There’s an app for that.
That’s the tagline for the Apple iPhone. And when it comes to diet and exercise, this statement holds true. The iPhone has literally hundreds of apps aimed at helping dieters get more from their healthy eating and working out.
Which apps are best? I’ve come up with a list of my favorites. Share yours by leaving a comment.
1. Lose It!—From the iTunes store: “Succeed at weight loss with Lose It! Set goals and establish a daily calorie budget that enables you to meet them. Stay on track each day by recording your food and exercise and staying within your budget.”
My take: Lose It! gets high marks from me because it’s free and simple to use. Set your daily caloric intake goal, and track everything you eat and drink for the day. Lose It! has a huge directory of restaurant and fast food nutritional information, making it easy to accurately track the calories you’re taking in.
This makes you more aware of what you’re eating, allowing you to easily identify where you can shave calories to help lose weight.
2. WeightDate Weight Tracker—From the iTunes store: “A simple, easy-to-use weight progress tracker for people gaining or losing weight. I weigh myself everyday to see how I’m doing, but I know that weight fluctuates day-to-day. Still, it can be discouraging to think you’re moving away from your goal. That’s why WeightDate plots your moving average along with your scale weight, to see how you’re moving towards your goal in the long-term.”
My take: WeightDate is a simple tool from tracking your progress toward meeting your weight loss goals. Sure, you could just write your weight down each day, but WeightDate presents the data in an easy-to-understand graph that gives you a clear visual of which direction you’re headed in.
3. iPump—From the iTunes store: “PumpOne has worked diligently for over three years to bring you the best portable personal trainers for your handheld devices. Our newest digital trainer product line, iPump, is our best ever. This series will draw from over 3,000 exercise images and videos -the world’s largest collection- across all areas of training; strength, cardio, flexibility, sports, yoga, pilates and a lot more. Our exercise physiologist, Declan Condron, personally makes sure each workout is both challenging and progressive. Distributed through Apple’s iTunes App store, this first class interactive fitness application allows you to workout like never before – all while listening to your own motivating music”
My take: I think this is the ideal solution for the person who doesn’t like going to the gym or doesn’t have the money to hire their own personal trainer. The iPump series includes a wide range of fitness apps, ranging from iPump pilates to iPump power. Each app acts as a handheld digital trainer with thousands of images and videos to guide you through your workout. This is just like having your own personal trainer, without having to pay the high fees or deal with a cocky know it all.
4. iWatchr—From the iTunes store: “iWatchr is a tool used for calculating score values for the foods you eat. It is a very user friendly application with a cool look that allows you to calculate and track the foods you eat throughout the day without having to spend much time doing it.”
My take: This app is basically Weight Watchers on the go. This makes it easy to calculate points when you’re eating out with friends, ensuring you don’t go over your daily budget. The app is very easy to use, letting you input your meals quickly and without hassle.
5. 101 Cookbooks—From the iTunes store: “101 Cookbooks, a popular food blog, offers up all recipes formatted to be searched, browsed and viewed on the iPhone. The collection includes a wide range of appetizers, main courses, soups and veg-friendly recipes.”
My take: Preparing your own meals is one of the best ways to stick to your diet, ensuring you don’t end up at McDonalds because you have nothing to eat. With this app, you have access to tons of recipes, letting you find something healthy and easy to prepare in just minutes.
What are your favorite iPhone apps for dieting and exercising? Leave a comment with your suggestions.
