By: MARY-JO SAWYER | SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Published: March 21, 2012 Updated: March 21, 2012 - 12:00 AM

So how are those New Year's resolutions coming along? Since it's already March and National Nutrition Month, it's a good time to check in.

If you're like some people, resolutions have been long forgotten.

That's the problem with resolutions. We make vague goals but fail to back them with a plan.

That missed weight-loss goal might be a cause of stress right now, especially with swimsuits already showing up in the stores. A healthy goal is losing 1 to 2 pounds per week. Start executing a plan now, and you'll see some weight loss before summer.

First, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov to learn how many calories you need to lose weight. Make your profile, and then click on "My Plan" to determine calories. The site also shows the recommended servings of each food group to consume each day. From there you can track your meals and snacks in the site's new "SuperTracker," searching the "Food-A-Pedia" database of more than 8,000 foods.

Two other popular websites include myfitnesspal.com and sparkpeople.com. They also calculate calorie needs and allow you to track your daily food intake. But they have larger food databases, including brand name and restaurant foods. The duo offers other tracking tools, too, plus interaction among site members.

Both websites have free smartphone apps, making it even easier to track your progress. There are plenty of other nutrition apps available, although some may charge a fee. Try them out to see which one you find easiest to use.

If you're more old school, pick up a calorie-count book and write down what you eat. There are many good books available to meet your specific needs.

Books such as "The Complete Book of Food Counts, 9th Edition: The Book That Counts It All," by Corinne T. Netzer, show calorie, protein, carbohydrate, fat, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber content of foods.

See the rest here:
Practical Nutrition: Websites can help you track food intake and exercise