--- description: Studies have shown that people with an active social network have an easier time dieting. Here's a seven-day hashtag plan to weight loss. title: The Social Media Diet: How to Hashtag Your Way to Healthy image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [health](/tag/health/) ## health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How to Hashtag Your Way to Healthy by [Ted Spiker](/author/ted-spiker/) ## Ted Spiker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 27, 2015 1:35 PM CUT by [Ted Spiker](/author/ted-spiker/) ## Ted Spiker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 27, 2015 1:35 PM CUT Whether we’re reluctant users or obsessive phone-checkers, we all have developed into pseudo-scholars of social media. Through Twitter, Facebook, and the like, we learn about news, we argue with strangers, and we’re flooded with photos of dog faces, snowflakes, and chocolate desserts. We also know that while it has its dangers, social media can serve as an ally in our weight-loss quests. A [Northwestern University study](http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/obesity.pdf "undefined") published this year showed that those with “high social embeddedness” recorded greater weight loss than those less connected or not connected at all. The results complement [other research](http://time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/hea-0000103.pdf "undefined") that shows strong social connections are linked to positive health outcomes. We use these relationships (in person or virtual) as a sort of energy-exchange system to swap motivation, encouragement, and accountability. Let’s keep it going. Instead of using the paradigm of diet “rules”—eat this and this and this, and skip any food product that contains the word “Cap’n”—why not use the power of hashtags to help us stick to healthy behavior? As an advocate of people customizing their eating approaches, I suggest we take the spirit of such mantras like #TacoTuesday and #MeatlessMonday one step further: Create your own daily hashtags as a system for developing healthy habits. Your hashtags (whether you actually post them or not) morph into a way of thinking, a daily ideal that you strive for, rather than a strict game plan. In the end, as you develop these habits, you’ll develop a varied and effective approach to help you reach your goals. Some suggestions to get you started: **#StrategizeSunday** Plan the week, figure out most meals, identify vulnerable times, make sure healthy snacks are in the house, office, and car for hunger emergencies. Not recommended: #LargeChocolateSundae **#MostlyMeatMonday** A day you’ll commit to only eating leaner protein (chicken, turkey, fish, sirloin) and vegetables to help scale back refined carbs and simple sugars. Not recommended: #MillionsOfMeatballsMonday **#TryItTuesday** Your commitment to venture into some new nutritional territory—tasting one new healthy food every week. Kale, quinoa, salmon, beets? When you’ve run out of new foods, transition into new recipes. Not recommended: #TryTenTostadasTuesday **#IWillWorkoutWednesday** On an often-draining day of the week, choose a short workout (no matter your favorite activity) with high levels of intensity to amp your metabolism and your energy. Not recommended: #IWillWaitUntilNextWednesday **#ThirtyThursday** Get up from the desk, sneak out before or after dinner, or do it before the kids get up—a 30-minute walk by yourself or with a trusted companion. For mind and body. Not recommended: #ThirtyOtherThingsICouldDoThursday **#ForgetItFriday** Give in to your favorite temptation (#FryDay!) without guilt. One meal or one indulgence won’t sidetrack you. By creating a structured way to look forward to a so-called sin food, you’ve created a reward system that, if kept in check, can help you stay the course the rest of the week. Not recommended: #ForgetItForeverFriday **#SaturdayMattersDay** Entering the danger zone of the weekend, develop your plan for staying on track even when social pressures make you want to stray. Do an early workout, drink lots of water before a party. It doesn’t mean you can’t indulge, but success is about managing excess. Not recommended: #SixScotchSaturday ### See the 10 Healthiest Cities to Live in America  Honolulu, Hawaii Best Place for Lifelong Health The heavenly climate helps, but the key to well-being here also includes enviable health care and a rich cultural tradition of looking out for one another. Colin Anderson—Blend Images/Corbis  San Francisco Bay Area, Calif. Best Place for Eating Right. The "farm to table" movement began here. The region's bounty of produce and year-round growing season make eating healthy—and local—a natural. Getty Images  Burlington, Vt. Best Place for Raising Healthy Kids This New England city offers great schools, excellent pediatric care, loads of culture and limitless options for healthy outdoor fun all year long. Matt Hogan/www.mphoganphoto.com  Silicon Valley, Calif. Best Place for Workplace Wellness With treadmill desks, meetings on bikes, time off for creativity, and gobs of organic food, tech titans are reinventing how to stay healthy on the job. Jim Wilson—The New York Times/Redux  Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. Best Place for Aging Well Yes, it can be cold. But with a plethora of stimulating activities and a robust web of support, the Twin Cities prove that growing old doesn't mean slowing down. Getty Images  Denver and Boulder, Colo. Best Place for Keeping Fit The urge to get outside and get moving is contagious in these Rocky Mountain cities, where physical challenge is built into the landscape. Celin Serbo—Aurora Photos/Corbis  Plano, Texas Best Place for Staying Safe Once a rural outpost, this booming, diverse city has kept its small-town vibe, thanks in part to a police force and community that knows how to work together. Misty Keasler—Redux for TIME  Portland, Ore. Best Place for a Healthy Environment Small, walkable neighborhoods, 300 miles of bike paths, and urban policies that foster active living and sustainability make for one clean, green city. Getty Images  Boston, Mass. Best Place for Health Care This history-rich city is home to some of the nation's most advanced medical institutions and policies that help ensure that quality care is available to all. K.C. Cohen—Courtesy of Boston Children's Hospital  Provo and Orem, Utah Best Place for Spiritual Well-Being A stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop and a tight-knit population that lives its faith contribute not only to this region's serenity but also to lower rates of disease. 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