Lose weight...No extra charge

"Wannabethin" and "Petgal" chat it up in a room at cyberdiet.com. Their conversation consists of nothing weight or diet related, but they seem to have formed a bond.

How do two people that have probably never met in person before enjoy each others' cyber company so much?

Good question. And the answer is is that they support one another in the battle for a healthier life.

Petgal has been dieting since she was 14 years old. For the past 20 years she's tried low calorie diets, and even used Fen-Phen, the appetite suppressant that is a combination of fenfluramine and phentermine. Fen-Phen didn't have any troubling side effects, such as insomnia and nervousness, but was later linked to heart valve disease. 

"On Fen-Phen I did lose 80 pounds but when it was banned I gained it back... and 20 more," Petgal said.

But on this cyberdiets plan, Petgal has lost 22 pounds since Feb. 6, 2000. She's on a low calorie, low fat diet that requires exercise 30 minutes a day for six days each week. 

Sounds like something that can be done without the aid of a Web site, right? For some it's not that easy. It takes the motivation and support from others to get the ball rolling and keep it in motion.

"This site has been my savior," she said. "If they made us pay here, I would do it in a blink. I get so much out of the chat and posts."

And it's in the chats and posts that Petgal found that needed support and motivation to continue her diet and exercise plan. It's also where she met Wannabethin. Petgal and Wannabethin e-mail each other weekly and Petgal said that Wannabethin always picks her up when she's down.

Even though the two can't see each other's progress over the weeks and months, they're still there for each other and Wannabethin probably wouldn't join a weight loss program that meets in person, such as Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig.  "I don't have time to go to meetings," Wannabethin said. "I come to Cyberdiets whenever I want...most nights...late night." Petgal, on the other hand, also does a once a week weigh-in at a local support group where she lives, but that one day doesn't give her the motivation she needs all week.  "Who's there for me during the week?" Petgal said. "That's where Wannabethin comes in. She is there for me almost every day." graphic courtesy of cyberdiets.com

See what Cyberdiet has to offer: cyberdiet.com Success story