Smartphone app can help you lose weight
By Tim Johnson
May 28th, 2012 @ 8:22pm
SALT LAKE CITY Being in the graphics business, the subject of weight loss was an easy one for me. Who needs gastric bypass when you've got Photoshop? It worked like a charm for the Christmas cards. Still, it was a little less impressive in person.
I used to be a lot bigger. Diving board were pushed to the limit when I jumped off them, and I was often mistaken for one for the performing orca whales while at Sea World. So how did I lose 40 pounds? I used my phone.
Using a calorie counting app on a smart phone with a database of 30,000 foods, you can find just about anything. There are hundreds of apps to choose one, and the can help you record not only calorie intake, but also exercise and more.
I started exercising and keeping track of what I was eating. Whatever I ate, I recorded. It was a pain at first, but you are able to quickly learn where the calories are coming from.
Instead of using a two-for-one coupon for the big double jumbo burger - 1400 calories - I did a little research and found out that you can get a 12-inch sub sandwich, minus the mayo and cheese, for only 620 calories.
Now, it's not just about the calories. You have to take into account the total nutritional value. A bag of M&Ms contains 350 calories, which is roughly the same as an icy protein shake with fresh strawberries and kiwi. Obviously one is better for you, and you have to keep that in mind. The results of all this extra math were that I dropped about 40 pounds.
Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the occasional candy bar, and the world (probably) won't end if you eat that Big Mac. The main thing is whatever you eat, to write it down. Overall, it's not as hard as it sounds. Change may come slow, but it does come. You just need to look at things differently. Be smart about it.
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Smartphone app can help you lose weight
