SparkPeopleReviews 41

I've been using sparkpeople.com due to the fact it was the first site I found that has a database of foods and nutrition information that I could use for calorie tracking, but there are other similar tools out there. There are big problems with the functionality of the website. The list of foods won't populate when I am searching "recent" or "favorite" foods, and I have to enter and re-enter my search terms. Then the list will finally populate but it disappears just as I am trying to choose what I ate from the list. Then foods that had an indicator onscreen that they were "added" for the day are not on my food log at all when I refresh the page or access my log from the phone app. And don't get me started on the buggy problems with the phone app! Sparkpeople is run by people with moderate scientific knowledge on weight loss-- not experts by any analysis-- but they are enthusiastic about their topic despite poor article writing, editing or soliciting skills. And there is clearly no one on their staff with current web design skills sufficient to compete in today's web market.

But hey, it's free. And if you already know how to use science to improve your weight and health the tools can be useful if you are patient with the poor functionality.

I've been actively using and gaining knowledge from SparkPeople for many years now. I signed up when I just wanted to lose a few pounds. Of course, life got in the way and I ended up gaining some weight after my two children were born. As soon as I was ready, SparkPeople was right there and helped me get back in shape. I feel like I have so much knowledge of nutrition that I'm actually able to pass it along to my kids. It's a wonderful site and I'm glad it's around!

I've been a member for 3 yrs and have to say this free site has more than one could ever need from a health lifestyle site. There are articles, how-to stuff, videos, recipies, trackers you name it, they have it! They also have very supportive forums. It's an amazingly uplifting site. Plus you can create your own page (optional) to communicate with other members. I have learned a lot about myself, nutition and exercise. Plus I have lost weight with the information and support of their professionals and their members support. And it's also fun!

SparkPeople's mission is to help you become a healthier and (if you wish) lighter person, for free. It has more content and community than you could ever need. It's a very balanced site which uses tried and true nutrition and fitness improvements to get you on track.

Meal tracking. Exercise tracking. Medical stats. Auto-syncing. Daily goals. Meal plans. Monthly challenges. Cheesy but effective reinforcement system. A community which cheers each other on. SparkPeople's got it.

Endless articles teach you how to cook, exercise, manage illness, and balance life, and the information on the site tends to be quite well scientifically supported and actionable. Then there are some cool features like when you select a weight loss goal, it will automatically adjust your daily recommended calories and weekly exercise minutes to help you achieve that goal.

I've never bought anything from the site, and I actually won two free exercise DVDs. Although sparkpeople does sell some goods and services, it's not overly pushy or annoying, especially if you have an ad blocker installed.

I've been a member of SparkPeople for several years. Initially I was all involved in the groups and the activity and the rah rah of the site. All good things. It was a very educational and informative year and I lost over 75 pounds. I learned a LOT. I don't use the site often anymore as a social support network. I've continued to lose weight - now over 100 pounds - and am keeping it off because of what I learned there. Now that I can live a healthy eating lifestyle in the 'real' world I no longer need or use the on-line support. They still send me helpful information via the newsletters and emails I subscribed to early on and I'll probably stay a member as a reminder of what I've accomplished, how much I learned, and what I still need to do each day. I would recommend this site to anyone dealing with weight loss issues.

I love this DVD for so many reasons. Coach Nicole is so personable and encouraging. Her "back-up" girls have "real" bodies -- something you don't find very often on workout DVD's. The 28 plan on the DVD is awesome -- just click on the day you are on and it automatically starts the workout. So cool! I haven't seen any other DVD's with this feature. Finally, there is a count-down clock on the screen so you know how much time you have left, which definitely helped me stay focused and motivated!

This DVD has so much variety--it's not just your basic curls and squats that you've seen 100 times before. Coach Nicole has created fun and unique exercise combinations that are interesting to do and you really feel them, too! I love the 28 day workout calendar on the DVD menu, and the plan itself has so much variety to keep you from getting bored and help create "muscle confusion". The 28-day plan starts with shorter workouts to ease you into exercise and progresses you gradually over four weeks to harder and longer workouts. The 30 Minute Challenge routine is the best--it uses dumbbells like a kettlebell and you really work up a sweat.

I am loving this 28-Day Bootcamp! This is what I wrote about my Day 1 experience on Sparkpeople.com "This was a little tougher than I thought, but a very good workout! Although I will admit the warm could be a workout [in] itself. I had to be careful with the grapevine/mambo turns as I was working out on carpet, so the turns were a bit of a challenge. I like the idea of clicking the day on the calendar that takes you to the workout. I originally thought I had to click the warm/workout/cool down separately.