5 Best Apps for Losing Weight

Fitness and weight loss apps can provide dieters the motivation they need to succeed, along with practical tips and accurate advice that makes losing weight and improving fitness easier. Here are a few of our favorites that will hopefully help you reach your ultimate goal.

1. FITOCRACY

If you love playing games and working out, the Fitocracy app is for you. Fitocracy takes a different approach to fitness, treating it like a fun game rather than a chore. That approach can make weight loss easier and more effective, as dieters interact with one another and share goals and success stories. Fitocracy also offers a premium level that includes custom reports, additional support and other great features. If you are looking for a unique way to get fit, the Fitocracy app is definitely worth a look.

2. MYFITNESSPAL

This calorie counter and fitness tracker is one of the best weight loss tools in your virtual toolbox. My Fitness Pal includes a barcode scanner dieters can use to check the calorie counts on more than 3 million different items, so everything you want to eat should be well covered. My Fitness Pro also allows dieters to create customized weight loss and fitness plans and track their progress along the way. Best of all, the advanced features of the app are totally free and instantly accessible.

3. NIKE+ TRAINING CLUB

As you would expect from Nike, the Training Club app focuses more on fitness and exercise than dieting and counting calories. The Training Club app provides a fun yet challenging series of features, from great exercise videos with professional coaching to a motivational system that tracks and rewards your progress. The Nike+ Training Club is also fully integrated with Facebook and Twitter, so you can let your virtual community join in on the fun. Social media is a great way for dieters to stay motivated, and having the support of Facebook friends can improve your odds of success. The makers of the Training Club app know that and take full advantage of it.

4. FOODUCATE

If you have ever wanted to know more about the foods you eat, the Fooducate app is the one for you. Like other apps, the Fooducate app includes a handy barcode scanner, but unlike other apps, it rates what you eat based on its ingredients and nutritional value. That means the Fooducate app can distinguish between the calories in a PopTart and those in a healthy bowl of oatmeal. The Fooducate app also allows dieters to enter their fitness goals and workout plans, integrating dietary suggestions along the way. Dieters who are avid weightlifters can get recommendations based on protein content, while aerobics enthusiasts can focus on calorie counts and other factors. The Fooducate app also provides information on genetically modified ingredients for dieters who are trying to avoid such artificial ingredients.

5. WEIGHT WATCHERS

If you are a member of the Weight Watchers community, this app should be on your phone. The app integrates seamlessly with the rest of the popular diet plan, making it easy to track the point values of more than 30,000 different foods. The app also includes plenty of motivational aspects and practical tips, including healthy recipes, success stories and more. This app is worth a look even if you are not using the Weight Watchers program.

Melody Rose Rowan

Melody Rose Rowan is the CEO + hostess with the mostess at @CuteStays. When she isn’t blogging about style and interior design for her blog MustacheMelrose.com, Melody can be found renovating @MaxineTheAirstream with her husband, Scott, or playing with her two rescue dog-sons, Jake and Finn. Say hi at @mustachemelrose!