Log on, slim down
The Internet makes it easier than ever to commit to personal fitness goals
By Sara Cardine 01/14/2010
W hen it comes to making New Year’s resolutions, endomorphs take the cake. Whether it’s a wish for a total body transformation or the shedding of those last stubborn pounds, millions of us promise ourselves this year will be the year — the year we lose the weight and keep it off.:
Most people instinctively hit the gym, a course of action infamous for petering out before the first Valentine’s chocolates have been unwrapped. Without basic education on proper nutrition, exercise and how much of each is required for your individual weight loss, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
A daily personal trainer and dietitian/nutritionist may not be in this year’s budget, but that doesn’t mean you can’t create a weight loss plan that is customized to you.
Enter the Internet.
Modern technology makes it easier than ever before to commit to personal goals, track success or supplement a doctor-prepared diet plan for less money. For some, e-dieting is a good way to get needed information without embarrassing public weigh-ins and talking to doctors about past food failures.
If you don’t know where to start and could stand to learn more about how to begin a healthy and safe weight-loss routine, sites like fitnessonline.com offer numerous free articles and blogs meant to inspire and inform.
Other Web sites offer online forums where users create accounts to help them monitor shifts in weight, calorie intake and the effectiveness of various exercise regimens. People can share meal plans, training tips and be a part of a support network for like-minded individuals at sites like biggestloserclub.com, which sprouted from the wildly popular NBC show “Biggest Loser,” or fitday.com, which offers free and paid food journals and weight tracking.
Still other programs, such as ediets.com, include food delivery to make sure members are eating balanced meals on a regular basis and online diet plans designed specifically for particular body types.
If you’re looking for a plan that combines the convenience of the Web with the safety and effectiveness of medical consultation, you’re in luck. Several diet and weight-loss programs online make it easier for people to connect with local doctors and nutritionists who can prescribe medically safe and effective plans.
Pasadena naturopathic physician, nutritionist and herbalist Dr. Claude Matar founded the Pasadena Weight Loss Center in 1999 to help people develop a workable weight-loss plan tailored to their own bodies and lifestyles.
The Pasadena Weight Loss Center has patients come in to be medically evaluated, Matar said. These consultations consider health factors that may be causing excess weight, including stress, hormones and other genetic conditions.
“For me, weight loss is a by-product of improving your heath,” Matar added. “(Our approach) is really comprehensive because the purpose is permanency.”
From the evaluation, Matar and his nutritionists create diet and exercise regimens unique to every person. Clients then follow up with regular reassessment visits and log their success daily using an online component at pasadena-weight-loss-center.com, which puts them directly in touch with trained staff members. Being able to conveniently connect to a certified nutritionist or doctor helps clients avoid the pitfalls associated with some Internet dieting programs.
“Many of the programs on the Internet may tell you one thing and give you another,” Matar warned. “There are many unknowns.”
By contrast, patients who complete the Pasadena Weight Loss Center program leave with a workable, comprehensive action plan they can follow permanently to continue goals and maintain weight loss.
If you’ve made a resolution to slim down or tone up, consider how you might be able to use online resources to keep you confident, connected and engaged in behavior that will produce the most effective results. There is a wealth of information at your fingertips and millions of people just like you who can help you on your journey.
It’s up to you to take the first step.
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