SP_STAFF's SparkPeople Blog

Updated version of iPhone Tracker available - problems fixed

Wed, 9 May 2012 09:35:24 EST

Hi everyone

Last week we released an updated version of our iPhone Diet & Fitness Tracker application, but after release we released some members were having technical issues. We submitted a fix to Apple right away, and they approved and made available the corrected version last night.

So for everyone, whether you had trouble or not, you can now download the updated version. You can go to "Upd...

Introducing our first FREE e-book – just in time for Mother’s Day

Mon, 7 May 2012 15:07:12 EST

To celebrate Mother's Day this year, we're giving you a sneak peek into "The SparkPeople Cookbook” with our first FREE e-book, "Light and Easy Mother's Day Brunch Recipes from SparkPeople," written by Chef Meg. These light and delicious brunch recipes are easy enough for dad and the kids to cook up, but will make mom feel special and ...

New design to Start page launched today

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:23:57 EST

Hi everyone,

As you may have noticed, we have a slightly updated design to our "Start" page where you are taken after logging into SparkPeople. The overall functionality and all the links are the same. However, we did an extensive amount of testing the page with both new and experienced members to find some things that were not as intuitive as we would like. We also added a small "Hide" link by each sec...

Be the first to learn about a new SparkPeople feature!

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:42:16 EST

Isn’t it awesome when you’re part of the “in” crowd? Like when you get exclusive offers or are the first to know about something new? Now is your chance! Be the first to learn about a new SparkPeople feature, SparkGuy’s Army, directly from SparkGuy himself!

He’ll be presenting this new feature and asking for your feedback and input at his SparkPeople LIVE! Special Event on Thursday April 12 at ...

SparkPeople Articles Get a Facelift!

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:47:42 EST

Good morning, SparkPeople!

Today you may have noticed that SparkPeople's articles (here is one example ) got a facelift this morning! Today we improved the look and function of our article pages.

Some of the things you may notice are:

- Larger, bolder images at the top
- An easy-to-find "share" bar ...

Our First E-Book: Now on the NOOK!

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 10:30:09 EST

HI, everyone! Last month, I was thrilled to announce the launch of our first ebook, "Easy Vegan Meals by SparkPeople."
Find out more about it here: http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?p
ost=the_nostress_noguilt_approach_to_m
eatless_meals .

Until this week, it was available only on Amazon (...

SparkPeople DVD Reaches #1, Save 53% When You Buy Now!

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:44:24 EST
Great news!

Thanks to YOU, SparkPeople's DVD “28 Day Boot Camp with Coach Nicole" was the #1 selling workout DVD on amazon.com yesterday!

We are down to #2, but with your help (and an amazing deal from Find out more about it here: http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?p
ost=the_nostress_noguilt_approach_to_m
eatless_meals and preview/download it here: http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Vegan-Mea

Tweaks to SparkPage Design Launched This Week

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:42:59 EST

Hi everyone,

We launched some small tweaks to our SparkPage and member blogs pages this week. We changed the top of the page to:
- Move the SparkPeople menu items (My Trackers, Healthy Lifestyle, etc) to the top
- Added member profile pics to the top
- Add your SparkPoints count and trophy to the top

We made these changes to make the pages look cleaner and to make the page more ...

SparkPeople Newsletters Get an Upgrade This Wednesday!

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:25:26 EST

Last week we announced the addition of "SparkPeople Funnies" with a hint that more changes to the site would be coming soon. Today, I am very happy to announce that on Wednesday, Feb. 15, we'll be unveiling some upgrades to SparkPeople's newsletters! These changes affect our daily newsletter, which many of you subsc...

Introducing 'SparkPeople Funnies'

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 09:58:06 EST
Good morning, SparkPeople!

Today we added some great health, fitness and diet cartoons to our website. We're calling them the "SparkPeople Funnies!" You can find all of the cartoons in the Wellness section of our website (under the Healthy Lifestyle tab at the top of the site) or by clicking here: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/
funnies.asp

You'll find some "SparkPeople...

Announcing: New SparkLeaders!

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 16:00:00 EST

If you are a regular visitor to SparkPeople, you’ve probably heard about one of our newest features, SparkPeople LIVE! Online Support and Motivation Meetings – or LIVE! meetings for short.

One of the best features about the LIVE! meetings is that all the classes are led by current SparkPeople members just like you! Combined, our leaders have lost over 500 pounds by following the SparkPeople progra...

Share SparkPeople Status Updates on Facebook

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:28:33 EST

Wanted to let everyone know about a small change we just made to make it easier for anyone to share their SparkPeople status updates on Facebook, as well. This is a feature that we've had for a long time, but it was previously a bit hard to find.

The enhancement now makes this feature really easy for anyone to use! The next time you update your SparkPeople status you'll see the option to "Post to Facebo...

Chat With Coach Nicole Online Thursday Night!

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:32:41 EST

Have you always wanted the opportunity to ask Coach Nicole a question about your workout plan? Now is your chance!

Join her this Thursday, January 26 at 8 p.m. (EST) for her very first
SparkPeople LIVE Special Event ! During this live, hour-long class, she’ll be sharing tips on how to create a workout plan that works for...

Tune In to Watch Chef Meg on 'The Doctors'

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:06:55 EST

Chef Meg
Great news: Chef Meg will be on The Doctors on Thursday, January 19, to talk about "Click here to download your free app now!

Please note that this app is cur...

Coach Nicole's DVD Available at Target: Save $3, Earn 250 SparkPoints!

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:11:05 EST

Good morning, SparkPeople! Coach Nicole here with a BIG announcement.

I am thrilled to say that my new SparkPeople workout DVD is now available! As if that news wasn't exciting enough, there's more: You'll also find it at every Target store nationwide. [Happy dance!] That's right, "
Tune in the morning of MONDAY NOV. 14TH to hear Chef Meg talk about delicious and healthy holiday side dishes from “The SparkPeople Cookbook”!

756

Here are the local listings for exact times and stations in your area:

7:10am Mason City, IA KIMT CBS KIMT Morning News
8:05 Rochester, NY WHAM CW 13 WHAM News This Mornin...

Win an iPad 2, Meet Coach Nicole, and Earn 500 SparkPoints!

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:11:56 EST

SparkRally Nov. 6: Meet Coach Nicole in Chicago—and Win Prizes!

Don't miss your chance to meet Coach Nicole in person and win some really cool prizes for your healthy lifestyle. Mark your calendar and save the date for this fun-filled fitness event.

What: Chicago SparkRally with Coach Nicole!
When: Sunday, Nov. 6, 2011 (1 – 4 pm)
Where:

Refer-a-Friend Contest Winners!

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:10:13 EST
Did you participate in our Refer-a-Friend contest? You might be a winner!

From September 15 through October 15, we hosted the Refer-a-Friend contest.

www.sparkpeople.com/myspark/refer_a_
friend.asp

For every new member who entered your SparkPeople username during registration, you were awarded 25 SparkPoints and entered into a drawing to win SparkPeople prizes!

For the referral to count, the new member must have entered a valid...

New Feature - Suggested SparkPages - Tell Us How its Working

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:18:55 EST

SparkPeople's research shows that members who are active in the Community with SparkPeople friends are exponentially more successful. We are always then looking for new ways to help members get more out of the Community.

We launched a feature today where we now suggest SparkPeople members who could be good friends for you to add. We base our suggestions on a number of things such as mutual SparkTeams, mu...

UPDATE: Watch Chef Meg on Better TV!

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:36:43 EST

WooHoo! What an exciting time here at SparkPeople! Not only did our first cookbook become a best-seller on Amazon.com (we were the #1 cookbook for several days!), but now our own Chef Meg, author of "The SparkPeople Cookbook: Love Your Food, Lose the Weight," is making her national TV debut!

UPDATE: click this link to watch Meg's interview and demo http://better.tv/view/C465532P234234
V1505150

Help Us Spread the Spark! Now on sale! 'The SparkPeople Cookbook'

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 11:53:46 EST

It's here! It's here! The SparkPeople Cookbook is here! Can I get a WooHoo!? Today is the official launch date for our long-awaited follow-up to The Spark, but the praise and cheers from SparkPeople members, friends, and the press have been pouring in for some time now. We're thrilled you've been so supportive, and we're thankful that you love...

NEW on SparkRecipes.com: Make Over Any Recipe, Add to Your Tracker

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:42:24 EST

When SparkPeople members ask, we answer.

You told us that you love being able to add SparkRecipes to your meal planner, but you don't always follow a recipe exactly. You like to make them your own. You wanted an easier way to edit and track the recipes on SparkRecipes.com.

Now you can!

Here's how:
Click on any recipe. I used this one as an example: http://recipes.spa...

'The SparkPeople Cookbook' is an Amazon Best Seller--Let's Keep Spreading the Spark!

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:58:18 EST

WooHoo!
We sent an email this morning announcing "The SparkPeople Cookbook," which will be available Oct. 4. We're absolutely thrilled with the support you've shown. In fact, you've, once again, blown us away, SparkPeople members!

The cookbook is currently #52 on Amazon (out of ALL books!), the #1 book in the low-fat "diet" section and #10 in all diet cookbooks. We want to keep that momentum going and b...

Vote for SparkPeople!

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:56:04 EST
Hi all!

SparkPeople has been nominated (by our amazing members) as a top 5 fitness site by Lifehacker.com, but we need your vote to win #1 (it only takes a second)!

We love when readers get to vote for awards because it gives SparkPeople members an easy way to Spread the Spark and help SparkPeople win, so please help us out -- we're currently in 2nd place!

All you have to do is visit the following link and vote for SparkPeople at the bottom left of the article...

Refer a Friend contest: Get bonus SparkPoints and a chance to win prizes!

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:38:44 EST

Looking for a fun, new reason to Spread the Spark? You’ll be excited to hear that starting September 15, we launched our Refer a Friend contest! sparkpeople.com/myspark/refer_a_frie
nd.asp

Between Sept. 15 - Oct. 15, for every friend that you get to sign up for SparkPeople, you will not only earn extra SparkPoints (25 instead of 10!), but you’ll also be entered into a drawing to win S...

September 9: Day 5 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 22:03:54 EST
Today's Fitness
I did 10 minutes of fitness yesterday (Sept. 9)

Today's Highlights
Today's highlight was running out of time, but still getting the 10 minutes in. I went outside and bounced on the mini-trampoline in the dark. It was fun hearing the grasshoppers chirping at night while bouncing and working towards my goals.

I also went to an acupuncturist yesterday for help with my allergies. I really liked him and will keep trying this and let...

September 8: Day 4 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Fri, 9 Sep 2011 23:15:39 EST
Today's Fitness
I did 20 minutes of fitness yesterday (Sept. 8)

Today's Highlights
Today's highlight was some great "natural fitness". I was a little bit late and a little bit lost for a speaking event at a major health care conference where I got to present SparkPeople to some important people in the health care category. So, that meant 20 minutes of jogging/running to make the event on time! I'll take it. I made it and got to share some fun things abo...

September 7: Day 3 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Thu, 8 Sep 2011 22:06:06 EST
Today's Fitness
I did 20 minutes of fitness yesterday (Sept. 7)

Today's Highlights
Today's highlight was – believe it or not – taking out the garbage. I have to take our garbage cans up a big hill and it's a great workout. Since I've been doing a lot of lunges lately, I can tell my legs are getting stronger which is making this a bit easier. Woohoo!

Member Highlight
Did everyone see today's Community Highlights email? I loved thi...

Introducing SparkPeople LIVE! Online Support & Motivation Meetings!

Thu, 8 Sep 2011 08:52:56 EST

We’re very excited to announce the launch of a brand new feature that will help many people reach their goals. SparkPeople LIVE! Online Support & Motivation Meetings bring SparkPeople.com to life–in a way that was never before possible.

SparkPeople LIVE! includes:

- Unlimited access to live online weekly support and motivation meetings (led by successful SparkPeople Members)!

...

September 6: Day 2 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Wed, 7 Sep 2011 23:28:36 EST
Today's Fitness
I did 15 minutes of fitness yesterday (Sept. 6)

Today's Highlights
Today's highlight was actually a "lowlight" – as I was doing sprints yesterday and a bee stung me on the hand! I'm not sure if the bee was trying to motivate me to go faster or what, but I can do without that type of motivation!

Member Highlight
Here's a great post from today!

Title: Breakthrough Mindset

Message: It was really c...

September 5: Day 1 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 23:31:28 EST
Today's Fitness
I did 65 minutes of fitness yesterday (Sept. 5)

Today's Highlights
Ok, I'm back! Let's try this again. I can't remember if I told everyone, but I had a neck injury earlier this summer that I still hadn't recovered from that was zapping my energy so I fell off from blogging. But, I think I'm about back to normal and ready to go.

I figured Labor Day was as good a day as any to start another streak!

Yesterday's highligh...

Great SparkPeople Story in The Irish Times!

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 19:17:05 EST
Hi Everyone

I'm happy to share an exciting media story that ran today. SparkPeople was featured in a newspaper story in the largest paper in Ireland today -- The Irish Times. I had fun being interviewed for this story (my great-grandmother was born in Ireland).

We were even able to connect the reporter to a SparkPeople success story who lives in Ireland (the reporter was surprised we had success stories in Ireland!).

I wish I could post the print version of...

Introducing More (and Easier) 'Progress Ticker' Options

Tue, 6 Sep 2011 11:26:44 EST

SparkPeople has long offered customizable weight loss tickers, which members can choose to display at the bottom of their SparkPages and message board posts to share their progress.

In the past, you could only display a ticker if you also had a SparkPage, and "weight loss" and "weight maintenance" were the only types of progress you could share.

Thanks to great member suggestions, today we have...

Help Coach Nicole Land a Times Square Billboard!

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:16:07 EST
Here's a quick and easy way that you can help Spread the Spark!

Coach Nicole has an opportunity to appear on a billboard in NYC's Times Square—and you can help her get there. All you have to do is click the link below, and then click on the "vote" button in the top right of the screen. It takes just three seconds!

http://about.me/coachnicole

You can vote up to once a day through September 20.
...

Get 25 SparkPoints by Joining us on Facebook and Twitter!

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:17:47 EST

You can now earn SparkPoints just for "Liking" our Facebook page and following us on Twitter!

Joining us on Facebook and Twitter is a great way to get additional support & motivation throughout the day, get the inside scoop on what's going on at SparkPeople, and get access to exclusive contests!

Every day (on Facebook, especially), we're seeing great interaction and support among members, and...

Just Launched: Official Tracker for iGoogle

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:22:06 EST

We're happy to announce that we officially launched our first official Tracking Gadget for iGoogle! Using this gadget will allow you to track your food, fitness, weight, and even water consumption, right from your iGoogle page.

We know that many members use iGoogle as their homepage so this should help make tracking even easier and more convenient for you!

Add our Gadget to your iGoogle homep...

July 18: Day 32 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:52:27 EST
Today's Fitness
I did 34 minutes of fitness yesterday (July 18)

Today's Highlights

The fitness highlight yesterday was doing even more lunges. By going slow, I've gotten back to the highest level of lunges I've done. Now I'll just work on pushing off even more explosively when doing the lunge. I was out running errands yesterday and – yes – was literally running from errand to errand. I really noticed that my legs are getting much stronger from th...

New Recipes Feature: Healthy Family Dinner Planner

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:36:43 EST

It's about 4:30 p.m., which means that I'm asking myself the same question I ask myself almost every day at this time: What's for dinner?

Usually I search SparkRecipes for inspiration, but I still have to decide what to make. As of today, I'm in luck! We have teamed up with Family Circle magazine to make that decision an even...

July 16&17: Day 30&31 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:22:39 EST
Today's Fitness
I did 14 minutes of fitness yesterday (July 16) and 42 minutes (July 17).

Today's Highlights

The highlight from the past couple of days was going on a short bike ride with my boys over the weekend – fun to see them pedaling away!

Member Post
Sheesh, I can't keep up with all the great member posts lately – here's a really amazing blog I saw today:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_pu
blic_journ...

Why I Love American Idol Part 1: The Breakthrough Point

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 15:12:52 EST
Why I Love American Idol Part 1: The Breakthrough Point

… and why this matters for SparkPeople members

Hi Everyone

Last Wednesday I took my wife to see the American Idols Live concert. This prompted me to finally write a blog that I've wanted to write for awhile talking about why I love American Idol. As I wrote this, I decided this was so much fun that I'm going to make it a 4-part series with each blog focusing on one contestant.

I've been watc...

July 15: Day 29 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 23:00:52 EST
Today's Fitness
I did 36 minutes of fitness yesterday (July 15).

Today's Highlights

The highlight today was doing stretching out in the sunshine barefoot on the grass – great way to end the day and week!

Member Post
Today's member post is from a great member who has lost 65 pounds and has 35 to go to reach her goal:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_pu
blic_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=43
64255 ...

July 14: Day 28 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:29:53 EST
Today's Fitness
I did 15 minutes of fitness yesterday (July 14).

Today's Highlights
Once again another light day, but made it through a long week and am looking forward to the weekend and both having fun and getting great fitness minutes. I'm happy to have blogged 6 days in a row.

We're working on some great things at SP now that I can't wait to launch.

Member Post
Today's member post is a Video blog. This is a long one, b...

July 13: Day 27 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:08:08 EST
July 13: Day 27 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Today's Fitness
I did 16 minutes of fitness yesterday (July 13).

Today's Highlights
Another light day yesterday with a long day at work, but again kept the streak alive!

The best highlight was going to the concert – but I still want to write a full blog about that – hopefully some time tomorrow!

Member Post

Today's highlight is a SparkMail I received...

July 12: Day 26 of the 10+ Minute Fitness Challenge

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:38:34 EST
Today's Fitness
I did just 15 minutes of fitness yesterday (July 12).

Today's Highlights
There honestly weren't many highlights yesterday. I had a bad night sleep after having an allergic reaction to something that then makes me sleep bad sometimes. But since it was a tough day I'd say the highlight was keeping the streak alive with just something simple!

I'm posting this so late today because I took my wife to see American Idols Live – I'll try...

Do You Like the Site Centered?

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:16:20 EST
Hi Everyone!

As you may have noticed, we made a chance to the site yesterday. Now instead of having the site aligned to the left side of your monitor, it is centered.

We did this for a couple of reasons:
- Most major sites are now centered
- Since many monitors are now larger, sites look better centered

Please let us know what you think about this change! There are some things I really like about it that I'll wait until later to post until after he...