I’m loving on livestrong.com.

A couple of weeks ago my husband got me a pedometer. I was annoyed, not at the implication that I needed to exercise (I do), but because I wanted the version you can put in a purse and hook up to a computer. I wanted to be cool like a friend who has a USB pedometer and walks 10,000 steps a day.

I pouted. But I put on the utilitarian thing and am surprised to find I like it well enough (and it’s at least $25 cheaper than the whamadyne model I coveted).

While I was getting over my disappointment, I spent time online researching the coolest tools and health toys. Somehow in that search I came across the livestrong.com site and the MyPlate function.

It was love at first sight – MyPlate does everything I’d wanted a calorie/exercise tracking system to do. It’s pretty, and it’s free.

The thing I would have to say I love the most is the ability to create a recipe for a favorite home-made food and have livestrong.com create the nutrition label for the servings. So awesome!

Alas, I now know that I routinely eat too much “sugar” and protein. But it’s so cool to see all my numbers up there each day and know if I can afford that extra cheese stick or if I should be content with a cup of herbal tea.

In other news I’m having fun with the Wii Fit. My little piggy bank is now shiny silver, and several of the activities have unlocked cool levels for me based on my persistence. I like how the Wii helps me do exercises more correctly and makes it pleasant and game-like. I’m currently being distracted by the new biking levels I’ve opened, but on regular days I like to have the Wii combine a bunch of their standard routines for me to get my 30 minutes of exercise a day. And the Wii gives me lots of fun charts to track my progress (I love charts).

So if next time you see me I’m still the same size, at least I’ve been having fun. And it’s possible I might actually get some health benefits out of all this tracking and exercise.

Tags: Writing