SCALING DOWN VIA THE INTERNET WEB-BASED WEIGHT-LOSS PLANS ARE GAINING IN POPULARITY.Byline: Sandra Barrera Staff Writer 'I was the person who watched 'The Biggest Loser' with a tub of ice cream in my hand." That's Dorothy Mackendrick. She's a 34-year-old from Pacific Palisades Palisades, cliffs along the west bank of the Hudson River, NE N.J. and SE N.Y., extending from N of Jersey City, N.J., to the vicinity of Piermont, N.Y., with a general altitude of from 350 ft to 550 ft (107–168 m). who was teetering around 214 pounds until a Web-based weight-loss program helped change her life. Now she watches what she eats and runs religiously. And she's whittled her 6-foot-tall frame down to 161 pounds and counting. "I'm doing the L.A. Marathon next month," she says with a chuckle. "Yeah, it's been a dramatic year." Mackendrick's experience may seem dramatic, but it's hardly unique. More and more dieters are finding all the guidance and support they need to set and achieve healthy weight-loss goals online. The Internet is virtually exploding with affordable, convenient alternatives to the brick-and-mortar centers and best-selling best·sell·er also best seller n. A product, such as a book, that is among those sold in the largest numbers. best books. While each site prides itself on being different, most cover the basics, including a place for logging meals and exercise, expert advice and peer-to-peer support. "When you're making a lifestyle change, you need that community support," says Connie Guttersen, the nutritionist nu·tri·tion·ist n. One who is trained or is an expert in the field of nutrition. nutritionist Dietitian, see there , culinary expert and author of "The Sonoma Diet The Sonoma Diet was developed by Connie Guttersen and is a derivation of the Mediterranean diet. The diet plan consists managing portion sizes and eating approved foods centered around 10 items known as the "power foods". " and "The Sonoma Diet Cookbook (programming) cookbook - (From amateur electronics and radio) A book of small code segments that the reader can use to do various magic things in programs. One current example is the "PostScript Language Tutorial and Cookbook" by Adobe Systems, Inc (Addison-Wesley, ISBN ." Last year, Guttersen launched the online weight-loss program based on her best-selling diet book, which promotes the enjoyment of healthy foods, often with a glass of wine. The plan has three phases, called "waves." In Wave One, dieters experience rapid weight loss as they're introduced to the Sonoma Diet's nutrient-rich recipes and exact plate-size portions. After 10 days they go into Wave Two, where they remain until their weight-loss goal is met. Wave Three is a maintenance mode. "In the past when we had weight loss centers, you had to come to group meetings," Guttersen says. "Think how hard that is vs. coming to a Web site and taking part in live chats. This is the next thing on the frontier On the Frontier: A Melodrama in Two Acts, by W. H. Auden and Christopher Isherwood, was the third and last play in the Auden-Isherwood collaboration, first published in 1938. ." And new tools are coming online every day, from diet- oriented to the most comprehensive, searchable ingredient database at FoodFacts.com for people concerned about health issues such as diabetes and food allergies Food Allergies Definition Food allergies are the body's abnormal responses to harmless foods; the reactions are caused by the immune system's reaction to some food proteins. . Of course all this was news to Mackendrick, who has been struggling with her weight for most of her adult life. The latest figures from the American Obesity Association This article or section needs sources or references that appear in reliable, third-party publications. Alone, primary sources and sources affiliated with the subject of this article are not sufficient for an accurate encyclopedia article. reports that about 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million are obese, and 9 million are severely obese. And the numbers are growing. For Mackendrick, things really got out of hand a couple of years ago after doctors removed a skin cancer spot from her leg. The procedure is a common one, but Mackendrick was allergic to the blue dye used to check her lymph nodes Lymph nodes Small, bean-shaped masses of tissue scattered along the lymphatic system that act as filters and immune monitors, removing fluids, bacteria, or cancer cells that travel through the lymph system. . "In my anaphylactic shock anaphylactic shock n. A severe, sometimes fatal allergic reaction characterized by a sharp drop in blood pressure, urticaria, and breathing difficulties that is caused by exposure to a foreign substance, such as a drug or bee venom, after preliminary , they cut a giant piece out of my inner thigh, and it hurt for a really long time," she says. "It made it hard to walk. And so, I just kind of stopped and hung out in front of the TV." That snowballed into massive weight gain -- and along with it depression and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. "I decided I was going to be one of those people that was really interested in food and cooking with butter because it tasted good," she says. "That was my way of rationalizing my weight gain." But one afternoon, while trolling (1) Surfing, or browsing, the Web. (2) Posting derogatory messages about sensitive subjects on newsgroups and chat rooms to bait users into responding. (3) Hanging around in a chat room without saying anything, like a "peeping tom." around on MySpace.com, she stumbled on a weight-loss chat group where somebody had posted a note about a free weight-loss site called SparkPeople.com. Mackendrick checked it out and hasn't been back to MySpace.com since. "I love stories like that where people say, 'Yeah, I just stumbled on your site,'" says Chris Downie, SparkPeople.com's founder and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . Downie started the site after making a bundle selling a person-to-person auction site to eBay in 1998. "I really wanted it to be about health and fitness but then use that as a springboard to reach other goals as well," says Downie, who bases the program on good nutrition and fitness combined with goal- setting and leadership. Like the Sonoma Diet, Spark People.com is a multitier program of stages and other weight loss tools. One of Spark People.com's motivational tools is a points system, where members collect points by visiting and using the site. "It's like a little gold star every time you drink water or log your food," Mackendrick says. Taysha Urquhart consumed her points as part of the famous Flex Plan at Weight Watchers.com. Like Mackendrick, the 28- year-old marketing coordinator from West Los Angeles
"I'm an Internet person," Urquhart says. "I love doing everything on the computer, so when I saw that they actually had an online Weight Watchers program, I said, 'OK, I'll try that.' It put me in charge of myself. And it worked." Urquhart chose to follow the Flex Plan, which assigns points to different foods. By staying within her weekly allotment and hitting the gym, she managed to drop 80 pounds. She still remembers the day when she no longer could find her size at Lane Bryant Lena Himmelstein Bryant Malsin (1879? - September 26, 1951) was an American clothing designer and retailer who founded the plus-size clothing chain Lane Bryant. Early Life & Career . "All of a sudden, their pants were too big. I remember asking the saleswoman for a smaller size and she said, 'We don't have smaller than that.' So, I walked across the mall to Express and thought to myself, 'OK, I guess I shop here now.' " Urquhart is one of many success stories at Weight Watchers.com, and it's those testimonials that make up one of the most popular features at the site, which has been up and running since 1999. In fact, it's true of most online weight-loss programs, and for good reason. "Losing weight is only half the battle," says Robert Hallock, president of DietWatch.com, which has been around for 12 years. "Maintaining it is really the hardest thing to do. This is where success stories and peer support is so important. People can share their successes and share their failures." Sandra Barrera, (818) 713-3728 sandra.barrera@dailynews.com Click to shed pounds Want to see how the battle of the bulge Battle of the Bulge, popular name in World War II for the German counterattack in the Ardennes, Dec., 1944–Jan., 1945. It is also known as the Battle of the Ardennes. On Dec. is being won in the 21st century? Log onto the Internet and check out these sites: WeightWatchers.com: Provides the resources needed to follow the Weight Watchers plan step-by-step online, including interactive tools to help you manage daily food choices and activities. Plans are $16.95 a month, plus a $29.95 sign-up fee, or $65 for a three month prepaid subscription, which includes the sign-up fee. SonomaDiet.com: Emphasizes the joy of satisfying, flavorful foods. Based on The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times best-seller by Connie Guttersen, the diet combines nutrition with Mediterranean, Latin American and Asian cuisine Asian cuisine is a term sometimes used in the West as an umbrella term for the various cuisines of East Asia and Southeast Asia and for fusion dishes based on combining them. It does not usually include Polynesian, Central Asia or Middle Eastern cuisine. , even wine. The focus here is three waves of dieting, from curbing specific cravings for the first 10 days to the actual weight loss phase to maintaining your weight once you've reached your goal. Cost is $5 a week. SparkPeople.com: This free site has many of the same bells and whistles A slang English term for exceptional features in some product. In the computer field, it typically refers to functions in software that may be greatly appreciated by some users, even though they may not be necessary most of the time. offered by the paid sites, including personalized per·son·al·ize tr.v. per·son·al·ized, per·son·al·iz·ing, per·son·al·iz·es 1. To take (a general remark or characterization) in a personal manner. 2. To attribute human or personal qualities to; personify. diet and fitness plans, daily trackers, fitness demonstrations and videos, articles, experts and community support. Diet.com: Customized for your specific personality type and lifestyle. Includes meal plans, exercise demos, private consultation with program founder Dr. Robert Kushner via e-mail and message boards, as well as personal coaching Personal Coaching is a term generally used in the fields of business, executive, life, dating and career coaching to differentiate the coaching process from the more popular connotation of sports coaching. However, sports and personal coaching have the same origin. and meal reviews by registered dietitians registered dietitian, n See dietitian, registered. . Plans range from $39.90 a month to $139.95 for an annual membership. DietWatch.com: One of the first Internet-only weight-loss programs. Offers personalized diet and fitness plans, community support and live chats with experts. Plans are $38.87 for three months, or $77 for an annual membership. -- S.B. CAPTION(S): 4 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) LOG ON... WEIGH IN Dieters are using the Web to lose the pounds and keep them off (2) Dorothy Mackendrick, 34, who has lost more than 50 pounds with SparkPeople.com, runs in her Pacific Palisades neighborhood in preparation for next month's L.A. Marathon. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer (3 -- 4 -- color) Taysha Urquhart, 28, of West Los Angeles, started her online Weight Watchers plan at 230 pounds, far left. Near left, she is 80 pounds lighter. Box: Click to shed pounds (see text) |
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