the evenings
• recommending to someone who is having trouble with weight loss that she keep a food journal
• requesting recipes or substitutions for favorite unhealthy foods or dishes
• Posting a single recipe in the Recipes forum with nutritional information (calories, # fat grams, etc.) included

Not OK - Examples of topics that would not be allowed:

• Asking for or offering specific nutritional advice
• Discussing experiences with a particular diet or diet program (e.g. Weight Watchers, Atkins, the Zone, Jenny Craig, whatever)
• Discussing specific dietary advice given in a diet or fitness book. You may review such books for our book review section, however.
• asking for or giving advice about what percentage of calories should come from fat/protein/carbs
• Describing your own eating plan in detail
• Discussing whether or not a specific food or beverage is healthy or not
• Asking whether or not you should become a vegetarian (this particular topic has been the subject of innumerable flame wars on the Web)

Addendum: Discussion of dietary supplements is also off limits.
We do not feel that discussion of supplements, especially those used for more rapid weight loss or muscle gain, is consistent with our mission statement. Discussion of other supplements is not allowed, either, due to both the unregulated nature of the products and the fact that many people selling dietary supplements use internet discussion boards to tout a product they themselves are selling. We have allowed discussion of glucosamine supplements, however, because they have been used by some VF readers (with mixed results) as a form of alternative medicine to treat recurring or chronic knee pain that affects their ability to exercise.

Read the complete Community Posting Guidelines

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