The thousands of studies that have been done on aging are beginning to point to one inescapable conclusion: we may be able to modify our aging process by changing what we consume and how we live.

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Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a personal coach cheer for your successes and nudge you along on your weight-loss journey? Well, most of us don’t have a personal coach, but friends, family, and even technology can help fill that role.

Take advantage of these accountability tools to optimize you weight-loss success:

• Start with a scale: Everyone who is on a weight-loss program should either have a scale or have access to one. The key is to use the scale only about once a week (there is too much variation when you are weighing yourself every day). A simple scale will work for most people, but there are scales that measure body fat percentage or that can connect to the Internet to share your progress.
• Better yet, use a tape measure: A scale will only tell you so much and can often lie if you are gaining muscle and losing fat. Measuring your waist using a tape measure (or just checking your pants size) is a much more accurate way to track your progress.
• Track your food and exercise: Use a website, an app, or other device to log your meals and track your exercise. Tracking what you eat builds awareness and can show you where your healthy eating challenges lie. Tracking exercise is encouraging and shows you the benefits of being active. The Shaklee 180 app is a fast and easy way to track your day and share your progress with others.
• Find a diet buddy: No one can help you stay on track better than a friend. Take advantage of all your resources by announcing publicly on social media (Facebook®, Twitter®, or Instagram®) your weight-loss goals and find others who want to join you.
• Pedometer: If you sit all day, then a pedometer is a great tool to get you up and moving around. A very doable goal is to try to get in 10,000 steps (it burns around 300-400 calories).