Marlaine83 on YouTube

I made a YouTube video last night that I've been intending on making for ages. I've been watching all the end of '08 videos and all the New Year's resolution ones. I find that my video-making tends to be very sporadic. I'll think about things for weeks and think, I really need to do a vlog about this. But then it passes and I never do. Then one night I feel a bit bored and turn the camera on and let it all out. If I'm patient enough afterward I'll do editing.

When I first found YouTube was in 2006. I was watching the LonelyGirl series. I was totally sucked in. I wanted to find other vloggers (at the time no one knew that LG wasn't legit). I came across Renetto and loved him. I was looking through his favorited videos and saw one by a girl calling herself faintstarlite. I watched the video Renetto had favorited, then found myself at faintstarlite's channel and got hooked into her Weight Watchers vlogging.

Esther (faintstarlite) and I had similar stories...Esther was living in England and I was in Texas, Esther's boyfriend was from states though so they were doing the long distance thing during the same time that my Dave and I were doing it. My first ever video was a video response to Esther, where I talked about how similar our situations were, and also how she had inspired me to join and vlog my way through it. And so Marlaine83 was born---actually it's a username I've used for multiple sites for years and years (my middle name and the year I was born).

It was the early days of gut2cut and it was a really tight community. I began getting subscribers here and there, but it wasn't until I made a video response to faintstarlite about the health care system in America that I got my first ever wave of subscribers. That was a bit surreal. Plus I didn't think it was a very good vlog I made anyways!

Anyways I've taken my occasional hiatus from YouTube, always coming back to find the new 'it' crowd. Does that make sense without sounding mean or rude? I don't intend it to. But there's always the next big thing in the weight loss community on YouTube. Esther was it for awhile. A lot of people were affected in a deep way by her. Stacy, JustLoseItNow, has been another person who has been a staple to the community. I suppose at the moment it's this AntiShay, alifelessboring, tbossbone triumvirate that has formed, and of course Weight Loss Losers that has formed out of those friendships. And those vloggers have done quite a bit of inspiring!

People have been making mention to 'drama' in the community. I'll be the first one to stick my hand up in the air and say I'm a bit confused as to what it's about?! I'd imagine maybe there's a bit of a power struggle people are having? I'm not sure. Anyways this community is SO fluid, it changes every day with people coming to the site and finding other like-minded people. And with so many people, so many strong personalities and opinions, I suppose divide is a common thing. Just part of the natural progression.

Trboh has been such a father figure to so many in the weight loss community, and I'm thrilled to see him and his 'life boat' theory take to the water (he he, yay for my pun!) TeamWeights and it's philosophy and leadership is sure to help a certain kind of person looking for support. The same with WeightLossLosers, and hopefully Gut2Cut can extend a hand too (even with Eric going MIA).

This is enough from me for now. I'll post my food and calories later. Oh YouTube. Can't live without ya.