Statistically speaking, those who have the time and dedicate it to tracking their own caloric intake whenever they eat any food are a lot more likely to lose weight and keep it off than those who don’t find it useful.
Luckily, you don’t have to spend time doing rigorous calculations every time you sit down to have a meal. However, having a general idea of how many calories the meal you are about to eat has in it and sticking to calorie intake range which you set a goal towards will result in weight loss rather than weight gain. When it comes to calorie counting and ensuring you are sticking to a plan, you are the difference between success and failure.
Two or so decades ago, the process of calorie counting was a lot more difficult than today. Thanks to the digital age, you no longer have to look up the information in specific books to determine how many calories each food contains. Technology has made all of this information easily accessible through your personal computer or other handheld devices.
There are dozens of different applications out there that you can use for your Android or Apple devices which can help you track the food you eat. The best part is that you won’t have to pay for most of these unless you decide to switch to a premium version.
Which Weight Loss Applications Are Best?
Here are some of the most used applications out there. Take a look and see which one of these is the best choice for you.
Contents
LoseIt!
If you are on a track to lose a few or many pounds off of your total weight, then chances are you already have a bunch of different apps that are helping you get that weight off. LoseIt! is able to connect with many different devices and collect the information from exercise and fitness trackers so you won’t have to manually enter all of this stuff. Alternatively, if you don’t use any of these “fitness tracking apps” you can enter everything manually alongside your food intake.
The database of LoseIt! Is pretty extensive, which means that once you enter your parameters, you can easily personalize your calorie intake and modify all sorts of options.
You will also have access to a very handy barcode scanner which will let you add packaged food to the list super quickly and effortlessly.
After you have fully personalized your profile, you will get calorie counts not only for each day but also for every week. Weight changes will be shown through the use of a graph. One of the best parts of LoseIt! is their chat community who are extremely active. They are always organizing challenges that you can partake in and constantly talking with each other. If you don’t like any of the challenges made by others in the community, you can always make your own.
There is a premium membership which is offered for users of LoseIt! If you decided to pay the extra $39.99 per year, you will get access to extra goals and will be able to enter more information into the platform to make your profile even more unique. There are also a few other extras that you will get access to.
Pros
- Includes A Reminder Option To Help You Add Snacks And Meals Into The System
- Vast Database Which Includes Foods From Restaurants And Unique Grocery Items
Cons
- Can’t Track Micronutrients
- Can Be Difficult To Navigate
- Adding Home-Cooked Meals Can Be Tedious
Chron-o-meter
These guys focused on 3 main parts that you need to prioritize when trying to lose weight: exercise, food intake, and body weight. Their exercise database is truly exceptional. Not only does it contain an enormous amount of data for average people but also for those with special conditions, like pregnant and lactating women and many others who might have special needs.
The recommendations for food type intake can easily be adjusted depending on specific dietary needs that you might have. So if you are following a paleo, low-fat, vegetarian, or low-carb diet, adjusting the plan can be done easily and without complications.
The food diary which comes with the app is extremely easy to read. It uses charts to break down your daily protein, fat, and carb intake alongside the number of calories which should be part of each category.
Additionally, you can add your micronutrients to the plan as well, which includes vitamins and minerals only at the moment. If you decide to get the paid version, which will only cost you about $2.99 per month, you will get access to advanced analysis and all of those distracting ads will be removed from the app.
Pros
- Able To Track Micronutrients
- Can Sync With Other Devices For Data
- Easy To Use
Cons
- No Community Forum
- Home Recipes Can Be Added But Only Through The Website
- Website Is Completely Free But The App Is $2.99
MyFitnessPal
The biggest reason why this application is so widely used and is so popular is because of its enormous database. It includes over five million different foods and has the ability to pull different recipes from the web and calculate the number of calories in each recipe.
Modifying and creating your own special dishes is also possible with this application. They can also be saved as favorites for future use and can be added to your meals quickly and effortlessly whenever you eat them again.
The layout of the homepage is very simple and gives you a quick rundown of the number of calories you have already consumed throughout the day, the number of calories that you have left for the rest of the day, and the number of calories which you have burned through exercise.
Those who are using a fitness tracker will be happy to know that this app has a syncing option which will import all of your exercise data and add it to the log without you having to spend extra time doing it yourself.
A barcode scanner is also being utilized in this app, which makes adding packaged foods a breeze.
A pie chart is also used in this app to help you see how many carbs, fats, and proteins you have consumed throughout the day. Furthermore, you can add notes to each section during the day to specify how you feel according to the food you intake and exercise you partake in.
You will be able to set and track goals, share recipes or tips with other users on an interactive chat forum, and even look over and share meal planning ideas with other users.
The majority of these features are available for free, but there is an upgraded version of the app which will cost you $49.99 per year and gives you access to more features and options.
Pros
- Automatic Calorie Counting For Downloaded Recipes
- Huge Database With A Great Selection Of Restaurant Foods
- Awesome “Quick-Add” Option Which Adds Calories Without Much Detail
Cons
- Can Be Difficult To Modify For Serving Sizes
- Users Upload A Majority Of The Food Which Creates Accuracy And Duplication Issues
FatSecret
Let’s start by saying that this application is completely free, so you don’t have to worry about becoming a premium member or upgrading. It offers an excellent nutritional database, food journal, weight chart, exercise log, calories counter, and many healthy recipes.
It utilizes the barcode scanner to give you the ability to add packaged goods. All categories of food types are accessible in graph form for every meal you eat and for your whole day, so it is easy to see how much protein, fat, and carbohydrates you are consuming.
One of the features that stand out in FatSecret is that it offers a monthly summary in which you can see your average daily calorie consumption and the recommended average consumption which can help you with your preset goal.
The calorie counter of this app is super user-friendly, no fuss included. Chat forums are active and many people swap recipes, offer challenges, and share success stories.
The app is packed with articles and recipes, including information from other sources that can help you maintain or lose weight.
Pros
- User-Added Information Is Always Highlighted So It Can Be Verified If Needed
- Excellent Database With Many Restaurant Foods And Supermarket Foods
- Low-Carb Diet Followers Can Utilize “Net Carb” Counts
Cons
- The Interface Might Seem Somewhat Cluttered And Confusing For Some Users
SparkPeople
This is one of those apps that focus on their massive following. They have one of the biggest communities out there and it offers a huge amount of information including articles written by experts, health and wellness news, recipes, and an excellent amount of exercise demo videos.
If you are searching for support and someone who will back you up, this is a great choice.
It has a huge database, and the only problem is that many of the features in the app are only accessible by the users who chose to upgrade their account.
Barcode scanning is also part of the app, as well as easy recipe adding. The interface is user-friendly and allows you to convert your whole food diary into an easily readable pie chart of calories and macronutrients.
Pros
- A Huge Amount Of Resources
Cons
- The Huge Amount Of Resources Can Be Overwhelming To Some
- Logging Some Foods Can Be A Hassle
- Apps Are Customized Separately For Those Who Have Special Needs
Weight Loss Apps Conclusion
There are many different applications out there that offer various features that you can take advantage of to ensure that your weight is exactly where you want it to be or that you are steadily losing weight and getting to your ultimate goal.
Even though many of these applications do have upgraded or premium versions which you have to pay for, most aren’t too expensive. Furthermore, the good part about using these apps is that you gradually learn which foods contain which nutrients and the number of calories within them. So over time, you might even be able to stop using these apps after you have established some key habits which will help you maintain your weight.
If you seek to improve your diet and gain a visual representation of what you are doing to get your weight under control, these fitness applications are an excellent choice. They hold you accountable for your actions. It’s easy to cheat when you don’t see the detrimental effects of it, but with these applications, the numbers are right there. Didn’t lose as much weight last week as the week before? Perhaps that spontaneous outing to your favorite restaurant is the reason.
Remember, your doctor will always be able to give you the most information about what you should be doing and the type of diet you should be following. These apps give you the ability to track these diets with ease, but deciding which one is best for you is entirely up to you and your doctor.
