It's Health & Fitness Month at Mobile Nations!

When we came up with the idea of a Mobile Nations Fitness Challenge while at CES this year, I instantly started thinking about how I could best use my mobile devices to help reach my goal. Ultimately I am aiming to lose weight on what I'm calling my "no more fat kid" diet. While there are plenty of fitness and health oriented apps out there for BlackBerry, I really wanted to just keep track of things on my own. I don't need fancy graphs or reports to tell me what I'm doing right or wrong, I just want to see my progress how I lay it down. Evernote couldn't be a better solution for this. I already told you how I use Evernote and why I love it and now for the course of my diet I can keep track of my meals, my weight, my workouts (or lack there of) and whatever else I need. Keep reading and we'll take a look at just how easy it is to use Evernote to keep track of your goals.

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The guys over at Gym Technik have just given me a tip on some pretty exciting new developments with their BlackBerry fitness app, NextGen. It seems like they've developed an API to work with their app, which basically means that their app can tie in with other web based applications and share information. Their first integration, announced today, is with Withings, makers of the internet connected body scale.

They say the experience can be summed up in three easy steps:

1. Step on the Withings scale to weigh yourself
2. The body scale records and automatically sends your weight measurements to your Gym Technik account
3. View your data and graphs at Gym Technik Online and Gym Technik Mobile. And if you have the NextGen app on your BlackBerry, your weigh-in stats are pushed down to your BlackBerry, with a link to view stats and graphs on the NextGen app.

Pretty cool stuff if you ask me, as I'm all about the OTA. To learn more about the scale and it's pricing visit the Withings website. Or if you already have a Gym Technik account, just login to Gym Technik and navigate to Account | Link/Share to learn how you can purchase and link the scale to your Gym Technik account.

They've also just completed an upgrade with some other new features and functionality. You can get a list of all the new features in their upgrade announcement here.

And these guys seem to love CB nation. They've launched a discount code giving 10% off their premium subscriptions if you use promocode aprcrackberry10 at their store by end of this week.

And I have an idea for their API and their app. Tie it to Twitter and Facebook. Team Gym Technik... you listening? ;)

The best part of big family dinners is, of course, the food. Admit it or not, we like to see what everyone is bringing, and what to avoid like the plague. I can’t say much for myself; I’m hovering around below average for my cooking skills (my wife can attest to that). Despite the lack of knowledge in the kitchen, I do fully support her adventurous palate. When you are trying to focus on eating healthier, you may initially think that your choices are quite limited. It’s this mindset that may cause you to revert back to your poor eating habits; would you like fries with that? My wife and I started looking for ideas online, in a magazine, or even from peeking in Momma Blundell’s super secret recipe cards/book. That last one runs the risk of the perpetrator getting hit by a wooden spoon. A great source of fun, facts, frustration (still fun for us) and food, is the Food Network and Food Network Canada. Your brain will salivate as much as your mouth will, when you watch the various reality and cooking shows.

Canadians can take all of this information with them in a doggy bag with the Food Network Canada Mobile application. More after the chomp, I mean, jump.

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I don’t know how some people do it; I know I haven’t had much luck. To those who are able to fit a healthy lifestyle into the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I salute you. Excuse after excuse run through my head; I’m too busy, I’ll start tomorrow, I’ll just pick something up on the way home. It almost sounds like I’m a contestant on the Biggest Loser (which I watch), but that’s how I feel. I’ve started to make the change and I have the support of my wife and son behind me. I can also use my BlackBerry as a guide and tracker.

Just over a year ago, I reviewed Gym Technik and their web mobile site, which offered its services as a workout tracker. They’ve grown leaps and bounds, providing health and nutrition tips, tackling Oxygenfit integration and lifestyle advice. Earlier this month, Kevin gave us a taste of Gym Technik’s brand spanking new app, Gym Technik NextGen for the BlackBerry. Imagine having access to hundreds of workouts and exercises, as well as track your body stats on your smartphone spotter. I’m excited to get the rest of my life back on the right track and equally excited to have all the help that I can get.

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Another month ends and we are one step closer to exiting Spring and entering Summer. How many of you have been able to stick to your New Year's Resolutions? Especially that one where you swore up and down that you would fit into that bikini, or trunks, before Summertime. I can admit that I haven't been always successful. Like I've said before, I want to maintain my own mobility while using my mobile. Similar to upgrading BlackBerry devices, I need to take my body from Curve (for lack of a better analogy) to Bold. Fitness applications and sites, such as the amazing Gymtechnik, that I have reviewed, offer great wireless training and support solutions. I thought that I should present additional options, sort of expanding your selection, before expanding your waistline. That way you can choose which is best for you.

Another application to satisfy your appetite for athleticism is Iambic's Health and Diet Manager. The application acts more like a trainer, as it helps you determine what to ingest, keep track for your exercise activities and help you reach your weight loss, or management goals. So, instead of sucking it in, suck it up and read on.

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Well folks, we made it to 2009. After the partying, fireworks and off key renditions of Auld Lang Syne reality sets in. What do you want to accomplish this year? Did you stick to your guns and follow your resolutions from last year?

One of the most popular New Years Eve Resolutions is to lose weight, to get in shape. It's also the most commonly broken resolution. Blame it on life, determination, temptation or even organization. I've made that resolution too and have failed to stay with it. This year will be different, this year I'll be more prepared so I won't have an excuse. Though this application is an oldie, Fast Food Calorie Counter is a goodie.

I stumbled upon this while checking out Nintaii on Mobigloo's website. Fast Food Calorie Counter gives you access to thousands of menu items from dozens of fast food restaurants. You can then view nutrition information for those items. So now if I want to deviate from my diet, I can make the best choices. Lets see if Fast Food Calorie Counter is the right choice for you.

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Despite being an absolutely gorgeous summer, I didn't venture out to the beach. The reason? Well, I guess I'm still hanging onto my baby fat. I'm trying to maintain a youthful look, at least that's what I'm telling everybody. I've decided to get a head start on my New Year's resolution and transform myself from a BlubberBerry into a BuffBerry, before I can use my belly as a hand rest while typing on my BlackBerry.

There are quite a few applications out there to consider, if you want an excuse to carry your BlackBerry on/in your gym shorts. Gym Technik informed me about their services, so I decided to check them out first. Besides, they're fellow British Columbians. Gym Technik is a web based workout tracking tool that turns your BlackBerry into your personal fitness journal. This may be the motivation I need, as now I don't have to put my Berry down to start my journey to a healthier lifestyle. So, if you're looking to slim down, or maintain your physique, why not read on?

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Have you already forgotten your New Year’s Resolutions? Like many people, you are probably thinking about how you can better control your weight this year. This is not an easy task… You goal might be to lose some weight, maybe gain a few pounds or simply keep everything under control. Unfortunately in a couple of months most of the promises will be gone for many of us. The truth is that following a diet is one of hardest tasks. A few weeks ago, I decided to lose some weight. I went with a diet that I know works: calorie control. For me that means trying to absorb no more than 1,200 calories per day and exercising on a regular basis. Suddenly changing your habits is hard. The first few days were tough on me: in a bad mood, hungry, and frustrated. This is when I began using Ascendo Fitness. This is when it got easier. Read on and see how this software can help you.

To assist a user with his diet, the program needs to collect some information about the user and the diet. This information is broken down into major areas to simplify the task. Upon launching the program, the Main Screen presents these major areas as steps for the user. What could be simpler, let’s jump right in.

First, you need to enter some basic information such as Height, Weight, Age and Resting Heart rate. And obviously inform the software whether you are a male or a female.

Then it is time to set your goals. The information consists of your target weight and calorie intake per day, calories burned per day, etc… Again, the form is uncluttered and easy to follow. If you need help the software comes with some calculators. Based on your profile, the software will tell you what your ideal weight is. The 5 built in calculators can be very useful to help you set realistic goals for yourself. If you try to lose too much weight or gain too much, you’ll see the resulting unrealistic calorie impact here. Once your goals are set, you again return to the Main Screen.

Once you are done with all the setup you are ready to start the input of your daily entries. This is where most of the interaction with the program is done, from daily logging to reviewing your progress. The controls really fall into two camps, logging your daily information, and reviewing your logs. The software acts as a control center, and provides you with a daily summary of your nutrient intake. The user can have the screen summarize Calories, Proteins, Fats, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Sugars, Sodium, etc…

Adding your food entries is very easy. You’ll be presented with a screen that allows you to browse a very extensive food database. If you find what you’re looking for, just pick it and add it to your meal entry. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can easily add a new food item

With Ascendo Fitness, you not only control your eating habits but also your exercises. Exercises work the same way, enter the time your Tennis game starts and the duration and the software will compute the number of calories you’ve eliminated.

Obviously, you can proudly follow your progress. Many charts are available to make sure you are on track.

Another nice component of the software is the Desktop software for Windows. You will be able to directly manage your nutrition entries from your PC and synchronize with your BlackBerry.

So, what was your New Year’s Resolution again? Armed with Ascendo Fitness, this year might just be the year you keep it.

## This Article Was Originally Published by AllBlackBerry.com 

Have you already forgotten your New Year’s Resolutions? Like many people, you are probably thinking about how you can better control your weight this year. This is not an easy task… You goal might be to lose some weight, maybe gain a few pounds or simply keep everything under control. Unfortunately in a couple of months most of the promises will be gone for many of us. The truth is that following a diet is one of hardest tasks. A few weeks ago, I decided to lose some weight. I went with a diet that I know works: calorie control. For me that means trying to absorb no more than 1,200 calories per day and exercising on a regular basis. Suddenly changing your habits is hard. The first few days were tough on me: in a bad mood, hungry, and frustrated. This is when I began using Ascendo Fitness. This is when it got easier. Read on and see how this software can help you.