Online health and fitness sites really help

From my NBC-TV report…Losing weight and getting in shape is at the top of a lot of wish lists this summer as skimpier clothes make us acutely aware how uncute those extra pounds may be. Finding the motivation to stick to a diet and exercise plan is a popular pursuit, and the Internet can help.

The secret to staying on top of nutrition and fitness goals is measurement, say all the experts, and the Calorie King site is at the top of that list. You write down every bite you eat. It’s a $55 a year subscription site but man, there isn’t a food, home cooked or from a fast food restaurant, that you can’t find. They offer an online education in weight loss, free blogs, community and a meticulous diary to keep track of everything.

Two free sites that do similar things are FitDay and SparkPeople.

Then there are programs. My favorite these days is $40 tool called Ascent. If you use a GPS receiver or computer for biking or running, you download it into Ascent and it not only analyzes your workout a gazillion ways, it prints out a map overlaid with an aerial photo of the route you took and even lets you play a loop that shows you how well you were doing at any given stage.

I know, some may think this is all overkill. For me, though, it’s worked. I’m down 30 pounds since spring.