This article series will help you understand your "dieting personality" and ultimately decide which dieting method fits it. Let's take a look at one weight-loss option, online weight loss, to find out if it suits your dieting personality:
Online Weight Loss: Personalized, Convenient
The Web has drastically changed the way Americans approach weight loss. Many Web sites allow you to assess your current eating habits, personalize a meal plan and/or track your daily caloric intake and expenditure. This allows you to lose weight by reducing your calorie intake, increasing your calorie burn, or a combination of the two. The main differences among online weight-loss methods is whether or not a diet plan is provided or if you choose your own foods.One such Web site is About.com's Calorie Count. While it does not provide menu plans, this easy-to-use Web site allows users to calculate caloric needs (how many you need to maintain weight or lose weight) and track your calorie "burn" (expenditure). Using the site's database, users track daily food and beverage intake to meet the calorie goal either to maintain weight or to create a calorie deficit that will lead to weight loss. Users can also calculate how many calories are burned with specific types and amounts of physical activity.
Using an online method for weight loss is convenient and highly personalized:
You can typically use a Web site like Calorie Count from any computer at any time as well as other Internet devices (Calorie Count Mobile is available for many devices including the iPhone and The BlackBerry Shortcut.). This added convenience means that users are able to check the calorie count of an item when at a restaurant, or add any given item consumed to the calorie tracker when away from a computer.
Since there are no food restrictions of any kind, using a Web site like Calorie Count allows you to learn how to incorporate your favorite foods in controlled portions into your daily calorie allowance. This can backfire if you do not have a basic knowledge of nutrition. (You might be able to lose weight controlling calories on a diet of junk food, but your won't feel all that great!)
The Bottom Line
About.com's Calorie Count is totally free. Features of the site include an extensive food logger, weight logger and diet analysis; exercise plans suggestions and an activity browswer; informative blogs and a thriving community with forums, groups and friends. This video can help you learn more.Some online weight-loss programs do charge a monthly, weekly or yearly membership fee, such as eDiets.com or WeightWatchers.com's online program. It is important that you do careful research before signing up with a "pay-to-lose" Web site.
For instance, if you want a set diet meal plan, eDiets may be best for you; but, if a free Web site like About.com's Calorie Count satisfies your needs because you want to creat your own meals, it doesn't make sense to pay a premium price for "bells and whistles" you probably will not use.
Who is Online Weight Loss For?
Online weight loss is most effective for people who are self-motivated and comfortable with monitoring and controlling their food intake and behavior without assistance from another person or group. Losing weight with a calorie-counting Web site requires that you be congizant of your food and beverage intake at all times and that you account for the calories.If you choose an online weight-loss plan that provides actual diet or meal plans, you will need to purchase any required groceries, order required pre-packaged meals and plan your meals exactly as they are set out.
An added benefit for diet-providing weight-loss Web sites is the ability to choose "convenience" versions of the plans that incorporate pre-packaged frozen meals or other pre-prepared foods commonly found at your grocery store into your daily diet. This can be an ideal weight-loss approach for someone who doesn't want to cook.
Some questions you may want to ask yourself before signing up include:
- Am I willing to track my food and beverage intake at all times?
- Am I willing to read nutrition labels and enter their information into my food tracker if the information is not available online?
- Am I willing to pay attention to serving sizes?
- Am I willing to measure portions with spoons or cups until I learn to "eyeball" portion sizes?
- Can I keep up my motivation without support from others?
- Do I have a basic knowledge of good nutrition and meal planning?
In order to be successful with online weight loss, you must answer yes to most, if not all, of these questions.
Long-term Effectiveness
A study by the University of Vermont Behavioral Weight Control Research Progran found people who used Web-based weight-loss programs were ultimately just as successful in maintaining their weight loss as those who used a "real world" plan.Source
Gold B.C., et al. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2007 Jan;15(1):155-64. Weight loss on the web: A pilot study comparing a structured behavioral intervention to a commercial program.
