Well, if you have read a few of my previous posts, you know that I’m on the road to a leaner (but not meaner) me. It’s been going okay so far; the weight is coming off and my diet is much better. I do get cravings now and again, but I have my loving wife to keep me in check. Overall I’m happy with the change and definitely looking forward to reaching my goal. I’m experiencing more than just physical health, which is always a bonus.

Not to leave my trusty BlackBerry behind in my journey, I present to you a selection of the many BlackBerry applications that will hopefully provide some assistance to you as well. Whether you want to slim down, tone up or even toss out the junk food, this type of change is always good. So if you use your fat fingers to click on Continue Reading Article, you’re more than welcome to join me. I’m kidding! (well about the fat finger part, I still want you to read)

Time to chew the fat

I’ve tried to group the following applications into which ones benefit the Mind, Body and Soul.

Mind

Fail to plan...

Some people quit before they even get started. They find it difficult to choose how they want to tackle their weight loss, how to eat, or what to change. Frustration level rises and the next thing you know, you are finding comfort in ice cream. There are many collections of facts and tips out there; one of them is 100 Weight Loss Tips That Really Work. The application/book helps readers discover what a bad carb is, what the best type of exercise is for them and what good food can take the place of bad food. This could be just the motivation that is needed to start a new and healthy life. 100 Weight Loss Tips That Really Work will cost you $15.99.

Meal planning is a huge factor when it comes to losing weight. The following conversation is the last thing you want to have:

“What to you want for dinner?”

“I don’t know, what to do want?”

“I don’t know.”

The Glycemic Index Meal Planner will keep you out of the fast food drive thru. With this application, you can plan out your meals regardless if you’re trying to lose weight or simply cleaning up your bad habits. You can determine the Glycemic Load and Index for each of these meals. You can search for types of food in the database, keep a list of your favourite foods, manage future meal plans and view a break down of each meal (including snacks). This can be especially useful for Diabetics or those following such diets as Atkins. The Glycemic Index Meal Planner is available for $13.99.

Everyone could use some encouragement from time to time. Someone to coach you and help you stay on the path to healthy living. Look to the Weight Loss Sensei for assistance. Like the GI |Index planner, the application helps create a meal plan, but it also provides recipes and shopping lists (with coupon reminders). These meal plans can be modified, depending on what life throws your way. You can also view tips and advice when you need it the most. Weight Loss Sensei will cost you $9.99.

Body

For some people, timing is everything. When starting out for the first time, your normally accurate clock in your head may begin to play tricks on you (this is taking forever). You might concentrate so much on a certain type of exercise that you forget the others you were planning on tackling. You then end up getting frustrated and disappointed that you did get as much accomplished as you wanted to. Intervals is an application that promises to keep you on track, so you can focus on achieving your goals. It comes equipped with a large character display, audio alert and the ability to create your own personalized intervals. If you want to check out Intervals, the cost of the app is $9.99.

Some find difficulties in keeping track of calories, whether it is the number being burned or the amount that’s being ingested. Yes, that double bacon cheese burger is that bad for you. You may be on the other end of the spectrum and you think that you should eat a dangerously low amount of calories. With an application like Calorie Counter on your BlackBerry, you’ll have a better idea on what you’re working with. Calorie Counter gives you the ability to maintain a food diary (for planning and tracking), a weight chart, list or calorie and nutrition information and a journal. Now you know what you are really stuffing your face with. Calorie Counter is free.

If you happen to have a busy schedule, getting in any type of exercise can prove to be a challenge. As you pack in another day at the office, you could begin to feel worn out and you question if you need to work out. This can wreak havoc on your workout routine. Keep yourself from cramping up behind the keyboard with the application called An Office Stretches. This application provides a slew of stretching exercises for various parts of the body. From neck to back to hips and legs; An Office Stretches helps you work on these areas with images, descriptions and even music to stretch along to. Just make sure you keep your office door closed or your boss may see a side of you they never wanted to. An Office Stretches, also known as An Office Workouts, is $2.99.

Your training has been going well, you’re sweating your keester off and you’ve stopped chowing down on chocolate cake (for the most part). Have you been keeping a record of your progress? Believe it or not, you do need more than a scale to see what you have been up to. Total Fitness is an application that really lives up to its name. Your health information (body face, weight, etc) can be recorded and viewed in weekly or monthly graphs, which is a great way to view your accomplishments. Numerous exercises are available, with visual aid and information to help you master them. As you move through the exercises, the application allows you to mark down the results of your workouts. These results (which could include workout duration and calories burnt) can be recorded and viewed on graphs; just as your health information is. Other information that can be recorded includes: nutritional information so you know the amount of fibre, carbs and such you are taking in. Total Fitness will cost you $4.99.

Soul

One of the greatest motivators is music. It’s nothing to hear music blaring from aerobics classes or someone jogging with headphones on. The beat pumping in your ears, gets your legs pumping and your heart pumping. With Slacker Radio, you have access to dozens of stations that can be viewed by genre. These stations can be cached for listening when there’s no coverage. When you are cooling down, you can check out artist bios and reviews. For more information, check out slacker.com.

Perhaps your routine involves a slower paced, but equally beneficial type of exercise. I can’t see anyone combining Yoga with Drum and Bass. If you do, kudos to you. Calmbiance is the perfect companion with 12 images and sounds that will help you achieve a peaceful state of mind. It may even be the solution you need to distress from a hard days work so you can focus on working out instead of pigging out. Hopefully you won’t become so relaxed that you fall asleep. Calmbiance costs $3.99.

Now comes the most important part – comments! Did you discover any apps that will help you drop the drumstick? I’m not talking about percussion either folks. Do you currently use one that’s not listed? Share the knowledge with everyone and leave a comment; you may help someone make a change for the better.