A Truly Free Weight Loss Program!

Recently SparkPeople opened their on-line diet program up for a free subscriptions (see this post). Their tools are every bit as powerful as eDiets (or better depending on your opinion).

The big news is, SparkPeople have decided to go 100% free. Permanently.

Many of us are cynical about the costs of diets - a recent comment on diet-blog ranted:

Why does everything have to be about money why cant people just help people in need of advice or tips. everything in this world now is about money.

A fair observation.

However Chris "SparkGuy" Downie seems to have the answers:

Our goal in 2006 is to giveaway 1 million memberships to our site and help those people make a healthy lifestyle change. At our old price of $2/week (lower than most of the other premium sites) this works out to a $100 million giveaway.

So no more complaints. I have tried out SparkPeople and it is a powerful dieting tool. I'm completely at a loss as to how they can financially back such an ambitious venture - but I'm sure Chris Downie will provide some answers for us! Unfortunately the cynics among us (me included) always find it hard to believe that anything can be free. The fact that annual costs of competitor's programs typically range in the $150-200 mark - means SparkPeople are doing an amazing thing.

UPDATE: I was able to get some more information from SparkPeople creator Chris Downie. SparkPeople has had over 250,000 members over the last 4 years. Staff levels are kept at a minimum, and everyone attempts to live out the principles of the program (apparently the employees get paid a bonus if they follow a consistent fitness/nutrition program). A lot of financial backing for the program comes from the owners, with some advertiser support.

The thing that stands out most of all - is the passion behind the project. An awesome effort by Chris and his team - congratulations on helping so many people!

Written By J. Foster

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26 Comments

Lisa Matte

I have been using Spark People since reading about it on your blog and it is awesome. I have tried Weight Watchers Online (very expensive and hard to quit) and Spark People is better! I highly recommend it to my friends. Thanks for the recommendation in your blog.

Thanks again,
Lisa Matte

Michael Whitt

Same thing, thanks for the link.

Chris

I love your website. You are always so informative. I have added you to my bloglines I read daily. Thanks!!!

James

That's great - glad some people are finding some useful stuff!

Seattlejo

Thanks for the info, I went ahead to join.

Heather

Until I stumbled across this website I didn't even know sparkpeople existed. I'm definitely going to check it out! Thanks!

thenecklacelady

I went to it and joined, as well. Thanks for the info!

Shannon

I just joined and I can't believe I almost missed this. It's the same as ediets. I'm currently on WW, but when my membership is up, I'm going to stick with the Sparkspeople program.

Cathy

I'm about to embark on a lifestyle change myself. Through work I have the opportunity to work with a personal training for 30 minutes twice a week for six weeks for $150. (I know 30 minutes and 2x a week doesn't sound like much, but I work four 10 hour days...and it's a start. I'm also an advid walker and do "The Firm" at home.)
Anyway....I want to know what all the talk is about SPARKSPEOPLE !!! I'm an 8-time-WeightWatchers-joiner with little to no success....and I'm very faithful to the program. I'm considering Hoodia or even acupuncture in the near. Tell me more.

Cathy

TYPO....acupunture in the EAR!!!!

Tara

Amazing site

Denise

Thank you for such useful information - I've been looking for something like this for years!! Great blog!

SummerSoft

Thank you so much for providing this wonderful information. That was very considerate of you. (And a BIG thanks to Chris Downie for his generosity!) This is the best diet blog I have ever visited and I will come here from now on. This is the only blog I need!

SummerSoft

Mindy

Another "Thanks!" for posting this! I just found your blog a few days ago and I really enjoy it, and the SparkPeople link was icing on the cake... er, the cottage cheese on the fruit.

katie

i was looking for diet and exercise programs online and stumbled onto this blog of complaints and people trying to feel better about themselves or make their story worse than the last. if finding the perfect pair of jeans is your biggest problem, lets go and count our blessings.

jen

I too am amazed by sparkpeople. I can't imagine how they offer what they do for free. They even have experts available to answer your questions. I had one and it was answered within 12 hours.

Virginia3

I went to Sparkpeople after reading the great information on your blog. It is awesome. Thanks so very much!

Linda

One of my friends sent me the SparkPeople link on Febuary 14th. I have been using their tools ever since. I have always wanted to try an online diet program but did not have the extra money. This is really great...I love it. And so far so good.

malingerer

I was receiving daily e-mail from sparkpeople, but for some reason it stopped last Sunday 07/23?Ineed this more than water.I have tryed all the suggestions,both from support and my provider but nothing has happened...Help I'm gaining''''''''.

sophie

sparkpeople.com is great:) ive been using it and in only 3 weeks i lost 10lbs. i think its wonderful that u can use the nutrition journal to put in the foods u eat and it shows u the cals, proteins, fat, carbs added up. its a great way to keep track of what u eat, followed with some exercise...messageboards to talk with others who are going through the same thing as u that gives u so much encouragement to keep up, good advice and articles to read.. everything about it is just wonderful!!

Tameisha Powell

Hi my name is Tameisha I have (graves disease) and asthma I have gone through some much throughout my life taken so much pills for my disease it has made me gain so much weight and have so much troubles. I am going to start spark people and see where it takes me i know its a journey ahead of me but i am faithful that sparkpeople will help me along the way so thanks for listening.
yours truly,
Tameisha Powell

MYSTICDREAMER

Yes Sparkpeople is definetly an AWESOME program and website I will give them that. But don't ever make the mistake I did. I became friends with a few of the members and we exchanged personal e-mail addresses, completely away from and off their site! At that time I was in a buainess of my own and new that discussing it on Sparks was against the terms and policy. So things discussed via personal e-mail should be just that right? Personal and private. Well in the course of talking back and forth and exchanging health and wellness issues and the different products that are out there and available she at no time told me that she was not intersted Instead she turned around and reported me to the Sparks board and accused me of harassment! They immediately cancelled my account with not so much as an e-mai in inquiring my side of things!
I wrote the staff member who had contacted me to inform me of the cancellation and tried to discuss it with her but there was no understanding on her behalf. There was NOTHING I could do or say to persuade her to even listen!
Now you ask me how is it that they think they have the authority to reach out beyound the site into someone's personal e-mail and make a judgemnt call. So users be AWARE

Markie

OH MY God!
I never knew this website existed until today!
And I have to concur with MYSTICDREAMER! I had just found Sparkpeople and hadn[t been there but a short time and all of a sudden I found this e-mail in my inbox

(Adressee's name ans been removed),

It has come to my attention that you've once again opened another account on our site. We have closed your two previous accounts and clearly told you that you are not welcome to return to SparkPeople. Your current account, MYAWAKENING as also been closed.

Any future use of the SparkPeople.com website will be considered intentional and unauthorized. Such use will be deemed a trespass, and SparkPeople.com will seek every actionable remedy under the law.

Do NOT return to our site.
(senders name has been removed)

Now, I don't know this Marion person from Adam but because of something that went on between her and Sparkpeople and for reasons I don't understand I have been mistaken for this person and my account has been cancelled too! I have tried to contact the person who sent the e-mail but they have not even had the courtesy to respond!

Markie

Yes what is with these sites that offer totally free weight loss programs and then charge monies for membership That is not totally free is it! There has only been one website that is totally free that I have ever come across and that is Sparkpeople but then again who wants to be apart of a program where the staff accuse people of "crimes" they didn't commit? And then won't admitt to it or apologize. They've taken somebodies word for it that I am somebody I am not and passed judgement!

Todd

I was just on the SparkPeople site. Wouldn't set my plan for low carbs even though I chose that option. Had a protein goal of 75-193 g of protein yet my program had no meat in it! May work for some, but it just frustrated the hell outta me. I closed my account 30 minutes after setting it up.

angelica

am ugly and fat i weight 300 i can not even get out of my house~!!!!!!