14th December 2009

Entrepreneur Paul McNally has launched an online programme which, he says, will provide constant motivation to those struggling to eat healthily and manage their weight – by nagging.

Sound unrealistic? Last year, The New York Times published an article about a similar programme in Japan, aimed at dieting men. These men could sign up to have one of four virtual wives e-nagging them on a daily basis to stick to their diet.

Paul reckons it can be applied to all sexes and has since launched www.gymnag.com, with advice from his business partner, who is involved in the fitness sector.

"For many people, both women and men struggling with weight control, self-discipline and motivation is often their downfall", says Paul. "In some instances, they don’t want anyone to know they are following a weight loss programme or there is simply no-one around to say "Well done" or "Instead of watching TV why don’t you go and have a quick swim? Our followers can choose how many times they want to be nagged and whether they need gentle motivational prods or something a little stronger to keep them going!"

"Many people think weight loss is all about dieting, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Weight management is about understanding the balance between how much you eat and how much you exercise. Many sites focus only on dieting or only on exercise. We bring these two factors together whilst providing emotional support."

The site includes a calorie database and a daily record tool to calculate whether you’ve lost or gained weight based on food consumption, body weight, age and exercise carried out during the day. It also includes exercise programmes which tell you how many calories you’ve burnt off and historical progress charts.

The emails can be as straightforward as: "Your target weight is 78kg and your current weight is 80kg. This is equivalent to losing 14,000 calories. As a starter, why not try playing badminton for an hour – you would burn 560 calories". Or, for a little more humour if you’ve chosen, they can be more direct: "Hey you! Don’t even think about pigging out this lunch time! And by the way, done your exercise yet?"

"This constant nagging is a prime driving factor to help people stick to a weight management programme", says Paul. "We already have people signing up to help them through the Christmas period, a time traditionally when we all over-indulge. A nagging email here and there is just what’s needed to help them put down that second mince pie and go for a brisk walk in the winter air instead!"

Gymnag is currently offering unlimited membership to new users.