Weight loss programs are increasingly being promoted over the Internet. Jenny Craig, E-diets and Weight Watchers offer some of the popular online programs. Websites provide dieters with resources to develop their own nutritional and exercise plans to facilitate weight loss. Ease of access enables more participation in these programs. These sites also offer personal trainers that offer customized plans for the dieters. They also keep a track of their weights as their plan progresses. They mostly offer balanced diet-non-fad plans, low GI diets, vegetarian diets, low cholesterol diets and others as advised by the trainer. Such sites include exhaustive diet plans and information on different exercises that can be undertaken to attain weight loss. It is advisable to consider only those online programs that have a track record of proven and guaranteed results. A majority of these online weight loss programs are to be paid for and hence the user must ensure quality before spending money on them. Ideally online weight loss programs should have personal guidance as one of their aspects of support. Lack of proper guidance often results in blocks or impediments in the process of weight loss. Some sites also conduct regular offline meetings for the purpose of assessment, guidance and support. These can be once a month or once a week as per the schedule given by the counselor. Such meetings lend a social touch to the otherwise personal issue of weight loss. The meetings are very useful for behavior counseling and procurement of further guidance to fine-tune programs to suit dieters in the best possible manner. Some sites also allow contacting counselors to discuss a problem, which is a definite advantage. Another feature may be the provision of an online store for purchasing carefully balanced food items. |
