Weight Loss Kos is a support group for users trying to lose weight, and those who have successfully lost weight and are trying to keep it off. Diaries on diet/nutrition, exercise, or just stories of your weight loss experiences are welcome.
I thought it would be a great idea to collect information about the various online tools available to us on our journey to better health. I started my search through the google, and seven hours later I realized I had only scratched the surface of all the tools and web sites. I hope I found the major sites, but if there is something you have found that works for you, please share!
3fatchicks.com
From the web site: Our website began as a personal source of diet support for sisters Suzanne, Jennifer, and Amy. The site has grown considerably based on the feedback of the many visitors and sister chicks that found us and decided to call the website home. Our community has grown from 3 sisters to over 70,000 registered members! Together, we provide the most supportive free weight loss website online!
My observations: The site is completely free and includes member blogs, a very active message board and links to articles about diet, exercise and lifestyle. It appears to get a lot of content from user submissions and I did not see nutrition or fitness professionals contributing articles. It seems to have an outstanding support network, but you might want to exercise caution if you’re looking for expert advice.
a-personaldietitian.com
From the web site: Personal Dietitian was founded in 1999, and specializes in providing personalized diets for both men and women, custom-tailored to their specific needs. Going beyond corporate-based diet programs, Personal Dietitian supports their clients with access to ongoing help from registered dietitians (the recognized nutrition experts), counselors and fitness instructional programs designed by a certified personal trainer. Unlike typical on-line corporate diet sites that provide a single approach to users and are limited to computer generated menu plans, Personal Dietitian's uses a "user friendly" personal approach by providing individual diet assessments, and designing diet programs based upon client's individual diet preferences, health needs, and lifestyle considerations.
My observations: This is a program that develops a customized diet plan for you based on a number of factors including lifestyle, budget and diet restrictions. It goes beyond weight loss to include gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, high blood pressure or diabetic plans.
Although exercise is encouraged, the site says in its FAQs that diet plans can be developed for sedentary lifestyles.
There is no information on pricing. The site asks that you submit a free diet profile before they will discuss pricing.
Atkins.com
From the web site: Atkins Nutritionals Inc. is a leading player in the $2.4 billion weight control nutrition category and offers a powerful lifetime approach to weight loss and weight management. The Atkins Nutritional Approach™ focuses on a healthy diet with reduced levels of refined carbohydrates and refined sugars and encourages the consumption of lean protein, fiber, fruits, vegetables and good fats. Backed by research and consumer success stories, this approach allows the body to burn more fat and work more efficiently while helping people feel less hungry, more satisfied and more energetic.
My observations: Atkins has been one of the most controversial diet plans and there is still no consensus whether the approach is healthy. Their success rate is apparent with thousands of clients who successfully lost weight and kept it off. Courtney Thorne-Smith is their current celebrity endorser.
The web site has a number of online tools, including a meal planner, carb counter, message boards and a recipe database. Maybe it’s a result of all the controversy about Atkins, but there is a lot of space devoted to the science of the Atkins approach.
There is nothing about fitness on the site, consistent with the Atkins approach that eating the right foods is all that is needed to lose weight.
The online tools are free, but you have to be committed to the Atkins approach to benefit from most of the tools.
biggestloserclub.com
From the web site: You don’t have to be on the show to lose weight and start your own transformation! The Biggest Loser Club gives you online access to the diet & fitness program used by the contestants -- personalized to fit your goals and lifestyle. The Biggest Loser online weight loss program gives you all the tools, expert help, and community support you need to succeed.
My observations: If you’re a fan of the TV show, this seems to be a great way to follow along and get motivated to eat well and exercise. The site seems to have it all – nutrition and fitness experts, meal plans, food trackers, videos and message boards to share your progress with the community. The cast members from previous shows also contribute advice through their blogs.
This is a pay site – there’s a 3-month introductory offer of $39.00 or a monthly fee of $19.98.
buddyslim.com
From the web site: Most people looking to lose weight feel like they’re on their own --it’s difficult to achieve lasting success because keeping the weight off requires help. My name is Marc Lawrence and I am a physician who created BuddySlim, as a fun and effective way to help people, like you, reach their weight loss goals. This free site will help you develop a community of buddies, who share your challenges, anxiety, goals – and ultimately, your long-term success.
My observations: Based on the premise that losing weight is easier with a buddy, the site has a buddy match system. Members can post their requirements, or browse other postings to find a buddy.
This site seems similar to 3fatchicks in that it has articles or links to other sites with information on nutrition, fitness and lifestyle. Buddyslim does have a calorie counter database and users can contribute foods that aren’t listed. There’s also a food journal to track food and exercise and a recipe database. The recipes are user-submitted and do not contain nutritional information.
The site is free
caloriecount.com
From the web site: Calorie Count doesn't prescribe a particular diet. Eat any foods you want as long as you burn more calories than you consume.
My observations: Although this site is focused on calories – the calories in food, calories used during exercise, it offers a lot of features to help anyone looking to lose weight and get into shape. There’s a quiz to identify your eating habits and design a solution that fits your profile. You can follow a pre-defined 12 week exercise plan or build your own.
Members can get free personalized diet plans or a free nutritional analysis. There are food and activity logging tools and a message board for the community. The recipe database does have nutritional information, but most of the recipes come from Eating Well magazine. Not that that’s a bad thing, but I’d like to see more variety.
Site is free
dietclubelite.com
From the web site: Most diet and exercise programs will tell you that if you watch what you eat and exercise on a regular basis you stay trim, have plenty of energy and feel good. And for the most part that’s true.
But there’s a third element that is seldom mentioned that was the key to my weight loss for more than the past four years. When I focused on all three as a lifestyle rather than a fix it solution everything changed. I dropped 25 pounds over the next two months and it has stayed off without hunger or excessive exercise.
A few friends noticed that I was looking good and they were keen to try out what I was doing. They did and to everyone’s delight they also lost weight.
One thing that surprised all of us was when we looked at all of the success stories from other weight loss programs and weight loss television programs we could see all three elements in play and yet most only focused on the food or the exercise.
My observations: I had to read the above a few times to figure out the “third element” because the author never really tells you what it is. Maybe I had to join to learn the secret? After hunting around the web site I’ve concluded the mysterious third element is the idea of community, getting healthier as part of a team. This is more a blog where members can comment – I could not find where members can contribute. There is a free diet analysis, which I did not take, so I don’t know who is doing the analyzing.
Site is free
Ediets.com
From the web site: We pioneered online dieting. We have been offering subscriptions to our online weight-loss program in the United States since 1998, when we launched our first diet plan. Our online programs are personalized according to an individual's weight goals, and food and cooking preferences. Members have access to shopping lists, recipes and weight management tools. eDiets offers approximately twenty different digital diet plans, some of which we have developed and some of which we have licensed from third parties.
We have been offering our home meal delivery service in the United States since 2006. Our meal delivery service ships chill-fresh, nutritionally balanced meals, snacks and desserts directly to the doors of customers seeking a convenient way to eat well and lose weight. Customers can choose a 5-day or 7-day plan that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack. Our meals were named Epicurious.com's "Top Pick" among weight loss meal delivery services for Best Taste and Nutrition.
My observations: Although there is a lot of focus on the meal delivery plans, the online site does offer personalized menus, tracking tools for nutrition and weight loss, a recipe database, online meetings with nutrition and fitness experts and message boards.
None of the tools are free, although you can browse articles and the different types of plans offered to determine if one meets your needs. No pricing is available on the site – they want you to complete a profile under the premise that a customized plan requires customized pricing.
fitday.com
From the web site: FitDay is a free online diet and weight-loss journal. The FitDay journal allows you to track your diet and activities with no guess work. This lets you take control of your diet and fitness and achieve your fitness goals. We hope you find the tool useful.
My observations: The free site includes daily calorie counts, weight loss goals, detailed nutrition for thousands of foods, journals and a long-term diet analysis. There is a downloadable version of FitDay for $29.95, which has advanced weight loss goals and tracking and more reports than the online version, plus a premium membership for $5.95 per month, $15.95 for three months or $49.95 per year. The premium version syncs with the software, has no advertising and custom tracking.
The discussion forums are free, and there are a number of weight loss and fitness articles you can read for free.
jennycraig.com
From the website: Founded in 1983, Jenny Craig, Inc. is one of the largest weight management service companies in the world. Jenny Craig offers a comprehensive weight management program that helps clients learn how to eat the foods they want, develop a healthy and enjoyable eating style, increase their energy level through simple activity, and build more balance into their lives for optimal weight loss and well-being.
My observations: Everyone has heard of Jenny Craig, and their celebrity spokespeople (Carrie Fisher, Valerie Bertinelli, Sara Rue, Jason Alexander) are all over television touting their success with Jenny Craig. It’s primarily a food delivery business, with portion-controlled meals delivered directly to your house or available at local centers.
Jenny Craig charges for their programs and consultations in addition to the cost of food. Their web site has several free tools, including a progress/weight tracker, recipes, an activity planner, message boards and online journals and a lifestyle profile to help create a plan that works for individual needs.
livestrong.com
From the web site: OUR MISSION: DARE TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE
We believe everyone has the power to make their life better. Our members are people who want to take responsibility and give 100 percent to achieve everyday victories to help themselves and then help others.
Demand Media and the Lance Armstrong Foundation built LIVESTRONG.COM as the definitive daily health, fitness and lifestyle destination. Through its rich and extensive content, interactive tools and an engaged community, LIVESTRONG.COM will help people take action to make the most of their life, their time, their body and their world.
My observations: The site is dominated by the legend of Lance Armstrong, who overcame cancer and won the Tour de France seven times. Because of his athletic legend, the site is more geared toward health through fitness, although diet and weight management tools are well represented. The site is for-profit and should be distinguished from Armstrong’s not for profit site LIVESTRONG.ORG which supports people with cancer and raises money for cancer research.
There are a number of resources and tools on the site to eat healthy and get fit. There’s an active community of groups and message boards. What I see as unique on this site is it combines food eaten and physical activity each day and compares it to your daily goal to determine whether you’ve met the goal. For example, for my height and weight and lifestyle, I should eat 1,383 calories per day to lose about 2 lbs per week. However, if I increase my activity, the calculator adjusts so I could eat more and still achieve my weight loss goals.
Livestrong acquired the Daily Plate site, which stores thousands of restaurant nutrition information as well as national and regional brand foods from the grocery store. It is a great resource to locate calorie and nutrition information. Since fitness is such a focus, there are hundreds of videos and exercise plans.
The site is free
nutrisystem.com
From the web site: A Weight Loss Program for the 21st Century
Here at Nutrisystem, our mission is to provide a weight loss program based on quality foods and a nutritionally balanced meal plan; individualized counseling is the core of our commitment that customers always have the privacy, support and knowledge needed to reach their goal weight.
My observations: A member of what I call the Big Five (Atkins, Jenny Craig, Nutri System, South Beach Diet and Weight Watchers), Nutrisystem is primarily focused on portion-controlled food delivery.
Nutrisystem has their share of celebrities (Marie Osmond, Billie Jean King, Chris Berman, Dan Marino and Don Shula) and some free on-line tools that include counseling, weight loss trackers, online newsletters and discussion boards. The site is almost exclusively geared toward losing weight through the Nutrisystem eating plan, although there is an online exercise log.
Although the online tools are free, the food is not. Prices start at $240 per month.
southbeachdiet.com
From the web site: The South Beach Diet is truly a food lover's diet. It's about living well and loving what you eat. But it's also practical, flexible, easy, and effective. The South Beach Diet plan is divided into three Phases. Phase 1 lasts two weeks and is designed to eliminate cravings and kick-start weight loss. Phase 2 is intended to produce long-term, steady weight loss. You'll stay in Phase 2 until you reach a healthy weight. Then you'll move to Phase 3, the lifestyle Phase. This is how you'll eat and live 365 days a year — and it's the key to maintaining your new, healthy weight.
My observations: Another one of the Big Five, South Beach Diet is an enormously successful weight loss plan created by a cardiologist. The book, The South Beach Diet has sold more than 23 million copies and evolved into a lifestyle approach to healthy eating.
There are a number of online tools available, from nutrition counseling to meal plans. This site is all about the food – I could not find anything that mentioned exercise.
Although you can browse the discussion boards, all the other tools require membership at $5 per week.
Sparkpeople.com
From the web site: At SparkPeople, our mission is to SPARK millions of PEOPLE to reach their goals and lead healthier lives. We offer nutrition, health, and fitness tools, support, and resources that are 100% free.
Our weight loss program teaches people to stop dieting and transition to a permanent, healthy lifestyle. Far beyond just weight loss, SparkPeople helps everyone learn to eat better and exercise regularly—for life. And people who don’t want to lose weight can still join and benefit from SparkPeople's tools, resources and community features. In addition to informative articles and interactive tools, such as fitness trackers and meal plans, members can find support and encouragement from our vibrant, positive community of members and experts. We pride ourselves in offering medically accepted weight-loss and healthy lifestyle recommendations that are easy to understand and implement.
My observations: Full disclosure: I’ve been a member of Sparkpeople for three years and it’s been instrumental in my 100 lb weight loss. So I’m biased.
Sparkpeople combines fitness, nutrition and community tools to allow members to define and achieve their goals. There are trackers for eating, fitness, weight loss and user-defined measurements. Members can utilize the meal planner or enter their own food and track calories and other daily nutrition goals. There is an extensive database recipe and members can use a recipe builder to enter their own recipes to determine the calorie and nutrition content.
The site is free
Startyourdiet.com
From the web site: StartYourDiet.com is an online diet program. Our extensive tools will help you come up with the right diet plan, motivate and keep you focused through your daily tracking, inform you with our charts & graphs, and support you with expert advice and a warm community. It's a complete online diet program that provides the perfect set of tools no matter what style of diet you are on. Best of all, our program contains no advertising and costs a fraction of what the "big guys" do!
My observations: The site is all about dieting and food tracking with very little fitness information. The free portion of the site has a weight, water and BMI tracker, goal planning and weight charts. For $29.95 per year, you can access the premium site which has a planning and tracking calendar, an exercise database of over 80 exercises, a task list and planner, a meal intake chart to calculate calories, fat, carbs, protein and fiber, blog tools and message boards, and a Wii fit database.
weightlossbuddy.com
From the web site: What if people could somehow buddy up with one another to support each other around dieting and weight loss? Would this make them more successful?
Intrigued, I looked into what medical science had to about my buddy idea, and sure enough, study after study showed that those people who enlisted the aid of a “Buddy” were more successful at losing weight and keeping it off than those who went it alone. .
The answer lies in getting a Buddy. Someone you can turn to 24/7 whenever you feel the urge to overeat; someone who will support you on days when you "just don't feel like" taking your daily walk or going to your aerobics class.
That’s why I started www.WeightLossBuddy. People helping people. And if you can’t find someone, we’ll be your “Buddy” We’re here for you 24/7. That’s what WeightLossBuddy is all about.
My observations: Similar to dietclubelite.com, the site relies on matching buddies to form a support network to lose weight and be healthy. The support comes more from other members and fitness and nutrition experts, who publish articles and videos and are available for questions.
The site is free
weightwatchers.com
From the web site: Weight Watchers has always believed that dieting is just one part of long-term weight management. A healthy body results from a healthy lifestyle - which means mental, emotional and physical health. Weight Watchers does not tell you what you can or can't eat. We provide information, knowledge, tools and motivation to help you make the decisions that are right for you about nutrition and exercise. We help you to make healthy eating decisions, and we encourage you to enjoy yourself by becoming more active. To provide motivation, mutual support, encouragement and instruction from our leaders, Weight Watchers organizes group meetings around the world. meetings members often become meetings leaders and receptionists, sharing the story of their personal success with others
My observations: Weight Watchers has been around since the 1960s and was one of the first nationally-recognized weight loss programs. Their primary spokesperson is Jennifer Hudson.
Weight Watchers uses a Points-Plus program where foods is assigned a point value and members stay on plan by tracking points rather than specific foods. Although Weight Watchers primarily operates through group meetings and face-to-face interaction, there are some online tools, including food and fitness trackers, customized meal planning, restaurant guides, fitness videos and a recipe builder. However you really have to be part of the Weight Watchers program to benefit from the online tools.
Weight Watchers charges about $17.95 per month, although typically the first month is more expensive and the normal cost is $47.90 for the first month. There is a special right now where the first three months are $53.85 and then $17.95 per month thereafter.
In my research, I also found a couple articles that evaluated some of the online sites. I'm including the links below for further reference
Top Ten Reviews
Womans Day