6 Reasons using a food and exercise tracker app helps with weight loss and how to get the best results
- 2 Minutes Read
If you struggle to lose or maintain weight, using a food and exercise tracker app is a proven way to overcome hurdles. Maybe you want to learn more about your eating habits or your nutrient intake. Using an app like MyNetDiary can help you understand how to manage calories, macros, and nutrients so you can meet your goals as you learn along the way.
How a food and exercise tracker app can help you meet your weight and health goals
Calories count when it comes to changing your weight. If you eat more calories than you burn, then you gain weight. Eating fewer calories than you burn causes weight loss. So, yes, calorie and nutrient awareness is to your advantage, whether you are trying to change your weight or just wanting to know more about what you consume each day. Become aware of your eating patterns, calorie intake, physical activity, and more as you involve a food and exercise tracker app.
6 Reasons to use a food and exercise tracker app
1. You learn about what you eat
Food tracking increases awareness about what you actually eat. You'll find yourself tuning in to calories and comparing calories from different choices. For example, you learn how a side of broccoli instead of fries saves you 343 calories. Small changes in your food selections can lead to big results on the scale, waistline, and for your health.
2. You dial-in to when you eat
Your time entries in your food log can reveal clues about your habits. Do you see meal or snack time patterns that stand out? For example, here are everyday habits that can result in a calorie surplus:
- You skip breakfast and/or lunch, eat a large dinner, and then snack late into the night.
- You go longer than 5-6 hours between meals, so often your next meal will be higher in calories.
- Your timestamps show that you eat or drink calories all day long, that's "constant grazing." Why might this be? You might learn that you aren't eating enough at meals or that you eat more out of habit or hunger.
Remember, for an accurate food log, do your best to record your intake right away so you don't have to rely on memory.
3. You tune in to why you eat
When using a food and exercise tracker like MyNetDiary, you can use the Notes section on your Dashboard to record observations to help you learn more about your eating habits. For example, is there a relationship between what happens in your day and your eating habits? In addition, look at days where your exercise is lower or higher than normal. Does your food intake seem to be different on those days? Some people eat more calories on really active days, and some eat less. You can figure things out for yourself by watching the details you track.
4. You have increased awareness of the portions you eat
Learning about portion sizes may be the greatest benefit of using a food and exercise tracker app. It can have a profound effect on your calorie intake. Face it; we are masters at underestimating how much we really eat. Measuring and weighing portions is much more accurate than guessing. Also, the more frequently you measure, the better you will be at guessing portion size when measuring is not possible.
5. You learn about your nutrient intake
Tracking macros (fat, carbs, and protein), water, vitamins, and minerals is helpful for anyone, regardless of a goal of weight change. MyNetDiary uses the U.S. Dietary Reference Intakes for recommended nutrient goals. These are evidence-based goals for people based upon their age, sex, height, weight, and life stage. For instance, let's say your doctor advises you to increase your calcium and vitamin D to a certain level. Or perhaps your dietitian recommends no more than 14 grams of saturated fat daily. No problem. You can customize nutrient goals as needed with Premium membership's full range of available options.
6. You have a greater awareness of your activity level
You can easily track your activity by using the step counter, manually recording your exercise on the dashboard, or syncing MyNetDiary with fitness trackers such as Fitbit, Garmin Connect, and Withings. Activity tracking can be a huge motivator and feel gratifying. Before you know it, you will be walking 60 minutes a day instead of 20!
You learn so much by using a food and exercise tracker app
Using a diet and activity tracker will help you make informed choices to meet your weight and nutrient goals. You will learn a great deal about weight, calories, foods, and nutrients. And most importantly, you will learn a lot about how your lifestyle habits affect your health and weight.
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Contributions by Kathy Isacks
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Nov 19, 2021
