It is hard to lose weight. I'm serious, ladies, I am going crazy. I'm supposed to head up to the beach in Maine this summer, and at this rate, I'm going to be swimming in jeans and a tee shirt. The good news is that, just as technology makes everything else in life easier these days, it can also make weight loss easier. Check out some of the ways to lose weight with technology and see if they might not help you, too.
Social networking offers a great way to lose weight with technology. There are tips, pieces of advice, recipes, and ideas for new exercises right at your fingertips. You can get programs that will help you lose weight, you can see how your friends are doing, and they can help motivate you. This last is important, because as I myself have noticed, if you're not good at self motivation (ahem, ahem, guilty), then you definitely need to ask for help in that area.
There's one thing I hate, and that's being proven wrong when I know I could be right. What I mean is, I hate, say, posting a status message on Facebook about something I'm going to do, and then not doing it. When you post something publicly, you're far more apt to make good on each goal. So, posting every weight loss goal you make on those social networking sites can give you added incentive to come through. You're holding yourself accountable – and the people you know are holding you accountable too.
Blogging is a great way to lose weight with technology as well. This way, you're keeping a record of every up and down you experience on your weight loss journey. You can keep food diaries, you can vent about your frustrations, and celebrate your successes. If you're an emotional eater, then venting like this may also help you keep those emotions in check. You can also try vlogging, or video blogging, because that way, you'll also have a visual record of your progress.
There are tons of weight loss sites and support groups on the internet as well. If you're wary about actually joining a real life group, this is an excellent alternative. You don't have to reveal your weight to strangers, but you're still getting all the information about health, diet, and exercise that you need. When going this route, however, remember that you still need people behind you on your journey.
You know, you can Google everything these days, and that's really helpful when you're trying to lose weight. You can look up new recipes, different exercises, and just about any other kind of information you could possibly need. Just remember to always double check – just because it's on Google doesn't mean it's necessarily true.
Cell phones also do everything these days – as do iPads and the like. There are thus tons of weight loss applications available to help you on your journey. Do some research on different diet and weight loss apps, to see which one could be good for you. You can keep track of calories, calculate them, figure out how many you're burning, and many, many other things.
Of course, there are many ways to lose weight with technology, you don't have to rely entirely on computers, phones, and tablets. There are also video games! Seriously, if you have a Wii, a PlayStation3, or whatever, you should take advantage of the many games that make exercise fun. Whether it's an actual fitness game or something fun like a dancing game, you can get a regular workout without feeling like it's work.
Not all of us can afford trainers; not all of us even want to. However, again, the internet can help. You can always try an eTrainer, or at least a weight loss counselor. This is someone who can give you tips and advice, and perhaps more importantly, it's someone you can talk to when you're feeling low, when you've hit a plateau, or gone back a few steps. This kind of support is so important when you're trying to lose weight.
As you can see, there are tons of ways to lose weight with technology, it just depends on your preferences. It's never been easier to get information on diet, exercise, and general weight loss – and yet, it's still so hard. Do you have any advice for people trying to shed those extra pounds?
Top Photo Credit: mjsavage29