Does SparkPeople diet advice work?

SparkPeople is one of the many online communities focused on weight loss and healthy living. SparkPeople also runs SparkRecipes.com, SparkTeens.com and BabyFit.com, but does the diet advice really work? The short answer is yes — but, like all weight loss, individuals who want to get the job done have to work hard.

SparkPeople and what it offers

SparkPeople is used for diet advice and as a social network. Your BMI is calculated for you on the ad-supported site and then recommendations are given to you on exercise and nutrition. You can keep track of the calories you are eating and burning with a daily log on the site. You are able to get small prizes with SparkPoints that you receive when you do better at losing weight. Before you run out and spend $ 500 on a “diet food” system or pay $ 18 a month for WeightWatchers, SparkPeople suggests that you try their system first, which is ultimately free. Also, “healthy” goals are the only ones that could be set on SparkPeople.

SparkPeople community will help with things

The best part of SparkPeople isn't the system as much as it is the support from the community. The message boards, forums and blogs built into SparkPeople help you connect and communicate with other people trying to accomplish the same goals. This community element is incredibly important when it comes to losing and keeping weight off. You are allowed to choose how active you would like to be on the social side of things with SparkPeople.

Does SparkPeople really work?

SparkPeople is a site that most are concerned won't help them really lose weight. It is true that SparkPeople is an excellent tool to track the elements of weight loss. SparkPeople doesn't really help when you want some Biggest Loser -style weight loss. Changing habits is the only way to lose weight healthily instead of doing some random “diet”. If you aren’t a fan of the SparkPeople system, you will find a couple of other effective online tools that do the same kind of thing. Try Calorie Count, the About.com system that is very similar to SparkPeople. Walk some more every single day, write down what you eat and stop drinking liquid calories if you don't want to do anything online. Change small things to lose weight instead of helping to pay for the $ 60 billion a year weight loss industry.