Tracking Your Weight on the Go

Nan Jensen,
Family and Consumer Sciences Agent

Whether it’s getting rid of those “extra winter pounds”, getting in shape for the beach or having more energy, keeping track of what you eat and your daily activity can go a long way in helping you achieve your goals. There are a number of good weight management apps that make it easy to keep tabs on your calorie intake and stick to a healthy eating plan.The American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics features a review by registered dietitians of some of the most popular apps on its website eatright.org. Below is a summary.

Weight Management App Reviews
Registered dietitians review the top-rated free iPhone and Android apps for weight management.

• Calorie Counter
  Tracks food, exercise, weight and all the nutrients listed on a Nutrition Facts label. Includes daily inspirational articles, healthy recipes and an easy-to-understand help section. RD Rating: 4 stars
• Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitness Pal
  Tracks a combination of fitness goals and nutrition analysis features to help you lose weight. RD Rating: 4.5 stars
• Calorie Counter by MyNetDiary
  Allows user to personalize a calorie limit for weight loss, gain or maintenance. RD Rating: 3 stars
• Calorie Counter: Diets & Activities
  Features a classic food diary that tracks calories, water, fitness and the time each food item is consumed and an option to create your own diet and physical activity plan and an Integrated Body Tracker. RD Rating: 4 stars
• Calorie Tracker by Livestrong.com
  Food and fitness diary designed to help you achieve your diet and nutrition goals, whether you want to lose, maintain or gain weight. RD Rating: 4 stars
• Daily Burn
  Keep track of calories consumed and track workouts to see how much energy is burned. RD rating: 2 stars 
• Diet Assistant
  Diet Assistant provides diet plans for those who want to gain, lose or maintain their weight. RD rating: 2 stars  
• eaTipster
  Created by the Dietitians of Canada, eaTipster delivers daily healthy eating tips to your mobile devices. RD rating: 5 stars
• Lose it!
  Keeps track of foods you eat with this detailed food database; primarily for people wanting to lose weight. RD Rating: 3 stars
• My Diet Coach
  Touted as a tool to "win the mental game of dieting," My Diet Coach is designed to keep dieters motivated and committed to meeting their weight loss goals. RD Rating: 3 stars
• Sparkpeople Food and Fitness Tracker
  Fitness and food tracker for people looking to lose a half-pound to 2 pounds per week or to maintain weight. RD Rating: 4 stars
• Thryve
  Thryve is marketed as a mobile food coach. Originally designed as a way to identify food intolerances, Thryve captures what and how much you eat and your mood after a meal. RD Rating: 2 stars
• Weight Watchers Mobile
  Follows the Weight Watchers plan step by step, using interactive tools, finding local meetings and creating shopping lists. RD Rating: 2 stars