Anyone looking to get fit in 2015 can find motivation and accountability at their fingertips in the form of apps. Some of the best weight loss apps offer features like social sharing, restaurant food databases, and workout moves you can do anywhere. Check out the best apps to help you get strong and sleek in no time.
Fooducate
Price: Free
Availability: Google Play, Amazon Appstore, Apple App Store
Learn to choose healthy food options with this simple app. Search more than 200,000 food items or scan a barcode to see that item’s letter grade. Foods are graded from A to D. An algorithm grades foods based on how processed and how nutrient dense they are. Get suggestions for healthier choices. See alerts when unhealthy ingredients are present. You can even track your caloric intake and exercise, add your own foods, and participate in the community.
Noom Coach: Weight Loss
Price: Free basic version
Availability: Google Play, Amazon Appstore, Apple App Store
One of several Noom apps, this one goes beyond simple fitness tracking and calorie counting. Noom claims that active users lose an average of 10 pounds in two months. The app offers a pedometer, calorie counter, health and fitness articles, and user forums for questions and support wrapped up in a clean, intuitive package. The pro version is a monthly subscription with several additional features, such as Noom Groups, Noom Recipes, and more content.
MyFitnessPal
Price: Free
Availability: Google Play, Amazon Appstore, Apple App Store
This exercise, weight, and activity tracking app has won awards from PC Magazine and Wired. It is one of the most popular weight loss apps available. You can set goals, view reports, and engage with your friends. It even connects with other top fitness apps, such as Misfit, FitBit, and MapMyRun, so you don’t have to log activity information more than once. Entering foods can be done manually or with a scanner. Nearly any food you can think of is probably already among the more than 3 million foods in the app. It lets you save favorite meals for easier logging and add recipes by ingredient for correct calorie count on homemade dishes.
BMI Calculator
Price: Free
Availability: Google Play, Amazon Appstore, Apple App Store
Similar calculators are available from all three app sources and several developers. They all basically do the same thing. Our favorite is the BMI Calculator by Appovo in Google Play. It has a simple, intuitive interface. Input your age, weight, and height to calculate your BMI. Also calculate your waist to height ratio. Save your last entered age, height, weight, and waist to help you track your progress over time (in one of your other fitness apps).
Sworkit
Price: Lite version Free
Availability: Google Play, Amazon Appstore, Apple App Store
Get the workout you want, wherever you are, and in the amount of time you have. Sworkit lets you pick a type and time, then gives you a workout. You can even choose a target area to focus on. Workout types include: strength, cardio, yoga, stretching, and pilates. With the pro version, you can create and save your own circuits, customize workouts for specific needs, adjust intervals, sync with MyFitnessPal, and more.
One of the best things about using apps to help you lose weight is they are always with you. You can have a food diary, calorie calculator, and a snapshot of your progress right in your purse or pocket. The motivation, support, and information you need to keep going and successfully lose weight is within reach even at your worst moments. Use these invaluable (and often free) apps to reach news levels of health and fitness in 2015.