Buy Walking VideosReview: Weight Commander
While on my search for new software for my Palm, I checked out Weight Commander for the PC. It wasn’t what I needed, but it was an interesting program.
It doesn’t allow you to keep track of your food or exercise. It’s not a nutrition or exercise log, it is strictly to keep track of your weight. It recommends that you weigh every day and input the weight into its system. Every day it gives you a little word of warning or information.
My one problem is that I tend to lose weight in drops. I’ll stagnate for days or even weeks on end and then have a sudden drop in weight on one day. When I had this, Weight Commander chided me for losing weight too quickly and told me to slow down. I know my body and that sudden weight loss was the accumulation of days of eating healthy and exercising while the scale didn’t move, so I was bothered by the admonition to slow down.
The best advice that Weight Commander gave me before my 5-day trial expired was “Don’t follow the hollow.” That meant, don’t look at your daily weight data, look at the average. Look at the general trend. Is the general trend going up or down or staying the same? Don’t look at today’s weight, look at the weight average.
That is really helpful advice when you’re weighing every day. My body weight can fluctuate wildly from day to day, which means that I get ecstatic when I see a huge drop and depressed when it bounces up. “Don’t follow the hollow,” is something that I can remember when I see those big changes.
If you are tracking your weight daily, my weight log and spreadsheet would not work for you. It assumes a weekly weigh-in, but it could be adjusted for a daily weigh-in. If you have Microsoft Excel on your computer, this spreadsheet would do much of what Weight Commander would do without the admonishments.
Previous: Ratatouille
Next: Review: Diet Tracker
July 18th, 2006 at 9:21 am
I have Weight Commander, and it does have an excercise log. I’m not sure if you have an older version. As for the food log, there is an online version of Weight Commander that I’m also testing, and it has a Carb, Points, and Calorie counter. I put my food & points in the Points calculator.
June 5th, 2009 at 5:49 am
This program is okay but the customer service is terrible. I had a problem logging in (it turned out I was given the wrong version)and sent nine e-mails without getting a response. After wasting several months with this I finally got the correct version by paying again for it.
December 26th, 2010 at 10:41 pm
I purchased Weight Commander quite a few years ago. For some reason the program doesn’t work and when I wrote to Michael he told me that it is now a web based program. I had to send him more money to use the program. He cashed my check but won’t help me access my personal Weight Commander. I’ve written over 10 emails to him with no response. I wouldn’t advise anyone to waste their money with this program. Customer Service is terrible and I have lost my confidence in Michael Marder. I wonder now about those who are using the web based program, he could yank it off the web and nobody could use their program.
April 23rd, 2014 at 6:03 am
I have used weight commander for YEARS I love it!. It does have a food diary where you can track calories, carbs or points and It also tracks exercise and water so maybe you found an older version. I paid a one time $10 fee in 2008 and I have used it since with no problems and plenty of updates over the years. I really do love it! I also get his e-mail snack ideas which come every single day to my inbox (by subscription so you don’t have to get them).
May 19th, 2015 at 5:40 pm
I started with Michael Marder…years ago. It must have been at least 2005. The program has always been marvelous and I would never, ever want to be without it. I can track my exercise, food diary to track carbs, calories, points. I love the admonitions…even if they don’t match the work or lose that I have done…or had. I paid such an extremely small fee ..for all the enjoyment I have had out of Michael’s program, Weight Commander over the years. I have ALWAYS saved…every one of his recipes for the Low Calorie Snacks..even the Repeats! Then my computer gets replaced…and I go crazy if I suspect that I might lose that file! Yes…I cannot say enough about the program that Michael Marder has put together to help us with our weight loss journey! Thanks so much Michael…job well done! Rebekah Hughes
November 3rd, 2015 at 7:26 am
I have been using this program for years and would like to update to the latest version. I love the way it works. It is the only program I have consistently kept using. I am looking to purchase it as a gift for other people. Thank you Michael Marder still loving it!