Losing Weight is Not Magic: Tools

I have also found a lot of useful motivation tools, one of my favorite is the picture below. I made one on the back of my door to keep me motivated J The X'ed out numbers for every pound I lost were amazing to see. The pictures of food kept me motivated to eat healthy. The quotes kept me motivated to stay in the game and keep my eye on the prize. 

Another great tool is Google Docs Spreadsheet. I made a spreadsheet to track my daily food and exercise. I do this every day. I made it on Google Docs so I can access it anywhere I have internet access. 

Date	Item	Cals.	Total	Total Loss	Notes
3/13/2012	Mocha Coffee	120			This is where I write how I feel about the day. Food, workout, etc. This was a good day as I am aiming for about .15 of a pound a day
	Yogurt w/ granola	117.5
	Banana	110
	Garden Burger w/ Orange	412
	Hamburger Helper w/ Garlic Bread	638
	Popsicle	80
	Popcorn	100
	Fudge	70
	Total	1647.5
	Workouts	-616
	BMR	-1527	-495.5	0.14 of a lb.

*My boyfriend was over so I opted for 3 small treats instead of another meal while we watched a movie after our workout on this day. Otherwise, I would have gone for a veggie dish of some sort. Also notice, I use my BMR instead of DCN when calculating calorie deficit. I like to see my workouts apart from my BMR so I can SEE where I need to work harder each week, food or workouts.*

The last tool I love is an app called Gym-Pact. Why I love it? It's Free, It's an incentive, I studied incentive-programs like it in college, and I make money doing something I love with it. So what is it? 
You tell it "I am going to the gym 3 days this week." If you complete your pact you win $ from the pot, if you don't you pay $ to the pot for everyone else who did. I have been doing this since Jan and have already bought myself 2 pairs of workout shoes with the money I received for making my pacts. Once you download the app use code cleanKory for a $5 bonus after your first complete workout :-) 

Here is also a list of good magazines and websites that I find useful to read through. Many of them I get weekly emails from, a great way for me to stay motivated and interested. 

• Women's Health
• Self
• Eating Well
• Shape
• Healthy Food
• Team Beach Body

Check out the rest of the series Losing Weight is Not Magic pages:
Get the Numbers

Write it Out