Seth Feder doesn’t have to worry much about cheating on his diet. Every time he eats something he records it in a cell phone application, either on his BlackBerry or on his iTouch MP3 player. It’s a little bit like carrying his dietary conscience around in his pocket.
Feder, a 44-year-old computer technologist from Austin, Texas, has been using LiveStrong.com’s Calorie Tracker on his mobile devices since April. He gives the programs (called applications or “apps”) a good deal of the credit for helping him lose about 20 pounds in eight weeks.
“It gives you the tools to be accountable to yourself,” says Feder. “If you really follow through and record everything, you’ll get a very accurate view of what you’re really eating. It’s very cathartic.”
With more than one million downloads since its introduction last March, Livestrong.com’s Calorie Tracker is one of hundreds of mobile applications available to help motivate people on the go to live healthier lives. Some let you look up calorie counts and track your own intake. Others send you inspirational messages and suggestions to keep you on dietary track. Many are free; others have nominal one-time or monthly fees. All you need is some willpower and a phone or device with Internet access.
Here’s a sampling of what’s out there:
LiveStrong.com’s Calorie Tracker allows you to search a of more than 525,000 food items, get detailed info about calorie and nutritional info, then track your daily intake so you can see how many more calories you should (or shouldn’t) eat throughout the day to stay on target. ($3; BlackBerry and iPhone)
GoodFoodNearYou gives you the lowest-calorie items at 20 restaurants nearest to your current location so you can make smart, fast and healthy dining decisions (free; BlackBerry and iPhone)
Sensei for Weight Loss is a virtual weight loss coach offering individualized menus, supportive messages, daily reminders, and weight-loss goal tracking. (monthly fee starting at $11; most smartphones)
Calorie Count Nutrition Search takes the Web’s massive calorie database from About.com and makes it portable so that when you’re out and about you can find nutritional details about any food before you eat. (free, BlackBerry)
Lose It! tracks your calorie, fat, cholesterol, protein and other nutritional intake, while letting you set weight goals and providing dietary info when you dine out. (free, iPhone)
Health & Diet Manager not only lets you track your calories and create and eating and exercise plan, but it also tracks BMI, the hours you sleep each night and your target heart rate. ($20, Windows smartphones, BlackBerry, Palm)
MyNetDiary lets you set a weight goal and then track the nutritional components (fat, cholesterol, fiber) as you check calories as you go. (starts at $5/month; BlackBerry, iPhone)
Head to the Internet for more BlackBerry health and fitness apps or iPod and iPhone apps.
