{"id":713,"date":"2010-09-14T23:40:28","date_gmt":"2010-09-15T06:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/keepwellfoods.com\/blog\/?p=713"},"modified":"2010-09-14T23:47:22","modified_gmt":"2010-09-15T06:47:22","slug":"myplate-is-full","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keepwellfoods.com\/blog\/?p=713","title":{"rendered":"MyPlate is Full"},"content":{"rendered":"

About a month ago, I decided to research the various calorie counter applications available for smart phones and computers. I experimented with a couple of different\u00a0applications, but they all seemed very limited when it came to both the food database and functionality. Then I discovered MyPlate<\/a> on the LIVESTRONG web site<\/a>.\u00a0MyPlate<\/a> is available for free online and you can upgrade to a Gold membership to get some additional functionality. The mobile application,\u00a0Calorie Tracker<\/a>,\u00a0is available\u00a0for several smart phones for $2.99. I’ve been using\u00a0both versions\u00a0for about one month and have been especially pleased with the web site.<\/p>\n

The Web Site<\/h4>\n

The web site has a clean design and is easy to use (unlike\u00a0other sites which were so\u00a0crammed with information I didn’t know where to start). You begin by entering your personal information (height, weight, etc.),\u00a0goals such as weight loss, and activity level. You then log in your food and fitness activities each day. The food and activities databases\u00a0are excellent! MyPlate boasts the largest food (700,000 foods and beverages) and\u00a0fitness (1,500 activities)\u00a0databases online. I would have to agree. It also allows you to enter new products into the database,\u00a0assemble ingredients into a recipe so\u00a0you don’t have to log in individual items each time you have a particular\u00a0dish, and you can\u00a0manually log in your food and fitness activity in the event you can’t find a match in the database.<\/p>\n

I have found the chart, below (part of the free web site program), to be very motivational. It really helps with my accountability.\u00a0When I originally started the program I used\u00a0a standard 2,000 calories-per-day goal, but just recently changed it to meet my specific goal (maintaining my current weight)\u00a0so it now reflects a 1,756 calories-per-day requirement.\u00a0 As you can see,\u00a0the Calories Over Time function allows you to view your recommended daily calories, actual calories consumed and net calories, which is calculated when you input your fitness activities for the day, for the past 10 days. This visual cue has proven very helpful in reminding me of what and how much I am eating and exercising. I have two names for this chart: Doh!<\/em> or Yes!<\/em> About\u00a0four weeks ago I had a Doh!<\/em> moment when I saw just how many calories I had eaten in one day – 3,500+! It’s amazing how quickly calories can sneak up on you – even when you are eating what you think is a healthy salad. If I was smart, I would have asked for the nutritional information for the wolf in sheep’s clothing salad before I ordered so I could have made a better choice. Such is the gift of hindsight. We are all entitled to occasional “fun” days when we let ourselves indulge a little, or, on this particular day, a lot. Looking at the chart reminds me\u00a0when I need to get back on track.<\/p>\n

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Calories Over Time<\/p><\/div>\n

While losing weight is not one of my goals, I have lost\u00a02 pounds in the last month by simply being aware of what\u00a0I am eating.<\/p>\n

The online version is a very robust application and the vast majority of functionality is free – but you do need to put up with advertisements. However, the ads are offset by the large amount\u00a0of information and health and wellness tools available – too many to list in this blog post – on MyPlate as well as the\u00a0LIVESTRONG web site <\/a>in general. There’s even a MyPlateD<\/a> for diabetics.<\/p>\n

If you sign up for a Gold Membership ($45\/year or $29.95\/6 months) you get a few added benefits including the ability to export your information (so you can share\u00a0it with your doctor or trainer), no ads, priority support\u00a0and some additional functionality, including:<\/p>\n