Use your Phone to get Healthy

While browsing few a couple headlines on my Time Magazine iPhone app this week, I came across a couple interesting little stories about health, exercise and weight loss.   5 Fitness Apps to Get You Off the Couch and 5 Weight Loss Apps That Work. The posts both provide a little insight to a total of 10 mobile applications that are available - some free and some with an associated cost.  Since I am a super iPhone app addict, I was really interested in what suggestions they gave.  While I as familiar with some, I did also take the time to download a few others.  I had the Lose It! app as well as the Restaurant Nutrition app already installed on my iPhone.  I took the time to also install the Jillian Michaels App (along with another one of her's that I found in the App Store) and the iMapMyRide app (as I really hope to purchase a bicycle within the next few months).

Here's the thing about these apps and any other weight loss/exercise tool: You have to use it for them to do you any good.  I know that we would all like to think that we can install the latest and coolest running app on our phones and be doing 5Ks the next week, but that's not going to happen.  I have a total of nine (9) applications on my iPhone at the moment that are geared toward weight loss or exercise and I have to admit, I regularly use only one of them (and that is the LoseIt! app - which I love).  I do browse through the others from time to time and have watched several minutes of Jillian telling me how to do lunges and chest presses, but I haven't got into the habit of utilizing these free tools.  I have good intentions when I install these apps (most, no all, were free) - isn't it the thought that counts?

If you are interested in checking out the LoseIt app (shown at the left), I highly recommend it.  Its the perfect combo for anyone looking to keep an eye on what they are eating, set goals for weight loss and keep a log of exercise.  It works great to track food intake as well as work-outs or daily activities.  The interface is easy to use to record your meals and snacks.  It also offers a 'my previous meals' option so if you eat the same thing for breakfast everyday, you can easily add daily without extra effort.  The best part is that you set your goal for weight loss within the app and it will then provide you with a target calorie intake for the day.  It will also track other things such as fat and sugars.  There is an option to track weight on a daily basis and you can update your goals as you go along.  Quick, easy, friendly and free.