Ask the Expert: What are the Best Websites to Track Calories and Exercise?

We’re fielding questions from participants in the Win By Losing health and weight-loss program and turning them into posts. Here’s another one:

Q: What would you consider to be the best website to track calories and exercise in order to lose weight and maintain weight loss?  

Smart phones, tablets, computers, social media — with all of the wonderful technology and applications available to us today, being tech savvy has a whole new meaning.

It is proven that people who keep track of the foods they eat are more successful in their weight-loss efforts. If you don’t want to use an app or online tracker, you can also write down everything you eat and check the food labels for calorie totals. If you are trying to lose or maintain weight, I would recommend checking out one of these free online calorie trackers:

• Super Tracker from MyPlate.gov
• My Food Advisor from the American Diabetes Association

I recommend these two online trackers because they are accredited websites that verify the amount of calories in each of the foods in their database. You have to be careful with some trackers because the calorie amounts may not be accurate (you can always cross check with the food label if you are suspicious).

Here are some more online food and calorie trackers that have applications that sync to your smart phone:

• Lose It
• Weight Watchers
• My Fitness Pal
• Spark People

Check out these applications that assist in losing weight: Top 10 Free iPhone Apps, or check out our recent post on the four top health and fitness apps from the U.S. Surgeon General’s competition.

I think phone apps are great because you can enter your meal, snack and beverages (don’t forget those) right away, so forgetting to keep track should be alleviated.

Do you have a favorite online calorie tracker or application to share?

Photo credit: Ed Yourdon