When I set out with the Fitlanthropist, I really didn’t have any concrete plan other than to get healthy, lose weight, and raise money for charity. My hope was that people would eventually run into this site, and donate or help motivate me. I don’t think it was much of a coincidence that I was contacted by a representative for a new site called Well, Then sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, who introduced me to the social network-like website that I think has tremendous potential to help people be well.

I was instantly impressed with what I saw on the site. As someone who has, in former times, caved in to fad dieting or other gimmick-like health programs, I found Well, Then to be a realistic, refreshing alternative driven by individuals who all have a common goal: to be well. Now, while I’m specifically targeting my weight, Well, Then is so much more than that. Any visitor to the site will at some point read, “Wellbeing isn’t something we are. It’s something we do. Something anyone can do.” People can sign up for a free account (in the same vein as Facebook or Twitter) and post stories, videos and status updates about what they’re doing to be well, and this is something I’ve really enjoyed. I always hesitate to point out what I call “gimmicks” in terms of health and weightloss, because I never know if someone I know uses a certain product or takes cartain supplements…heaven knows I don’t want to offend anyone, but Well, Then seems to be full of pragmatic, sensible ideas that I’ve enjoyed reading and look forward to incorporating into my daily lifesytle.

I have been asked to be an activator for Well, Then, and I’m honored an excited to do so. While I’ve found several unique stories to help me better my health, there’s so much room for growth on the site, and surely someone out there is looking for your healthy stories. I would definitely encourage you to start an account and share your stories with others. Part of my hope with the Fitlanthropist was to inspire others, and I think that many of the folks on Well, Then will be very inspirational to others, as well. Also, under the terms of my agreement as an activator and for transparency sake, Well, Then and Harvard Pilgrim have ‘compensated’ me with a Flip MinoHD Camera valued at approximately $199 to help me make better use of my video weigh-ins and other video updates on the Fitlanthropist, as well as the videos I will also be uploading to Well, Then.

You can view my Well, Then profile HERE.

I hope you guys will take a look and sign-up. I realize that there are probably more social networking sites than necessary out there, but trust me, if you care about your health and want to find a new, innovative community full of people with similar outlooks on health and wellness, it will be worth your time.

(And, just so you know, Well, Then has accounts on Twitter and Facebook, as well!)