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Home › Articles › Women's Fitness › Weight Loss Methods

Weight Loss Methods

Internet Diet and Support

By Carma Haley

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Advice, meal plans, calorie counts, recipes and support are just a few of the things that online dieters can find in their quest to take off extra weight. The "big" names are there – Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Slim-Fast and NutriSystem – and the up and comers, too. Should you attempt weight loss with the help of the Web?

Finding Support
Ask any doctor, dietitian or weight loss consultant what one of the most important factors of losing weight is and they will tell you "support." If a person attempts to lose weight and their family is not supportive, their success may be limited to only a few days. However, finding the support you need is not always an easy task. There are meetings and groups that offer support, but people who do not feel comfortable with their weight or appearance oftentimes have difficulty attending these groups. Enter the world of the Web. With online support there are no face-to-face meetings. The support is offered in online chat groups, bulletin boards and private e-mails. For those who are not comfortable or may be embarrassed with their appearance, or even who just do not have the time to make the in-person groups, these options are perfect.

According to Susan Burke, a certified dietitian and weight loss consultant for ediets.com, it's oftentimes much easier for people to discuss their weight problems online as the fear of judgment, ridicule and sarcasm is reduced. "People tend to open up a lot on the message boards and chat rooms," says Burke. "When people attend the traditional meeting and groups, they are kind of hesitant about speaking out on what their problem is – whether it's eating due to stress, comfort or having a food addiction. Online, these same people will open up and tell about themselves, how much they need to lose, their problems with losing weight or even how they gained the weight to begin with. They are real open and honest because they don't have to look at other people, which may be hard to do when you don't like yourself or what you look like."


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