MyFitnessPal – Free Calorie Counter
As you know, if you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, I encourage all caregivers to place self-care at the top of their priority list. Whether you’re an Alzheimer’s caregiver, dementia caregiver, caregiver to your parent, Sandwich Generation caregiver caught between caring for your kids and your parents, you need to take care of yourself first.
The two things I try to put at the top of my self-care priority list are nutrition and exercise. Exercise, in particular, helps combat depression — a state that caregivers know all too well. And it’s not a dirty word. Exercise can be something as simple as walking around the block after dinner. If your caree is up to it, you can even exercise together. What a wonderful, healthful way for carer and caree to spend time together! And obviously if you don’t fuel your body with wholesome nutrients, you won’t have the stamina a caregiver needs to get through the day.
Now, I’m not going to lie to you. Even as a nurse, I find my enthusiasm for exercise waxes and wanes. Some months, I exercise a lot; some months, I exercise very little. Sometimes I break down and eat, oh, an entire pint of ice cream. From the container. But that’s not the point. What’s important is that I always get back on the horse and try again.
That’s why I was excited to discover My Fitness Pal, a free online program to count calories, nutrients, and water consumption, along with logging exercise. It’s a great all-around tool for helping stay on track with your own fitness needs. And did I mention: it’s FREE?!
I’ve been using My Fitness Pal for over a month now, and I couldn’t be more pleased with it. Along with the tools I just mentioned, the website offers a wealth of other fun features, such as a personal blog, cute goal widgets (that’s my real widget, above), an app for your phone, and a forum.
That’s where you come in.
I cordially invite you all to join me at My Fitness Pal. You’ll find me under the name “semisweetchick.” (Don’t worry; we can’t see each others’ personal information — such as our weight! Yikes!) As people join, I’ll create a forum topic just for our group — something to help motivate us, support us, and keep us on track with our wellness goals. We can discuss our struggles and triumphs, share recipes, and pat each other on the back.
I look forward to meeting all my fellow family caregivers at My Fitness Pal! (Many thanks to my friend Jenifer for inspiring this idea with her private weight loss group at Facebook!)
Disclaimer: I’m not in any way affiliated with My Fitness Pal and receive no remuneration from them whatsoever. I’m just a happy customer!
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