Build Your Weight-Loss Website Arsenal

I'm going to venture a guess that more than one person who reads this blog is a conscious eater who overindulges at times, and someone who values exercise and knows its important but doesn't always do as much of it as they would like. If that sounds at all like you, keep reading! I'd like to share two food-related sites that I've found incredibly helpful: DailyPlate.com - Daily Plate allows you to keep a daily log of foods you've eaten, exercise you've completed, weigh-ins, and general thoughts. I've used several similar websites in the past, and believe this one wins hands down.

If you weigh yourself on a frequent basis and enter it into the site, Daily Plate graphs your weight across time so you can visually see how much you are losing or gaining. You can also enter a weight loss goal (ex: two pounds per week) and it will adjust your daily calorie goal. As you enter foods and exercise throughout the day, it counts down from that daily goal and tells you how many calories you have left for the day.

There's a pie chart that shows a breakdown of fat, carbs, and protein, and a "nutritional value" section that details what percentage of your recommended daily values you have reached (and exceeded).

You can upgrade to their Gold edition for $45/year, but so far I haven't found the need to (other than to support their wonderful business!). Upgrading gets you extra features like mobile functionality, goal tracking, and additional levels of analysis, among other things.

HungryGirl.com - While not a web application like Daily Plate, Hungry Girl takes a fun, fact-filled approach to providing tips and tricks for eating, cooking, dieting and more. I particularly like the daily "Top Ate" which ranges from chocolate craving busters to office snacks and stress relieving foods.

Other areas of the site include "Chew the Right Thing," "Ask Hungry Girl," "News," and "Girls Bite Out - Survival Strategies for the Weekend." Thanks to my mom for recommending this one!

As always, looking for more websites and tips, so please comment away... :D