A Comparison of SparkPeople and Weight Watchers Online Diet Programs

Spark People and Weight Watchers are two online diet programs that I have tried. I like both of these sites, but there are some differences that are worth discussing.

Everyone knows about Weight Watchers. They advertise and have been around for a lot of years. Their program is basically a points tracking program in which all the calories are calculated for you. They also have, what they call, a Core Program Plan in which you don’t count points. The Core Program has a list of foods from which you choose to eat. Weight Watchers Plans are flexible and you will lose weight following their program. I don’t like going to meetings. I have found, however, that it is much more difficult to try to lose weight on your own. Going to a Weight Watchers meeting is more successful normally.

The one drawback to using Weight Watchers is the cost. To sign up, they charge a sign up fee of $29.95 and then $17.95 per month subscription fee. This is the cost for the online program. On their site, at this time, they are offering two weeks free if you pay for a three month subscription and after the three months the $17.95 per month subscription fee will apply. That’s pretty expensive. They have a different pricing structure for going to Weight Watchers meetings which is a little cheaper than their online program.

Spark People is completely free. They have a very flexible menu planner and exercise tracker. Their diet plan counts calories and is done through their meal planner. The meal planner is extremely versatile, and you can tailor it to your personal likes. This is a major plus to me. You can also add foods not on the specific meal plan. It’s better, however to stay within the choices available through the planner. You can click on a food in the meal planner to see the other selections that you can substitute. It’s a good idea to follow the meal planner because it is set up so that you have a balanced diet. This is the best part of the Spark People site.

There is also a community of other dieters that you can connect with if you want. I prefer to find someone that I know personally, and try to motivate one another to lose weight. I have started to follow the Spark People diet and track both my food intake and exercise.

Both of these sites take a personal commitment and dedication to a healthier lifestyle to be successful. You can set goals, track your progress, and communicate with others. These are things that most people trying to be healthier need. Especially if you are trying to make big changes in your life. You can never have too much support.

I think, of the two plans, that Spark People is the best choice. The reasons I have for saying this, is that as long as you build a good support system, all the tools you need to be successful are available with Spark People without spending money. This is a remarkable site with a lot of wonderful tools.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SparkPeople

http://teedsblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/weight-watchers-vs-sparkpeople.html