Works For Me Wednesday...

This is linked-up with "Works For Me Wednesday" over at http://wearethatfamily.com. Check it out for great tips on all sorts of subjects! One thing that is working for me this week is mobile fitness apps. I'm a smart phone junkie, I admit. I have all kinds of apps, but i've used two recently to keep track of what i'm eating and how much i'm working out. I've previously used "Lose It" on my husband's Ipod Touch. I really liked this app, but it wasn't available on Android (my current phone). Since I didn't want to carry an Ipod and a phone, I switched to using Spark People Diet and Food Tracker. It took me a little while to get used to it, but now its probably my favorite app on my phone. It keeps track of my calories, my work-outs, and even how much water i'm drinking.

There are a lot of advantages to keeping track of everything on my phone. First, it keeps me accountable. I can look back and see exactly how many vegetables, fruits, protein, and carbs i've eaten for the day. I can also look back and remember what meals were really filling or which ones I really enjoyed. Secondly, when i'm out and about, I can find nutritional information for a lot of restaurant meals so I can make smart choices. Through the food search, I just put in the restaurant and the meal and a list pops up with those terms. I chose my meal and view the nutritional information including calories, sodium, and other important facts.

These aren't the only two apps for sure. I've just used these two personally. Find one that works best for you! Even if you don't have a phone, there are lots of free online ways to track your calories and exercise. If all else fails, get a small notebook and write it down! There have been a lot of studies that have shown keeping a food diary greatly increases weight loss or weight maintenance. Writing down my food works for me!

P.S. I didn't receive any compensation for this post. I just really like both apps a lot :-)