Tools to Stay on Track

I have found a few things that help me stay on track, pay attention, and stay motivated when I am trying to lose weight. 

First, I love my Withings scale.  I have an older model, but it tracks your weight, body fat and BMI and connects to wi-fi.  So you don't have to write it down - and it tracks it over time.  I weigh every morning before I shower.  I can see trends over time, and it helps me remember to think about weight and diet and exercise.  And I love it when I can consistently move that number down, even if only a teeny bit, when I'm trying to.

Second, I really think LoseIt! is a fantastic app.  It's free. I have it on my phone and ipad and computer.  You can log food and exercise.  You can scan most foods or add manually.  If you bother to enter your food you will get nutritional and calorie info and also see how your calories in compare to your exercise.  LoseIt! is a GREAT way to become more conscious about what you eat.  I don't use it all the time (I should) but when I do, it helps me make better choices and be calorie conscious.

Third, I recently discovered DietBet, where you pay into a pool with others and "bet" you can lose 4% of your bodyweight in 30 days, or more over 6 months. It helps you stay motivated AND you can get rewarded for meeting your goals.  It also helps with accountability - you are weighing in regularly. 

Obviously there are a ton of other good apps for tracking runs, walks, bike rides, etc.  I haven't wanted to spend money on any of the "fitness monitoring" devices and I can't be bothered with a pedometer (though I do find a lap counter super helpful swimming, see the Swimming Tips post for other ideas).