If you simply can NOT lose weight, why not take advantage of a ton of different resources and lose weight online. Yeah, you still have to do your part, but the following resources can be called “Lose Weight Online” simply because accountability and knowledge will make the entire task easier. A recent study indicates that a shocking 34% of Americans are obese while another 1/3 are “just” fat. And it’s no better in other first world countries. This definitely qualifies as a ‘health crisis’ and since you’re online, why not use online sources?
“HOW MUCH SHOULD I WEIGH?”
BMI Calculator: [Free] The body mass index (BMI) is a statistical measurement which compares a person’s weight and height. It is a useful tool to estimate a healthy body weight based on how tall a person is. Due to its ease of measurement and calculation, it is the most widely used diagnostic tool to identify obesity problems within a population.
Binaural Brainwave Stimulator (Brainstimpro):[Free to try, $35.00 to buy] BrainStimPro Binaural Brainwave Generator is labeled as a “Professional Medical Brainwave Tuning tool for medical personal and laymen”. I like this kind of program and this is a heck of a deal- IF it works as advertised. It has over 150 option and uses four different waveform options [Sine, Square, Saw, Triangle] plus 20 brainwave frequency bands. It even includes gamma, which is not always the case with mind-frequency software. My only hesitation is that it might be pretty complicated for us non-techies … not so much on the ‘how to’ but in figuring out what’s best to use for our purposes. Another concern: can we download the output to something portable, like my new mP4 player, or does it only work at the computer? Still, I’m interested and am trying it out as of today and will let you know.
GETTING STARTED
Eatometer: [Free to try, $24.99 to buy] Eatometer [love the name!] is a nutrition planning and tracking program with a master food list, derived from the USDA database. Eatometer provides a simple graphical display showing how you’re doing compared to your goals for calories, protein, carbohydrate and fats. Oops! Don’t get caught cheating.
Metabolic Rate Calculator: [Free] Estimate your metabolic rate and the recommended calorie intake according to your height, weight, age, how active you are and if you are male or female.
Simple Weight Loss Calculator: [Free to try, $19.95 to buy] This application takes your sex, height, age, weight, activity level and weight loss goal to calculate your ideal weight; calories you’re consuming now; calories to eat to meet your goals; and calories to burn with exercise to meet your weight loss goals.
ONLINE CALORIE CALCULATORS
Fitness Partner Connection [Free] There are 222 activities in this database and this is an activity calorie calculator based on what activities you did.
Stephens Creek Software: [Free]Is a basic, no-frills online functional calorie calculator
DIETING: Online Programs
Anne Collins Diet: This is a sane and sensible diet plan by a nutritionist. It offers a 29 day quick start and can adjust to suit different eating styles. Since it’s not ‘hot’ or ‘glamorous’ it isn’t as popular as the ones with the Big Noise of publicity.
Bob Greene’s Eating For Life: Phillips became popular as Oprah’s diet coach way back when. This is a sane and sensible program that he labels the “anti-diet,” and relies on healthy lifestyle changes rather than torturing ourselves by going to war with food.
Body For Life Diet: made popular by the best-selling books of the same name, this is a very tough 12 week program. It was invented by Bill Phillips, the founder of EAS, a company that makes nutritional supplements.
Denise Austin Fit Forever: Denise Austin is famous as a fitness guru [or is it ‘guruess’?] and her diet plan is sane and sensible. She’s a great ad for her fitness approach and claims she only works for 30 minutes a day and never skips a meal! Go, Denise!
Eat Right For Your Type [The Blood Type] Diet: this diet is supposedly based on your blood type, which determines what you should eat. It’s ridiculous, based on my personal experience, because according to this book I should be mostly eating animal products. In fact, I am a vegan because animal products make me feel sluggish, tired and just plain awful.
Herbalife Diet: the Herbalife diet works by – surprise! – eating and drinking Herbalife products. You drink two of their protein drinks for lunch and dinner, take their vitamins and herbal tablets and eat a “sensible and balanced” dinner with more Herbalife pills. Diets like these don’t teach us new habits so while they might work for a time, what happens when you “go off” them? I can guess, and so can you.
Jenny Craig: this well known diet plan has made itself famous by hiring celebrities like Kirstie Alley, Valerie Bertinelli and Queen Latifah. They have diet centers around the country and create individualized plans based on membership plans – trial, gold and platinum. Be prepared to pay handsomely for Jenny’s services.
Jillian Michaels Diet: Jillian Michaels achieved fame through The Biggest Loser TV series. She’s a fitness guru who offers 12 different tools for losing weight. While her program is sensible, it’s totally based on the “calories = weight loss/no weight loss”, a model which has its limitations for many people. 250 calories of green vegetables are NOT the same as 250 calories of chocolate milk shake – at least, our bodies don’t think so.
Maker’s Diet: the Maker’s Diet is supposedly Biblical and focuses on eating natural foods and staying away from chemicals and pesticides. Organic food is promoted for its health benefits and this is a lifestyle, rather than a short-term solution. This is extremely sound advice.
Mayo Clinic Diet: this sensible plan allows vegetables, fruits, lean protein, beans, fish, low-fat dairy, whole-grain carbs and unsaturated fat, particularly nuts, olive oil and canola oil without counting calories.
NutriSystem Diet: with the NutriSystem diet you mostly use their foods, which are home delivered and cost approximately $75/week. The food plan calls for about 55% carbs, 25% protein and 20% fat. There is also counseling online or on the phone.
Pritikin Diet: the Pritikin longevity and health center began with founder Nathan Pritikin back in the 1970s. He was one of the first ones to advocate a high carb and low fat diet for both weight loss and health, and idea which has grown in popularity. According to Pritikin, calorie-dense foods like meat and ice cream need to be limited while less calorie-dense ones, like fruits and veggies, do not.
Overeaters Anonymous: is a non-profit program that focuses much less on what to eat and much more on controlling our eating, which is, after all, the REAL program. It’s the eater’s version of the famous 12 step, Alcoholics Anonymous program, with the emphasis being on eating rather than alcohol. In a way, eating is harder to control than alcohol since we can completely stop drinking or drugs, but we surely can’t quit eating – not and remain on this planet, at any rate.
Richard Simmons: most everyone knows effervescent, high energy Richard Simmons, a former butterball. He is most famous for his exercise videos but, naturally, he also has a diet plan and it’s sensible, rather than ridiculous, with plenty of choice. Dieters should expect to eat 1200 calories a day at a minimum, and eat at least seven servings of fruits and veggies. His entertaining website states, “Low carb and fad diets are ‘So last season’… ”
Sonoma Diet: the Sonoma Diet calls itself the “most flavorable weight loss plan under the sun”. It is comprised of “Waves” which initiate large amounts of weight loss at the beginning. There is lots of choice and a focus on portions, rather than types of food although the emphasis is veggies, lean meat and grains – and wine.
Weight Watchers: probably the most famous diet in America, this program has existed for decades and has been through multiple incarnations. Weight Watchers count “points”, rather than calories, and all food groups are included. The best part of the program, of course, is the ongoing support, whether online or in local meetings.
Zone Diet: inspired by Dr. Barry Sears Zone diet books, this diet rightly identifies inflammation as a major culprit in modern disease and advises followers to treat food like drugs. The Zone diet site refers to itself as “simple’, however it’s anything but … meals are more like chemical formulas than pleasurable experiences and they must be eaten at certain times. It’s an overwhelmingly complicated system, IMO.
DIETING: Well Known Programs With No Official Site
These diet plans may not have any official site but you can find lots of information about them online. They are so famous we didn’t think we should leave them out.
Beverly Hills Diet: The Beverly Hills Diet relies mostly on fruit and nuts and fruits. For the first 10 days, only fruit is permitted and beginning on day 11 you can add some carbs. There is no calorie counting.
Cabbage Soup Diet: the main food in this diet is (drumroll) cabbage soup. It’s meant to be a short-term-only diet that should be followed for seven days and can result in drastic weight loss. By the way – the soup isn’t bad although I’d rather have pea or bean soup.
Grapefruit Diet: this has been around for 70+ years or so and is based on the theory that there is something special about grapefruit that will make it burn fat and promises about 10 pounds of weight loss in a couple of weeks. Since I despise grapefruit I’ve never tried it but there is anecdotal evidence that it works.
Low Calorie Diet: this has been the mainstay for decades of weight loss programs and it is a flawed model. For instance, did you know that if you get 14 grams of fiber in a meal – by eating beans, for instance – you can reduce the calorie count of those beans by 10%. And does anybody truly believe that an equal amount of beans and cheesecake are treated the same by the body?
Macrobiotic Diet: this Asian life-style plan, rather than simply being a diet, originated in Japan and is based on the teachings of Zen Buddhism. It focuses on balance, vegetables and cereals and believes that concentration on any one food is unhealthy.
Mediterranean Diet: this lovely program is about lifestyle changes that create genuine change. It’s based on the Mediterranean cuisine which focuses on plants and natural foods. It’s a pretty low fat diet [olive oil is king] and its main food is my favorite food – bread.
Protein Power Diet: first advocated by the Eades, this diet is incredibly complicated. It allows 50 grams of carbohydrate every day[which isn’t a lot] but its focus is protein. It’s different from Atkins in that you can’t eat all the protein you wish – the amount depends on your activity level. You must also count every single calorie and eat at specific times.
South Beach Diet: this enormously popular diet is focused on the “right” fats and the “right” carbs, although it reminds me of a modified Atkins. Followers are supposed to lose 8-13 pounds in the first two weeks. There is no emphasis on exercise.
NUTRITION
BySoft Food Additives: [Free] This handy program tells you what additives are in the foods you’re considering – or even in your favorites – if you want to be depressed over the junk you’re eating. It includes additives that children, asthmatics, vegetarians and people with health problems should avoid.
Food Nutrition Facts Vista Gadget: [Free to try; $4.95 to buy] This program is as simple as it sounds with nutritional information about a variety of foods.
Nutrition Access: [Free] With a database of over 5,000+ foods, the software will displays values for every food: ten vitamins, ten minerals, fiber, cholesterol, protein, carbohydrate, three types of fat, total fat, and total calories.
Nutrition Facts: [Free] Nutrition Facts provides detailed nutritional analysis on over 7500 foods and your software panel looks familiar (if you read labels, that is) because it looks like the panels on foods in the grocery. More good news … if you change the amount from one cup to one 1/2 cup, for example, the database changes accordingly.
PakNutri: [Free] Interested in the nutritional value of what you eat? This searchable nutritional database includes 6839 food items listed in USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, (SR17), covering 44 food nutrients.
Recipe Calc: [Free to try, $24.00 to buy] From a large database of foods, Recipe Calc helps you analyze the nutritional value of your recipes, meals, and daily food intake. It calculates total calories, calories from fat, the percentage of calories from fat, fat weight, cholesterol, carbohydrates, sodium, and protein.
COOKING
Advantage Cooking!: [$29.95 to buy] If you’re one of those Super Efficient People who cooks your food once a month and then stores it, [the rest of us hate you, you know!] then this is for you. I know this would be a total waste of time for me, though.
CoffeeApplication: [Free] CoffeeApplication helps us to figure out the perfect timing for certain drinks – like Cappuccino. I’d like to pretend this will keep me away from Starbucks, but I know better. Still, it might be helpful for warm drinks at home on a winter afternoon.
CookBook+Calendar: [Free to try; $39.95 to buy] Create your own recipe database and manage a diet, a menu or a dinner party. It has a very nice looking interface and is certainly a way to track what’s going on with whatever diet you’re currently on. Of course, nothing can make us stay on the menu we’ve planned out if we don’t want to!
Cooking Aficionado: [Free] This Windows-based software is all about recipe storage. No more groping through books wondering where you put Aunt Susie’s prize squirrel stew because you can locate any recipe quickly and easily. Features include browse, add, edit, search, email, print, storing images and backup.
Cooking Alarm Clock: [Free to try; $19.99 to buy] This is a program I need! What it does it set independent timers for six different ingredients. I can’t even guess how many times I’ve started something on the stove – then started working at my computer and forgotten all about the goodie merrily boiling away! Ah, another destroyed pot. :-(
DinnerTimer Lite: [Free] Dinner Timer Lite is a simple timer system which can be used for anything, not just cooking.
DivineRecipes Toolbar: [Free] This is a toolbar from DivineRecipes.com which allows you to instantly search and print over 10,000 recipes directly from your own computer without having to go online.
Easy Recipe Deluxe: [Free to try; $35.00 to buy]When this software is referred to as ‘deluxe’, the authors weren’t kidding! You not only store recipes – you can use this software for shopping, meal planning, figuring nutritional values (which are calculated instantly) but your recipes are organized by cuisine style (Italian, French, Mexican, etc) and main ingredients (pasta, fruit, etc.) You can email recipes to your buddies as well as print them for sharing.
Grocery List Organizer: [Free to try; $9.99 to buy] According to the publisher, the purpose is to save you money at the grocery store by planning ahead and reducing those pesky impulse buys. If we figure out costs ahead of time – and then stick to the list (the hard part!) – this just might work. It will involve some time and effort, though, because you will have to keep inputting your grocery costs. Supposedly, the recording process can be simplified by “using store files available for download.”
Grocery Pricebook & Spreadsheet: [Free] In today’s current gloomy economic climate – otherwise known as a recession – it’s financially wise to keep track of spending. This spreadsheet program helps you track what you’re spending on groceries, although actually it could be used for most any regular item. It’s probably a pain at first to input your data, but it just might result in some savings when you spot the unnecessary waste.
Living Cookbook: [Free to try; $34.95 to buy] This software has been through seven releases so it is obviously popular. According to the publisher it is almost like the computer on the Starship Enterprise in its ability to be helpful: “… manage your recipe collection, plan meals, calculate nutrition, create menus, create grocery lists, publish cookbooks, and more. Other features include an ingredient database with USDA SR-20 nutrition data, kitchen inventory, Web integration, a reference library, a powerful search engine, an integrated spell-checker, import and export, copy and paste, drag and drop, customizable recipe views, backup and restore, and a help file with more than 450 help topics.”
Matilda’s Fantastic Cookbook Software: [Free to try; $34.95 to buy] This software seems to be primarily about making personalized cookbooks, which is sort of an interesting idea. With 27 different designs to choose from, you can add photos, keep track of birthdays, design pages and recipe cards and email your latest triumph.
PDACookbook Plus: [$24.99 to buy] Plan your meals and store your recipes on your handheld devices like Palm OSA, Pocket PC or Windows Mobile handhelds, and Windows PCs!
Pocket Cook: [$12.95 to buy] This one includes 4,000 recipes; you can input what’s in your kitchen and it will give suggestions; includes space for pictures; can import recipes; analyze ingredients; will recalculate quantities; includes an optional upgrade to synchronize with a Palm or Pocket PC device.
Recipe Center: [Free] You can download recipes from recipecenter.com, which has some delcious looking goodies like a Snickers Cake (oops, guess that isn’t so great for weight loss, now is it? Darn!) or from Meal-Master™, which is a freeware database program for collecting, searching, and exchanging recipes. It includes quantity conversions, resizing the recipes, spell checkers, and more.
Recipes Ship: [Free] This easy-to-use software allows you to import 600+ recipes so that you can collect, exchange, and organize as well as print out cookbooks and even create Web pages if that’s your thing.
Simply Shopping: [Free to try; $11.00 to buy] Simply Shopping organizes your recipes, organizes your grocery coupons and allows you to print grocery lists. Now if only it would stop impulse buys! [“Wow, new crackers. Gotta have those.”]
SoftCuisine: [Free] This recipe database helps to plan menus, create grocery lists and store information about food items. You can view Recipes, Ingredients, Meal Plans, and Shopping Lists in separate windows.
The Recipe Locker: [Free] You can browse, search, bookmark, print, or e-mail recipes. Includes 1322 recipes that are built in to the program.
The Soul Plate Recipe Database: [Free] This is a creation of the Soul Plate Recipe Database (Food For The Soul) and includes ‘themes’ like ‘down home’, ‘holiday’, ‘rustic’, ‘backyard barbecuing’ and, of course, ‘soul food’. You can watch cooking videos and learn all kinds of arcane cooking mysteries like ‘how to deglaze a skillet’, although I’m not sure why anyone would want to do that? Guess I need to install this myself and find out.
VidaOne Diet & Fitness: [Free to try; $34.95 to buy] This software offers an extremely attractive interface and does most everything except cook and set the table. It has a ‘Journal’ function which displays meals, workouts, health and various useful daily charts. The ‘Calendar’ displays diet information and optionally weekly workout duration and workout distances. The ‘Report’ view lists meals, workouts and health reports, all printable.
SPECIALIZED COOKING
Indonesian And Malaysian Cooking: [Free to try; $14.95 to buy] This is an eBook, rather than a software program, and includes Indonesian and Malaysian cooking recipes, including ingredients, method of cooking, necessary equipment and menu suggestions.
Macrobiotic Diet: [Free] This is an ebook that includes information about Macrobiotic diet which is all about balance and a simple and natural diet.
Mediterranean Diet: [Free] This ebook is about the Mediterranean diet which includes a high consumption of fruits, vegetables, potatoes, beans, nuts, seeds, bread and other cereals. Olive oil used for cooking and dressings. Low to moderate amounts of full fat cheese and yogurt. Moderate consumption of wine, usually with meals. Yum. My kind of eating.
Military Recipes Database: [Free to try; $14.95 to buy] Who knew there are ‘military recipes’? Apparently there are, though, and this database includes 1600+ of them and “over 70 methods and procedures for using these recipes.”
EXERCISING & WORKING OUT
EvenFit Track: [Free] If you’re interested in working out, this software just might be what you’re looking for because you can customize your workouts from a variety of activities like track, weightlifting, cardio, running, swimming & biking. Create your own personalized workout template sand keep track of personal data such as body weight, body fat percentage and heart rate.
Exlib: [Free to try, $15.00 to buy] Exlib is an “exercise library and diary”with four sections: 1) The ‘diary’ tracks training information, supplements, injuries, and body measurements 2) The ‘exercise’ reports and graphs track 3) The ‘program composer’ sorts and displays available programs 4) The ‘library’ has over 170 training and stretching exercises.
FWD Gym: [Free to try, $68.00 to buy] FWD Gym is for serious weight lifters or those who would like to be serious. According to the software makers, designing a quality weight lifting plan is both time-consuming and hard work [I wouldn’t know since I’ve never wanted bulging muscles] and this will do it for you. It also helps to objectively measure your progress and performance.
GymGoal Lite: [Free] GymGoal Lite includes 200+ weight training exercises, detailed instructions and most of them have drawings. Choose exercises based on muscles worked, type, equipment, level of difficulty, and other parameters.
Gym-O-Fizz: [Free] The publisher states that “GYM-O-FIZZ turns your PC into your personal fitness trainer”. It tackles this mammoth task by scheduling regular exercise breaks that are about one minute in length. However, at the end of a work day you’ve exercised for 10-30 minutes [your choice, naturally]. All the exercises can be done in regular work clothing.
Isometric Training: [Free]Isometrics is, of course, using the strength of the body against itself and, according to the software producers, is “the scientifically proven fastest way to get in shape”. If you’re interested in simply building muscle, your workout for your entire body is less than 5 minutes per day – and when you are more advanced, you can skip days.
LogMyJog: [Free] LogMyJog is used by runners and joggers [big surprise] to track training and event progress. It will even calculate your average speed.
MB Free Learn Yoga Software: [Free] Learn Yoga provides information on every aspect of yoga: the different mudras, meditation, benefits of practicing yoga and meditation.
Muscle Builder: [Free] Before you head out to the gym, choose from dozens of pre-programmed exercises and make your own workout plans, then print them to take with you.
Office Yoga for PC: [Free] Office Yoga teaches 22 yog exercises that are specifically for a limited space and can be performed either standing or sitting in a chair. These Yoga exercises are designed to be performed in limited space. No more excuses to be a slug in an office environment.
Online Yoga Classes: [Free to try, $1.95 to buy] The producers claim these yoga classes are professionally recorded and available to use on your mP3 player. They include real students, music and a printable pose guide.
Pilates Exercises: [Free] The makers of this software state that Pilates if about using the body’s mental ability to improve movement, efficiency and muscle control which is what the software helps you to do. It also focuses on improving posture.
RunningResource Training Log: [Free] Manage your distance running training program with this software which has three input forms: training information, races and a general profile form.
Sitting Yoga for PC: [Free] Learn 19 yoga exercises that you can do from your office chair. Each exercise includes a video in a Flash format and breathing and posture directions.
TakeYourBreak: [Free] If you’re computer crazed – like me – you probably need this software or something like it. Often I realize that I’ve been sitting waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long and I’m stiff and sore. Take Your Break’s job is to remind us to take periodic breaks. It gently remind us that its time to get up and move and has a myriad of customizable functions.
The Ergociser: [Free] Ergocise reminds us to exercise and includes 100+ short animations of simple, ergonomically correct stretches and strengthening exercises.
Yoga Classes for your MP3/MP4 Player: [Free] You can download yoga classes and play them on your MP3 or MP4 player with this software. I’ve done yoga for 30 years and I don’t truly see how an audio class can substitute, but it does include a PDF of the asanas [positions]. If you’re serious about yoga nothing can possibly substitute for a live teacher and class. Still, this is better than nothing and might be a good introduction for anyone who is wondering if yoga might be right for them.
Yogasana For General Desktop Application: [Free to try, $12.00 to buy] Yoga is taught through Flash animations and is voice based.
ONLINE WEIGHT LOSS & FITNESS TRACKING SERVICES
A Calorie Counter: [Free] allows you to search the USDA food nutrition database and find out the calorie count, nutritional analysis and more of tons of food items.
Calorie Counter: [$9 per month] has some handy food information [free] plus a food diary, forums, meal plans, etc.
Diet TV: [Free] has eating and exercise tracking tools and a community forum.
Fat Secret: [Free] the point of this site is that you don’t have to go it alone but can stay in touch with other users and it includes a journal, food diary, exercise diary, forum and more.
Gimme20: [Free] is a health and fitness online community with information on diet, fitness, nutrition, wellness and more.
Skinnyr: [Free] offers a weight-tracking graph – which can be hidden from others if you want to put it on your MySpace or Facebook page.
stickK: [Free] on this site you fill out a ‘Commitment Contract’, set stakes for success, get a referee and a cheering squad.
The Daily Plate: [Free] offers a calorie counter, tracks your food and has a food journal you can keep.
The Google 15: interesting notion here – the author makes the point that the constant up-and-down of weighing in daily on your scale can really depress us – or have us overly joyful [“Hey, lookie here – I lost 13 pounds overnight!”]. The Google 15 charts progress over time and ignores the constant daily fluctuations.
Traineo: [Free] is a motivational site to help us stay on our eating/exercise regimes. ” Choose up to 4 friends and family to become your ‘traineo motivators’ who will receive reports from traineo with your progress.
EATING & EXERCISE TRACKING
Diet Buddy: [Free] Diet Buddy visually tracks your weight loss success [or dare we say it – failure!] and helps you stay on track with both exercising and eating. Supposedly, it makes it ‘easy and fun’. Pardon me while I doubt that.
Lifestyle Organizer Deluxe: [Free to try, $29.99 to buy] Lifestyle Organizer is a diet, nutrition and lifestyle management software. It helps you organize your daily schedule, and plan and track your diet and your physical condition. It analyzes diet and nutrition, and offers intuitive daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly nutrition chart and hints.
FitLife: [Free to try; $39.00 to buy] The authors of this software claim that it allows you “to monitor every part of your eating, sport and strength training program”. It does have an impressive interface and includes thousands of articles of food,including nutrition facts, hundreds of sports, tens of strength training exercises with explanations and even descriptions of breathing [VERY unusual].
FitWorkout: [Free] The aim of FitWorkout is to generate a precise workout ‘scientifically designed’ for you and me and everyone else based on your personal goals: bodybuilding, weight loss or fitness.
MOTIVATION & KEEPING YOUR EATING ON TRACK
Calorie Balance Diet: [Free] If you’re like me you always feel guilty when you’re trying to lose weight! Why? Because all those eager-beaver coaches always insist that it’s important to keep a JOURNAL of what’s actually going on … sounds good, but I usually start off with dynamic enthusiasm … but then slowly fizzle away. This software is a way to [hopefully!] keep that Journal going because we can do it online. It includes a calorie counter of over 30,000 foods, a calculator and hundreds of activies. We can even track progress … although I’m not sure that’s always a good thing, if you know what I mean?
DietPower: [Free to try, $29.99 to buy] DietPower software claims to be a genuine diet “coach”. Supposedly, it monitors your true, genuine, for-real metabolism so it can guarantee that you’ll reach your goal weight on your target date [OK … 45 pounds by tomorrow morning!] because you can see the effect of every single food choice on your stated goal. It contains a ton of nutritional information and analyzes everything you eat – assuming you input it, of course – and displays a Nutrition Quotient that tells how smart an eater you’ve been so far today. It does have an impressive one year guarantee.
Diet Sleuth: [Free to try; $34.99 to buy] Diet Sleuth refers to itself as your ‘personal health logbook’, and it is indeed impressive. It can keep track of everything morsel you eat each day, including calories, fat grams, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, cholesterol, along with sodium, potassium, and calcium. It also logs your daily weight, and estimates how many calories you burn each day.
Exercise Diary: [Free] The description for this software states: “Have you ever wondered why some people seem to excel and have super fit bodies? – Well now you too can join this elite group.”. I don’t know about that glowing prose, but it definitely can be helpful to track out progress, like this software will do, so that we can figure out what’s working – and what isn’t.
Food File: [Free] Food File has a database of thousands of food products and it will tell you about “the proportion of fat, protein, and carbohydrate contained, as well as total calories and more detailed nutritional information”. It also has a section called food facts’ to help you make choices for certain diets. You know – like those three Krispy Kremes are verboten on Atkins.
Lemonade Diet: [Free] The lemonade diet has been around for a long, long time. It’s a juice fast, or a body cleanse, or detox since you’re living on lemonade for the entire time.The diet was created to help rid your body of toxines that build up when you don’t exercise or eat right. It’s designed to help clear and clean your body’s digestive tract, kidneys, and liver, while carrying out all the bad stuff that’s settled in over time. Be warned: you have to be really determined to follow through with this because it’s really tough. Ask me how I know?
LoNo – The Personal Diet Assistant: [Free to try; $29.95 to buy] LoNo includes 2400 low carb recipes and 6600 food ingredients so that you can calculate what you’ve ingested each day. There are better programs than this one, in our view, but this might appeal to low-carb folks.
Mycaloriecoach: [Free to try, $12.95 to buy] See at a glance which nutrients, vitamins, and minerals you have used and in what ratio, and how much energy your body has used. All nutrients, vitamins, and minerals of MyCalorieCoach Professional are based on the latest USDA National Nutrient Database. In addition to food, the program contains information on over 120 sporting activities.
NutriGenie Omega Rx Zone Diet: [Free to try, $30.00 to buy] This software claims to be the companion to Barry Sears’ Omega Rx Zone, Mastering the Zone, Zone Food Blocks, and the Top 100 Zone Foods. by automatically calculating the protein, carbohydrate, and fat blocks for every food item and every meal.
The ‘Naughty But Nice’ Diet: [Free] In theory, this allows you to ‘cheat’ on your diet. If you simply MUST have those two cookies, it will help you figure out what you have to do to make up for that indulgence, and still remain faithful to your calories and nutrients for the day. I’m not sure, though, that you body views those cookies in the same way. Still, we can hope …
Weight Tracker: [Free] Monitor your weight changes and health status with Weight Tracker which automatically saves weight, relationship to the meal, time of the measurement, and general state of health. It also offers 1) ovrsized numbers 2) monitors weight changesover time on graphs 3) the calendar also relateseach day’s average weight to your ideal weight [ugh! not sure I want to know that information!].
EATING OUT
Lunch Picker: [Free to try; $9.00 to buy] Can’t decide where to eat today? Bored with the same old choices? Then perhaps Lunch Picker is what you need. It randomly chooses three restuarnts and even has a payment option that tells Lunch Picker to only choose restaurants that accept certain payment types. Sounds like tossing the dice or using a ‘Crazy 8 Ball’ but, hey – whatever works.
Restaurant Savant: [Free] Savant can store an amazing 64 trillion reviews, according to the makers. Personally, I had no idea there were trillions of restaurants on the planet, even with multiple reviews on each restaurants, so I presume this could conceivably store 100s of reviews about every restaurant on planet Earth.
Where2Go Restaurant: [Free to try; $7.50 to buy] Create your own restaurant reviews based on various criteria and store them in this program. Then next time you want to go out you won’t have to rely on memory [“What was the name of that pizza place we went to last July?”]
GENERAL HEALTH
There’s no point in being a skinny invalid or corpse! In our desperation to ‘get the weight off’ we sometimes do really stupid things. So think weight loss – but only if your methods make you healthier.
40 Sleep Hacks: Geek’s Guide to Optimizing Sleep: [Free] This eBook offers 50 pages of “unconventional sleep tips”which also increase your energy and lighten your mood.
Blood Pressure Tracker: [Free] One of the many reasons that people go on a diet is because of high blood pressure. Of course, your blood pressure and heart rate can vary based on circumstances – it’s bound to be higher when sitting on a doctor’s table in one of those stupid back-tie gowns, for instance – so it’s important to keep track over time and this software tracks blood pressure and heart rate.
MB Health Suite: [Free] MB Health Suite contains four calculators: 1) a Calorie Calculator 2) a Diabetes Risk Calculator 3) a Cholesterol Risk Calculator and 4) a Heart Attack Risk Calculator.
Natural Healing: [Free to try, $18.95 to buy] Learn more about natural healing and alternative medical therapies with this software because it has a large “Afflictions” [health problems, sicknesses and ailments] database with natural herbal, nutritional, homeopathic, etc, remedies. It can be expanded to include Aromatherapy, Nutrition, Herbs, Homeopathy, and Drug Side-Effects. There’s a lot more in here like acid/alkaline forming foods and parasites.
NeuroDiet: [$24.99 to buy] The developer claims that thihs will help us to learn how the foods we eat are related to health symptoms, like allergies. We input foods and problems and it supposedly reveals te relationship, if any. Personally, I am very distrustful of programs like these because we are all so unique and this ‘diagnosis’ MUST work on averages and statistics. The problem is that neither you nor I are statistics. What affects you may leave me unmoved, and vice versa.
ALTERNATIVE HEALTH
A Free Healthy Rest and Sleep Hypnosis Session: [Free] This six minute session hypnosis session on sound sleep is fun because the program includes a dynamite spinning wheel. Just staring into the wheel was enough to induce calm in me. Fun!
A Free Overcome Procrastination Hypnosis Session: [Free] Using the spinning wheel mentioned above, this ‘Overcome Procrastination’ session attempts to help us do it NOW. Who me? I’ll think about that later.
Aromatherapy: [Free to try, $18.71 to buy] This aromatherapy software includes: essential oils, indications, safety, and aromatherapy base oils, aromatherapy oils and more. The essential oils used in aromatherapy have been found to have a much higher antioxidant value than vegetables and fruits. Some essential oils are anti-fungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory and also display a whole range of valuable medicinal actions.
Bach Flower Emotional Wellness Quiz: [Free to try, $19.99 to buy] Bach Flower Remedies are famous for their non-invasive, therapeautic uses and this software offers four quizzes to help you choose Bach remedies that are right for you. Actually, this sounds a bit too expensive for what it is. Just my opinion, though.
Become Happy: [Free to try, $29.90 to buy] This really is about my favorite subject – bliss. The goal of this software is to help us naturally increase our production of endorphins, the ‘feel good’ hormones. The software sits on your desktop and plays music that supposedly influences endorphin release. According to the producer, the software “automatically fine-tunes itself according to your click speed, monitor settings and so on” and claims that the software has been medically tested.
Ear Test: [Free] While not meant to replace a hearing test, this software will allow you to check out each ear’s capabilities to hear all frequencies of the audible spectrum.
Herbal Medicine: [Free to try, $29.99 to buy] Herbal Medicine provides you with information on the health benefits and safety of herbs and it can enhance immune system functioning, improve endurance and memory, overcome fatigue, stress, nervous anxiety and mental confusion, boost libido and add sparkle to sex life, relieve insomnia and solve skin problems – or so the maker claims. That’s a lot to accomplish in one software program.
Herbs: [Free to try, $18.95 to buy] Herbal software describes herbs and herbal actions of over 500 plants.
Homeopathy: [Free to try, $18.95 to buy] This is a data bank of homeopathic remedies and products by symptoms and by ‘affliction’ and you can include your own entries.
Hompath Classic:[Free to try, $750.00 to buy] No way this software is for the average person. The cost alone is gagging. But, for the professional, or someone with a desperate problem, it definitely has value. It contains: 5000+ articles; 29 repertories, 272 books on Materia Medica, Philosophy, Therapeutics, Pharmacy, Clinical, Regional Therapeutics; and 100,000 amazing pages of information.
Juice Suggestion Software: [Free] With over 100 healthful juice recipes, this definitely can be a help for detoxing and losing weight.
MB Aromatherapy Dictionary Software: [Free] Aromatherapy is an alternative method of healing related to the sense of smell or aroma and the use of different oil, scents, fragrances and perfumes.This software includes the different scents used and the different terminology.
MB Health Astrology: [Free]For the open-minded among you, use this software to get a personalized health report based on your sun sign. Hey, I’ve done stranger things than this is my long dieting career – like one particularly memorable diet that called for eating nine eggs, and nothing else, the first day. And that’s how long I lasted – one day on that diet.
MB Reflexology: [Free] It is an advanced yet handy software that provides information on every aspect of reflexology and shiatsu self massage. And, of course, the more peaceful and comfortable your body is, the less need you will feel to eat, eat, eat.
Natural Healing Introduction: [Free] If you’re interested in natural healing [and you should be!] this intro software will introduce you to alternative medicine therapies such as: Aromatherapy, Acupuncture, Autogenic Training, Ayurveda, Biofeedback, Chiropractic Treatment, Color Therapy, Herbs, Herbal Remedies, Homeopathy, Hydrotherapy, Hypnosis, Massage, Magnetic Fields, Meditation, Nutrition, Sound Therapy, Therapeutic Touch, Tissue Salts, Visualization, and Yoga. As best I can tell, though, it’s basically a promo for their paid software.
WEIGHT LOSS HELP FROM SOUND
Sound technology can help weight loss in two major ways. The first is by enabling us to relax. The less stressed we are and the more relaxed our bodies are, the less we are inclined to chow down on donuts and cookies. Secondly, some sound programs help us to change our minds about eating so that we naturally and effortlessly shed the pounds. In the end, permanently losing the excess poundage will only happen when the self-war ceases.
Binaural Brainwave Stimulator (Brainstimpro): [Free to try, $35.00 to buy] BrainStimPro Binaural Brainwave Generator is labeled as a “Professional Medical Brainwave Tuning tool for medical personal and laymen”. I like this kind of program and this is a heck of a deal- IF it works as advertised. It has over 150 option and uses four different waveform options [Sine, Square, Saw, Triangle] plus 20 brainwave frequency bands. It even includes gamma, which is not always the case with mind-frequency software. My only hesitation is that it might be pretty complicated for us non-techies … not so much on the ‘how to’ but in figuring out what’s best to use for our purposes. Another concern: can we download the output to something portable, like my new mP4 player, or does it only work at the computer? Still, I’m interested and am trying it out as of today and will let you know.
BrainWave Stimulator: [Free to try, $29.95 to buy] Brainwave Stimulator has a collection of “states”, like ‘light relaxation and super learning’ or ‘increased mental ability and IQ’ and you simply choose the program you want, put on your headphones and listen. Most of the choices are disabled in the trial version, but it’s enough to get a taste of the experience.
MB Subliminal Message Software: [Free] Display subliminal messages for improving your self-confidence, self-esteem, and memory skills.
Medi: [Free] Medi generates binaural sounds that will help you to reset your mind so to speak. There are three adjustable sounds to choose from with a built-in timer.
Natural Ambience: [Free to try, $35.00 to buy] Natural Ambience turns your PC into one of those ‘white noise’ machines with ten nature soundscapes with optional background music plus you can include your own music as background. The point of this is to relax your brain and the more relaxed we are, the less likely we are to gorge on Snickers and Doritos.
Neuro Enhancer Self Help: [Free to try, $24.99 to buy] This software broadcasts subliminal messages and includes 25 different self-help modules. You can, naturally, edit the messages and upload your own affirmations.
SHARM: [Free to try, $75.00 to buy] If you’re interested in relaxation, self-hypnosis, and altered states of consciousness, you can build your own personalized versions withpsycho-acoustic sound tracks. Listen to your sessions directly from within SHARM, or generate a sound file to be played later. What does this have to do with weight loss? The more peaceful your mind and body, the less likely you are to overeat. That’s simplistic, of course, but increased personal power always equals more control over other areas of our lives.
Sound Harmonizing Studio: [Free to try, $30.00 to buy] This program helps you to improving your concentration, creativity and emotional intelligence (EI). It uses combined visual, sound and musical generated resources. Use it every day in short five minute sessions.
Sublime Elite Edition: [Free to try, $9.95 to buy] This is a self-conditioning, motivational system with subliminal and non-subliminal text messages, voice messages and slideshows.
Subliminal Blaster: [Free] It’s one thing to declare you’re going to lose weight – and another thing to actually carry out your intentions. After all, everyone knows that gym signups are highest in January – yet the building is relatively deserted in March. So Subliminal Blaster aims to help by flashing messages on your computer screen while you’re reading email and surfing the Net. The object, of course, is to get you to change your mind at the subconscious level and ending the conscious-mind war.
Subliminal Flash Lite: [Free] Display subliminal messages on your desktop like other software mentioned here. There are 400 predefined affirmations but this software does have on advantage over other such programs, in that there is a company forum with [supposedly] “quick free support provided by professional psychologists”. That might not be a bad thing.
Subliminal Mind: [Free to try, $14.95 to buy] Reprogram your mind at the subconscious level while your conscious mind works on other tasks.
DEFINITELY DIFFERENT
Natural Biorhythms: [Free to try, $45.00 to buy] If you’re a follower of biorhythms, then this might be just right for you. It’s called an “advanced biorhythms calculator” and includes 10 kinds of rhythms, daily personal forecasts, compatibility test with relationship advices, biorhythmic matching, printable monthly calendar, celebrities database [who cares about that?]
MISCELLANEOUS
Emotions Manager: [Free] Emotions Manager is an ‘intuitive software program’ [whatever that means – sounds like a synonym for “guesswork” to me] for figuring out your emotions based on your reactions to various events. So who cares? According to the authors it will help to improve ’emotional intelligence’ which is a significant factor in success. I agree with that 100%, but it sounds counterproductive, not to mention exhausting, to monitor my emotional state all day. Still, this might be of value to some.
Freezbe: [Free to try, $8.95 to buy] About five minutes ago I downloaded this program. I have a large freezer in my garage that’s full of food – and I mostly have no clue what’s in it. A couple of times each year I throw away food that’s so antique it can poison an entire city and that’s a shame since I obviously like it or I wouldn’t have bought it. Freezbe is not only an inventory program, it also reminds you when food is nearing the ‘Use It Or Lose It’ stage and I can even specify the shelf. Now if I will just USE this software, rather than muttering “I’ll do it later.”
Hairmaster 3: [Free to try, $24.95 to buy] And, just for fun, when you have a glorious new body, try out a new hair style!
Judy Marriott says
Well, you’ve ruined my day! There are so many sources here that I’m going to be spending the rest of the afternoon chekcing out all this stuff. Seriously, thanks. I’ve often wondered what was available online but never took the time to look. Anything to help these darned scumbag pounds come off.
Ruth65 says
I’ve been looking for a way to track what I’m eating every day so these suggestions are most welcome. Good job.
CarolineB says
I’m not overweight but my stomach pooches out. Wonder if anything on here will help me? Doing SITUPS just isn’t gonna happen.
RachelB says
I could kick myself because I just bought – at a very high price – some sound software for weight loss and it looks as though what you’ve recommended here is as good – but a whole lot cheaper. Too bad for me. Wish I’d found this sooner.
Eve Dallas says
Outstanding job! Just how many hours did it take you to write this article? I’m astounded.
Demi Swayze says
I’m interested in the sound and brainwave stuff, so will check these out. I tried a hypnosis program for weight loss and I HATED it – think the lady’s name was Robert??? She had a twangy “Joisey” [that’s Jersey for you non-New Yorkers} :-) and it really grated on my ears. I like just sound and nothing else. Thanks for the leads.
Jackson Van Wambeck says
This is a simply amazing article! I don’t have to lose weight (don’t hate me) but I know a lot of people who do and I will send them here.
Phillip Skinner says
Hi all foodies far as in wide … interesting and very well researched and shared … in the past I’ve always felt sorry for folks who seem to pile the weight on just by simply eating the wrong foods etc when you think of all the pleasures food can bring to the table … for myself I just have to keep a check on my waist line, so to keep this in order when my trousers get tight around the waist … I never buy the next size up in the trouser waist department? … when food does not have the effect of piling on the pounds with some folks they simply can’t understand other folks problems having to be careful with calories counting and what typed of foods they eat they only way out is getting to like the foods that keep us healthy and trying to cut the portions down I can remember reading Napoleon Hills book think and grow rich … he had the right advice serve yourself a normal every day portion on your plate then sit down eat only half then put the other half in the trash can … he says then you will never have a weight problem ever!!!
All my best to you and the new slimming mindset
Phillip Skinner
Judith May says
Wow, what a ton of information. I have been in health and wellness for 10 years and this is some great information. I believe it also comes down to a strong mindset to believe in ones wanting to get healthy for a longer life. Great blog.
Bill Tessore says
Whew! That’s a lot of information! Some of it sounds like so much tripe, but you do have some good quality stuff here. I especially like the exercise & subliminal auto-suggestion links. It’s always good to have access to effective, free techniques to supplement a weight management program. Thanks for these resources.
I appreciate you,
Bill Tessore
Jon Clayton says
What a compendium of resources! I am really seeking to shed some unwanted weight as a part of my health regimen this year and this list is now a part of that goal. Also, it was great the way the information is organized. That makes it much easier to assimilate and use. This list has got to be one of the most inclusive list I have ever come across. I am grateful for all the work and effort you put into it. Thank you so very much!
Mike Kelley says
What great timing. Just got back from the doctor and said i should take a couple, okay a lot of weight off. What a great online resource you’ve given us. I found myself clicking through your links. I didn’t realize there was so many online weight management systems. You’ve provided us with a ton of information and we now have no excuse for losing weight. Thanks.
Jim Hickey says
I have to agree with Bill, Jon and Mike … what a fantastic resource for information on weight-loss systems, products etc. One of the features that really helps this stand-out is the fact it is not just a list but actually provides a brief description of each feature, a definite plus! I really appreciate the information on nutrition, cooking, eating out, health and exercise. Where it can be relatively easy to follow a plan at home, it is far more difficult when you are out and about. We just have to remember to check out healthy eating options before we head out the door and hit the road! Great insight, the post has been book-marked for future reference!
Vicki Zerbee says
Wow, Wow and Wow. I love the internet for its content and information. You can find most anything you want online. You have written one of the most comprehensive posts about weight loss that I have read online. Everything from the mind to the body has been covered in your resources.. definitely one to bookmark and forward.
Bill Tessore says
Thanks for the “Office Yoga for PC” resource. My office is quite small, so I can see where this program could be quite helpful to me. I’ll be checking it out soon!
I appreciate you,
Bill Tessore
B J says
I am now on a diet, but I found that after weight loss in poor health, is very easy to catch a cold.