Extrapounds FAQs

General Questions

What is Extrapounds.com?

Extrapounds.com provides you with a personalized blog to track your weight loss and health progress, so that you can easily record your experiences online, while sharing this information with others.
Extrapounds is an interactive community where you also have access to other users' weight loss progress information, where you can place comments and messages for support, advice and motivation.

What is a Blog / weblog?

The definition of a blog, or weblog, would be "a frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and Web links". (Taken from marketingterms.com)

This series of thoughts, or posts, is within the same website, and is normally but not always, in reverse chronological order. A user may decide to start a blog and each day record their activities. These blogs are then accessible to any Internet user who may be invited to add a comment within the blog of that user.

Nowadays, purposes of blogs may vary from personal diaries to political campaigns and business marketing tools.

The term blog is used rather than web log (also correct), in order to avoid confusion as web log can also refer to a server's log files.

For more general information on blogs, feel free to visit this link.

How does a blog work?

Each entry in a blog is date and time stamped, with the most recent post at the top of the page, inviting readers' comments to appear below the post.

Each user who registers an account at Extrapounds.com will start their own weight loss log, and invite others to add their comments within the log. At any time the user may add an extra post/entry to their blog so that visitors may read and follow up on this user's progress.

What is a permalink?

A permalink (from "permanent link") is a URL which refers to specific information in a blog. These links remain unchanged and are ideal for logs which contain a large number of pages.

How can I start my own blog?

To be able to start your own blog at Extrapounds.com, you will need to sign up for an account. Signing up for an account is a straightforward procedure, and only takes a couple of minutes. During the sign-up procedure, you will be asked for information on your blog, for example a title and description.

Once your account has been created, you will be emailed your personal blog link, for you to start recording your experience and activities. You will be able to choose your own blog design from a selection of templates, allowing a more personal touch to your logs.

Please go to our home page at www.extrapounds.com to sign up for an account.

How much is it to join Extrapounds?

Extrapounds.com is FREE to join. However, for extra features we will ask for a small fee from members. These features will not be compulsory, so members will still always have access to their blog at no cost whatsoever.

Extrapounds GOLD Membership: What are the extra features and benefits?

Extrapounds GOLD Membership includes the following enhanced weightloss tools and extra features:

Option to make your blog private (access only through login and password)
Multiple Trackers
More pictures in your Photo Gallery
No adverts on your blog
Post directly to your blog from your email account

Is my personal information available online for all visitors to see?

At Extrapounds.com we will not display any personal contact information for other users to see. This information will remain private and only viewable within your account. However, information on your weight loss progress in your log - that is, the information you will add in the Food log, body log, activity log, blog and weight log - is made public to visitors and users at Extrapounds.

Why would I want other visitors to be able to view my log information?

We feel that users will get the most of their weight loss experience if they are able to share it with others who also are in the same situation. Having your information online for others to see and learning of other people's experience will mean that you will be able to give to other users and receive from them support, inspiration, motivation and advice. All of these are primordial factors that will bring you determination in your weight loss, which will ultimately help you on the road to successful weight loss.

Technical Questions

How do I add comments in a blog?

Adding your comments to a blog is easy. At the end of each post, you will see a link called Comments; just click on the link to add your comment to the post in question. Remember that you need to be a registered user at Extrapounds.com in order to submit your comments!

How do I upload photos?

Once you have created an account, you can access your Administration Panel, where you will find your Photo Gallery. Here you can manage and upload your photos and add titles and comments.
When you're done, your photos will be accessible in your blog, by clicking on the link "My Photo Gallery".

How many photos am I allowed to upload?

You can upload up to 10 photos to your blog. By upgrading to a GOLD membership, you can upload up to 50 photos, in albums of 10.

What's an avatar?

An avatar is an icon or representation of a user on Internet forums or in a blog. An avatar serves the purpose of representing a user and his/her personality. When you have created your account at Extrapounds.com, go to the My Profile section in your Administration Panel and pick an avatar from our varied selection or upload one of your own choice.

How do I keep track of "my weight loss buddies"?

Once you have created your account you can add your "weight loss buddies" easily by going to the Friends List section in your Administration Panel. Just add your friends' names and any comments to the list and they will automatically be saved there.

How do I add "my favorite blogs"?

In the same section - Friends List - you have the option to activate or deactivate links to your favourite blogs. When activated, the link in question will appear on your blog, under the heading My Friends List.

I work in different units to the ones shown in the blog. How can I calculate this?

In your Administration Panel go to the Measurement Units section. In this section you will see a link to the Measurement Conversion Tool. This will open a small pop-up window where you can convert weight and length units (e.g. from kgs to lbs and vice versa).

Trackers

What is a Tracker?

Trackers are Extrapounds trackers - a graphical tracker image which you can add to your logs, home page or message board signatures. Trackers have been exclusively designed for Extrapounds members.

How does the tracker work?

The trackers can display one of the following:

Countdown in kilos / pounds of your starting, current and goal weight
Countdown in months until you reach your goal
Display starting, current and desired weight loss (the advantage here is that you do not show your actual weight, only the weight you have lost and the amount you wish to lose)

Trackers are easy and straightforward to configure. When creating your account, you will also be creating your tracker (this is compulsory - we will use your general weight information to configure your tracker). Choose the tracker design you wish to have, and once the sign up process is complete, you will see a preview of your tracker.

To cut and paste the tracker code for any board or web page, you will need to go to your Administration Panel and from there click on the option "Trackers". If you wish to modify your tracker (for example, if you want to have a tracker for a body measurement rather than a weight measurment), then you will need to go to this same page. For more info, please visit our Extrapounds Tracker tour.

What is the pursuit mark?

Once you decide to change or modify your tracker information, you will see on the tracker page, an option to hide or show your "pursuit mark". The pursuit mark is a concept unique to Extrapounds, and has been created by our Extrapounds team. It is a time related concept. The distance between the pursuit mark and your marker is the time period remaining until you are supposed to reach your goal.

To make proper use of the pursuit mark you will need to make sure that you update your stats, in order for the pursuit mark not to catch up with you!

This is an optional configuration and if you uncheck the box "pursuit mark" on the trackers page, then it will not show up.

Support Groups

What are Extrapounds Support Groups?

Extrapounds Support Groups are places where you and all your EP friends can meet online. They are managed by EP members so you have the freedom to build groups that are dedicated to the things you are interested in. They are places where Extrapounds members can talk, advice and motivate each other in a shared space.

How do I search for a group that interests me?

From your Account Administration visit the Support Groups Area. From here you can search for a group of people with the same interest as you.

There are 2 ways to search for a group:

By Name or Description. Write any word(s) that may appear in a group's Name or Description into the search box and click search. The same kind of search can be performed using the search function on the Extrapounds homepage.
By Category and Tag. First select a category that interests you then one of its subcategories.
Eg. Category: Sports > Indoor Sports. Now if you wish you can click "Search" and all groups that have used these categories will be displayed in the search results.

If you want to refine your search further you can introduce a Tag into your search criteria. Eg, Category: Sports > Indoor Sports Tag: Squash.
Click "Search" and all groups that have used these categories and this tag will be displayed in the search results.

Alternatively you can browse through the selection of support groups listed at random on the Extrapounds homepage.

How do I join a Support Group?

What you have to do join a support group depends on the status of the support group.

If the support group has Open Access all you have to do is visit the group's page and click the "Join this group" button. You will instantly become a member.

If the group has "Restricted by Administrator" access you have to request approval from the group's Administrator before you can become a member. Click the "Join this group" button and then send a request to the group's administrator. If they approve, you will then become a new group member.

If the group is a ´Closed Access´ group the members of this group have decided not to accept any new members at this time. Unless the Administrator of the group changes the access status you will not be able to join this group.

How do I start my own Support Group?

To be able to create your own support group you need to be a Gold member. If you have a Gold account then creating a support group couldn't be easier. From your Account Administration visit the Support Groups area and choose to "Create your own group"

When an account is created you get to decide what your group will be called, what interests the group is about and your group's own unique URL.

What is an "Open" Access Support Group?

Open Access support groups are open for any Extrapounds member to join. Users who want to join just have to visit the Support Groups Page and click the "Join this group" button displayed on the right of the screen.

What is a "Closed" Access Support Group?

If a support group has Closed Access no new members can join that group at that time. The support group members have decided to restrict membership to existing users only. A closed group can only be re-opened by its Administrator.

What is a "Restricted by Administrator" Access Support Group?

Groups that have "Restricted by Administrator" Access means that new members can only join if the group's administrator approves their request to be a new member of their group.

What is the difference between Public Viewing and Private Viewing?

A support group's Administrator can decide whether to allow all Extrapounds members permission to view their support group - Public Viewing, or whether to restrict the ability to view their support group to only existing members of that group - Private Viewing.

What are Categories and Tags?

Categories and Tags are ways to define the interests of your group. The support group's Administrator can select 3 categories for their group, for each category they can add their own customized tag.

E.g. Category 1: Sport & Exercise> Low Impact / Tag 1: Pilates

Categories and tags are an easy way to see what a particular group is interested in and are used by members to search for groups that are relevant to their personal interests.

How can I invite new members to join my Support Group?

Only the group Administrator can formally invite a new member to join a group by sending a message from the group's Group Management area. Within the management section click the "New Members" tab.
By entering the Extrapounds Display Name of the member that you would like to invite to join the group you can send an invite message which will appear in their email.

I have selected that my Group be "Restricted by Administrator" Access. How do I know if there are any new member requests?

From the Group Management area of your account click the "New Members" tab. Here you will see a list of any members who have requested to join your group. Here you can choose to accept or decline their request.

What are the differences between Administrator, Moderator and Member?

The group's Administrator has maximum access rights. Each group has only one Administrator and only Gold members can be an Administrator. They have the ability to:

Update the group's profile
Determine access/viewing rights
Invite/approve/remove members
Edit/delete news, forum posts and quick messages
Grant other members administration rights

Moderator: the group's Moderators are members that have been given additional administration rights by the Group's Administrator. They may be given the ability to write and/or edit News and Quick messages content.

Member: group members are able to view all content on their support groups page as well as post in the groups forum. The group's Administrator may have also granted them the ability to add News and use the Quick Messages function.

Will it cost me anything to belong to a Support Group?

There is no additional charge for belonging to, or creating a support group. Only Gold account holders can become a Group Administrator however, anyone who has registered with Extrapounds.com can become a Support Group Member for FREE.

Extrapounds FAQs

General Questions:

Technical Questions

Trackers

Support Groups

General Questions

Technical Questions

Trackers

Support Groups