5 Key Organizing Tools for Weight Loss

Weight control is one of the most challenging organizational problems. If you, like me, are one of the millions of soldiers in the battle of the bulge, it may help you to arm yourself with some organizational tools.
Below are 5 of the tools that have been a great help to me.

1. A Reliable Scale

Have you ever experienced the frustration of being one weight on your home scale and a completely different weight at the doctor’s office or the gym due to differences in scales? This was driving me crazy. It is hard to feel motivated about your weight loss and fitness goals when a change in scale adds 5 or more pounds to you instantly. I wanted to know what my accurate weight was at home. Some research showed that commonly-used step-on digital scales have the most variation and that your weight on a digital scale will vary due to things like air temperature and humidity. The doctor’s office type of manual scales are less sensitive to these kinds of problems. Several years ago, we invested in a Seca brand doctor’s office scale and have been very pleased with it. In general it is usually the same as the weight on a doctor’s office scale and usually no more than 2 pounds off.

2. Measuring Tape

In addition to the scale, it is very helpful to know your body measurements. Some health conditions like heart disease risk depend heavily on your waist measurement so that is a good one to keep track of. Also, if you are on a weight loss or weight maintenance plan, tracking your measurements helps you to learn where you tend to gain weight on your body. You can use a regular tape measure, a retractable one in a case or a tape measure specifically designed to make body measurements easier and more reliable.

3. A Weight and Measurements Log

Naturally, if you are going to all the trouble to weigh and measure yourself, you need something to record your weight and measurements into. This can be a simple cheap notebook that you draw your own columns into. It can be an expensive leather-bound journal. It can be an app for your SmartPhone or a spreadsheet on your computer. I have tried both paper-based and computer-based records and found that paper-based tends to be the easiest to use and can be stored in the bathroom right near your tape and scale. However, computer-based methods give you the option to chart your weight over time which is enormously helpful. Currently, I use a spreadsheet on the computer but use whatever works best for you.Note that Amazon has tons of weight journals for specialized purposes, particularly ones where you can log your exercise, calories and weight all in one place. Some are designed for psychological reflection about eating patterns. I didn’t see one that was just for weight and measurements though. If you want a properly lined paper journal for this purpose, the best option might be a 13-column accounting pad.

4.  A Food Scale.

When you are trying to track your calories, being able to weigh your food in grams or pounds and ounces is critical. A digital kitchen scale is a great tool to have. As a bonus, you can also use it to weigh your envelopes and packages to calculate postage.

5. A Calculator

One of the things you have to get used to when you are dieting is that you will need to be counting calories at least some of the time, particularly when you are cooking. Unless you are great at adding numbers in your head, you will probably appreciate a calculator for this purpose. Chances are, you won’t need to buy anything special for this. The calculator on your smart phone is fine. Some people prefer SmartPhone apps that will count every calorie for you. I have not experimented with these. I don’t count every calorie. Most of the time I just count calories for my fasting meals.

What are your favorite dieting or weight loss organizational tools? Please share in the comments.