There is not yet a computerized substitute for working out and eating right –– if you want to be fit and healthy, you still have to do it yourself. However, there is an abundance of computer and smart phone technology that can help you in your quest for fitness and health.
The web has a multitude of sites that can help you track calories and activity. While many people have used these websites for motivation, guidance and accountability, having to sit down at your computer to access the sites and enter your information was still a barrier for many would be users, but that’s changing as smart phones make accessibility simpler.
Smart phones and health and fitness apps make it easier to track and improve your diet and fitness routines. Also, wireless technology makes it possible for some devices to automatically upload data directly to your computer.
Exploring some of these programs, products and apps can help you be more consistent with both exercise and eating. Using them is like having a personal health coach with you at all times. The web and the app market are full of options, but here are a few that I like and that my clients have found very useful. Explore them and see if some of them can work for you:
Fooducate (www.fooducate.com)
This is a free app that you can download to your phone. The app allows you to scan any barcode on a food item, and Fooducate gives you information about the product, along with a grade (A-F). The great thing about this app is it shows you alternative choices for that product. So, if you scan your favorite cereal and it gets a “D” from Fooducate, you can look over the alternative choices to pick a cereal that has a better grade and is a healthier choice. I love this app and think it a great tool to help people learn what food is truly good for you and what is not. The advertising and marketing that is done to attract you to food should not be your only guide. Believe it or not, some advertisers are just interested in selling their product, not your health.
My Fitness Pal (www.myfitnesspal.com)
This is both an app and a website that allows you to track your activity, food intake and weight. It gives great visual graphs to show your progress and has a large library of foods in its calorie counter. The activity portion of the app is pretty good, although the program admits that the “calories burned” calculation for weight training is a rough estimate. It takes a few uses of the app to get the hang of how to search and enter food items, but it is easy to set up and use. It’s a great thing to sit down at the dinner table, look at your app and see how many calories you have left to “spend” on dinner to stay on your diet plan.
Fit Bit (www.fitbit.com/product)
Fit Bit is a device that can keep track of the number of steps you take in a day, how many flights of stairs you climb, even how much sleep you get. The great thing about this device is that you never have to take time to sit down at your computer and input the data it has recorded. It automatically uploads the information to your computer any time you walk within a few feet of your computer. Wireless technology is great.
These are just a few of the programs and apps that are out there on the market today. Many more will be coming, but none will be able to do the workout for you or make you eat the right food. Use these tools to help you make better choices every day and live a healthy life.