America's Healthiest Diet Tricks

We’ve picked the gadgets that give you a head start on the healthy habits proven to help shed pounds.

Studies show that keeping track of daily calories helps dieters lose weight. But keeping a tally isn’t easy. This CalorieSmart Mini Nutrition Calculator ($40) takes away the guesswork with information on more than 50,000 foods.

BYO lunches from home help dieters stay on track. That’s why we like this colorful Bento Box ($38), which helps keep portions in check. Even better: Pack the traditional bento mix—three whole grains, two veggies, and one protein—so you’ll feel full and satisfied all afternoon long.

People who kept food diaries doubled their weight loss, according to research. We like the Day-Timer Weight Management Pocket Planner ($42.99) because it has everything you need to track servings, calories, exercise, even hunger level and mood.

If you’re more of a techie, consider phone diary apps such as

iPhone apps WeightDate Weight Tracker (free!) or MyNetDiary Food and Exercise Log ($42 for a six-month subscription).

You know you have to burn 3,500 extra calories to lose a pound. But do you really know what your daily calorie burn is? Wearing the Bodybugg ($249 for the unit and one phone-coaching session) can help you keep track. It downloads to an online application that shows how much you’ve burned (or need to burn) to meet your daily, weekly, or overall weight-loss goal. You can create a custom food-and-exercise plan, too.

Sleep more. Too little sleep triggers a hormone that causes cravings and decreases one that tells you to stop eating. To hike your chances of a good snooze, try a Dream Essence Lavender Scented Aromatherapy Eye Mask ($24.95).

Anything that helps you visualize proper portion sizes will help you diet. That’s why we like Lunch Buddies ($18) plastic cutting mats that outline healthy sandwich sizes.

Eat fresh. It’s hard to eat more healthy, filling veggies if the good stuff goes bad in the fridge. Try Evri Fresh ($3.99), a sachet disk that neutralizes ethylene, the gas released as food ripens.