10 Best Free Online Weight Loss Tools

There is no easy trick to losing weight. However, there are a lot of small weight loss tricks that you can utilize in order to make losing the weight (and keeping it off) easier. One of those tricks is the use of online weight loss tools to assist you in your weight loss. Online weight loss tools help you to define your weight loss goals, keep track of how close you are to achieving those goals and adjust your eating habits according to what you see laid out for you online.

These online weight loss tools typically come along with a community of supporters who are also interested in losing weight, great weight loss recipes and lots of advice about weight loss. These things can help you to stay motivated to lose weight and keep you on track with your weight loss goals. Of course, just having an online tool isn’t going to make you drop those pounds but it’s another thing to add to the arsenal of tricks for beating weight gain.

Here is a look at ten of the best online weight loss tools out there which you may want to consider trying if you need a boost of motivation for your weight loss goals:

1. Fit Day. This is one of the most popular online weight loss tools out there. That’s because it’s an easy-to-use weight loss tool that is designed for people who are on any kind of weight loss diet. Many of the other online weight loss tools out there are tools that are designed for specific weight loss programs (some of which we’ll look at in a minute) but it’s nice to have a place where you can go to keep track of your weight loss regardless of which diet it is that you’re trying out. Fit Day is a simple online weight loss tracking tool that uses a journal-style format to assist you in keeping track of your calories, diet, exercise, weight loss goals and pounds lost. People who have had success in the past with the use of food diaries may find that this online version is even better.

2. SparkPeople. This is another highly popular online weight loss tool that brings together people from all different types of weight loss programs. It includes many of the same tools as Fit Day for keeping track of your weight loss goals and achievements. What’s really great here is all of the online support that you get from the site including fitness video demos, loads of healthy recipes, and online support from dieticians on the site. You can also set up your own profile page and blog to connect with other users on the site.

3. NutriDiary. Sometimes you just have to feel your way around different sites to see which one you like best. If you try a site like SparkPeople and it feels right but not exactly right then you may want to find another one that’s comparable to it such as NutriDiary which is basically the same in terms of being an online weight loss journal but has some different features and its own design which you may find more appealing as a user.

4. PeerTrainer. This is a more community-focused weight loss site through which you can support your peers and receive support from them in meeting your weight loss goals. You are put into small peer groups on the site to hold each other accountable for keeping track of your weight loss goals online. There are also many features through this program that aren’t free but can help you on your way to weight loss, such as coaching intensives and bootcamp groups.

5. Jenny Craig Weight Loss Tools. This is an example of an online weight loss tool that is more specifically designed for people on a certain diet (in this case, the Jenny Craig diet). You don’t actually have to be a member of the Jenny Craig program to use the free tools here but it’s probably more beneficial to you if you are. Nevertheless, these are some of the same weight loss tracking tools that are available on other sites with specific information that’s related to the way that Jenny Craig users lose weight.

6. Med Help Weight Loss Tracker. This looks like a really cool online weight loss tracker. You track your weight loss through an interactive daily calendar and then get charts back with your weight loss / gain information as well as your body mass index information. But the really neat thing here is that this program can be linked to lots of other programs that you might already use including Facebook, MySpace, and iGoogle.

7. Calorie Count. If you’re really focused on the amount of calories that you take in and burn then you may be interested in this online weight loss tool from the About.com Health department. It’s a free tool that helps you to understand the calories in your favorite foods and the calories lost through different forms of exercise. You can create your own profile and receive lots of support from other users on the site.

8. My Health and Fitness Weight Loss Tracker. This is another online weight loss tracker that’s all about your calorie count. It helps you figure out if you’re burning enough calories in comparison to your caloric intake to make any difference in your weight. It looks like it’s really easy to use and could be a great tool for getting started with online weight loss tools.

9. My Online Calorie Counter. This is another calorie-focused online tracker but it’s got more depth to it in terms of what else the site offers. It’s another site that lets you create a profile with your own blog which really gets you integrated into the weight loss community. That kind of support can help you to make those calories work in your favor a whole lot faster.

10. StartYourDiet.com. This is one of those tricky sites that offers a free plan as well as a pay plan so you have to know what you’re getting into to use it. Despite this, it can be a great online tool for weight loss. It helps you plan meals, track your weight loss, see your results through various graphs and work with peers to support each other one-on-one in losing weight.