Like many of you, I own an iPhone. It is practically always in hand (literally in my hand, versus my purse or pocket) and I’m on it basically 24/7. You are too – don’t lie.

As I bemoaned a weight plateau last year, I struggled to come up with creative ideas to boost my weight loss and keep myself on track.

Then it dawned on me: I’m on my iPhone all day – why not use it to help me?

I’ve talked about some of the apps I use on here before (MyFitnessPal and GymPact), but a relatively new one I started using (with great success) is RunKeeper.

 

Don’t be fooled by the name – it’s not just for running!

As you can see, I’ve only been using the app since November 2013 and I’ve already logged over 70 activities. I have a personal goal to do at least 15 miles per week – but this can consist of walking, running, biking, skating, or a plethora of other activities.

 

 

Seriously, check out those options!

The application is VERY simple to use – just pick your activity, make sure you have good GPS (outdoors is always best), and click start!

I’ve always been pretty good about hitting the gym 3-4 days per week, but RunKeeper helps me sneak in additional calorie-burn throughout the day. My office is situated on a beautiful lake and, using RunKeeper to track it, I try to take two or three 10-minute walks around the lake every day. It doesn’t seem like much, but it adds up to be about 1.5 miles I do on TOP of the other stuff in my day. Add to that my thrice-daily puppy walks and I average almost 3 miles per day without really trying!

I love using RunKeeper on my bike rides, as it helps me keep a pace, track my distance on long trails, and gauge the appropriate time to turn back around.

If you’ve stalled out lately with your weight loss or just want to get an idea for how much you’re actually walking/running/biking per week, I strongly suggest downloading the RunKeeper app. It’s free, easy to use, and really motivating!

Proof is in the pudding: my weight is down to 129.8 and the ONLY difference is that I’m aiming to hit 15 miles per week on RunKeeper on top of my 4 workouts per week in the gym. You burn roughly 100 calories for every 1 mile you walk/run, so it’s not a surprise to see that adding this goal to my workout regimen has helped to push my weight down with very little attention on my part. Yay!

On that note… it’s time for a walk!

Bon appetit, my friends!

~ Tori