One study of obese and diabetic people revealed that the use of self-monitoring of calories (going in and out), through “an electronic tracking program” or an iPhone app like MyFitnessPal, is effective in losing weight healthfully. The app allows members to log food from anywhere and has a food database of 3,282,000 different kinds of foods to choose from (customized recipes can be added to the database), and all changes made via phone are also made on the website. It also automatically stores food and meals that members eat often, which makes them easy to find when they eat them again and need to log them. The counter allows members to set daily goals, and the app can add multiple foods at once. The app’s calorie counter is basically an online diary of each MyFitnessPal member’s intake. It includes most cardio and strength training workouts, as well as yoga and Pilates. MyFitnessPal has more than 350 exercise stored in its database, and it shows how much each person burns during each activity, based on their specific height, weight, and gender. MyFitnessPal’s community aspect basically consists of a forum, where other fellow users of the app are free to exchange tips and advice, as well as to create relationships through sharing personal experiences or struggles.

The free application is available for Blackberry, Android, Windows, and the iPhone. It can be tailored to fit the needs of anyone with specific and/or doctor/dietitian-recommended requirements. It’s for anyone with a busy life, looking to lose weight or simply maintain a healthy weight. One of the most popular apps, MyFitnessPal is a website that helps people count their calories by entering it into an online diary, as well as keep track of their exercise. Within the past few years, new smart phone apps have been popping up left and right in an effort to help you manage your weight easier on the go. For most of us, life already requires a balancing act: we have family, friends, work, working out, and hopefully some downtime in between.Īdd keeping track of your food and exercise to the equation, and it may seem impossible.

Fitness pal