LOSE IT

I have taken down alot of trees in my lifetime journaling my daily food intake.  I have kept a food journal for the past 20 years of my life.  No joke.  20 years.  And those of you that know me well, know that I am somewhat OCD and I can assure you that I actually wrote in them faithfully.  I keep track of my calories, carbs, protein, fat, etc etc. as well as the exercise I do for each day.

Food journaling is one of the best ways to make sure that you are eating healthy and staying on track with your fitness goals.   A recent convert to the iPhone, I think I was more excited about having the "Lose It" app than the actual phone itself.   "Lose It" is a free app that keeps track of all the goodies for you.  You begin by entering in your specific information and your specific goals.  The program will then calculate (based on your information) how many calories you can consume each day to reach your goal.  You enter in foods you eat throughout the day as well as the amount of physical activity you do.  There is a slider scale that has your "cutoff" calories for the day (your total minus your exercise).  Once you exceed your allotted amount, your bar turns red.  You'd be surprised how motivating this simple ingenius little visual representation is.  Going into the red by lunchtime is never a good sign. 

You can also "friend" your buddies and keep track of their progress - no,  it won't show you exactly what they ate or how much they weigh - but it is a way to be able to give encouragement to other "Losers" using the app.

These days our phones take the place of so many other everyday tools...our phone/address books, watches, alarm clocks,  grocery lists, calendars, cameras and such.  Think of all the space you save on your desk at home.  I know my days of pen and paper journals are long gone.  I'm a Loser from now on!