200by40 – Weight Loss the Right Way

Cool Weight Loss Apps

Hey, it’s me. And I know I haven’t bee posting lately but honestly, I haven’t had a lot to say as my quest begins to enter the final stages (less than 15 lbs.) But I am rapidly approaching a Milestone that, when reached, I’ll post right here. It won’t be the most monumental one but it’s something I will genuinely proud of.

Oh, one thing of note. I went through the closet tonight and gathered up even more of my old Fat Guy Pants (and shirts) for disposal at a local collection site. I tried them on just to be sure I’ve lost what I think I have and no, there’s no doubting it anymore. They were HUGE and I’ll be glad to toss them into the black abyss of the collection dumpster!

Anyway, moving along here…

Since purchasing my iPod Touch, I’ve been nosing around iTunes to see which cool (and free) weight loss apps might be worth downloading.

I found some I’d like to share with you all. Keep in mind that these apps seem to be designed with the iPhone in mind as their very functionality insinuates that you will be out and about in order to make the most of them. And since (I would think) there’s a better likelihood that you would have an iPhone instead of an iPod Touch while at the grocery store or restaurant, well, there you go.

The first is the PointsCalc, a nifty little tool that allows you to enter calories, fat, and fiber in order to determine the Weight Watchers Points value of foods you may be considering. When you’re finished, simply shake your device to erase the numbers. About the only limitation is that meals with 1,000 calories or more cannot be determined, but there’s a good chance that you wouldn’t want to know anyhow.

The Restaurant Nutrition app gives you the nutritional information for 20 fast food restaurants and, if you’re really desperate to eat, you can click on the Map button and see exactly where your nearest fat…um, fast food place is located. It’s definitely handy in a pinch, but if you’re near a WiFi connection, visit Dottie’s Weight Loss Zone for a more comprehensive list.

Weight Tracker is just as its name implies. You enter your daily weight and it will keep track of your progress. You can set your starting weight, starting date and end date, and the app will keep track of your total weight lost, weight loss by day, and days remaining. All in all this one is very handy but, and this may just be me, I’d prefer if the numbers could be broken down into tenths. Instead, you have to round up (212.5 becomes 213) and that’s a real let-down. Sorry, but if you’re trying to lose weight, every little bit should count.

The fourth and final app has nothing to do with weight loss but I think it’s worth mentioning. The Pandora app connects you with the Pandora Web site where music will be streamed directly to your iPhone or iPod Touch via WiFi. You create a channel based on your music preference–one of mine is the Depeche Mode Channel–and you will hear music from the channel’s namesake as well as other related artists. I’ve been listening to my channels while jogging the Island Lap on Wii Fit and it’s worked out well.

All of these apps are free on iTunes. Check them out and see what you think!

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