An easy way to lose weight that’s actually enjoyable? Sign me up.

Losing weight and keeping it off is an ongoing battle that requires a strong support system – and if you decide to use an online weight management program to go the distance, new research suggests the more social you are in the program, the more weight you’ll lose.

The study, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, found that online dieters who frequently participated through logging in regularly, recording their weigh-ins and friending other members, lost eight percent of their body weight in six months – and the less users interacted in the community, the less weight they lost.

“Our findings suggest that people can do very well at losing weight with minimal professional help when they become centrally connected to others on the same weight loss journey,” Bonnie Spring, an author of the study and professor in preventative medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine said in a statement.

Those who didn’t connect with others in the program lost about five percent of their body weight over six months, while those who had a few friends (two to nine) lost almost seven percent, and those with more than 10 lost over eight percent.

Using data from the CalorieKing.com online weight loss community – where users pay a membership fee for access to weight loss tools and an online community – senior study author Luis A. Nunes Amaral’s lab analyzed user data to uncover trends within the network.

The identities of users weren’t revealed, but the data did provide when the users signed up, how old they were, height, gender, their initial weight and time-stamped activities within the online community for the last year. Engagement, such as recorded weigh-ins, friendship requests, and online communication, was analyzed (though text exchanged between the users was kept private).

“We found that the frequency with which you report your weight is a good indicator of positive outcomes,” Amaral said in a statement. “If you monitor your weight, you are engaged. If you communicate online with other people you are even more engaged, and when you need support you might be able to get it.”

“There’s an almost Facebook-like social network system in this program where people can friend each other and build cliques,” Amaral continued. “In this case, we found the larger your clique, the better your outcomes.”

These days with how addicted we are to our social networks du jour, it only seems natural that embedding ourselves in one that has the same ultimate goal as we do would translate into an easy way to lose weight. It also may be a life-changing option for those who wouldn’t necessarily have convenient access to an in-person weight loss clinic, such as those who are crunched for time, live in a rural area, or can’t afford the service.

“Modern life is so complex and stressful, to go somewhere for a meeting is often not practical,” Amaral said. “It is hopeful that this alternative approach, of going online for support, could work.”

Is this an easy way to lose weight you’ve considered trying?

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Lose weight quickly by “melting” fat and sculpting muscle in Iobella’s heated workout pods.

Confession: Some workouts terrify me. I’ve always been exercise-challenged, so high-intensity workouts like CrossFit and Tabata-style training turn me into a puddle of sweat just thinking about them. But that’s the impression I’ve always had of working out – that it should be intense, pushing every limit you’ve got in classic bootcamp style.

My impression of working out has changed since hearing about an uber-intriguing workout called Iobella: It’s a fairly new workout to the U.S. that involves Pilates-style moves while cocooned in a heated pod, and your workout is customized to suit your body and fitness goals.

You’re given a full-body assessment by an Iobella consultant, who inputs all of your data into their specialized computer program (measurements, age, weight, etc.). The result? A complete overview of which parts of your body could lose inches, and how many. Your Iobella training sessions are then created based on these results.

Guided by an Iobella instructor, you complete your customized workout in their exclusive, temperature-controlled pods, which are heated to the body’s natural temperature of 98 degrees fahrenheit. This helps you lose weight quickly, maximizing fat and calorie burning while speeding up your metabolism. “Working out in an environment that matches your body temperature helps trim inches in problem areas, safely and effectively,” says Roxana Lissa, owner and avid user of Iobella in Santa Monica, California.

What I love most about the foundation of this workout is it’s not built on a bootcamp philosophy where you’re essentially intimidating yourself to pump up the volume. Iobella’s serene approach to fitness isn’t only a refreshing change of pace (literally), but it’s just as effective in helping you lose weight quickly without being yelled at by a drill sergeant.

The pods contain two sets of pulleys that hold a weight resistance of three pounds, providing resistance training for your upper body, lower body and strengthening your core. “By varying the routines and increasing repetitions as the client progresses through the program, the Iobella method remains challenging for the different muscle groups, while the prone positioning stimulates blood and lymph circulation,” says Lissa.

But what about cardio? Clients are encouraged to move through their repetitions at a pace that’s appropriate for their fitness level, but challenging enough to increase cardiovascular health and raise their heart rate during the workout. The session is 30 minutes, and ends with a stretching routine to allow muscles to recover and elongate.

The workout isn’t some cookie cutter approach to fitness: Your Iobella fitness routine truly is one-of-a-kind. It’s based on your fitness level and goals, and your progress is constantly monitored so you’re always at the top of your game. While their workouts are designed for all women, if you have a heart condition, post-op symptoms, untreated injuries/sprains, high blood pressure, or are pregnant, it’s best to consult with your physician with any medical concerns before taking the plunge.

How do you feel about using heated pods to lose weight quickly?

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