How to Use Social Networking and Weight Loss Apps to Help you Stay on Track
In some ways losing weight is harder than ever before, thanks in part to fast food options on every corner, but it's also true that there are more supportive resources out there than ever before. Instead of concentrating on the challenges, look to social media and weight loss apps to help you stay on track.
Use Apps to Eat Smarter and Better
There are a number of ways you can use weight loss apps to help improve your eating habits.
Meal Planning. For many people, one of the biggest hindrances in the way of losing weight is simply finding the time to eat healthy. Fast food is certainly faster, and after a hard day it can be difficult to take the time to decide on a dish, buy the ingredients and prepare it. However, there are apps out there that give you instant ideas and that can be customized for your needs. For example, you may choose meals that are vegetarian, light on carbohydrates, or low in fat.
Food Tracking. Studies have shown that if all you do is start writing down everything you eat, then you're likely to eat less. No matter what your goals are, keeping track of what you eat will help you achieve them – but who has time to pull out a food diary every time you have a meal or a snack? Enter food tracking apps, which allow you to quickly and easily add your food. Most have nutritional information for restaurants and popular brand name foods so all you have to do is search for the food and it does the rest.
Use Apps to Reach Exercise Goals
Any successful weight loss plan will include both diet and exercise. There are a number of ways you can use apps to help you reach your exercise goals.
- Track Your Exercise Progress. The simplest option is to use an app that allows you to enter in
the type of exercise you do and how frequently you do it. This will help you
reach weekly goals.-
- Find Out How Far You've Gone. There are other apps that can use GPS to actually see literally how far you've gone. These are great choices for those who exercise by walking, running or riding a bike.
- Learn New Moves. If you're looking for information on how to incorporate specific types of exercise into your life, such as strength training or stretching, then you can download an app that will walk you through the moves step by step.
Social Networking Can Help Make Diet and Exercise Fun
It may sound impossible but getting shape can actually be a ton of fun. Consider these ways in which you can use social networking to enjoy your journey to a healthy lifestyle.
Join Others With Similar Goals. One option is to join a site that's specifically designed to get you in touch with others who have the same goals. These sites often offer exercise and food tracking as well, but their biggest advantage is the opportunity to “talk” to others like you. Some even have specific groups for specific demographics, such as people within a certain age range, those with more than 100 pounds to lose, or those following a certain diet.
Use the Sites You Already Use. If you're already on social networking sites then you can use them to give you an extra boost to reach your goals. It can be as simple as posting about your success and enjoying the positive reinforcement from your friends, or you can track your exercise and give details about your new lifestyle. Sites like Facebook also let you post to different custom groups of people, so if you don't want all your friends getting the nitty gritty you could choose select people to post to.
In this day and age we're connected more than ever before and these modern options can be one part in a successful lifestyle change.
