Tracking Means Results

Have you ever felt like you were working very hard and producing very little results? We call this busywork or chasing our tail. It's almost comical how easy it can be to feel like we are accomplishing things in life when we fill our days with busywork, but how much have you give thought to whether or not these activities are producing any positive results? When it comes to injuries or weight loss, I often hear people say that it is simply a case of poor genetics that they struggle with frequent injuries or the roller coaster on the scale. While this is a part of all of our stories, and while it may effect some more than others, it is no reason to neglect one's health. I challenge you to take inventory on how you fill your days and if the time you put toward reaching your goals is actually getting you closer to meeting them. What excuses keep coming up? How are you committing to progress by checking in with your results?

No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. - Edmund Burke

There are many ways to gauge success when it comes to our health. I mentioned last week that one of the best ways to gauge health isn't the scale, body fat calipers, or pant size, rather, it is the consistency with which we move and exercise our bodies. One of the best methods to track your health is to use a Nutrition and Lifestyle Journal. The participants from the 2011 Resolution challenge are using their journals now and they are having phenomenal success at realizing where they could improve some habits. For those of you who always have your computer or smart phone at your side, there are some additional options to help you keep your stats handy.

Here are some suggestions for tracking your progress online:

FitDay: is a free online account to enter your daily foods and exercise. FitDay analyzes all your information and shows you daily calorie counts, macronutrient ratios, weight loss and goals, long-term diet analysis and more.

Online Fitness Log has nutrition and exercise tracking in addition to a metric system you can use for basic health information that you will likely record on a daily basis such as heart rate, blood pressure, hours of sleep, body weight, body fat percentage, and more.

iPhone Apps:

LoseIt: I have used this tracking tool for exercise and eating with great success. Their website claims that 96% of their users who stick with the product for a minimum of 4 weeks lose weight.

Livestrong Calorie Tracker: The Daily Plate at LIVESTRONG.COM helps you determine a daily calorie target based on your goal. Then you can calculate how many calories you can burn with listed activities.

Other Smart Phone Apps:

CardioTrainer: Tracks fitness only but has cool things like music integration and voice notifications for total calories burned, etc.

MyFitnessPal: Tracks mostly food but could also be used for some exercise tracking.

If you want to track your progress the old fashioned way (with pen and paper) and would like some extra helpful advice for what to eat, when to eat it, and how to exercise to lose fat and maintain healthy muscle, then purchasing a 30-day Nutrition and Lifestyle Journal

would be great way to get started! This compact journal will fit into even small purses and briefcases and walks you through the most important aspects of holistic health and lifestyle practices that will start increasing your energy, help you lose weight, and improve your consistency.