Weight watchers, listen app
By Meg Rivera
ONE of the things I’ve learnt while trying to be fit is that food can either make or break you. I’m not talking about a single drunken McDonald’s binge, but food as a habit and as a lifestyle. It is true, that good bodies are built in the kitchen. What’s also true is that food porn is easier to succumb to than choosing to eat healthy. Clearly, the road to better health has been paved over with lasagne squares drizzled with string cheese.
In the age of Instagramming before meals, the Web 2.0 is definitely not the best environment to try and lose weight. Images of exquisite meals flick across our screens, weakening our resolves at every turn. I see two solutions here: get off social media, or document your meals in a healthier way. Track down what you put into your body, and push yourself towards making better eating choices today.
App name: Lose It!
App developer: FitNow, Inc
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: Easy enough, but I’m not convinced. There’s just way too much going on here.
Overall comment: This is going to stray from the usual app review, since this is web-based rather than app. The “Pro” version has an app, but you need to sign up for an account on their website first. It plays with the same concept as the first two apps, but has more fields available for the exercise you did that day and how much water you’ve had to drink. Functional, but not great. Two clicks out of five.
App name: Food Diary and Calorie Tracker
App developer: MyNetDiary, Inc.
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: There are lots of little tutorial bubbles that appear throughout the screen as you navigate it, so you shouldn’t get confused.
Overall comment: For a food diary, this is as simple as it gets. There is no need for you to write anything down, as all the food you eat can be selected from a drop down menu. The database of food (including calorie content per 100g) is updated by users, and you can also add your own. The app calculates how many calories a day you should consume to be able to achieve a certain weight in a given amount of time. It also accounts for your level of physical activity, and how much water you drink. This one is a winner, and one I can imagine seeing great results with. Four clicks out of five.
App name: Noom Weigh
App developer: Noom
Available on: iTunes, Google Play
Easy to use: Same concept as above, but with less tutorial bubbles
Overall comment: This app looks prettier, but is less functional than Food Diary. You can still choose the food you ate from a drop down menu, but the brands that it features are obscure and often not available in the Philippines. It does not account for physical activity, so if you’re active your calorie count is the same as a more sedentary person’s. It also has an “important food of the day” and a “I skipped this meal” option; not very good if you’re trying to stay healthy. Two clicks out of five.
