But there’s another aspect of mobile apps. They can also help manage weight by changing diet and lifestyle. There are apps for exercise, diet, nutrition and just about any aspect of calories in/calories out, the key to weight management. These apps are constantly available to provide feedback, and these friendly reminders can help users make the right choice at crucial moments.
It’s hard to imagine that smartphones have only been around for about 20 years. They’ve become so ubiquitous that 90 percent of Americans have a smartphone in their purse or pocket, according to the Pew Research Institute. That survey found that an estimated 29 percent of mobile phone users can’t imagine life without one, a sure sign that the phone has quickly become as natural as breathing when it comes to navigating life. Users have access to the breadth of the world’s knowledge simply by pushing a few buttons, an astonishing technological breakthrough that changes political, social and family lives.
Staying on Track
The biggest benefit of using mobile phone apps is the ability to detect changes in behavior and using that information as a real-time guide toward staying on track. If you had a long day at work, the temptation is to have fast food for dinner. A mobile phone app can remind you of nearby alternatives to grab and gobble that are just as convenient. Apps also can give a readout of daily calorie count and exercise efforts. It’s a lot easier to lose weight when you have that information handy.
Most of the applications for weight and exercise will require the user to input data to start. Thus, users have to be totally honest and perhaps surrender more information than perhaps initially comfortable providing. But there needs to be a baseline of information for most health and fitness applications to have value. Thus, it is imperative that information on diet, mood, lifestyle and daily activities are accurate.
From there, the power of algorithms can transform that data into a useful analysis of patterns of behavior. The apps can then guide you toward smarter choices in daily activities, and some of them provide access to networks of professionals or people who have similar goals, the better to support the user when he or she wavers along the path.
5 Great Weight-Loss Apps
Here are a few key applications that can help improve diet and lifestyle choices. As with any tool, how you use it, when you use it and if you use it plays a big part in its effectiveness.
Being able to better understand the issues that keep you from attaining a desired weight or level of fitness is the main benefit of using these apps. But you've gotta use it for it to work.
Here are some of the more intriguing mobile phone applications that may create better living:
1) MealSnap ($2.99) – How many calories are in that container of Kung Pao Chicken? Was this salad really the right choice? Take a picture of the dish and MealSnap will do an analysis of the nutrition benefits. Regularly using the app will presumably help users start making better food choices and learn to eat healthier. It’s also a great tool for keeping track of calorie consumption.
2) Fitocracy (free) – A social networking site and app that creates competition and a sense of urgency by keeping track of daily workouts. The fitness community offers suggestions on more than 800 exercises for weight loss, strength and cardiovascular fitness. Plan your workout goals and then track the results, which can unlock certain levels through attaining points.
3) AroundMe (free) – Been out and about when hunger pangs strike? That’s usually the time when bad choices in food are made, and people just grab whatever's close and quick. That’s when this app can guide users to local salad bars and other healthier choices that are away from the fast-food jungle.
4) Moves (free) – Small changes in a daily routine can help burn more calories. Moves tracks daily steps, quantifying how many miles users have walked, translating it into calories burned. So park a little further away, take the stairs, go for a stroll during lunch, and soon, you’ve earned that cheeseburger.
5) MyFitnessPal (free) – This mobile app helps track what users are eating and measures calorie input. It reminds users of diet goals and lets users know when they have strayed from the true and narrow path. It's a fun app that allows users to connect with friends who use the app and see their progress. Weight loss is proven to be more successful when using the "buddy system," so enlist a friend or two for great results with this app.
No matter what diet and fitness goals you have planned, there’s likely an app that can help achieve the dream. Just remember to keep the phone charged.