support groups

Traditional ways of keeping diet diaries usually involve tracking calories, recording pounds lost or gained, and noting miles run or lengths swum. But if that all sounds too obsessive - or too much like maths homework -why not consider starting your own weight loss blog?

New research into weight maintenance shows some (slightly) promising results.

After 30 months - the majority of participants were able to keep their weight below the initial level.

There are a large number of sites out there that connect users with each other and enable people to collaborate their information.

Here is a collection of sites that specialize in the area of health, fitness, and diet.

Much of what we do in life, we do with the help and support of those around us, but do you 'go-it-alone' when trying to lose weight?

Lots of people do, but think about it, launching a new weight loss program can be a life-changing event. Generally speaking, we normally involve others in the major events of our life, and a physical transformation shouldn’t be any different.

Surrounding yourself with a good support team can mean the difference between success, and failure. So, who makes up your support network? Your team may include friends, family, work colleagues, various health care professionals, weight loss groups, your personal trainer; or it could even comprise contacts from an online health forum.

There is no denying that the internet contains its fair share of dubious weight loss advice - but it can also be a very reliable source of information.

The people in white coats have examined advice posted on weight loss forums and concluded that: People who seek out general weight loss information via Internet forums will, more often than not, receive correct information. (reuters)

Have you ever purchased a diet book, or two, or three...? Or maybe you have a shelf full of them. Surely one should have done the trick.

There is a reason why they don't work so well:

Books are not people.

There is a growing number of superb websites offering innovative ways to connect with a support network of people who are interested in fitness or weight loss.

Some of these sites have already been mentioned on diet-blog.com - however this list is more comprehensive and will be updated from here on.

On-line social networking is as popular as ever - with new sites appearing every other week. Weight loss is a common theme, and many people benefit from the mutual support offered by an on-line community.

Here are three new sites.