Mobile Computing Weight, Diet, Nutrition, and Exercise Management System With Enhanced Feedback and Goal Achieving Functionality

Abstract

An illustrative mobile computing device executing weight, nutrition, health, behavior and exercise application software serves as a simulated combination personal trainer and dietician/nutritionist for the user using comprehensive databases storing personalized health, nutrition and exercise information. A mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, executing such software monitors, tracks and/or adjusts caloric intake, energy expenditure taking into account nutritional information and behavioral factors. The mobile computing device receives food consumption, exercise-related, behavior and other input using speech input and the device's GPS subsystem to ease data entry burden on users and to promote continued long-term usage. The system rewards user goal achievement in an automatic, seamless manner, through, for example, downloading music, books, or other media. In illustrative implementations, the system assists users to make healthy food and exercise choices by using a comprehensive color code system to identify good choices, bad choices and those in between.

1 . A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system including a processing subsystem, a GPS receiver, a storage subsystem, and a touchscreen display, said GPS receiver, said storage subsystem and said touchscreen display being operatively coupled to said processing subsystem, comprising:
 storing, in said storage subsystem, health information about a user, including a daily calorie-related goal;   storing, in said storage subsystem, data relating to a plurality of user-selectable exercises;   storing, in said storage subsystem, data relating to a plurality of user-selectable foods including nutrient information and information related to a plurality of said user's favorite foods;   generating a display of breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal categories for said user to select a specific meal category;   accessing said storage subsystem, in response to the user selecting a specific meal category, and generating a list of favorite foods related to the selected meal category;   displaying said list of favorite foods related to the selected meal category on said touchscreen display to aid in user food data entry;   identifying, from said list of favorite foods displayed on said touchscreen display, a first favorite food in response to said user selecting said first favorite food from said list of favorite foods;   determining, by said processing subsystem, data indicative of the calories consumed by said user as a result of eating said first favorite food;   displaying, on said touchscreen display, said data indicating the calories consumed by said user as a result of eating said first favorite food;   acquiring, via said touchscreen display, data indicative of an exercise performed, in response to said user identifying a first exercise;   determining, by said processing subsystem, the calories burned by said user as a result of performing said first exercise;   displaying, on said touchscreen display, said calories burned during said first exercise, and displaying a color code indicative of the nutritional content of a nutrient in said first favorite food.   
     
     
         2 . A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to  claim 1 , further including determining an ideal weight for said user, taking into account the user's gender, height, and frame size; and
 storing said ideal weight for said user in said storage subsystem.   
     
     
         3 . A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to  claim 1 , further including storing a weight database in said storage subsystem relating user height to a desired weight for a range of body frame sizes. 
     
     
         4 . A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to  claim 1 , further including associating a digital value indicative of a first health-related color code associated with a first nutrient in said first food and a second digital value indicative of a second health-related color code associated with a second nutrient in said first food, wherein said first and second color codes reflect a health rating of said first food. 
     
     
         5 . A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said mobile weight and exercise tracking computing device, wherein said data indicative of an exercise performed by said user is generated based, in part, upon device location data generated by said GPS receiver. 
     
     
         6 . A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said processing subsystem includes a behavioral subsystem, further including generating at least one question about the user's diet, receiving input in response to said at least one question from said user relating to the user's diet, and generating recommendations in response to the user's input via said touchscreen. 
     
     
         7 . A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system according to  claim 1 , further including determining if a food or exercise-related goal has been met by said user based at least in part on calories consumed and/or calories burned by said user, wherein said processing subsystem includes a reward generating subsystem, and wherein said method further includes automatically selecting a reward for said user based on data relating to expected calories consumed and/or calories burned by said user. 
     
     
         8 . A method of operating a mobile weight and exercise tracking computing system including a processing subsystem, a GPS receiver, a storage subsystem, and a touchscreen display, said GPS receiver, said storage subsystem and said touchscreen display being operatively coupled to said processing subsystem, for enhancing user goal achievement comprising:
 storing, in said storage subsystem, health information about a user including a daily calorie-related goal;   acquiring data, via said touchscreen display, related to a first food, in response to said user identifying a first food expected to be consumed by said user;   associating, by said processing subsystem, a digital value indicative of a health-related color code rating of said first food using multiple colors to distinguish between multiple categories of foods, including a very healthy food category covering foods having a very high nutrient-related rating and a good food category covering foods with a good nutrient-related rating but which are rated lower than the very healthy foods with a very high nutrient-related rating;   determining, whether said first food expected to be consumed by the user has an associated color code from a category other than said very healthy food category;   displaying to said user at least one food together with a color code in a healthier color code category than said first food, if said determining step indicates that said first food has an associated color code that is not as high as said very healthy food category;   acquiring data, via said touchscreen display, indicative of a first exercise in response to said user identifying a first exercise expected to be performed by said user;   determining the calories expected to be burned by said user during said first exercise; and   displaying to said user information about calories expected to be consumed, or calories expected to be burned.   
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , further including the step of associating a digital value indicative of a health-related color code rating of said first exercise using multiple colors to distinguish between multiple health-related categories of exercises, including a very healthy exercise category covering exercises with a very high health-related rating and a good exercise category covering exercises that have a good health-related rating but which are rated lower than exercises with a very high health-related rating, and further including:
 determining whether said first exercise expected to be performed by the user has an associated color code other than the color code for a very healthy exercise, and displaying to said user at least one exercise together with a color code that is in a healthier color code category than the color code associated with said first exercise, if said first exercise was determined to be in a category other than said very healthy exercise category.   
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 8 , further including:
 inputting by said user a first set of foods constituting a meal;   associating each food that has been input as part of a meal with a digital color code using multiple colors to distinguish between categories of very healthy foods and moderately healthy foods;   determining whether any of the foods expected to be consumed by the user had an associated color code from a category other than a very healthy food category,   displaying to said user at least one food together with a color code that is in a healthier color code category if it is determined that a food expected to be consumed as part of said meal had an associated color code indicative of other than a very healthy food.