Losing weight can be a daunting task. There are a variety of weight loss devices on the market such as step pedometers, fat monitors and calorie counters that will help you meet your dieting goals.
Step Pedometers
A step counter pedometer is a device that records how many walking steps taken in a day, and thus how many calories burned. Research has shown that a person needs to take 10,000 steps a day to lose weight, and research has also proven that using a pedometer will help do that (see my article, New Weight Loss Research).
Obviously the most important feature in a pedometer is accuracy. So clip in on, walk 25 steps and see whether it shows 25 steps. A step and distance pedometer will also show miles walked or run (10,000 steps is about five miles). They usually have a clip to attach them to a belt, but the clips have been known to break easily. A pocket pedometer is so sensitive that it can just go in a pocket and work as effectively. With this type, be careful that it counts actual steps and not just any body movement such as breathing, so see what it records when sitting idle. It should be fairly compact so it does not get in the way, but not so small that the display can still be easily read.
The best pedometers offer a feature that automatically resets the steps to zero overnight so that it is fresh to go the next day. It does save the previous day’s count in memory as well as the past week so you have a history. Some will hook up to your computer so you can download your history.
There are certain limitations. Some pedometer reviews complained that the reset button is too easy to press; meaning you may accidentally reset it before the end of the day. Also, only the high end ones will tell you the speed at which you are walking if that is important to you. Some popular step pedometers are the Omron Pedometer and the Sportline Step Pedometer.
Calorie Counters and Calorie Trackers
Calorie trackers are electronic devices that let you keep track of the calories of every bite of food you eat. Some calorie trackers will also track fats, carbohydrates, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, fiber and protein. A mobile calorie counter usually comes with a pre-installed database of thousands of foods and their calorie count, even popular restaurant dishes, but it is helpful to get one that allows you to enter additional food items.
Most calorie counters will let you enter recipes and calculate the calories per serving. It is also helpful to get one that lets you store the foods you eat the most so you don’t have to search for them every time. Some will even offer you substitutes to eat instead of foods that may put you over your calorie count for the day. Since you will be using this at restaurants, make sure you get one that is backlit so you can easily read it, and you want one that is compact and light enough to put in your purse or coat pocket. You can find a calorie tracker online, which is helpful if you have a Blackberry.
Fat Loss Monitors
Fat loss or body monitors are hand-held gadgets that use a gentle micro electrical current to measure your body fat percent. A safe, small current is passed through your body. When it passes through fat tissue as opposed to muscle, it meets resistance and that measure is what is used to make the body fat calculation. You can’t feel the current. Knowing what percentage of your body weight is fat and what is lean tissue is a better indicator of how well your diet is working. Experts vary but a body fat of 15 to 18% for men and 20 to 25% for women is recommended. Some are skeptic as to whether these home devices are as accurate as the fat calculations you get at the gym. It is felt that they tend to overestimate the percentage of body fat in thin people, and under estimate in obese people.
All of these gadgets - calorie trackers, step pedometers and body monitors - are meant to help you meet your weight loss goals.
