Is there a gadget that...

[Trialanderror]

...can count calories on the go?
I am not on a specific diet but I am trying to keep track of my caloric intake throughout the day. I pretty much know the calories of what I am eating by heart but I keep kidding myself about how much of each food I have actually eaten per day. It just doesn`t seem to work for me to take notes on paper or to wait until I am back at a computer. It would be so helpful to just carry a little counting device on a key chain and punch in the calories in hundreds or something like that. Thought I`d ask you guys, it is such a vivid forum. Thanks a bunch in advance!

[peekawho]

I have coffee and a partial, small breakfast when Mr. Peek gets up at 4:30a.  Then another small breakfast at around 9 or so.  But it can be a pitfall, as you've noticed, if you actually make it 2 breakfast, complete with nibbles.  

You're not being stupid.  Its just unconscious eating, and I suspect its the reason why many people feel they "can't" lose weight, no matter what they do.  

If you bite it, write it.  That's my motto.  

[Trialanderror]

In case anyone is interested: my idea of using a people counter as a calorie tracker doesn`t work well. By the end of the day I see a number but barely remember how it accumulated without noting which food I actually ate. So I switched back to the little notebook and pen (before I go for a PDA).

Turns out that by getting up around 3am, I actually used to eat breakfast twice and just the little nibbles here and there between the first coffee and the second tea while working and preparing my son`s lunch added up to around 600 or more calories before I even left for work. How stupid could I get...
I changed my habits since I last posted and also transformed my backyard into an activity center for kick-boxing, step-aerobics, push-ups, sit-ups, rope jumping and the like - and am just starting to see my former self return.

Thanks for all your inspiration.

[1nana]

Glad you found what you were looking for. It sounds simple enough.

[Trialanderror]

Sorry Girls - it took me so long to get back to you. Thank you for the great ideas and links!
I have been mulling over all these gadgets and read most of their reviews online by now. One of those on Amazon is extremely affordable but is said to fail electronically after 2 weeks of use and the pricier ones have a ton of features that I might not necessarily need.

I made a different decision after all: there are a few hand held electronic people counters on the market, the type that guys at museum entrances would use for example. I will get one of those. I can wear it around my neck, on the go, don`t have to scroll through any data while I`m wolfing down my tuna sandwich during a five-minute lunch break and by the end of the day I just check the points. It is so nice and easy: one button to add, one to subtract. Oh, and I will make 1=50 calories. Click six times = 300 calories for a sandwich for example. I think that will work for me. I tend to misplace notebooks and pencils all the time, so it`s gotta be something around my neck...

Ranaesheart, thanks for the article - so true. It is probably not just me who tends to fool herself about the amount of food I take in throughout the day. Even though it balances itself out througout the year, it may as well not. Judging from my recent beach pictures, I think I have to stop kidding myself...by keeping track in an honest way.

Thanks again!

[peekawho]

If you have a PDA, there are some apps available via calorieking d o t c o m.   I know I've also seen some on Amazon.

Otherwise, a small spiral notebook will be your best bet. Low tech, but effective.

[Ranaesheart]

These may be more sophisticated than you need since you already know the calorie content of most items, but here is a link from an Internet search.  As you scroll down the page, there are quite a few options.  http://www.amazon.com/HealthFitCounter-HFC-001-Handheld-Calorie/dp/B0007W4LEM

I've not used any of these so you would have to research them further to see if they would fit your needs.  While I used to keep a large journal, and then a small spiral, I now grab a piece of paper and tally my calories that way.  I can fold it and keep it in my pocket or the side pocket of my purse.  

FYI - Just read an article by Sanjay Guptka, M.D. and here is an exerpt, "The senior investigator, Victor Stevens of Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., told me that "hands down, the most successful weight-loss method was keeping a record of what you eat." In the six-month study, participants who kept a food journal six or seven days a week lost an average of 18 lb. (8 kg), compared with an average of 9 lb. (4 kg) lost by non-diary keepers."

Guess that's reason for us to keep journaling!  

Best wishes ... and please let us know what you find.  

Ranae

[Trialanderror]

Thank you, it`s good to know it exists. Key chain size is probably wishful thinking but a bit larger will work just fine. I`ll let you know once I find one, in case you are interested. Thanks again! *counting away ...but not wasting away...*

[1nana]

I've seen hand held calorie devices on different websites, but I haven't seen any that are  small enough to fit on a key chain. I'm sure they are out there, though.