A detrimental facet of the computer industry is how easy it is to turn tuna from sitting on our duffs all day long while pecking away at our keyboard.

I mean, how many calories do we burn while staring at our monitor? Not only that, but our posture is heading south, too.

So, along with 85 million other North Americans we try dieting. And, like 95 percent of those, we fail the diet because we don't have a specific plan or we try and attain an unrealistic goal. Furthermore, other than the daily morning weigh-in, we don't keep track of our efforts very well.

However, the proliferation of handheld devices like the Palm Pilot and Handspring's Visor series have made tracking our eating and workout results easier. In fact, it can be kinda fun.

One such product is called the Vivonic Fitness Planner. Vivonic http://www.vivonic.com/ is part of the Intel New Business Group located in Hillsboro, Oregon, where Intel already has a big presence with its microprocessor business. Intel has a relatively aggressive venture capital department and is always looking to start up or invest in new deals.

There are 2 versions of the Vivonic Fitness Planner. You can purchase the actual Vivonic handheld unit for $199US, but it is more sensible to buy just the software itself for $49.99US and install it on your Palm or Handspring handheld device. After all, there is a limit to the number of gadgets that can hang from the belt of the average geek or geekette.

The VFP software, which is first installed on your desktop PC then synchronizes with your Palm unit, lets you easily keep track of your caloric intake from meals and your caloric reduction from your workouts. When maintained, you can quickly see the daily, weekly or monthly results of your fitness plan.

The software seems to work intuitively by first defining your personal profile of age, height, weight, etc. Then, you select your primary and secondary goals of the fitness program by choosing from a list that includes weight loss, improved eating habits, improved self esteem, a better cardiovascular system and so on. Then, define the term of the program: four, eight or 12 weeks.

Finally, you enter in other qualifiers - such as if you have ever had heart problems, dizziness and fainting or if there is a family history of diabetes or blood pressure problems. Other qualifiers ask if you are a smoker or if you have any current physical injuries. Naturally, the program warns you to consult your physician before starting any exercise or nutritional program and every day, a new Fitness Tip of the day appears.

I decided to create a program that would see me lose a pound a week over a 12-week period. I described the type of program I would go on which included three areas: flexibility exercises, strength training, and cardiovascular exercise. I then selected body weight exercises such as sit-ups for flexibility, the use of free weights for strength training and defined running as my cardio workout.

The VFP generated a fitness summary that said I should run four times a week for at least 60 minutes at a good clip. Then I must do two days per week of strength training, which includes one set of 15 reps of six different exercises. If I was unable to do any cardiovascular or strength training exercise, VFP advized me do at least 20 minutes of flexibility exercises (stretching) three times per week.

My summary also said if I wanted to lose one pound per week, I was allowed to take in as much as 2,404 calories per day - provided I burned 1,012 calories per exercise session and 578 calories from other exercise. Naturally, if I stopped eating so much, I would lose more weight faster. In other words, your daily goals are always displayed.

The best part of the VFP is how it works on your Palm device. I used it on my Palm IIIc, where I found it synched easily and properly with my desktop unit. The Palm interface is simple. The top of the screen shows Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Exercises. All you do is tap on the proper date and menu item, then add the food you have eaten for that meal. The list within the program is extensive and you can customize or add to the list.

I then quickly looked at what I might have to eat at the football game later that day. A double hamburger with all the trimmings was an astonishing 607 calories and a Budweiser was another 145. Not only that, but the burger was very high in fat calories (308) as the VFP shows the caloric intake broken down into fat, protein and carbohydrates. Clearly, if you want to lose weight, stay away from these big-ticket items!

While the Vivonic Fitness Planner works well, there will undoubtedly be future enhancements to it. But if you are a Palm lover and you want to get fit, programs like the VFP will help; provided you keep up with the data input. Like any schedule, one tends to better meet the established goals if they are always in front of you.

Other fitness pointers? Sure. If all you have is an Excel spreadsheet, it is easy to keep track of your running miles, times, weight, calories, etc. Or, Microsoft Access 97 comes with a workout database "wizard" where you can create your own schedule and define activities; even if you don't have refined database skills. Finally, an excellent fitness website is Asimba http://www.asimba.com/ which features your own personal, on-line training log and daily workout tips that are emailed to you.

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