Do you have simple tools to help you with weight loss?

Years ago I got a free pedometer at work which I loved until the thing feel apart a month later.

This weekend DH decided he wanted a pedometer so we bought new and hopefully sturdier pedometers and we've been wearing them to count our steps. It's fun to track how far you walk, set yourself new goals etc. I'm in that phase of weight loss where I'm so close I can taste it but it gets harder and harder to shed that weight so every little bit I can do is important to help me cross that finish line.

Do you have any tricks or tools that you find helpful?

I also use pedometer but not every day.  I use it when I have to push myself to exercise, on vacations, or when I know it will be hard to squeeze in a good workout.

Another handy tool I use is heart rate monitor.  It is a must when I go to the gym.  I love it and I have been using one for about 8 to 9 years now.  When I was super morbidly obese a doctor wanted me to get one to monitor my heart for a day.  If you don't have one, it makes you do more when you do work out and when you are mixing it up and  want a less intense workout it helps you stay low.  It is better than ones on the machines.  You know calorie counts are not accurate but I always count at least half of my calories as really burned to be on the safe side.

Hi Molly, I wouldn't have thought of getting a heart moniter and using it to push myself. I think that's what I get next when my pedometer is no longer effective at motivating me to move more.

The pedometer also comes with a calories burned but I just ignore it. I like how you cut it in half before counting it.

Can anyone recommend good BP monitors and pedometers, and post places to find them and avg prices please?

Hi Jennifer, I bought mine at Brookstone for $40 just because it was convenient. I checked out Target and Dicks and they had a brand called sportline or something like that and on the internet I found those rated poorly with many complaints. I did find two companies that seemed to be more reliable -Omron and Gaiam but I didn't find them in any local stores. Normally I might order online, but we were eagar to get the pedometer. Mine is a little fancier than what I originally planned to buy in that it stores data for 7 days and gives you both steps, mileage and calories expended (don't trust this because all of this kind of calorie stuff is an estimate and can be very wrong). What I like about mine and is something to consider is that it is very accurate at picking up actual footsteps and not jiggles. I can carry it and have it record in my purse instead of on my body and it doesn't make a ticking noise like the cheaper ones do. OTOH, for my purposes the cheapest would have been fine too.

I wear a Body Bugg everyday and I couldn't live without my food scale. I weigh EVERYTHING!