Weight Loss Tracker Program

As of 2008, the percentage of people in the U.S. classified as obese or overweight was 66 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you are one of the millions of U.S. residents who need to lose weight, you have many options from which to choose. Although books and magazines are often good sources of weight-loss information, having the ability to track and see your weight-loss progress with a tracking program can be motivating.

Function

The purpose of a weight-loss tracking program is to give you the opportunity to add a level of accountability into your dieting experience that you might not have using a book or diet center program. An online tracking program serves as your accountability partner and record-keeper. Instead of relying on your memory to remember your exact food intake last week or how much you weighed three weeks ago, the tracker program remembers for you. The more information you enter into the tracker program, the more complete your experience.

Benefits

Keeping a food journal or tracking offers you documented benefits. In 2008, Jack F. Hollis and colleagues published a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that examined various weight-loss interventions. The participants who kept the most accurate food journals lost the most weight. In addition to increased potential for weight loss, using a tracking program might help you stay motivated if your willpower starts to wane. Having the ability to see how much weight you have lost and how your body measurements have changed may enable you to keep trying to achieve a healthy weight.

Beginning a Tracking Program

Find a tracking program that meets your weight-loss requirements. Many Internet tracking programs are free, although some charge a fee for extra services or access to more detailed forums. Begin with a free program such as the one offered at MyPyramid.gov, or a program that offers you a refund if you are not satisfied. Enter the requested information such as sex, age, height, current weight, activity level and body measurements. Set and save your goals. Explore the forums, if available, and read through the tracking program's weight-loss articles and strategies.

Tracking Strategies

Log into your program after breakfast each morning and record your breakfast meal. Review your entries from the previous day and make any adjustments. Add unrecorded food or exercise minutes and save your entries. Throughout the day, enter every food and beverage you consume into the program. Documenting your food intake all day long enables you to monitor how many calories you have left to eat as the day progresses.
Weigh yourself and enter your weight at least once a week. Enter new body measurements either bi-weekly or monthly. Run the tracking report each evening to analyze whether you are eating the right amount of calories and meeting the nutritional guidelines outlined in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Considerations

Follow your doctor's advice and recommendations. When selecting a tracking program, determine whether the program has a free cellphone application available. Be wary of any tracking program that encourages very low calorie consumption or encourages you to avoid entire food groups.