10 Best Weight Loss iPhone & Android Apps 2012
According to the Center for Disease Control, over a third of U.S. adults are obese. Whether you've tried the grapefruit or paleo diet, the Jane Fonda workout or Zumba, you're always looking for a new plan of action to shed that weight. Here are 10 of the most popular apps that users are turning to drop that weight – for good.
Please note: Healthline Networks does not endorse or warrant for fitness of purpose any of these applications. These apps have not been evaluated for medical accuracy by Healthline Networks and unless otherwise indicated, haven’t been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).
BMI Calculator - Ideal Weight
Android - 4.4 stars with 3,785 ratings - 500K-1 mil installs in the last 30 days - Free
Developed in the 19th century by Belgian mathematician Adolphe Quetelet, the Body Mass Index (BMI) tells you your body mass divided by the square of your height. Used to estimate adiposity or obesity, as a statistical device, or in medical underwriting, it can also be used by everyday folk like yourself to see where you stand weight-wise and where your target lies.
With BMI Calculator - Ideal Weight you'll be able to compute your own BMI based on age and gender. With this data you'll have the necessary information you need to reach your fitness goals.
Get in Shape: effective diets & workouts
iPhone - 4 stars with 628 ratings - Free
Want to lose weight for that St. Barth's vacation or your best friend's wedding? Get in Shape: effective diets & workouts offers you detailed, easy-to-follow, pre-designed diets and workouts as well as individual plans created by nutritionists just for you, along with live support.
With 65 diets lasting from two to 28 days, 30 gym workouts complete with photo, audio, and video guides, over 100 activities, and nutrition and fitness ideas, you'll have a lot of to choose from. The calorie counter, extensive food database, automatic BMI calculator, and live support will help to keep you on track.
Diet Assistant - Weight Loss
Android - 4.2 stars with 7,236 ratings - 1 mil–5mil installs in the last 30 days - Free
Those of us who struggle with our weight are always thinking, "If only we had a little help." Diet Assistant provides that extra bit of aid that makes all the difference.
You've heard of celebrities having personal chefs and trainers to keep them on track. With Diet Assistant you'll have both and more. You'll receive healthy, personalized diet plans (including shopping and grocery lists) whether you're vegetarian, low carb, or anything in between, nutritional facts, a weight-loss tracker, BMI calculator, diet and weight loss tips and tricks, and more.
Ideal Weight (BMI)
Android - 4.4 stars with 25,610 ratings - 1 mil-5 mil installs in the last 30 days - Free
Ever wonder what your ideal weight is? This app will tell you. Ideal Weight will compute your BMI and will let you know where you stand. Just enter your height and weight information and discover your BMI along with your ideal weight.
It's easy to use, too. Just run your finger across the easy-to-use yellow measuring tape to enter your height and weight values and you'll get all the information needed to prepare you to win the battle of the bulge.
Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal
iPhone - 4.5 stars with 273,630 Ratings - Free
Android - 4.7 stars with 195,841 ratings - 5 mil-10 mil installs in the last 30 days - Free
Calories, or units of energy, are our friends, keeping us going and sustaining us through long periods of physical activity. But every dieter knows that excessive calories are the enemy of any weight loss program. Fortunately Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal's easy to use calorie counter keeps us from getting too friendly with these pesky weight gainers.
With a customizable database of over 1.5 million foods with nutritional information and quick and easy food and exercise entry (including free barcode scanner), a customizable list of over 350 exercises along with trackable calories burned, and social media sharing, you'll be sharing your success stories in no time.
Lose It!
iPhone - 3.5 stars with 310,786 Ratings - Free
Android - 4.6 stars with 5,039 ratings - 1 mil–5 mil Installs in the last 30 days - Free
You've suffered the health effects of obesity for far too long. Now it's time to just Lose It! With this streamlined app you'll set a goal and a daily calorie allotment to help you meet it. Simply log your food and exercise information each day and you'll uncover a breakdown of your daily nutrients — protein, fat, carbs, and more — along with what you're losing.
Since dieting is more effective with support, Lose It! also enables you to add friends for motivation, share your favorite foods, exercises, and recipes, and post your success stories on Facebook and Twitter.
Weight Watchers Mobile
iPhone - 3 stars with 45,176 ratings - Free
Founded in 1963 the Weight Watchers diet has helped dieters lose weight for almost 50 years. Now, with Weight Watchers Mobile, you can take your personal weight loss coach with you wherever you are.
You'll receive the latest recipes, obesity news, exercise information, and much, much more. Working in tandem with their popular PointsPlus program, this app allows you to track your points and make smarter food choices. Still feeling uninspired? The app will connect you to success stories, a meeting in your area, or an online community of friends and fellow dieters for that added push.
Diet Point • Weight Loss
Android - 4.2 stars with 17,610 ratings - 1 mil-5 mil installs in the last 30 days - Free
Sleek and intuitive Diet Point is your weight loss assistant offering 55 unique diet plans from every category: vegetarian, low carb, detox, fad, and blood type, including grocery lists for every diet and meal by meal instruction, along with meal reminders. You'll also receive a BMI and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculator, which tracks the amount of energy you expend at rest, along with an exercise expenditure calculator.
DietPoint is your weight-loss manager that keeps you on track and puts you in touch with others who share the same goal. For that added push, you'll receive dieting tips and tricks along with a large discussion forum, where you can get guidance from your fellow dieters.
Noom Weight Loss Coach
Android - 4.3 stars with 24,166 ratings - 1 mil-5 mil installs in the last 30 days - Free
All your nom nom nomming, has gotten you in need of Noom Weight Loss Coach. Along with a personalized and interactive weight loss plan, this app provides you with daily tasks: informational articles to read and fun challenges to do, along with activity reminders, plus easy and convenient food and exercise logging — to help create more lasting changes.
You'll receive new daily food and exercise tasks to keep your program fresh, an exercise tracker with real-time GPS and pedometer to record all your activities, a Daily Noom score to reward you and track your progress, and social networking integration with Facebook and Twitter so you can share your success stories with friends and family.
Bon'App
iPhone - 3.5 stars with 15 ratings - Free
Android - 3.5 stars with 12 ratings - 5K-10K installs in the last 30 days - Free
Many apps will help you count calories, but voice-powered Bon’App is even more user friendly by allowing you to speak your food choices. Whether it's a Big Mac, apple, or glass of soda, Bon'App will tell you the caloric content of what you want to consume.
It doesn't hurt that Bon’App features the most complete database of foods, packaged brands, and restaurant items, including nutritional information. Once you speak your food choice, you'll get your caloric information, so you can make better choices for now and always.
Use These Apps for an Extra Boost with Your Weight Loss
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity is a global epidemic and the fifth leading cause of global deaths. Perhaps most unfortunately, parents are passing on their poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles to their children. Childhood obesity reached 40 million in 2010, which foreshadows later adult illness and premature death.
Fortunately, obesity is preventable and treatable, according to WHO. Its recommendations for keeping weight down include limiting fat and sugar intake, increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts, and engaging in regular physical activity. The Food and Drug Administration recommends at least an hour to 90 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. For that extra boost, try out the 10 aforementioned apps.
Methodology
We selected these weight loss apps based on their potential to aid overweight people and their loved ones in a number of ways. Additional factors considered in selecting these apps included: user ratings, affordability, accessibility, format, functionality, and relevance to weight loss and its community's needs. Together, this collection represents the gamut of helpful iPhone and Android apps that are successfully designed to make weight loss more manageable.
