Navigating Cyberspace Diets

by: AndreaDow
Total views: 426
Word Count: 488

Thursday, December 6th

I was just listening to a news story on CBS regarding the popularity of blogs to assist dieters in their weight loss quest. The consensus from the nutrition experts was that these blogs can be very helpful to those looking to share their honest story and receive motivation from others. The blogs are not written by experts, however, so be careful of believing everything you read and realize what works for someone else may not work for you.

What if you like the idea of dieting with the assistance of cyberspace or want to try an online diet? How do you decide which one to chose? Just typing in the words online diet to google will result in 4 million "hits". To be successful with online programs, you need to have a lot of dedication and motivation. There is no face-to-face time with a professional or guarantee that you will succeed. Below are a few reliable sites to chose from thanks to Kara L Gallagher Mohr, PhD.

1. eDiets- The cost is about $18 per month and there is a 3 month minimum. The site does emphasize healthier food choices and there are many different plans you can choose based on the government's MyPyramid diet. A study looking at the efficacy of eDiets found participants lost 1- 4% of body weight by the end of the first year.

2. CalorieKing- The cost is $55 for 12 months and there is a 12 month minimum. The program emphasizes behavior and lifestyle change. There is a strong educational component in the form of "Calorie King University" as well.

3. NutriSystem- The cost is $326.36 + $16....yikes! The program focus is on low- GI (Glycemic Index) foods and portion control. The cost of the program is so high because of pre-packaged foods that are required as part of the plan. Life does not revolve around eating pre-packaged meals and this will not help you maintain weight loss for the long term. I would skip this website!

4. South Beach Diet Program Online- The cost is $5 per week and there is a 4 week minimum commitment. The one thing I do not like about this program is the restriction of certain fruts and vegetables in Phase 3 of the diet plan. The plan does emphasize healthy fats, low GI foods, and healthy carbohydrates.

5. Weight Watchers- The cost is $17 per month along with a $30 sign-up fee the first month. The focus here is on moderation, portion control and food choices that lead to a caloric deficit. The good news is millions have had success with Weight Watchers.

Other helpful resources:
www.fitday.com for daily self-monitoring
www.myfitnesspal.com for progress reports & online forum discussion

www.calorieking.com for calorie contect of over 50,000 foods
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/index.html for the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference

Rating: 5.00