A Fitness Plan Just for You

Somehow those celery sticks didn’t look quite as good as the chocolate mousse at that holiday party. Now I have to get back to healthy eating and reinstate my workout routine. Sound familiar?

Fortunately for me, and you, researchers at Brown University School of Medicine in Rhode Island say a Web site can make a difference in a well-intentioned but busy life. Their recent study found that people who used nutrition and exercise logs and other interactive tools, such as e-mail correspondence, on fitness Web sites lost an average of six more pounds than study participants who didn’t use the interactive assistance.

Enter eFit.com (https://www.eFit.com), a new healthy living and fitness site with interactive tools, quick tips and dozens of new stories every day. It aims to present fitness and nutrition enthusiasts (not just athletes) with a comprehensive, personalized resource to meet their individual needs and interests, leaving them with practically no excuse to be couch potatoes.

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Among my favorite parts were the Custom Programs, available in two areas: diet and exercise. I answered a dozen questions on my nutrition and goals, and presto! I got a weekly diet tailored just for me. Same for exercise. I submitted my exercise habits, goals and what equipment I use, and eFit.com gave me a weekly exercise regimen to follow, complete with explanations of each exercise.

The site has other useful interactive features as well.

Going out for dinner and want something on the healthy side? Then plug your ZIP Code into the restaurant locater and you’ll find a list of restaurants deemed “healthy.” (Be forewarned, however, that the list is still a bit limited.) Fill out a quick survey and the gym locater will help you find a local gym that best meets your needs.

Looking for high-tech features? The site’s eFitTV offers three- to five-minute interviews, seminars and clinics, and FitClips provides videos of exercise techniques. I found the written description of “butt kicks” a bit confusing, so I clicked on the video clip and viewed a demonstration. Some of the clips were a bit blurry, but they did the trick.

Of eFit.com’s daily stories on fitness and healthy living, about one-third are written by the site’s staff of experts; the rest come from about 50 outside sources with whom the site has agreements. The typos in the copy may be just a launch problem. (The site launched in December, so there are still some kinks.)

Very soon, site managers promise, you’ll be able to log your nutrition intake and the exercise activities you complete each day. And equally appealing, if you choose to participate, the site will serve as a catalyst to identify fitness mentors and exercise buddies in your local area, part of a community-building phase down the line.

In addition, the content each person sees will be tailored to his or her interests and use of the site. For example, if you’ve set a low-fat diet to follow and are logging in too many high-fat foods, the articles you’ll see will probably be about ways to lower your fat intake.

Tired of a family member nagging you to diet? eFit.com will do it for you. You will soon be able to register for e-mail and phone call reminders to work out, eat right or follow other health-conscious tips.

Who’s Behind It: The site’s experienced managers hail from a range of Internet, marketing, TV, multimedia and fitness backgrounds, and are trying to capitalize on the nation’s interest in health, nutrition, fitness--and the Internet. The site’s advisory board boasts credentialed experts in fitness, nutrition and other health areas.

The personalized nutrition programs are created by leading dietitians; message boards are supervised by experts; and a full-time nutritionist and fitness professional are part of the staff.

The Look: You won’t find dazzling graphics, just straightforward information with pleasant colors and minimal distractions. The design fits with the site’s goal. It wouldn’t want you to lose precious workout time waiting for complex graphics to download.

Getting Around: The site’s layout allows you to quickly access information about the areas of health and fitness that appeal to you. If you’re just starting out, eFit Basics provides a general overview of topics such as diet and exercise, cardio fitness, yoga, and mind-body basics. The information is easy to understand, and Daily FitTracks offers more depth. You’ll find informative articles, news stories and tips grouped by topic.

If you don’t find what you want right away, just use the site’s search engine. You’ll be pleased with the depth of content--everything from cholesterol to side-stepping exercises.

Ads and Sponsors: Ads are in square boxes, rather than the more traditional rectangular banners across the top and bottom of the screen. Advertisers, or sponsors (as they’re called on this site), will be able to sponsor the FitTracks and include tailored messages targeted to the content. But the site’s marketers promise that the advertising content will be visibly labeled as such. (You can review the sponsorship arrangements on the site.)

The enthusiasm of this site is contagious but not annoyingly perky. My only hope is that some of it will rub off on me. Because although this online resource can help you achieve your goal, a healthy lifestyle is still ultimately up to you.

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* Marla Bolotsky is managing editor and director of online information for the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. She can be reached by e-mail at marla.bolotsky@latimes.com.

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* Your Health Online runs every other Monday in Health.