I get a ton of requests from people to create optimal diets for them, which is kind of a hard thing to do for someone else.  I mean, I can create something based on what is good for you, meet protein, fat, calorie needs, etc but that doesn’t mean you will LIKE the foods that I choose, right?  The USDA just went live at the end of December 2011 with a really awesome online tool to help you with your nutrition and weight loss goals at ChooseMyPlate.gov

What is the SuperTracker?
It helps to track your activity log, a food log, and you can get all sorts of information on how to make healthier choices.  There is a “food-a-pedia” where you can look up over 8,000 different foods and get the nutritional information, so say you are traveling, and at an airport/rest stop/etc and trying to make the healthiest choice, you can compare foods side by side to make the best choices.  You can also track the foods that you eat against your nutritional goals and choices, so you know just how “good” you have been at sticking to your diet.  The physical activity tracker helps to show you how many calorie you have burned throughout the week, and if you are any loser to your weight loss goals, let’s say you had an amazing workout one day and two less than stellar workouts, mentally you might feel like you failed that week, but you might still be right on target! There is a weight manager, where you can weight yourself weekly, and enter the weights, and it will cheer you on or give you inspiration to be a little more diligent!  And, the best part is that you can create personalized reports of your progress…long term!  And the best part?  It’s totally FREE!!!

I think this is AWESOME! How great is it that the US Government has created this tool to help us be healthier and proactive about our food, health, and wellness choices?  I think there is still tons of work that needs to be done, but I think this is so great to create an on-line food tracking, activity, and goal tracker so that we can make our own nutrition goals and stick with it, and it is available to anyone that has Internet access.  There are other options like this online, but none so comprehensive, all in one spot, and free.  I really encourage anyone who is looking to lose weight, and doing it on their own (i.e. not doing weight watchers or any other program), this is an awesome tool, and I think that everyone should give it a try and get a profile started, solely to compare foods to make healthy choices when out traveling, if nothing else!

SuperTracker is Super Awesome!  Thanks USDA!  Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Yours in Good Health
B