By Mary Kearl (AOL Health)

Twitter, which you many of you may already use to track the whereabouts and happenings of friends, loved ones, world leaders and celebrities, is also being used to track weight loss and calorie intake, as well as to swap diet tips, recipes, workout routines and to create a virtual support system. Jennette, Twitter alias pastaqueen, lost half her body weight by blogging and tweeting about her weight-loss journey. Ron, author of the blog Done Dieting, has ditched crash diets and managed to lose 57 pounds. Here, we interview diet bloggers and Twitterers to find out what works and what doesn’t, when recording your weight-loss progress online. Plus, we asked them to give us their best advice, in tweet form, of course.

Before: Jennette, Twitter Alias: pastaqueen

Success Stats: “At my heaviest, I weighed 372 pounds. To lose [the weight] I had to learn how to cook. It hurt my feet to stand in the kitchen for more than 10 minutes at a time, but it was the only way to have complete control over what I was eating. The McDonald’s Dollar Menu was more convenient but not as healthy. I’ve been maintaining that loss for about two years now. I lost over half my weight in a period of two years, to weigh in at about 180 pounds. I am also the author of ‘Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir.’”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice, in Tweet Form: “Stay positive! Your weight will go up and down day to day, but keep your spirits up, and you can overcome anything.”

After: Why Jennette Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “As I lost weight, I weighed in on my blog every week. I hated reporting that the numbers had gone up, so I worked extra hard to make them go down. I also got a lot of support on my blog from people who’d faced similar challenges and had the same problem finding extra-large jeans that I’d had. They were my personal cheerleading section. Blogging also forced me to think about my obesity problem and work through why I’d developed such bad habits. It was like therapy, but a Web hosting bill is much cheaper than a psychologist.”

Before: Jen, Twitter Alias: priorfatgirl

Success Stats: “It’s been a year and a half now, and I’ve lost 95 pounds. I am never going to be the naturally ’skinny’ girl. I’m a priorfatgirl. So, for the rest of my life, I’m going to need to bust my butt at the gym and be conscious of what I eat. I can either complain about having to drag myself to the gym or complain about being fat. I choose the gym! On days I struggle, I blog. I vent, I complain. I cry. And then I grab an apple and head to the gym.”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice, in Tweet Form: “One decision at a time. This is not a diet, this is your life! Never start tomorrow. Never wait until Monday. Never set a New Year’s resolution. Tomorrow begins now.”

After: Why Jen Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “If I didn’t I would go crazy. I’m so not joking. Blogging is my diary — it just so happens to be public. [Trying to achieve] weight loss and a healthy lifestyle can cause a rollercoaster of emotions. Blogging connects me with so many people who are going through the same thing I am. We can exchange ideas, vent frustrations and encourage each other. It is a community of support beyond description. I rely on my blogging friends on www.priorfatgirl.com just as much as they rely on me.

Before and After: Roni, Twitter Alias: RonisWeigh

Success Stats: “I lost 65 pounds in 36 weeks and have been maintaining my loss for three years!”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice, in Tweet Form: “Take it day by day, have faith in the plan and be honest w/ yourself. The only way to fail is 2 give up. Stay with it and surprise yourself!”

Why She Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “I started blogging about my weight-loss journey in June 2005. I wanted a place to vent, share and celebrate everything about losing weight. I made the commitment to be honest to the blog and report back to it no matter if the news was good or bad. That’s exactly what I did, and within a year I was 65 pounds lighter!”

Before: Ron Skeleton, Twitter Alias: donedieting

Success Stats: “The entire meaning behind ‘donedieting’ is that I’m not on a diet. Being on a diet means that at some point you’re coming off that diet, which is why they never work. I’ve lost my weight by gradually changing my lifestyle, starting with eating smarter and by making sure that the things I eat have a nutritional value for my body, and then I started adding exercises that fit my lifestyle and gradually increasing those. I’ve accepted that these are not sacrifices, that these are permanent changes to the way I live. It’s the only way to get off the weight-loss roller coaster. So far I’ve lost 57 pounds and eight sizes since September 2008. [I'm] still working hard and making great progress.”

His Best Weight-Loss Advice, in Tweet Form: “Treat your exercise like business. Plan it, schedule it, execute it, track it and revise it when it’s not taking you where you want to go!”

After: Why Ron Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “[For] accountability. I’ve built a following on Twitter, my blog and Facebook. My family, friends and a few thousand total strangers count on me for motivation and encouragement. If I fail to show results or fail to make a post ? my followers help keep me in line. Helping others helps me both in an internal satisfaction kind of way and an external way with other rewards.”

Before: Jade, Twitter Alias: FormerFatGirl

Success Stats: “I started my journey summer 2008, weighing in at 255 pounds. I am following a common sense, all natural approach to my weight loss focusing on adding fresh fruits and vegetables, and lean protein, such as chicken, turkey and fish to my diet. I’ve lost 83.8 pounds and am now adding physical activity to my healthy lifestyle. My goal is to attain a body fat percentage between 22 to 25 percent, and I am also in training for my first triathlon on July 12th.”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice in Tweet Form: “When faced with temptation, ask yourself, ‘How is giving in to what I want right now going to help me achieve my goals?’”

After (pictured in in the middle): Why Jade Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “I have found an unbelievable and extraordinary amount of support and motivation in blogging and tweeting about my healthy habits — unparalleled in any other venue I’ve explored. I am fueled with inspiration and appreciation when someone comments on my blog or sends me a tweet saying they find me motivating and inspiring or encouraging me to stay focused when I’m having a rough day.”

Before and After: Jennifer, Twitter Alias: bwJen

Success Stats: “I joined Weight Watchers in November 2008 and in 24 weeks I have lost 30 pounds. I started at 242 pounds. Weight loss for me isn’t about vanity but for health. I need to get the weight off of my poor aching joints! I want to run around with my daughter while she still wants me to and I want to be there for every momentous and not-so momentous occasion in her life. I still have about 60 to 70 pounds to go but I am enjoying the slow and steady approach.”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice in Tweet-Form: “Find a friend-find-movement-find fun! Don’t b afraid to ask for help when you need & don’t be afraid 2 shout ur successes! &follow @wwtweets”

Why She Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “Losing weight is not easy and it can make you feel very isolated. I didn’t want to bore my husband or colleagues with the ins and outs of my weight loss. I found people online just like me who wanted to know all the boring details of my weight loss. And I wanted to know their boring details.”

Before and After: Stephanie, Twitter Alias: skinnyjeans

Success Stats: “I started using Twitter in 2007 as a way to help me drop the last 10 pounds of 25 pounds I gained during a three-year relationship that ended. I would tweet my workouts, and that helped me to stay accountable to my exercise because people were following. Because I’ve developed healthier lifestyle habits, I’ve been able to keep the 25 pounds off.”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice, in Tweet Form: “Keeping your body hydrated with water is important for shedding weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Water does a body excellent!”

Why She Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “Being on Twitter helped me develop a support system, which to me is key. As @skinnyjeans on Twitter, I’m helping others create healthier lifestyle habits in small ways … tiny actions produce doable results for long-term success.”

Before: Terri, Twitter Alias: DietDrama

Success Stats: “I’ve lost about 15 pounds since starting my blog, but not all at once. In total, I’m five pounds lighter, but that other 10 pounds have been lost and found a couple of times. Through stress and lack of willpower, I’ve had a tough time sticking to a plan. However, through the blog and tweets, I’ve gotten some great advice. I’m learning to look at ‘why’ I slip. That has kept me from eating my way into a larger pair of pants due to the frustration.”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice in Tweet Form: “The trick is to find a diet/eating plan that fits your life, your likes, & your style. Then stick to it & you’ll see changes start happening.”

After: Why Terri Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “I’m blogging and tweeting about my diet experiences for both selfish and unselfish reasons. While I want to keep myself on track and accountable by sharing my struggle publicly, I also want to help other dieters. I’ve been through a ton of diets, struggles, yo-yo diets, quick fixes, etc., and I’d love for people to learn from my mistakes, to know that it’s okay to fail — that’s the only way you’ll find what really works for you.”

Before: Rebecca, Twitter Alias: LaughItOff

Success Stats: “I’ve lost dozens of pounds over the last 20 years. Currently I’m down about 15 pounds since I began using Twitter to aid my diet efforts this past September.”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice in Tweet Form: “Persistence and Support = Diet Success. My Twitter friends help w/both.They remind me not to quit, bolster my willpower, and keep me smiling.”

After: Why Rebecca Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “I have been on a diet pretty much my entire adult life. My sister and I were always laughing about our dieting foibles and adventures in exercise, and we decided we couldn’t be the only ones who needed to lighten up about lightening up! So we started Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat? Our philosophy is that sometimes dieting can be a real joke, and laughing it off is a good way to get through the ups and downs of dieting. Tweeting began as a way to find dieters that might enjoy our blog. It turned into something much more. Twitter is now the number one way I get and give diet and exercise support. Twitter has helped me supercharge my diet from food suggestions, to exercise motivation, to connecting with people who are in the same boat.”

Before: April, Twitter Alias, shrinkingjeans

Success Stats: “My starting weight was 206 pounds. Today’s weight: 145 pounds. I’ve lost a total of 61 pounds in 18 months. I am still 15 pounds away from my goal weight. I know these last pounds are the most stubborn to lose ? but before I was just surviving life, and now I’m living my life — a healthy life.”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice in Tweet Form: “Surround yourself with great friends, take each day as it comes, reach for the stars, and you will be successful.”

After: Why April Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “I had the mentality, ‘Oh, I can always start a diet on Monday.’ Then one day it was just like everything clicked. I couldn’t absorb enough information about being healthy and weight loss. And once I had the knowledge, the only thing I wanted to do was to share what I had learned. So, I started my blog. I didn’t really keep up with it, though, until I found the The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. My life has been touched (and probably saved) by everyone that I have learned from, and if I can touch just one life, like the many lives that my mentors have touched, then I will consider myself very successful.”

Before: Christy, Twitter Alias: shrinkingjeans

Success Stats: “My before photo [pictured left] is from November 2005. At 5′3″ and 195 pounds, I was considered obese. I joined Weight Watchers online and started blogging in January of 2006. By August of 2006, I had lost 48 pounds, and I maintained that weight until I got pregnant with my second child in March of 2007. When the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans was formed in November of 2008, I was at 155 pounds, and I’ve since lost almost 10 pounds to bring me to my current weight of 146 (after photo [pictured in next slide]). My goal weight is 130 pounds.”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice in Tweet Form: “In order to diet successfully, you must have a good eating plan in place. If you don’t, it’s too easy to revert back to your old habits.”

After: Why Christy Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “Willpower and consistency have never come easy to me. I would start diet and exercise programs, only to end up frustrated by my hunger and lack of results. It’s so hard to diet and exercise alone, and I was always too self-conscious to reach out to my friends and family. That changed when my friend Beth decided to do something about her weight. We were only online friends, but we had a true connection and a common weight-loss goal. Several of our friends wanted to join us, so we started blogs to keep up with our progress. Each day we blogged about what we ate, our activities and how we felt. We held each other accountable, and it worked for all of us!”

The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans is just an extension of the initial commitment we made. After a couple of years and a baby, I realized I needed to get back on the wagon and lose a few more pounds. Beth and I recalled how successful we were the first time around, and the Sisterhood was born. This time our goal was to invite others to share our journey and to, in turn, share theirs. It’s turned into a great community with so much wonderful support and a huge following.

Before and After: Lisa, Twitter Alias: shrinkingjeans

Success Stats: “My weight-loss journey has ebbed and flowed between having kids. After my third child, I was too afraid to weigh myself, so I didn’t. I finally weighed myself in January 2009, once I started writing for The Sisterhood. I weighed in at 188 pounds and have since lost 10 pounds. My goal is to lose a minimum of 25 pounds, but this time, I am doing it by diet and exercise, not just one or the other.”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice in Tweet Form: “Be committed and exhibit discipline with your diet and exercise. It really works.”

Before and After: Why Lisa Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “I have had three children in five years and my body is not the temple it once was (ha!). There are plenty of mothers out in there in the same place as I am, still carrying around the post-pregnancy weight, with kids hanging off every appendage, struggling to find the time to exercise and wanting so badly to lose weight. I want to show them that it can be done.”

Before: Melissa, Twitter Alias: shrinkingjeans

Success Stats: “I started this adventure on The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans in November of 2008. I haven’t lost much in the way of pounds (yet!), but I have drastically improved my endurance and strength through regular exercise and I feel so much healthier and stronger! My ultimate goal weight is 165 pounds, which is in the healthy range for my height (5′ 10″).”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice in Tweet Form: “When you are feeling stressed, don’t give in to the urge to give up and quit. Try exercising instead!”

After: Why Melissa Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “I write about my weight loss triumphs and struggles on The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. I know that when I have successes there will be a wonderful group of people cheering me on. On the other hand, I know that if I am stumbling and getting lazy, they will give me the “push” I need to get going again!”

Just Starting Out: Sara, Twitter Alias: seesarashrink

Success Stats: “I’m a 31-year-old mother of twins living near Boulder, Colorado, and I’m just beginning a journey to lose 100 pounds. I’ve been big all my life — not fat — but big. Even when I was thin and fit, I felt fat and acted fat. Now that I really am fat, I’m totally over it! I weigh 275 pounds. My all-time high was 280, and I should weigh around 175 pounds for my height. I’m just getting started and have lost five pounds in my first week. I’ve never yo-yo dieted, so I intend to do this right and make a permanent change.”

Her Best Weight-Loss Advice in Tweet Form: “Calories in, calories out. If you’re eating more than you’re burning … you’re in trouble!”

Why She Tweets and Blogs About Dieting: “I’m done with feeling fat. I’m holding my head up and strapping on my high heels … not just when I lose the weight, but today! I hope that anyone interested in losing weight, eating better, exercising, and finding the motivation to tackle big issues in their life will join me through my blog, tweets, Facebook and Web site as I put together a team of people to help me, including a personal trainer and nutritionist, and share my experiences with healthy food, gyms, spas, stylists and [more].”

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