Does tracking make diet pills more effective?

[Bean]

Out of curiosity, can you get more out of diet pills with a health tracker/fitness tracker?

[JennyR]

I would say "yes" because if you use the tracker, you are paying more attention to what you eat and how much exercise you get. It's another way to motivate yourself and provides an interactive element to your weight loss program.

[Bean]

Cool. How much should I be tracking?

[PennyThoughts]

As much as you want. I tracked EVERYTHING I could at the start, but have decreased it as I got to know my habits

[enviroTodd]

The key is to make sure that you are using the type of tracker that will be appropriate for you. It isn’t just a matter of whether tracking is effective in general. It is, provided that it is used. If you want to track your nutrition and/or fitness, then make sure that you do so with a device that you’ll stick to. Are you always at your computer? That’s probably your best bet. Are you always on your smartphone? Find an app or a website that is smartphone friendly. It’s a matter of knowing yourself and what is best for you.

[BabyButtons]

If u have a smartphone its really easy 2 track yourself. Thats what i use & i love it There are lots of free apps 4 different mobile platforms. What type of tracking do u use envirotodd?

[enviroTodd]

I have a tracker that is linked to my smartphone, BabyButtons. One thing that I find important to point out is that not all apps are created equal. There may be a lot of them, but some are more accurate than others. A lot of doctors now have preferred apps that they can recommend so if you’re not sure, you can always consult your doctor as he or she may have tried one or had success with one. Otherwise, just try to read a lot of reviews and remember that the tracking is a tool and not an actual scientific fact.

[BabyButtons]

Ur right about that envirotodd! It took me a while 2 find the app that i have now & i really like it. Some of the ones i tried at first were really wrong! One of them said i walked way longer than i did & said i burned more calories than i knew was possible. Another one recorded that i was barely moving at all! it was quite frustrating!! Ya ur also right that u need 2 look at tracking like a tool. It helps give u an idea of ur progress but u shouldnt rely on it 2 much.

[enviroTodd]

Ur right about that envirotodd! It took me a while 2 find the app that i have now & i really like it. Some of the ones i tried at first were really wrong! One of them said i walked way longer than i did & said i burned more calories than i knew was possible. Another one recorded that i was barely moving at all! it was quite frustrating!! Ya ur also right that u need 2 look at tracking like a tool. It helps give u an idea of ur progress but u shouldnt rely on it 2 much.

What’s good is that you recognized that the data was wrong and continued to seek out other options. Unfortunately, many people don’t pay that much attention and end up believing the statistics that they are getting from their devices and make decisions in their lives based on those findings. Can you imagine if you were told that you’d burned 400 calories and you had only burned 100? You might eat far more than you should, that day, and then wonder why you aren’t having any luck with your diet.

I can see that this technology is going to be harmful to some while it helps others, until it starts to be easier to know how to spot the good quality options.

[TroyBurger]

I think it's so frustrating that it's so hard to find things that work. Honestly, why do people release products, app, etc. when they don't know for certain if they are effective. It makes it so difficult to trust anything. I'm finding more and more that things that are supposed to help you just end up making you have to work harder

[BabyButtons]

What’s good is that you recognized that the data was wrong and continued to seek out other options. Unfortunately, many people don’t pay that much attention and end up believing the statistics that they are getting from their devices and make decisions in their lives based on those findings. Can you imagine if you were told that you’d burned 400 calories and you had only burned 100? You might eat far more than you should, that day, and then wonder why you aren’t having any luck with your diet.

I can see that this technology is going to be harmful to some while it helps others, until it starts to be easier to know how to spot the good quality options.

That's exactly it envirotodd! A tracker could make u think that u burned more than u have & u could make bad food choices based on that info! & yes troyburger it is frustrating that lots of things that are made 2 help us these days seem 2 cause us more work! But its important 2 not let it discourage u

[MadMike]

What is the best kind of tracker? Is a pedometer better than a cell phone? Are smartwatches really worth all the extra money? Pedometers are cheap

[Tony1968]

Personally I think a pedometer or a good smartphone app is just fine. I wouldn't waste my money on a smartwatch.

[enviroTodd]

Anything that you can do to give yourself a better idea of where you stand when it comes to understanding your healthy habits is a good thing. Most times, you will not need to track your exercise and eating forever, but you may be surprised at how wrong you have been about your assumptions until now. If you track, you can start to be able to estimate with much greater accuracy and this will make it much easier for you to be able to obtain the results that you want and use the tools and plans that you have.

[Bethie]

I think tracking can make a pretty big difference. I really don't like doing it very much but when i started keeping a food journal I found out that I was actually eating a lot more little bites of things that I hadn't even consciously been counting as calories until then. I have since stopped taking bites out of things while I cook meals and that has made a difference.