5 Apps That Will Help You Lose Weight
Jul 1, 2012
While the app market is dominated with games, tablet and smart phone app developers are raising health and wellness to a higher plane. You remember one of the first apps to flood phones: Snake. You know, that game where your black-and-white, elongated rectangle chased after a diamond on the screen (possibly a pixilated rat), and the snake was controlled in hopes of not eating its own tail? That game is still fun despite its primitive capabilities. Since then, the phone has made more progress in 14 years than the previous 122 years of its existence. With this compounding technological advancement comes greater capabilities in all areas—including your health.
While games like Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja have conquered the app market since its inception, health and wellness apps have crept their way in and created their own niche. You can find apps to count calories, advise you on proper dieting, diagnose your sickness from symptoms you experience, or project you or your loved one’s next menstruation (for strategizing conception or gearing up for your partner’s PMS). The list grows and continuously improves. Apps have made tasks like losing weight and managing cancer powerfully simpler. This convenience is driving many to improve their physical, spiritual and emotional well-being.
Here is a list of five highly rated weight-loss apps that caught my attention. Don’t knock these till you try them!
- Target WEIGHT for Adults: This app encourages users to track their weight according to their target. By weighing in regularly, users can track their progress towards their weight loss and body mass index goal. I chose this app over Weightbot because it tells you how long it will take you to hit your goal at your current pace. This and other features, along with its free price, make it the most attractive app for simply measuring your weight.
- Weight Loss Brainwave: This app claims that by creating specific brainwaves through its audio tones, it can release stress and restore energy, thus mitigating compulsive eating. This either sounds revolutionary or fraudulent. Is $2.99 worth the risk? You decide.
- Calorie Counter PRO: If you ever tried tracking calories on paper, you will realize how much easier it is to use this app. With over 450,000 foods in its database, you are likely to find what you ate and will be one step closer to shedding pounds. I admired a different calorie counter app, but Calorie Counter PRO handily beats it with features such as the exercise calculator,and detailed graphs that monitor fats, proteins and carbs.
- Intelli-Diet: Nominated best health app of 2011, Intelli-Diet takes food in your pantry and creates a healthy meal plan based on the foods you already have. Select your food preferences, enter in which foods you hold in your kitchen and voila! Your healthy diet has been made for you.
- Nexercise: Is it hard for you to find pleasure in exercising? Nexercise can help with that. Using fun games, your social network and a scoring system will provide the boost in energy that you need to work out regularly. Earn medals, gain bragging rights over friends and live life with less baggage. This app is a fun way to get fit.
If you are looking to lose weight or just maintain what you have, this list of weight-loss apps will get you on track to meet your goals. Getting and staying fit has never been so simple, affordable and attainable. These apps are incredible tools that will improve your wellness.
About the Author
Brian has previously worked as a freelance writer for BlueGlass Interactive and The Examiner. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Brigham Young University and has worked for UnitedHealthcare and for the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics since graduating school. He currently works for the John Moran Eye Center in Salt Lake City, UT, and is currently enrolled in the master’s in healthcare administration program at Weber State University.
