MyPoints and a new diet

Two things I'd like to tell you about today and they're kind of related. The first is a program called MyPoints. I got involved with them through BzzAgent and soon came to spend more of my time with MyPoints then I did with the other! MyPoints is different than a survey site. There are several ways you can earn points. You can make purchases from online retailers using a link on their site (you earn points based on what you spend). You can visit websites they promote (you get five points for going to the website and sometimes more for signing up or making a purchase). You can print coupons off the site (you get points once the coupons are redeemed). The points can be redeemed for gift cards, like Barnes & Noble, movie theaters, Bath & Body Works, Amazon, etc. So far I've gotten three gift cards from them and it's all very legit. If you're patient enough to deal with the e-mails they send, this might be a good fit for you. Once a week I sort my email so I've got only MyPoints emails in front of me and click on each, get my points, and delete them. If you're interested in joining, I'd love to refer you (another perk is you get points for referring friends!), or you can just go to the website (http://www.mypoints.com/) and sign-up.

One of the sites I discovered recently through MyPoints turned out to be a bit of a life saver. It's called SparkPeople.com. I know; it sounds hokey. It's a diet/fitness website to help people lose weight and meet various other health goals. The idea is that with support and help you can reach your health goals. It's free to sign up; no catch or gimmick I've seen yet, except some videos and fitness equipment you can buy from the website. I was amazed how much there is to do! There is a nutrition planner that has been vital to me sticking to the diet. They give you meal plans (and yes, you can specify vegetarian) and it helps you count calories. You can adjust all the plans to what you eat and have handy. They give you a goal weight and goal calories to burn, as well as a fitness planner to help you exercise. They have online workout videos. You can create your own sparkle webpage. There are a multitude of groups you can belong to (including a vegetarian/vegan group) that provide community to give you the support and answers you need. You get sparklepoints whenever you do well sticking to your plans. Honestly I don't think you can do anything with the points, but I guess it's a nice gesture. Kind of like the gold star you get in grade school. Check it out at http://www.sparkpeople.com!