A sensible approach to diet and exercise
SparkPeople.com has become a popular stop on the Internet for people looking for advice, information and support regarding their diet and exercise goals. Now the founder of SparkPeople, Chris Downie, has published a book and DVD.
The book, "The Spark" (Hay House), offers a 28-day program that teaches the major concepts, supported by science, on diet and exercise. It's well-suited to people who are new to a weight and fitness program because it doesn't ask for much at the start and really addresses the need for effective motivation to make long-term lifestyle changes. The DVD, called "The Spark: Fit, Firm & Fired Up," demonstrates eight workouts to improve strength and toning.
What's central to the SparkPeople movement is its promotion of group support. "Our program radiates a joyous team spirit and the knowledge that people are nourished by each other as much as by food," Downie writes in the introduction. It makes sense. Start with small steps and cheer each other on.
-- Shari Roan
Photo credit: SparkPeople Inc.
Feel good about ourselves is essential and necessary to live well: light recipes, exercises for weight loss and health advice are all necessary for this aim.
Posted by: federina | March 30, 2010 at 07:49 AM
The Spark and sparkpeople.com are amazing! The nutrition tracker really opened my eyes to just how much, and how poorly, I was eating. The fitness tracker helped me figure out how much to exercise. Because of SP, I lost weight, got healthy, even made new friends! Its free, and it is awesome! Try it out, you have nothing to lose... well... except unwanted extra weight!
Posted by: sparker | March 30, 2010 at 11:29 AM
I recommend while trying to identify the proper diet, think satiety. No matter which diet and/or approach you take, you must always have a feeling of satiety after eating. Otherwise, the statistics are grim - a 95% failure rate.
Ken Leebow
www.FeedYourHeadDiet.com
Posted by: Ken Leebow | March 30, 2010 at 12:04 PM
The SparkPeople.com website has been a great help to me. It is a wonderful free service to anyone looking for support and information on weight loss.
Posted by: Pat Leary | March 30, 2010 at 02:05 PM
SparkPeople.com is great. Another key point is that it's FREE. I found the site after my doctor told me that I had borderline high blood pressure. I needed to start losing weight but didn't want something that would require me to buy pre-packaged food or go to meetings. I lost 21 pounds using SparkPeople without a gym membership because I was able to use the online videos for strength training along with cardio. I'm still working on losing more but I'm really happy to be a member, I've got all of the information I need at my fingertips.
Groups are also a part of the experience. I always describe SparkPeople.com as a cross between a weight loss site and a social networking site. The groups are not only based on health/weight loss goals but also different interests like photography or gardening. I know I sound like a commercial but this site has been a treasure for me and I'm sure it is and will be for others too.
Posted by: Suzanne | March 30, 2010 at 02:23 PM
Spark people has been a wonderful tool for me the support is great and It FREE.. NOT MUCH IN LIFE IS@!
Posted by: Rebecca Stavros | March 30, 2010 at 02:39 PM
I love Sparkpeople - I have lost 65lb in less than a year and have come to love fitness and exercise into the bargain!
Posted by: seamstressless | March 31, 2010 at 02:03 AM
There’s an interesting post over at the Health Journal Club that makes the case that people should just not eat anything that wasn’t a food 100 years ago. Gets rid of the aspartame, bleached GM flour, high fructose corn syrup garbage they try to pass off as food these days. If interested you can read on it here,
http://healthjournalclub.blogspot.com/2010/01/100-year-diet.html
Posted by: Philip | April 01, 2010 at 01:18 AM