These Are the 18 Best Apps for Weight Loss

When looking for a diet app, you want one that makes nutrition info easily accessible, and breaks out that info according to macronutrient or calorie goals.

MyFitnessPal 

Free, with in-app purchases

If you’re trying to cut back on carbs, MyFitnessPal makes it easy. “I like apps with built-in nutrition information, like MyFitnessPal, especially for my patients who have diabetes or who are interested in following a specific diet plan,” says Dr. Adimoolam. With its bar code scanner, you don’t have to search for the specific food you’re eating, which really speeds the food tracking process. You’ll also like how at the top, all your nutrition stats are congregated in a clean way, displaying your goal calories, how much you’ve eaten, how much you’ve burned through exercise, and how many you have left.

A word of caution: A study published in January 2019 in Nutrition on MyFitnessPal found that, while 80 percent of participants surveyed praised the ease-of-use within the app, the authors found that there were discrepancies in nutrient measurements as much of the data is user-generated. This means some of that data may be inaccurate. To get around this issue, they suggest connecting with a registered dietitian for guidance on how best to use this (and any other nutrition app) in order to meet your goals.

Cronometer

Free, with in-app purchases

If you’re following a specific diet — keto, paleo, or the like — this is the app for you. It allows you to log your food and monitor 82 nutrients to stay on track while also avoiding nutrient deficiencies. If you’re following a form of intermittent fasting, there’s also a timer to track your eating and fasting times. The app contains a bar code scanner so you can easily add packaged foods, a database for logging meals from restaurants, and a recipe logger so you can save your favorite meal ideas all in one place. Cronometer will sync up with your Apple Watch, Apple Health App, or Fitbit. You’ll be able to access some functions for free; otherwise, it costs $6.99 a month.

MyMacros+

$2.99, with in-app purchases

With five million food items in the database, MyMacros+ makes watching your food intake seamless. If you’re tracking your macros (protein, carbohydrates, and fat) as a way to stay fit, you’ll be able to set a macro goal and use the macro calculator to stay on course. Handy graphs lay out your progress in a simple, visual way.

Fooducate 

Free, with in-app purchases

Crunching the info on the nutrition label to determine if a food is healthy can be tough, and Fooducate does the work for you. The app has a database of 250,000 foods — all you have to do is scan the bar code and you’ll see what grade the food gets (A, being the highest, to D, being the lowest), plus an explanation of the grade and suggested alternatives.

“I like this app because it recognizes common packaged products and allows you to do more than just analyze your diet. You can track your hunger levels to figure out how certain foods specifically affect your body,” says Wright.

MyPlate Calorie Counter

Free, with in-app purchases

This app has all the requisites: food tracking (including two million items, a bar code scanner, and recipe ideas), along with workout logging and follow-along workouts if you need guidance. Where it’s different is how easy it is to track your macros — grams and percentages are front and center, so you know where you stand at all times. Plus, if you’re someone who thrives on community support, you can access this feature when you’ve had a tough day.