Helpful Tools and Toys
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PatrickB_87
Posts: 738 Member
I started out with this weightless journey when I discovered the MyFItnessPal app for my iphone, in all honesty i would have probably endlessly delayed the decision to take my eating habits seriously if i didn't find this app ( I was also lucky to be in the position that the very next day my yoga instructor would suggest the exact same app to me).
I thought it might be nice to share some of the tools that make this journey a little easier. Maybe someone will find an app that helps or has a suggestion that might help me. My list is mostly phone/tablet based but i understand thats not everyone case, it just happens to be how i do most things.
A lot of these first apps have android versions as well.
1) MyFtinessPal for the iphone/computer
-- can I say i love the bar-code scanner, even though i don't eat a lot of processed foods now, a lot of my ingredients still have them and it makes life so much easier.
2) MayMyWalk (MapMyFitness) for the iphone/computer
-- Walking is one of my main forms of exercise each day and this app has been such a big help. Before I had a pedometer i used it to track my walks and had it integrated with MFP so that the exercise and calorie burn were added to my daily diary. It uses the gps on my phone to map my walk, keep track of my distance, pace and elevation changes. As i walk the app speaks to me, letting em know every half mile i hit and my pace. I love to see the maps for each walk and look at where I'm having difficulty. The nice part is that i can search other peoples walks in the are and see their routs and try them myself (and if you do better then them they give you a king of the mountain award). Because I hate repeating the same walk, each time i go out i like to take a different course. The website has a tool that will generate random routes based on the distance you want to walk and sends it to your phone.
3) Fitbit Flex & Fitbit App for iphone/computer
-- I've only had this toy for a week but I am finding it a great motivational tool. I'm constantly aware of how much (or, lets be honest, how little) i'm moving and how far away i am from my goal (7,500 a day and eventually 10,000). It syncs to Mapmywalk so I get a much better step count and calorie burn then when i wasn't using it. It also syncs to MFP and adjusts my daily activity level which effects how many calories i can have on each day. it's also helped with getting me back on track with my sleeping since you can use it to track your sleep.
4) Gratitude365 for the iphone
-- This was recommended as part of my yoga practice, to record each day what i am grateful for. It sounds a little crazy and thats what i thought the first day (I imagine as a 26yo male having people asking what I'm doing and saying "I'm recording in my gratitude journal"). I find it really helps me modify my thinking and behavior. I can record simple things, like being grateful for the day or for certain foods or loved ones. But when i make mistakes in my journey I can use it to turn those into learning moments. I can remind myself that I'm grateful that giving in doesn't make me any more satisfied then making healthy choices. That each moment is a new chance. That I'm grateful that if every day was like the last 26 then the next 26 will be just fine.
5) Seasons (Erntefrisch) for the iphone
-- Seasons is a little app on my iphone that i use when i go shopping. It lets me know what fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and nuts are in season for your location. It also lets me know what is in season locally and imported. When I can I try to eat seasonly and locally (depending on the price). Because I eat most of my salads with fruit I use the app each week to plan what new fresh fruit I am going to buy. It also lets me know how long i can expect to find them and when they should be leaving shelves.
6) Chime for the iphone
-- Nothing amazing about this app, it does one thing. It's set to chime each hour through the day from 8am-10pm to remind me to get off my but and move. I have a sedentary job so remembering to move throughout the day is important. It has one job and it does it well.
7) Klean Kanteen - 20oz insulated stainless teal water bottle (http://www.kleankanteen.com/)
-- Its a simple thing, but carrying around a water bottle with me everywhere has been a huge help to me in getting all my daily water and then some. I count each glass on the MFP app as one 20oz bottle. I got the insulated one as it keeps the water cold for 18+ hours and doesn't accumulate condensate. It was worth the price. When i constantly have water on hand it helps me control those soda cravings.
8) Audio Books
-- No specific app here but audio books make walks so much more bearable when I get board. Some people like music but it just doesn't do it for me. With audio books I can get lost in the story and take my mind off my distance, pace, feet.
I thought it might be nice to share some of the tools that make this journey a little easier. Maybe someone will find an app that helps or has a suggestion that might help me. My list is mostly phone/tablet based but i understand thats not everyone case, it just happens to be how i do most things.
A lot of these first apps have android versions as well.
1) MyFtinessPal for the iphone/computer
-- can I say i love the bar-code scanner, even though i don't eat a lot of processed foods now, a lot of my ingredients still have them and it makes life so much easier.
2) MayMyWalk (MapMyFitness) for the iphone/computer
-- Walking is one of my main forms of exercise each day and this app has been such a big help. Before I had a pedometer i used it to track my walks and had it integrated with MFP so that the exercise and calorie burn were added to my daily diary. It uses the gps on my phone to map my walk, keep track of my distance, pace and elevation changes. As i walk the app speaks to me, letting em know every half mile i hit and my pace. I love to see the maps for each walk and look at where I'm having difficulty. The nice part is that i can search other peoples walks in the are and see their routs and try them myself (and if you do better then them they give you a king of the mountain award). Because I hate repeating the same walk, each time i go out i like to take a different course. The website has a tool that will generate random routes based on the distance you want to walk and sends it to your phone.
3) Fitbit Flex & Fitbit App for iphone/computer
-- I've only had this toy for a week but I am finding it a great motivational tool. I'm constantly aware of how much (or, lets be honest, how little) i'm moving and how far away i am from my goal (7,500 a day and eventually 10,000). It syncs to Mapmywalk so I get a much better step count and calorie burn then when i wasn't using it. It also syncs to MFP and adjusts my daily activity level which effects how many calories i can have on each day. it's also helped with getting me back on track with my sleeping since you can use it to track your sleep.
4) Gratitude365 for the iphone
-- This was recommended as part of my yoga practice, to record each day what i am grateful for. It sounds a little crazy and thats what i thought the first day (I imagine as a 26yo male having people asking what I'm doing and saying "I'm recording in my gratitude journal"). I find it really helps me modify my thinking and behavior. I can record simple things, like being grateful for the day or for certain foods or loved ones. But when i make mistakes in my journey I can use it to turn those into learning moments. I can remind myself that I'm grateful that giving in doesn't make me any more satisfied then making healthy choices. That each moment is a new chance. That I'm grateful that if every day was like the last 26 then the next 26 will be just fine.
5) Seasons (Erntefrisch) for the iphone
-- Seasons is a little app on my iphone that i use when i go shopping. It lets me know what fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and nuts are in season for your location. It also lets me know what is in season locally and imported. When I can I try to eat seasonly and locally (depending on the price). Because I eat most of my salads with fruit I use the app each week to plan what new fresh fruit I am going to buy. It also lets me know how long i can expect to find them and when they should be leaving shelves.
6) Chime for the iphone
-- Nothing amazing about this app, it does one thing. It's set to chime each hour through the day from 8am-10pm to remind me to get off my but and move. I have a sedentary job so remembering to move throughout the day is important. It has one job and it does it well.
7) Klean Kanteen - 20oz insulated stainless teal water bottle (http://www.kleankanteen.com/)
-- Its a simple thing, but carrying around a water bottle with me everywhere has been a huge help to me in getting all my daily water and then some. I count each glass on the MFP app as one 20oz bottle. I got the insulated one as it keeps the water cold for 18+ hours and doesn't accumulate condensate. It was worth the price. When i constantly have water on hand it helps me control those soda cravings.
8) Audio Books
-- No specific app here but audio books make walks so much more bearable when I get board. Some people like music but it just doesn't do it for me. With audio books I can get lost in the story and take my mind off my distance, pace, feet.
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Replies
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Awesome post!!!
I'll add Nexercise (app for my droid). It tracks my workouts and those of my friends for a weekly competition of who can earn the most points. I also earn mpoints by exercising and can cash these in for prizes.0 -
Fantastic post!!!
You just made me actually WANT to go to my Cricket store (hate the long waits) and tell them to PLEASE get some memory on my phone so that I can have apps. I can't download anything and the move to SD card is constantly unavailable.. I am going to get this fixed and download some of these apps.. BRILLIANT!0 -
I have been looking at the Fit Bit things for a while now and was wondering how accurate they were. Are they a great addition to our journey? I would hate to pay a lot for something that I would hate to wear or never use.0
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My most helpful tools and toys are my scale and measuring utensils! Without them I would be lost. I also love my lunch bag, travel cup, & mug. :drinker: Blessings :flowerforyou:0
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Good point Melissa and something the techy ones amongst us can really help the others with. I already wear an activity tracker through weight watchers and I love it. But I am looking for a life tracker that tracks absolutely everything, has some fun things to it, like the Sony and it must be completely waterproof so that I can wear it in the pool. I was looking at the Amiigo, so if anyone has one, feedback please!0
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I love my FitBit and have found its calorie calculations for walking and similar activities to be very accurate. I compare it to my Heart Rate Monitor regularly and they are close. I'm at the point where if I'm walking I don't bother with the HRM.
I have found MFP to be an awesome tool to help with the calories in side of the equation - weighing, logging and tracking calories. However, in my experience MFP's numbers for calories burned for many activities are high. For example MFP says my morning bike ride is 596 calories, but my HRM rarely usually measures between 300 and 350 calories. For swimming activities my HRM usually records 1/2 to 1/3 of the calories that MFP suggests.
While a HRM is not essential, I have found it and my FitBit to be excellent for understanding the calories out part of the equation. Once I started using these two tools I found I could measure my deficit quite accurately and predict my weight loss. It really helped take some of the mystery out. It also gives me the confidence to get through those weeks when the scale doesn't move like I expect it should because I know my numbers.
I'll look into some of the other apps folks have suggested. I use the MapMyWalk and MapMyBike apps, but do not sync them with MFP because I have found their calorie burns also to be high. However I like the GPS tracking, distance measurements and split times so I can measure my progress.0 -
My most helpful tools and toys are my scale and measuring utensils! Without them I would be lost. I also love my lunch bag, travel cup, & mug. :drinker: Blessings :flowerforyou:
Thats what I forgot to add, my digital food scale. Use it everyday for everything.
Hi melissasue031,
As a motion tracker worn on the wrist their is always some inaccuracy as you can move your wrist without moving your body. But in all that barley adds up compared to my daily activity. Once I calibrated it by telling it which arm i use and what my stride length is I got much better results. Compared to the gps tracker i was using before I find the fitbit to be much more accurate. Motivation wise It's a lot better as i'm constantly made aware of my activity level as the device is always on me and tracking. As someone who hates to wear watches and hasn't had one in over 15 years i haven't had an issue wearing the Fitbit flex. It's light comfortable and at times i forget its their. Their certainly are cheaper options and if price and accuracy are concerned they still make cheaper traditional clip on pedometers that sync.0
