Lifehacker recently polled their readers to find out what New Year’s resolutions they made, and getting into shape was–not surprisingly– in the top five.  Clearly, many people make this annual commitment to better health each year, yet have a hard time following through because of the change of lifestyle it often requires, and the time and effort it takes to be successful.  True to the masses, I too have committed to auditing my diet and exercise habits.   I’ve come up with a revised ‘lifestyle plan’ and am using Springpad to help me stay on track by utilizing our Weekly Meal Planner, Daily Health Reminder and Workout Tracker apps.

Weekly Meal Planner

I find that meal planning and grocery shopping  ahead of time helps curb unhealthy, last-minute meal choices.  Having a selection of healthy recipes in my aresenal further ensures that I’ll be cooking healthy dishes. Since I have started using Springpad, I have found dozens of healthy meal ideas from over 50 food bloggers that publish their recipes in Springpad.  With the Meal Planner app I can save all of these recipes in one place, and plan out what days of the week I am going to make them.  With this app, all of the recipes I saved to Springpad are listed in a handy sidebar where I can drag and drop them into the day I want to make them.  After adding them, I can create shopping lists right in the app by choosing the ‘Shop’ tab.   I have the option to add all of the ingredients in the recipe, or just a few, depending on what I already have in my kitchen. Some recipes I can’t wait to try out are the Harvest Fritatta (via The Healthy Apple) and Sweet Balsamic Glazed Salmon (via Honoring Health).

Workout Tracker

Along with a balanced diet, exercise is also an important addition to getting and staying healthy. With Springpad’s Workout Tracker, I can keep a log of my daily workouts either by duration or distance.

Daily Health Reminders

I know for me, sometimes finding the motivation to get toi the gym when it’s ten degrees and snowing seems formidable.  With Springpad’s Daily Health Reminders I can set-up reminders like “go to the gym!” or “don’t forget your veggies!”, and I have the option to have these sent to my email or texted to my phone.  Or,  I can also schedule more detailed reminders, such as my favorite kick-boxing class’ schedule, so I never forget when they are.

Other Fun Resources

Trails.com: “Your guide to the outdoors,” Trails.com helps you find popular running and biking trails by city/area (which would be perfect for new vacation destinations) and upload maps OF those trails.  Incorporate these into your workout regime by saving the maps to Springpad and adding it to your workout planner…? P.S. You can sign-up for a free 14-day trial membership Trails.com and give it a test run.

Phitter: If you want the support of a community behind you to help you stick to your goals, check out Kristie Alley’s latest venture, Phitter. This ‘Twitter-like’ online community helps members make friends and support each other on the road to getting fit through conversations about health and fitness and by sharing healthy recipes and workout plans.  Share healthy recipes and workout plans with your fellow members through your Springpad account!

Nike + iPod Sport Kit: Track how far you run or walk with a wireless sensor placed beneath the insole of your Nike+ shoe (also can work with other shoes).  After your workout, sync your iPod or iPhone to transfer your data to iTunes and Nike Plus.

Your Shape featuring Jenny McCarthy: This Wii game tailors workout regimens to your level and desired target area(s). It also comes equipped with a video camera that allows you to see yourself on-screen, and tracks your progress over time. Jenny’s avatar will even tell you what movements you are doing incorrectly and how to fix them.

What are your favorite resources and activities to stay fit?

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