Livestrong.com Great Site for Personal Monitoring, Goal-Setting, and Health Information

Demand Media and their golden boy for marketing this site, Lance Armstrong, have teamed up to create an impressive interactive website that is free to users. Livestrong.com is a multipage website with numerous links, articles, and communities in which to connect with others on the topics of health and fitness. You can check out their mission at http://www.livestrong.com/aboutus/ 

At first glance the website is a little busy, but quite easily utilized. A personal membership is free and allows followers to track meals, exercise, weight gain or loss, a personal journal and goals. Many other sites tout such capabilities, but are not nearly as complete or require fees. Of course members can always upgrade their membership for a fee, however this is not necessary to make good use of the site.

The meal tracking/journaling is one of the most impressive features. Aptly named My Plate, the program boasts one of the most impressive food archives on the web. The feature is a little slow at times, but overall is very useful for those monitoring calories, fat, protein, carbohydrates and other aspects of their diet. Likewise, the site will calculate total caloric need per day for those who wish to loose a little of their extra weight. For women like myself, who need help and connection but are much to busy for some weekly meeting and love our computers more than life itself…. Livestrong.com is a viable solution to our weight loss and fitness goals.

Although the site is obviously for-profit, not connected to any reputable health organization, overly busy on the home page and a little slow on the food journal uptake…. overall it is an impressive and worthy site. One I am encouraging my patients, friends, and students to utilize. Thank you Demand Media, Mr. Armstrong and other contributors for building a site that may be a help to many who need it. Livestrong.com is preventative health care at its funnest, finest, and cheapest.