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Flab To Fab – 5 Fitness & Weight Loss Apps

January 27, 2012 By 2 Comments

When I started trying to lose weight I wanted something that could easily help me keep track of my calories consumed and possibly even give me some tips on working out or even just track my workouts. I am pretty scatter-brained most of the time. (Shocking, I know.) So to have a program that could help me track what I ate and had tools to assist with my weight loss would be such a big help.

Weight Watchers was the program that I initially chose to help me achieve my weight loss goal. I don’t have time to go to meetings, so I chose to do Weight Watchers online. It was such an easy way to track what I was eating and how many “points” I had consumed for the day. I was also able to track my exercise. The online community is great and very supportive. There are even tons of recipes with a wide variety of “points” to fit into anyone’s program.

My biggest issue was that I was sick of paying $15-$20 a month. I stopped doing it for a few months, but then had to start paying again to get myself back on track. I also decided that my new goal (along with weight loss) was to find a cheaper or free way to help me achieve my goal.

Now don’t get me wrong, I think that Weight Watchers is an AMAZING program. It really helped me pay attention to what I was eating and showed me how exercise really does help! I also learned that water is a much needed resource when you are trying to get healthy and lose weight. I am just poor and I can’t afford to keep paying for WW when I know that there is something cheaper out there.

One of my good blog friends told me about My Fitness Pal. I was a little skeptical at first. It is free, of course, but could it really help me the way that WW did? Why, yes it can!

I LOVE My Fitness Pal. It has a huge database with hundreds of restaurants and just about any type of food that you could possibly imagine in their food database. If you install the app on your Android phone or iPhone it even has a barcode scanner! SO easy!

It is perfect for me and my busy life. Dave has even installed it on his phone. He loves running around and scanning the packages of food and even his beers. Yes, you can still drink beer when you are dieting. Everything in moderation!

There is even a great sense of community on My Fitness Pal. You can friend people, like on Facebook and they can cheer you on throughout your journey. MFP will tell everyone if you haven’t been on for a few days. Kind of like a tattle tale, but they encourage you to give the missing person some encouragement. Everyone needs a little encouragement from time to time.

As you can tell, I am a big fan of My Fitness Pal. I do know that not everyone will like MFP. Each person is looking for something different in their journeys. Some people just want to find an app that will help them with fitness and not focus so much on the calories. Others really want all the help that they can get. I have scoured the interwebz and asked around to find you some of the top weight loss and fitness apps.

#1. Weight Watchers Mobile (must have a Weight Watchers membership) Android & iPhone

It’s more convenient than ever to connect to Weight Watchers from wherever you are. Get the latest recipes, health news, exercise ideas, and more, all on your phone when you are on the go. Plus, our Android App is fully compatible with our PointsPlus® program, so you can keep track of your weight loss anytime, anywhere.

EVERYONE who downloads our App can:
• See a new featured recipe daily, and save 10 favorites
• Create shopping lists from recipes
• Make smarter food choices with interactive Cheat Sheets
• Get inspired by Success Stories, find tips and helpful articles
• Find a Weight Watchers meeting in your area
• Connect with your Community friends, update your profile and upload photos (free registration required)

Plus, SUBSCRIBERS to Weight Watchers Online or eTools get access to ADDITIONAL TOOLS included with their subscription that allow them to:
• Track PointsPlus® values for food and activity
• Calculate PointsPlus values
• Search over 40,000 food options, meals and recipes
• Track your weight and see your progress in an interactive chart
• Track your daily recommended Healthy Checks
• See your daily remaining PointsPlus values with notifications
• Quickly track from your Favorites and Recently Added Items
• Add a food, recipe or meal to Favorites
• Unlock all our interactive Cheat Sheets to make smarter food choices

#2 – Fooducate -  Android & iPhone

Do you want your family to eat better food?
Are you confused by ingredient lists, nutrition labels, health claims, and marketing hype? Want to lose weight by eating real food?

Get F O O D U C A T E and hurry to the supermarket.

Use your iPhone to:
★ Automatically scan a product barcode, search for products, or browse by categories
★ See product’s highlights (both good & bad)
★ Compare products
★ Select healthier alternatives

Features:
✓ Created by dietitians and concerned parents
✓ Uses iphone’s camera to effortlessly scan UPC barcodes
✓ Over 200,000 unique products and growing daily
✓ Simplified information helps you make better choices
✓ Works on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

“…Fooducate is like having a dietitian on speed dial…”

Fooducate analyzes information found in each product’s nutrition panel and ingredient list.

You get to see the stuff manufacturers don’t want you to notice, such as
- excessive sugar
- tricky trans fats
- additives and preservatives
- high fructose corn syrup
- controversial food colorings
- and more…

Just pick up a product from the shelf, scan it, and let Fooducate do the rest.

#3 – My Fitness Pal – Android & iPhone

WHY WE’RE BETTER THAN OTHER APPS
■ Largest food database of any iPhone calorie counter – over 1,100,000 foods, with a streamlined database available offline
■ Easiest and fastest food entry – remembers your favorites, add multiple foods at once, save and add entire meals, and more. THERE IS NO FASTER OR EASIER APP THAN MYFITNESSPAL.
■ Free barcode scanner – easily find foods you’ve eaten. Other apps charge for this, ours is 100% free.
■ Fully syncs with the web, so you can log from your computer or your phone, which ever is more convenient. Plus your data is backed up online so you never lose it.
■ Diet with your friends – add friends and easily track and support each other’s progress
■ Works offline* – Great for iPod touch users and for the plane, bad coverage, etc. NO INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED
■ IT WORKS – our users have lost more than 20 million pounds combined! Their success shows we can help you lose weight too.

FOOD
■ 1,100,000+ food database, plus streamlined database available offline. Updated daily.
■ Track all major nutrients: calories, fat, protein, carbs, sugar, fiber, cholesterol, and more
■ Frequently used foods automatically remembered for easy access
■ Scan barcodes to easily find the foods you’ve eaten (note: requires an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, or iPod Touch with camera).
■ Save and reuse entire meals
■ Recipe calculator – Enter your own recipes and calculate their nutritional contents
■ Add multiple items at once!
■ Create an unlimited number of custom foods

EXERCISE
■ Over 350 exercises
■ Track both cardio and strength training, including sets, reps, and weight/rep
■ Create an unlimited number of custom exercises
■ Enter your own calorie amounts – great for HRM’s or exercise equipment with calorie reports

FRIENDS
■ Connect with friends and easily track and motivate each other
■ MyFitnessPal members who diet with friends lose 3X more weight on average!

GOALS
■ Customized goals based on your specific diet profile – age, gender, activity level, etc.
■ Enter your own goals if you’ve gotten specific recommendations from a doctor, nutritionist, etc.

REPORTS
■ Track your weight, measurements and more for motivation
■ Daily nutritional summary with all major nutrients
■ View more detailed reports online at www.myfitnesspal.com

ON THE WEB AT WWW.MYFITNESSPAL.COM
■ Get support and motivation from our community of millions of dieters just like you
■ Entries are automatically synced to the web and vice versa, so you can log online or on your phone, whichever is more convenient
■ Automatically post your progress to Twitter and Facebook (optional)

Note: a MyFitnessPal.com account is required to sync and safely backup your data. You can create an account for free within the app.

#4 – Couch to 5K – Android & iTunes

This is the OFFICIAL CoolRunning Couch-to-5K® beginner training plan, brought to you by Active.com! This oft-imitated program has helped thousands of new runners get off the couch and train for a 5K. Spend just 20 to 30 minutes, three times a week, for nine weeks, and you’ll be running 3.1 miles!

This mobile version gives you all the tools you need to get motivated, get inspired, get connected with others, and track your progress – right from the palm of your hand, wherever you go! The C25K training program is perfect for beginner runners or anyone seeking to get in shape, and stay in shape.

The Active.com Couch-to-5K (C25K) iPhone Mobile App was designed by our trainers to ensure you get the support you need to achieve your goals:

• Customize your experience and select your interactive coach (training personality) – Constance, Billie, and Sergeant Block – who will motivate you and keep you on track

• Train at a sensible pace starting with a brisk walk, then walk/run for about 20 or 30 minutes followed by a cool down, three times a week

• Gradually challenge yourself as you progress – The training program starts slow to accommodate new runners and you can repeat weeks if needed, then move ahead when you feel you’re ready

• Track your progress right on your iPhone or log on to Active.com Trainer to view detailed charts of your improvement and track calories

• Listen to your favorite music and sync the C25K app with your own playlists

#5 – Sparkpeople – Android & iTunes

SparkPeople.com, the world’s most popular diet and fitness site, is proud to offer this free application—a mobile extension of our platform—to iPhone users. The SparkPeople Food & Fitness Tracker fully syncs with your online SparkPeople.com account and includes:
- A food and calorie tracker with more than 1 million foods in its database
- Daily meal plans customized for your goals (optional)
- A fitness tracker to track your workouts and calories burned
- A quick glance view of your calories eaten and burned on the home screen (along with daily healthy-living news and tips)
- A weigh-in page that graphs your weight and progress over time
- The most detailed weight and calorie reports of any iPhone food tracker

(Please note that all features require users to log in to the app over a Wi-Fi, 3G or Edge network connection.)

If you haven’t joined SparkPeople.com yet, you can complete our quick registration right on your iPhone. This will also customize the application for your goals (which you can reset at any time). You can use your free account both on your iPhone and at SparkPeople.com, which provides FREE access to our library of thousands of healthy-living articles, fitness videos, and recipes, plus support and motivation from the web’s largest healthy lifestyle community!

No other website or iPhone application can offer all the tools, content and community features that SparkPeople does in such an intuitive, streamlined format. Get “Sparked” today and start reaching goals you never thought possible!

Have I missed anything? What is your favorite health and fitness app?

Don’t forget to stop by Steph’s blog for Ange’s story. It was the hardest thing that she has ever written. I am so proud of everyone that is sharing their story!

 

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Let’s Dish Thursday- Chicken Shiitake And Wild Rice Soup

January 26, 2012 By 4 Comments

Since starting my weight loss journey I have been trying to find some great low calorie and healthy recipes. There is a lot of trial and error involved with trying new recipes. Sometimes the recipes are ah-mah-zing and sometimes they are just plain blah.

I have decided that Dave and I are going to start reviewing all of the recipes that we find on the interwebz. Yes, most of them are going to be healthy but I promise that that we will give you our honest opinions. I even promise to throw in some not so healthy ones every once in a while. We can’t be good ALL of the time!

The first recipe that we are going to review is Chicken Shiitake And Wild Rice Soup from Skinnytaste.

We made a huge batch of this and I am so glad that we did. I ate it for dinner one night and then lunch and dinner the next day! Dave got to prepare and cook this one. It was a little tedious, as he calls it. (You will find me use that word a lot in regards to Dave cooking.) That just means that the recipe actual takes some preparation. Not just throwing everything into a pot and calling it a day. I cook those recipes.

I have to say that I do believe that this was even better the next day. It was a lot thicker and creamier than it was when we first made it. If you are in the mood for some yummy comfort food on a cold winter’s day, this is exactly what you need!

Chicken, Shiitake and Wild Rice Soup
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Size: 1-1/2 cups • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 237.6 • Fat: 4.3 g • Protein: 14 g • Carb: 35.4 g • Fiber: 1.7 g

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 8 cups (64 oz) fat free low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cups water
  • 2 chopped carrots
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 4 skinless chicken thighs
  • 4.5 oz long grain rice and wild rice combo (Gina used Carolina) – (I used Rice A Roni.)
  • 1/2 cup long grain white rice
  • 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp light sour cream (vegans can use vegan sour cream or leave it out)
  • salt and fresh pepper

Melt butter in a large pot on medium heat, add onion and saute until soft nut not browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add flour and saute another minute.

Add chicken broth, water, carrots, garlic, celery, and chicken thighs, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add wild rice mix along with it’s seasoning, long grain rice, mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste and simmer on low, covered 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove chicken from pot and shred with two forks, return to pot, add sour cream and more water if too thick, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Does this sound good to you? Of course it does! Now go make it and come back and tell me how amazing it is.

 

 

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All My Life I Have Struggled

January 20, 2012 By 15 Comments

My whole life I have struggled. I have struggled with my weight. I have struggled with my body image. I have just struggled.

Throughout my younger years I was not a heavy child, but I wasn’t a tiny child. I danced from the time I was 5 years old until I graduated from high school but I never really had a typical “dancer’s body”. I have just never been built that way. ( I wish I had pictures but they are all in storage. =p )

I started developing when I was in the 4th grade and it was pretty much all down hill from there. I never really felt comfortable in my body, until about my junior year. That is when I noticed my curves.

I started to embrace them and noticed how great I looked when I was thinner. I liked the way that I looked when I was thinner. I mean, who doesn’t.

Then I realized that it wasn’t easy to be thin. I realized that I actually had to think about it. I even danced several hours a week and I still had to be careful what I ate. I still had to pay attention. And I looked like this.

Then there was college. I had boyfriends and what not. Ahem. And my weight went up and down. When you are happy and comfortable the weight goes up.

When I met Dave I was actually a little heavier than normal, but he didn’t seem to mind too much.

As our relationship progressed and then the engagement happened, I realized that I needed to get my ass in shape. So I did, but I didn’t do it the right way.

I barely ate and smoked a pack a day. It was not the best way to lose weight but it worked, so I kept doing it. I got down to 110lbs, but it wasn’t a healthy 110 lbs.

Then, 4 months later, I got pregnant. I felt like death for the first 3 months. I lost 10 lbs off of my already very thin frame. When I got married I weighed 110. During the first trimester I got down to 100 lbs. I was so sickly looking.

As soon as 12 weeks hit it was like I was a new person and all that I wanted to do was shove food in my face. I gained 50 lbs.

I lost a decent amount of weight after I had Paige, or I just hid it well.

And then I put it back on and I wasn’t able to get it back off.

One day I looked at some pictures that my mom had posted on Facebook from Easter 2010. I knew that I had become pretty heavy but I just didn’t realize how big had become.

I just knew that I couldn’t be at this weight anymore. I was up to 165 lbs which was the most that I had ever weighed. I was tired, sluggish, and just didn’t want to do anything. I had 2 young kids that needed me and I wanted to be healthy for them. So I started Weight Watchers online.

Through Weight Watchers I was able to lose 20 lbs. After those 20 lbs. I was feeling much better. I exercised at least 3 times a week but it wasn’t consistent. The biggest change that I made was keeping track of what I ate. It is so amazing what happens when you start looking at what you are taking into your body every day. It can be quite scary.

Through minimal exercise, keeping a diary of my food and changing my eating habits I was able to lose a total of 30 lbs in a little over a year. It was quite a lengthy process but I didn’t give up. Now don’t get me wrong, I slipped up every once in a while and indulged, but I never beat myself up about it. I didn’t want it to be about guilt. When it becomes about guilt you just give up. At least that is what I do.

I eventually decided that I didn’t want to pay for Weight Watchers anymore and decided to try My Fitness Pal.  It helped me take another 10 lbs off! If you are interested in losing weight I suggest trying My Fitness Pal. It is free and it is a great resource for anyone trying to lose weight and get healthy.

I lost 30 lbs. overall. I am still not finished with my weight loss journey. I would like to get at least another 10 lbs off. If I can get 20 more off that is great too. If I don’t I am not going to beat myself up about it. I just know that my journey is never going to be over. I am going to have to work at it for the rest of my life.

I want to be clear though. I do love my body and I embrace my body and my curves. I just want to be healthy. I want to be able to run around and play with my kids and even, one day, play with my grandkids.

It is not all about weight for me. It is about being healthy and fit. But, of course, the weight loss does help!

If you want to join me and Steph from Babes Rockin’ Mami on our weight loss journeys and join in our weight loss challenge, we have a private Facebook group full of supportive members that are all looking into losing weight and getting in better shape. Even if you just want to follow along and get some tips for healthier living we also have a fan page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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