If you’re looking for a simple and effective way to track your weight loss journey, then you might consider creating a spreadsheet to help you stay on track. One great tool for tracking your progress is the calories in, calories out (CICO) method, which involves tracking your daily calorie intake and your weekly exercise output. With a spreadsheet, you can easily enter data from your tracking apps to see how your progress is going and make any necessary adjustments to your diet and exercise routine.
Here’s an example of how you can set up your own weight loss tracking spreadsheet:
- First, decide on a weigh-in day, either Monday or Tuesday, and stick to it.
- On your weigh-in day, enter your starting weight, current weight, and the amount of weight lost or gained for the week.
- Record your daily calorie average for the week, your weekly calorie total, and your weekly total of calories burned via exercise.
- Calculate your starting BMI, current BMI, and current weight BMR.
- Use formulas in your spreadsheet to calculate your weekly calorie deficit.
Once you have this basic information entered into your spreadsheet, you’ll be able to see the trends in your weight loss journey and make any necessary adjustments to your diet and exercise routine.
For example, if you see that you’re not losing weight as quickly as you’d like, you might consider increasing your exercise routine or reducing your calorie intake. On the other hand, if you’re losing weight too quickly, you might consider reducing the intensity of your exercise or increasing your calorie intake. With a spreadsheet, you’ll be able to see the impact of these changes on your weight loss progress and make any necessary adjustments.
If you’re an avid VR gamer, you can also incorporate your VR exercise sessions into your tracking spreadsheet. For instance, if you’re playing VR-based cardio games on the Oculus Rift, you can use data from the VR Institute of Health to calculate your calorie burn when playing VR games. This can help you get a more accurate picture of your overall calorie expenditure and track your progress more effectively.
Tracking your weight loss journey with a spreadsheet is a simple, effective, and empowering way to stay on track and achieve your goals. Whether you’re using the CICO method or incorporating VR gaming into your routine, a spreadsheet can help you monitor your progress, make any necessary adjustments, and celebrate your successes along the way.