How to Track Weight Loss With a Line Graph in Numbers '09

Losing weight is a difficult process, full of ups and downs (pun intended), struggles and triumphs. If you're not tracking your progress with a spreadsheet, you're missing out on a great motivational tool! What's better than plugging in your progress on a regular basis and seeing that line on a chart go down? If your weight goes up and you've been faithfully keeping a food diary--you may be able to pinpoint your pitfalls and avoid them in the future. Here is an effective way to graph your weight loss.

Things You'll Need

• Apple Macintosh Computer Running Mac OS 10.5+
• Apple iWork '09

Instructions

1. 

   Launch Numbers '09 from its location on the Dock or from your Applications folder.

2. 

   Start a new blank spreadsheet by selecting "Blank" in the Template Chooser.

3. 

   Select the table that's on the page by clicking on the top left square.

4. 

   When the chart loses the main outline and has "handles" or small white boxes in the corners, hit the "delete" key on your keyboard to delete it.

5. 

   Click on "Charts" from the top menu.

6. 

   Select the chart that has two jagged lines crossing each other. There are two next to each other: one is 2D and the other makes a 3-D effect chart. Either one will do.

7. 

   Click on the chart itself.

8. 

   Click the Options button on the data table above the chart. It'll be a black and white image with what looks like a set of dots and lines next to each other. The image will give you a better idea of where to click. This will change the axis options so it'll be easier to enter in your weight.

9. 

   Click & drag to select the last three columns of data.

10. Delete these columns by right-clicking and selecting "Delete Columns." We're only tracking weight so we don't need to use these. Alternately, if you're tracking other things like your measurements, you can keep these other columns for that purpose.

11. 

    Type in "Weight" where it says "2007" in the table.

12. 

    Type in the date you started your weight loss (or the current date if you don't have your weight recorded from then) where it says "Region 1."

13. 

    Type in your starting weight (or your current weight if you don't have your weight recorded from then) next to the starting date.

14. 

    Add rows by clicking on the hanging tab at the bottom left of the data table.

15. Keep adding dates and weights. As you add more data, the chart will adjust itself.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish