Training & Nutrition - tmobile G1 is causing me to watch what I eat

I picked up a Tmobile G1 (running the Android operating system) last week, and installed an app called "calorie counter" on it while I was installing about 3 billion other apps. It turns out this thing is ingeniously made, since it uses the phone's camera to scan bar codes and automatically looks up the nutrition information for whatever prepackaged stuff you're about to eat. You can also make your own concoctions based on ingredients in their database.

What's more, it tracks exercise! I'm pretty sure it's fairly inaccurate, but I've been tracking my biking habits and it's good to just be able to compare this week to last week's riding time. It gives me a measure of progress.

There are several other apps that are specifically made for cycling, but I haven't had the greatest results with the few I've tried out. Does anyone else have an Android-based phone, or know of any online tracking systems that are useful? Calorie Counter is produced by fatSecret, and since I'm actually trying to put ON weight, their systems really aren't very well catered to me. I'm considering just writing my own application rather than continuing to use this.

I don't have an Android phone, but as for an online system, FitDay works well, but The Daily Plate has many more entries available for popular foods. It can also be used to track calorie expenditure throughout the day, as well as a glimpse of nutritional balance. Everything is inaccurate, but it's better than nothing if you need hard numbers.

whatever works for you. for me tracking calories in and out was the key to changing my life. as for the phone i am an iPhone freak. later.

The iPhone has a few apps similar to this one. I use the "Lose It!" app on the iPhone as a portable way to determine what I am eating for the day while away from home. It works really well, and tracks exercise and weight loss over time.

I like the fact that Andriod will scan bar codes, though. "Lose It!" does not have this functionality, at this point. That is a nice feature.

I know the iPhone CAN scan bar codes, it's just a matter of finding the right app. The Android OS makes it a little easier for developers to play with each others' software (calling the barcode scanner is a one-line operation, for example) but it's still a big undertaking.

I know the iPhone CAN scan bar codes, it's just a matter of finding the right app. The Android OS makes it a little easier for developers to play with each others' software (calling the barcode scanner is a one-line operation, for example) but it's still a big undertaking.

True enough. I guess I could write my own iPhone app that included this, but that's a topic for a different forum... ;)

True enough. I guess I could write my own iPhone app that included this, but that's a topic for a different forum... ;)

Let me know if you do. It'd be great to get the iPhone and Android developers together, from what I've seen porting apps from one platform to another is less than brain surgery, and I can think of a few apps I'd like.

That App is awesome! Makes it soo much easier!

That App is awesome! Makes it soo much easier!

Isn't it great? I think their nutrition information is a little off though, because I should have lost around 50,000 calories in the past month. I don't feel like I've lost that much.

Today is the first day I've started keeping my log. So far its found everything I've thrown at it. I will start checking the calorie counts just to be sure.

It gets confused with my Arizona Rx drinks (they're just the tall Arizona cans, so I can substitute pretty easily) and going out to eat can be a little tough to find/make a good match. I guess that's just one more reason to cook for yourself at home! :)

This Apps still rocks. The weight tracker is good. So Far, some of the food stats are a little off but its not too bad.

This App Rocks.