Trying to Lose Weight? There Are Apps for That!

 Whether it’s for trimming off the holiday weight or managing chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, many people will have weight loss near the top of their New Year’s resolutions. Thankfully, there are apps for that. Here are some of the top free tools for use with your smartphone.
1. Apple Health (iPhone) or Google Fit (Android)
Even if you don’t own a Fitbit or Apple Watch, did you know your smartphone can count your steps? Load the pre-installed Apple Health app on your iPhone or install Google Fit on your Android to view many different health parameters, including steps or flights of stairs climbed.
Additionally, both Apple Health and Google Fit feature dashboards that can pull a variety of health information from other apps (including others on this list) and aggregate your health data in one place. Before long, you may have the option to share this data with your doctors.
2. MyFitnessPal (Apple, Android)
MyFitnessPal is the most widely-used health app in the world. For the uninitiated, it’s a food diary that helps you log your food and keep track of nutritional information. Its massive database of over five million foods includes virtually every offering from any chain restaurant. Additionally, it provides nutritional content for home-cooked meals, ingredients and even ethnic foods.
When first setting up the app, it helps you set daily calorie goals based on your target weight loss, timeframe and activity level. While other food diary apps exist – Lose It, for example –MyFitnessPal earns my top recommendation thanks to its compatibility with nearly every health gadget and app.
3. Pact Health (Apple, Android)
Pact uses a unique combination of rewards and punishments to help motivate you to exercise and keep track of your food consumption. Users start by making up to three separate pacts: 1) exercise, 2) track food and/or 3) eat fruits/veggies. For each pact, you pledge to achieve a weekly goal or be subject to a cash penalty! At week’s end, those who fulfilled their pledge are rewarded with the cash penalty from those who failed.
Many people might be dissuaded by the potential penalty, but I have personally found it very helpful in motivating me to go to the gym and keep a food diary, and these behaviors help me lose weight. As with any diet or weight-loss strategy, there is no one universal app for everybody, but these are the tools that I consistently recommend to my patients and friends.  Good luck!
Dr. David Ahn is a board-certified endocrinologist with UCLA Health’s Santa Clarita practice, located at 25775 McBean Parkway, Suite 202, in Valencia. Visit uclahealth.org/santaclarita or call 661-753-5464.