For anyone who is on a mission to lose weight and get in shape, and have made the definitive commitment to make this happen, you may have found that one of the hardest things to first overcome is changing what you eat.
This makes sense because the food we choose is one of the reasons for weight gain in the first place. When it comes to losing weight, 75% of the entire process is your diet and nutrition. Once you get a strong handle on this then the other 25% of this process is ensuring you get some exercise a few times each week. That's why it's critical you take complete control of everything that is put in your body for true weight loss success.
Since there are usually three main meals of the day along with a variety of snacks tossed in
here and there, one of the best and easiest ways to get control over all this is by using a FREE calorie counting app or website.
here and there, one of the best and easiest ways to get control over all this is by using a FREE calorie counting app or website.
I mention the word app (application for a smartphone), since this is what I personally use and recommend for anyone with a phone is capable of running these types of addons. Since we often eat food away from the home, especially for lunch during the work week, or if we go out for dinner, instead of trying to remember everything you ate, with the smartphone app right at hand you can immediately input your choices and find out the remaining calorie balance. Extremely helpful when you get in the habit of doing this for each meal.
Nevertheless, if your phone can't run applications, you can still use the website/online version of the free calorie counter. You will just have to do a good job of remembering everything you consumed (including drinks and snacks) from your last login and input everything the next chance you get.
With that being said, here is a step by step guide on how to download and install a FREE calorie counter app on your smartphone from start to finish. This guide will detail the steps using an iPhone 4s so there may be subtle differences amongst different phones, but the overall idea should be the same once you get the app installed on your phone.
Here we go!
Step One
Go to your AppStore (or wherever you download apps) and do a search for MyFitnessPal (free). Your search results should display "Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker". You can read through the information on what the app provides you with and when you're ready simply click "Install" and it will be downloaded and installed on your phone
Go to your AppStore (or wherever you download apps) and do a search for MyFitnessPal (free). Your search results should display "Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker". You can read through the information on what the app provides you with and when you're ready simply click "Install" and it will be downloaded and installed on your phone
Step Two
Once it has finished downloading and installing, click on the application that should be on your screen. You will have to "agree" to their License Agreement before using the app. Afterwards you have an option to either log in using your Facebook account, or sign up under your email address. Select the option you prefer and then press continue.
Once it has finished downloading and installing, click on the application that should be on your screen. You will have to "agree" to their License Agreement before using the app. Afterwards you have an option to either log in using your Facebook account, or sign up under your email address. Select the option you prefer and then press continue.
Step Three
You will now have to answer a series of questions so that the application can get a daily calorie amount that will help you achieve your weight loss goals. First will be your current weight. Be sure to actually weigh yourself so you start with a precise amount, not what you think you weigh.
You will now have to answer a series of questions so that the application can get a daily calorie amount that will help you achieve your weight loss goals. First will be your current weight. Be sure to actually weigh yourself so you start with a precise amount, not what you think you weigh.
Next question is your target/goal weight, then gender, your height (be sure you're accurate cause this really helps for your calorie allowance), date of birth, your daily activity level (dependent on your type of job -sedentary, lightly active, active, very active), and how often you plan on exercising - workouts per week and the duration of each workout. Finally it asks how many pounds you would like to lose or gain each week, or if you want to simply maintain your current weight. The range is from 1/2 pound to 2 pounds per week. So think about your overall goal and the timeframe in which you would like to achieve it. You then create a username and a password, enter your email address and you are all set to start using the application.
Step Four
Once your account is created (for free) you will see a screen that congratulates you, shows your daily net calorie goal, and a weight amount you should lose in a month if stick with your calorie total. Click on the bar that says "Start Tracking Now", and you will then be able to add friends from either Facebook or your Contacts if you'd like (you can add them later if you want), and you will finally be taken to the main page of the app that you see in this screenshot here. This is where all the magic takes place.
Once your account is created (for free) you will see a screen that congratulates you, shows your daily net calorie goal, and a weight amount you should lose in a month if stick with your calorie total. Click on the bar that says "Start Tracking Now", and you will then be able to add friends from either Facebook or your Contacts if you'd like (you can add them later if you want), and you will finally be taken to the main page of the app that you see in this screenshot here. This is where all the magic takes place.
Step Five
As you will see from the main screen, this is where you will be able to instantly see your daily calorie total amount. It lists in four sections in a gray section labeled Goal (what you daily amount is), Food (what you consume each day including drinks), Exercise (what you do to burn calories), and Net (what is leftover at the end of the day). Your goal is to get as close to your calorie count as possible so that you meet your weekly weight loss goal. To add items, simply click on "Add to Diary" (gray button next to your green calorie numerical total), and that will take you to an "Add Entry" page like shown here in this screenshot. For everything you do in a single day whether it be food/drink or exercise, you will add it to your daily journal in this manner.
As you will see from the main screen, this is where you will be able to instantly see your daily calorie total amount. It lists in four sections in a gray section labeled Goal (what you daily amount is), Food (what you consume each day including drinks), Exercise (what you do to burn calories), and Net (what is leftover at the end of the day). Your goal is to get as close to your calorie count as possible so that you meet your weekly weight loss goal. To add items, simply click on "Add to Diary" (gray button next to your green calorie numerical total), and that will take you to an "Add Entry" page like shown here in this screenshot. For everything you do in a single day whether it be food/drink or exercise, you will add it to your daily journal in this manner.
Step Six
You have the option to input the foods and drinks you consume by meal. In other words, all the food you ate at breakfast under the breakfast heading, all the food and drinks for lunch, in the lunch section, etc. Select one of the meals and you will see a specific page for that meal pop up. Here is where you will search for a particular food item in order to select and add it to your calorie total. If it is a common food item, more than likely you will find it within the MyFitnessPal database since their database has over 2,000,000 food items. However even if you can't find the specific item you ate, you will still be able to input the food type and amount you consumed. If you want to bypass the food label entry, you can simply use the "Quick Add Calories" if you have an idea of more or less how many calories your food item is.
You have the option to input the foods and drinks you consume by meal. In other words, all the food you ate at breakfast under the breakfast heading, all the food and drinks for lunch, in the lunch section, etc. Select one of the meals and you will see a specific page for that meal pop up. Here is where you will search for a particular food item in order to select and add it to your calorie total. If it is a common food item, more than likely you will find it within the MyFitnessPal database since their database has over 2,000,000 food items. However even if you can't find the specific item you ate, you will still be able to input the food type and amount you consumed. If you want to bypass the food label entry, you can simply use the "Quick Add Calories" if you have an idea of more or less how many calories your food item is.
Conclusion
Even though this may seem like a lengthy, time consuming process, it really isn't. Once you install the app and get used to inputting food items and exercise workouts, pretty soon you will be able to do it all in under 30 seconds. Try it for a week or two and see how much it helps you focus on sticking with a daily calorie total. Personally, I know it helped me whenever I was torn with the temptation to eat in an unhealthy manner since I didn't want to input a huge meal and watch my calorie numbers go into the negative (red).
Even though this may seem like a lengthy, time consuming process, it really isn't. Once you install the app and get used to inputting food items and exercise workouts, pretty soon you will be able to do it all in under 30 seconds. Try it for a week or two and see how much it helps you focus on sticking with a daily calorie total. Personally, I know it helped me whenever I was torn with the temptation to eat in an unhealthy manner since I didn't want to input a huge meal and watch my calorie numbers go into the negative (red).
Hopefully this has inspired you to give calorie counters a try and see how much they can help you. They are absolutely FREE so what do you have to lose? If you have truly been wanting to lose weight in a natural way and not resort to medication or special diets, using a free calorie counter can be your ticket to weight loss nirvana.
Gregory L. Gomez, M. Ed, has been teaching 5th grade in the LAUSD for 12 years and has recently embarked on a journey to lose weight, eat healthier, and finally get in shape! Follow his progress on http://HealthyChoicesInLife.com as he strives to lose 60 pounds through dedicated exercise and eating healthy. From healthy eating guides, to a step-by-step manual tackling the process of losing weight, to free weight loss videos, get the latest information to combat the rising obesity epidemic and start improving your health today at http://healthychoicesinlife.com/how-to-lose-weight-in-a-week.
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