iPhone Apps

I have a new toy that I have become quite enthralled by


I have a new iPhone.


This is the first smartphone I have owned, and I am very impressed with what it does - although it is a bit scary that it knows so much.


I have downloaded an app called My Fitness Pal.


Man, is that thing good.


It tracks all I eat and adds up the calories, fats, sugars, fibers, carbs, proteins, and fats just by reading the bar codes with the camera on the products I eat.


All my exercise can be put in it too.


After getting a few specifics regarding weight, age, and lifestyle, it calculates the correct calories I need each day in order to loose weight.


And as I put the food in, it also gets added to the website online so I can keep track of it there too.


It really is amazing how it all works.


I will be posting more as I go along and see what I need to change in my diet and lifestyle to get those pounds off.


I can see where this little app is going to be a big help.


And to top it off - it is a free app.


It really can't get any better than that in this weight loss battle!

Redecorating on the List

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Glidden. All opinions are 100% mine.

We have been doing a few small "home improvement" projects over the last couple of weeks mixed in with the cleaning and preparations for our summer visitors.

Most of these projects have been inexpensive - changing the room around or adding various small decorative accents.

We will be tackling the bathroom next, and the new curtains and shower accessories have already been purchased.

We gave some thought to repainting it and looked into some the Glidden paint colors at the Home Depot.

All those extra large paint chips caught my eye right off, and I put a few samples together just to get an idea of what we could do. They even had a couple of coordinating colors on each card so we could get additional ideas.

Then the clerk pointed out the paint testers.

Oh man, I was in heaven now!

These testers are little jars of paint with a paint brush built right into the top cover.

They are only $2.95, and you can purchase this small tester to try it on what you want to paint to make sure it is exactly what you want.

The colors in the store always look different when you get them home due to different lighting conditions and the actual material and color you are painting over.

With this little tester, you can try it on your project before you buy a whole load of paint for the whole job.

And if you have already painted, and need a touch up, these testers are also great for that job - quick, easy, and most of all - not messy.

We still haven't decided yet on the repainting, but it was great to learn what was available for the job when the time comes.

You can find out more about these nifty little testers at the Glidden Paint website, where Glidden Paint Helps Make Color Easy with the www.Glidden.com Room Painter.

New App for the iPhone

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't have one, but there are times I really wish I did, and this is one of them.

That would be an iPhone.

When we chose our new cell phone plan earlier this year, I gave it much consideration.

But the pocketbook just didn't allow it - both the phone cost and the monthly fees were too much.

Had this new application been around then, I would be using that phone now.

This new app can be found at WeReward.com, and it pays you for using your iPhone for various tasks and checks-ins.

I can see where it would easily pay for the phone and usage of itself in a pretty quick time.

Especially if one relies on using the internet from their phone.

This new app also integrates with Facebook and Twitter.

Some of the tasks are for fun and you earn points as you accomplish them.

All these points add up, and when you reach a certain amount, you can convert them to dollars.

These dollars are your money and they are sent to your paypal account.

If you have a debit card on your paypal account, the money is ready to use as soon as you receive it.

Quick and easy and fun.

If you have an iPhone, Download the App and give it a try.

And I would love to know what you think of it.

Jojoba Oil

In my last post, I wrote about splitting and curling nails.

After doing more research, I may try something called jojoba oil.

It is an almost waxy oil that is derived from the jojoba bean or seed that grows in the Arizona desert.

The oil is most like the natural oils that we have in our skin, and the American Indians that lived in that region used it as a moisturizer.

It is readily absorbed into the skin and is used in many lotions and beauty products around the world.

Using it in it's pure form is not harmful, and only a very small bit is needed to do the job.

I will be checking a couple of online stores to see what I can find at a reasonable cost.

Finding one with vitamin E added to it enhances the effectiveness of it - makes it more long lasting.

I will do updates once I have tried it and observed how it works.

Don't Forget the Mammogram

I know that it is not October yet, which is the official Breast Cancer Awareness month, but I just wanted to do a reminder to all women not to forget this important test.

Having just had mine recently, I was surprised to see that the technician let me view the actual images.

They were taken with the new digital imaging machines which sends the image to a computer screen to be checked right away for clarity.

No more waiting for the technician to develop the films to make sure they are okay.

It was much quicker and a lot smoother than the older machine.

The photographer in me was impressed with the sharpness and clarity of the images, and I can see where these new machines have made things much easier for us ladies.

Just waiting to hear for the results, and hopefully all will be taken care for another year.

BMI Calculator

Need an easy way to figure out your Body Mass Index or BMI?

Take a look to the right in the double sidebar section.

There is a calculator to figure the BMI for your weight and height.

It comes up with a number that helps to determine if you are overweight or underweight.

Just put in your weight and height and compare your result to the numbers under the calculator.

It is not the final word, but it can be a good tool to help figure and work towards a healthy BMI.

A Pedometer

The Pedometer








My pedometer has become a permanent fixture in my pocket.

For years I used a manual step counter like the one pictured above, and it was hard to keep it attached to my waistband.

It was always falling off and I almost lost it a time or two. And I couldn't just slip it in my pocket - it wouldn't work.

In April, our family signed up for a new cell phone plan and we received new phones with it.

I chose one of the Sony Walkman ones, and it has been one of the best choices I have made.

It has a built in pedometer in it, and it records every step I take all day long - all from my pocket.

It doesn't fall off the waistband and it is not annoying.

This phone has a music player in it and to switch to the next song, you just have to give the phone a little shake.

The technology that powers that is what is used to track each swing of the leg to count each step.

Once it is calibrated to the length of your stride, it also calculates the mileage you put on with the steps.

I try each day to get at least 2500 steps in. I know this is not enough to loose weight - I have been doing this for months now.

I have read that getting 10,000 steps does work.

I will try to increase my number over the next few weeks. Once winter starts to wane, it will be a lot easier.

The Beginning

			Cal	Fat	Sat	Chl	Sod	Crb	Fib	Sug	Pro
Breakfast
1	1 serving	Dannon Activa Blueberry Yogurt	110	2	1	5	65	19	0	17	5
1	Serving - 2.2 G	LIPTON - TEA BAGS - GREEN TEA 20 CT BOX	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
0.5	2 Tbsp 32g	Smucker's® - Natural Peanut Butter, Creamy	100	8	1	0	60	4	1	1	4
1	serving packet	Sugars, granulated	11	0	0	0	0	3	0	3	0
1	1 Slice	9 Grain Bread	100	2	0	0	160	19	4	2	5
			321	12	2	5	285	45	5	23	14
Lunch
Dinner
Snack
* Water Tracker - Add / Delete
Food Totals Target % / Balance % / Balance			321 2000 16 1679	12 65 18 53	2 20 10 18	5 300 2 295	285 2400 12 2115	45 300 15 255	5 25 20 20	23 50 46 27	14 50 28 36
			Cal	Fat	Sat	Chl	Sod	Crb	Fib	Sug	Pro
Activities
0.25	hour(s)	home activities - wash dishes - standing or in general (not broken into stand/walk components	-49
6	hour(s)	miscellaneous - sitting - writing, desk work, typing	-928
Activity Totals			-977

Today it begins.

I will track what I eat for the next 3 days, and on 2/1/09, I will officially begin to "diet".

I use a website called My Calorie Counter to track everything.

I add the food I eat and the all the activities I do - including washing the dishes and taking a shower.

It calculates the calories in the food and all the calories burned while doing any and everything.

It also calculates the fats, sugars, proteins, carbs, and fiber intakes for each food.

After tracking what I am eating over the next couple days, I will adjust what I want to have for calorie intake so I can start to stay within the limits.

I have used this site before when I was dieting, and it really does help you to watch everything you are doing.

Being honest is necessary otherwise it will never work. Sometimes it's hard to admit the goodies consumed on the side, but they must be counted.

Goodies are alright sometimes, but I really need to watch the overdoing. Chocolate is the worst for me - it's always beaconing and tempting me. I will answer it's call only occassionally. Deprivation never works in the end.

I have included a copy and paste version above of what the site gives you for information as you enter your data.

There are also many other pages with charts and visuals to track your progress.

It is really a very useful site and very easy to use.

And best of all - there is no charge to use it!

Tools

There are some really great tools and utilities that have found online for tracking weight loss, counting calories, fats, and all the other nutrients in food.

I will be using some of them. There are a couple I have come across that I thought would be of good use to my readers, and have added them to the sidebars.

They are very interactive and I encourage you to give them a try. The vitamin tool has some really useful info about each one.

I am trying to pull in helpful aids and info so it can all be in one place once I ready to begin this process of changing my lifestyle.

I am learning and hope I can provide some useful info to others too.