I often look to the Web for help and this time I found just what I was looking for. DietLog (at http://www.dietlog.com) is software for the PalmPilot that creates nutrient targets and tracks your daily intake based on these targets. This means that each day you can log what you eat and track it against a target diet you have set up. Each day, all day, you can see exactly where you stand in relation to the targets you created to accomplish your goals. I found that knowing where I stood was both helpful and motivational.

Setting your targets
After you set up your profile, (age, height, weight, etc.) you tap the "Nutritional Targets" button to establish your nutrient targets. DietLog tracks the eight nutrients that are most important in health maintenance. These are the same nutrients found on the charts on food packaging. In my effort to control my blood sugar levels for the control of Diabetes, the ability to track these individual nutrients is very important.

You use the Calorie Target Calculator screen to calculate your weight loss goals in order to set your nutrient targets. You then use the Set Nutrient Targets screen, shown in Figure A, to set your targets. You have the flexibility to change any of the individual nutrient targets to meet your health goals based on a recommendation of a physician or dietitian. Once all are selected, you tap on the Set Targets button to make your selections your "Current Targets". These will be used daily in your food log.

FIGURE A

This is the Set Nutrient Targets screen.

Using DietLog
For the most part using DietLog couldn't be easier. You select a meal and log what you eat by selecting items from the DietLog database.

The daily log screen, shown in Figure B, has the date and meal selector. You can tap the arrows on either end of the meal selector or select the date to get a calendar to change the date. You select a letter, B for Breakfast, S for Snack, L for lunch, and D for Dinner, or T for the day's totals in the meal selector.