Reviews: Magazine

It's hard to imagine a better food journaling tool than DietPower. This app gives you the calories and nutritional breakdown for everything you eat and can tell you how many calories you've burned in a given day. As with many health tools and computer programs, most problems come down to user error—in my case, a reluctance to fess up to all that mindless munching. Perhaps this New Year will bring me more resolve. Free 15-day trial, $50 to keep.

One-third of Americans are on a diet at any given time. Two-thirds who manage to lose weight end up gaining all the pounds back, sometimes more. This explains why there are lots of diet strategies, many of which never work. Anyone considering a weight-loss program needs to make sure the makers of the program have proper expertise. If you weigh a lot, and have waited a long time for something good to come along, read on.

When I reviewed this program, I found it to be based on scientifically sound principles, authentic credentials (anyone can call him- or herself a "nutritionist," but those who are certified dietitians and academic researchers really have the goods), and best of all...a free, no-worry trial period and money-back guarantee. If some things sound too good to be true, they really are not. In this case, I'm happy to report that this extraordinary program is "the real thing."
DietPower is a computer program disk that works independently or in concert with popular diet strategies such as Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, and the American Heart Association diet. DietPower's Personal Nutrition Coach reveals your intake of 33 nutrients as you log your meals. It continually adjusts your calorie budget as it "learns" your metabolism. The coach also recommends foods you like that will balance your nutrient intake, reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

DietPower is the creation of Terry Dunkle, CEO and founder of the company. Scientific advisors include Ann Coulston, past president of the American Dietetic Association; Robert Epstein, founder of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies; and Barry Franklin, former president of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Users will find resources on the disk which analyze nutrients available in 11,000 foods and recipes. In addition, DietPower tracks calories that can be burned off in hundreds of kinds of exercise. In order to chart your progress, the program provides a Nutrition Quotient (NQ) illustrating how intelligently you've been eating lately.

The program ($39.99) comes with a one-year money-back guarantee and can be downloaded from the Internet for a free 15-day trial period. The DietPower website is at www.dietpower.com.

Diets are never one-size-fits-all. The following women tried just about every weight-loss program before they finally found one well suited to their personality and lifestyle. Could the wrong plan be thwarting your efforts? Before you count one more carb or buy another guru's book, read these inspiring success stories.

Sharon Warren, age 43

Retail jewelry salesperson, Elwood, N.J.; married, three children

Height: 5' 3"

Weight lost: 81 pounds (before, 206; after, 125)

Her diet history: "I've been on a diet practically my whole life," says Sharon. "The worst was a low-carb plan. I had a steak for breakfast every morning, plus a lot of bacon and eggs. Not surprisingly, it didn't work for very long. I've always been most successful with old-fashioned calorie counting, but I make a lot of casseroles for my family, and it's just too much work to look up every ingredient."

What finally worked: DietPower nutrition software ($39.99 at www.dietpower.com).

DietPower calculates the calories you need to reach your weight-loss goal within a certain time. It also computes how much fiber, vitamins, and minerals you've consumed.

"It was a godsend," says Sharon. "We have a computer in the kitchen, so inputting the whole family's info was simple. What really helped was the recipe feature. It made it easier to enjoy meals with my family."

The expert says: "Sharon knew that fad diets weren't right for her, but her lifestyle didn't fit with a traditional calorie-counting plan," says Daniel C. Stettner, Ph.D., a psychologist and an expert on obesity and weight loss at Northpointe Health Center in Berkley, Mich. "DietPower made life as a calorie counter more manageable."

Will it work for you? Software kits are best if you're highly self-motivated and don't need or want group interaction or support. [Editor's note: DietPower users can get support from other users at http://forums.dietpower.com. Our professional support team is on duty 24/7 at 800-852-8446.]

DietPower is a smart, easy-to-use program that will work for novice users while not boring "power" users. Highly recommended for home users, public libraries, circulating collections, and special libraries.

Price: $69.99. [ Editor's note: Although the reviewer pronounces DietPower a "great buy" at $69.99, the program is actually priced at $39.99.] Nutrient database: Release 12, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Database for Standard Reference; supplemented with Release 7, USDA's Nutrient Database for Individual Food Intake Survey.

Basic operating features. DietPower is a nutrition and weight-control software program. To develop a weight-loss program, the user clicks the "Goal Setter" button and then records the foods eaten each day by clicking the "Food Log" button. Exercise habits are recorded by clicking the "Exercise Log" button. The program contains 16,000 foods (33 nutrients for each) and about 200 different exercises (with energy expenditure rates). [ Editor's note: Today the program includes 21,000 Food Dictionary entries and nearly 1000 exercises.] Users can add foods to the list by keying in information from food labels or other sources or by combining foods into recipes. Exercise modes can also be added to the program.

The program asks users to input a desired weight and time to reach the goal, and then computes an energy budget, indicating how difficult the diet will be and whether the results are likely to be permanent. A daily energy budget is calculated and is displayed at the bottom of the nutrition and exercise logs. Users can check nutrient consumption by clicking the "Nutrient History" button, which displays intake for the past day, week, month, quarter, and year. A graph can be displayed that monitors progress toward a goal weight (and the rate of loss and gain). Readings are continually updated as the user records physical activity and foods eaten.

DietPower is equipped with an extensive (100,000 words) and easy-to-use help system. The Personal Edition of DietPower can handle up to nine users. Most of the features seen on the screen, such as daily food and exercise logs, weight and nutrient histories, and the nutrient profile of any food or recipe, can be printed. The printouts are attractive, and the nutrient profile is compared with recommended intake levels using bar and pie charts.

Personal evaluation. I highly recommend DietPower. The program is easy to use, yet is a powerful tool for monitoring diet and exercise habits and weight loss over an extended period. The help system is one of the best I have used and provides a wealth of accurate information about general nutrition and weight loss. Missing nutrient data are indicated with a question mark, and the help system summarizes the percent missing data for each nutrient (e.g. 35-percent missing data for selenium). No attempt has been made by the software developers to go beyond the U.S. Department of Agriculture database (e.g. brand-name foods are not included). [ Editor's note: Today, DietPower includes 2500 foods from the top 100 chain restaurants.] The process of searching for and entering foods and exercise modes is very fast and uncomplicated. Overall, DietPower is user-friendly, has an attractive interface, is packed with many excellent operating features, and is a great buy, considering the high quality of the software and its low price.

To reach your goal of a slimmer, trimmer body, you can't beat DietPower software, $39.99. This fun and easy-to-use program is full-service: based on your weight goal and target date, DietPower calculates the daily calorie allowance required to make it happen. As you log meals eaten from its 16,000-entry food dictionary, daily exercise from a list of 200 activities, and any weight changes, DietPower "learns" your metabolic rate and adjusts your calorie budget accordingly, tracking your intake of 33 important nutrients along the way. [ Editor's note: Today the program includes 21,000 Food Dictionary entries and nearly 1000 exercises.] You can view your progress on a line chart and even copy records onto a "travel disk" to take to the office. Visit www.dietpower.com to order the program or to download a free 15-day trial

DietPower, Inc., calls its new weight management software program, DietPower™, a "personal trainer on disk." The program is user-friendly and designed to help balance clients' diets and permanently master weight problems—without eliminating favorite foods.

The program records, tracks and analyzes personal data; provides nutrient profile information and includes a Help system that gives insights on nutrition and fitness. Windows compatible, this software package is available in three editions: 1) a personal edition that helps up to nine users; 2) a large-group edition for health clubs; and 3) a consultant's edition for doctors, nutritionists and sports trainers.

You can buy or get a free trial of DietPower from www.dietpower.com.

DietPower is the ultimate computer software program for friends or family who want to lose weight, improve their vitamin and mineral intake, or simply track exercise and calorie-burning. There are many nutrition computer programs, but this one stands out because of its friendly approach and ease of use. Written by a magazine editor with a past weight problem, DietPower makes you feel as if you've joined a club with a personal trainer who tracks weight-loss progress, calorie-burning, and some 33 different nutrients, all customized to fit your personal needs.

Great graphs and charts help you see your progress. And with a database of 16,000 foods, DietPower lets you add your own recipes for analysis. [ Editor's note: Today the program's Food Dictionary includes 21,000 entries.] The only weight-loss computer program that has been tested and proven effective in helping people lose weight, DietPower is a Windows program that can be obtained on a CD-ROM or by downloading from www.dietpower.com.

Turn your computer into your personal trainer? That's the idea behind DietPower, the "personal trainer on a disk."

"We've known for decades that the easiest way to change behavior is simply to become more aware of it," says Dr. Robert Epstein, founder of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who consulted on the program. "DietPower is a user-friendly tool that makes you exquisitely aware."

Besides analyzing your individual caloric and nutritional needs, as you log weight, exercise and meals, DietPower adjusts your caloric "budget" to your metabolic rate. Inspiring and often amusing advice gives motivation. Call 800-852-8446 for more information or to order—or download a free 15-day trial copy from www.dietpower.com.

Sometimes even the most motivated exercisers can use a little extra help from a personal trainer to kick their workouts into high gear. But if the best trainers are booked solid—or out of your league—why not turn to the computer and DietPower? It's the brainchild of Terry Dunkle, 49, of Danbury, Connecticut, who claims the program can help the out-of-shape achieve their desired weight. "DietPower is based on a simple truth: If you can only see how each food and exercise will affect your progress, you will naturally make healthier choices," says Dunkle.

The program aims to help with weight maintenance, weight gain and nutrition balance, guiding users in areas such as cutting cholesterol or raising calcium intake. It responds with a daily calorie budget that adjusts as it learns a person's metabolic rate. But don't think that dealing with a non-human frees you from getting practical advice: As it discovers more about you, DietPower dishes customized pointers even a mother would be proud of, such as "One must eat to live, not live to eat" and "Sour cream contains only one-fourth as much fat as butter does." And for those with exotic eating habits, DietPower's food dictionary contains 16,000 entries [ Editor's note: Today the number is 21,000] and covers everything from abalone to zabaglione. For a tree trial copy, call 800-852-8446 or download the program from www.dietpower.com.