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Ever since the dawn of the iPhone, the idea of the personal fitness app has existed. Apps are available to help you track your daily eating habits, guide your fitness journey, inspire your daily workouts, and help hold you accountable for healthy lifestyle changes.
Specifically, many downable fitness apps on the market today claim that they will help you lose weight. The question is, which of these weight loss apps are worth your time and your investment? The ACTIVE Reviews Team researched several of the top-rated weight loss apps available for download and organized a curated list of the best weight loss apps.
Best Weight Loss Apps - Our Top Picks
- Best Overall Weight Loss App: Noom
- Runner-Up Best Weight Loss App: Future
- Best Weight Loss App for Community: WeightWatchers App
- Best Free Weight Loss App: Cronometer
- Best Weight Loss App for At-Home Cooks: Fooducate
- Best Food Tracking Weight Loss App: LoseIt!
- Best Alternative Pick: MetPro
Why Trust Us?
ACTIVE.com's editorial team relies on the knowledge and experience of fitness and wellness experts including competitive athletes, coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, and certified trainers. This helps us ensure the products we feature are of the highest standard. Collectively, the team has spent countless hours researching equipment, gear, and recovery tools in order to create the most accurate, authentic content for our readers. Customer satisfaction is also a key part of our review process, which is why we only feature products that are highly rated.
Best Overall Weight Loss App – Noom
SPECS
- Personalization: 10-min. quiz offers a personalized experience
- Goals: Set goals for weight loss, personal fitness, and more
- Metrics: Weight, calories
- Device integration: AppleWatch
- Activity summaries: Summaries of weight, calorie intake, "good choices"
- Videos/Tutorials: Yes
- Community: Accountability and support from certified coaches
Noom does this by helping you rethink and rewire your psychological commitment to food rather than a hyper-specific diet plan or calorie counting. Because of this, Noom represents a major investment and a level of commitment, but if you're ready to make a real change, with guidance from qualified professionals, it should help do the trick.
PROS
- Psychology-based approach
- Promotes lasting lifestyle change
- Accountability and support from qualified coaches
- You don't have to adhere to a specific list of approved foods
- Great for anyone seeking to make a big change
CONS
- Huge commitment
- Some people will prefer the clarity of an approved food list or a more specific diet plan
Best Runner-Up Weight Loss App – Future
SPECS
- Personalization: Custom training plans each week
- Goals: Discuss specific goals with your coach
- Metrics: N/A
- Device integration: AppleWatch
- Activity summaries: Detailed biometrics
- Videos/Tutorials: Yes
- Community: 1-on-1 connection with your coach
The app provides vital biometric data, and your coach will be in constant contact with you to help ensure you're hitting those fitness goals. But keep in mind that the Future app is a workout-focused means of weight loss, so nutrition, weight-loss supplementation, and eating habits will still be on the user to manage.
PROS
- 1-on-1 relationship with an actual coach
- Constant communication with your coach
- New, personalized workout plans each week
- Change coaches any time
- Biometric reports provided
- Integrates with AppleWatch
CONS
- Not recommended for those who want something more diet- or nutrition-focused
- Big commitment required
FUTURE APP: START TODAY FOR FREE
Best Weight Loss App for Community – WeightWatchers App
SPECS
- Personalization: Set personal fitness and weight loss goals
- Goals: Individual weight loss goals
- Metrics: Track food, activity, water, and sleep
- Device integration: N/A
- Activity summaries: Nutrition and weight loss trajectories
- Videos/Tutorials: Coaching/breathing tutorials
- Community: WW Connect
Sign Up Today for 3-Months FreeWeightWatchers is a name that has become synonymous with helping to aid in weight loss, and this company's app represents a fresh spin on a familiar program. It also happens to be an excellent, simple option for anyone who needs to record their nutritional habits while living their busy lives.
The WW app is not exceptionally flashy, but it does offer an easy-to-use interface and plenty of valuable activity tracking metrics. The WW Connect social feature is especially nice for those who need a reminder that they are not alone on their weight loss journey.
PROS
- Easy-to-use interface
- Log meals, exercise, and sleep
- Connect with other WW app users with the social feature
CONS
- Only recommended if you're already doing WeightWatchers
- Not recommended if you want something more exercise or fitness-focused
WeightWatchers: GET 3-MONTHS FREE
Best Free Weight Loss App – Cronometer App
SPECS
- Personalization: Set your target goals
- Goals: Weight, macro, and nutrient goals
- Metrics: Weight, up to 62 micronutrients
- Device integration: Many, including FitBit and Garmin watches
- Activity summaries: Nutrients and biometrics, as tracked over time
- Videos/Tutorials: No
- Community: No
Additionally, the app enables you to log your meals, track your regular exercise, and monitor your nutrients. You can also use this app with Keto, vegan, or other diets. And you can view valuable charts that provide information about how your nutrient intake and biometrics correlate over time.
PROS
- Valuable reports and charts
- Accurate nutritional info
- Works with several different diets
- Logs meals and exercise
- Keep tabs on dozens of important micronutrients
- Great for taking a data-driven approach to lifestyle change
CONS
- Not recommended for those who prefer something more social or community-focused
- No AppleWatch integration
CRONOMETER: START TODAY FOR FREE
Best Weight Loss App for At-Home Cooks – Fooducate
SPECS
- Personalization: Set personal fitness and weight loss goals
- Goals: Individual weight loss goals
- Metrics: Calories, nutrients
- Device integration: N/A
- Activity summaries: Calories, "food points"
- Videos/Tutorials: Recipes
- Community: Built-in social
Start Your Noom Free TrialDo you love cooking at home, and are you interested in developing a broader repertoire of go-to healthy recipes at your disposal? If that sounds like you, check out Fooducate. This app can help empower you to make smarter decisions about the meals you make at home and help you to become more mindful of nutrients that you put into your body.
Get recipes and diet tips from a robust community of like-minded folks looking to live a healthier life, one meal at a time. Also, use the app metrics to track your activities and keep up with your personal nutrition goals.
PROS
- Easy-to-use interface
- Log meals and food consumption
- Get recipes and fitness tips
- Connect with other users as you learn more about eating healthy
CONS
- Limited in its activity-tracking abilities
- Not recommended if you want something more exercise/fitness-focused
Best Food Tracking Weight Loss App - Lose It!
SPECS
- Personalization: Set your target goals
- Goals: Individual weight loss goals
- Metrics: Lots of nutrient targets plus water, body fat, and more
- Device integration: N/A
- Activity summaries: Calories and meal tracking
- Videos/Tutorials: No
- Community: Built-in social functions
Start Your Noom Free TrialLooking for a weight loss app that allows you to track your meals, caloric intake, hydration, body fat, and other core metrics? Consider Lose It! This is one of the OGs of the weight loss app space, and it's not hard to understand what makes it so popular.
Lose It! has an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that utilizes a wealth of data to help you monitor your progress and work towards your fitness and weight loss goals. It's also something that's easy to incorporate with other fitness or diet plans if you so choose. Note that a subscription does exist, but even the basic/free option offers some worthwhile features.
PROS
- Easy-to-use interface
- Log meals and exercise
- Tons of great data, including body fat, water intake, and more
- Options to keep up with sleep and other health metrics, too
CONS
- Not recommended if you're looking for a more specific fitness/workout plan
- The basic option may not meet your needs; in which case you'll need to upgrade to the full subscription option
Best Alternative Pick – MetPro
SPECS
- Personalization: Plan is unique to your metabolic profile and adapts over time
- Goals: Weight, macro, and nutrient goals
- Metrics: Weight, macros
- Workouts: Yes
- Community: Nutrition coaching support
Start Your Noom Free TrialMetPro tackles all the elements of weight loss from an easy-to-use app. Backed by science, MetPro uses metabolic behavior to create a weight-loss strategy that is unique to each individual user. The app offers meal tracking, workouts, and nutrition coaching support.
You’ll be able to see your metabolic rating over time as the program analyzes your metabolic rate and adjusts your nutrition and training accordingly. This program is unique in the way that it helps you adjust your lifestyle and tailors to your individual needs for a sustainable experience.
PROS
- Nutrition coaching support via text
- Data-driven with tons of metabolic information
- Tailored to your specific needs
- Plan evolves as you use it
- Log food and track macros
- Access hundreds of workouts
CONS
- Not recommended for those who prefer something more social or community-focused
- Requires high level of commitment
What to Consider When Choosing a Weight Loss App?
It's important to remember that not all weight loss apps balance the scale. Before you download and set up a profile, perform some due diligence. Here are some factors to consider as you look for the best weight loss apps.
- Personalization. Many of the best available apps will have you input your specified health information in addition to your goals. This step ensures that the weight loss tips you will be receiving align with your fitness objectives.
- Social functions. There are people who love being able to share their fitness journey with friends, finding that this provides some built-in accountability. Others would prefer a more personal or private approach. Keep this in mind as you shop around for apps.
- Type of App. Some weight loss apps feature daily workout options; others allow you to record meals and monitor your caloric intake. There's not necessarily an incorrect approach, but you should pick something you'll be able to stick with and something you'll ultimately find helpful.
Why You Should Buy/Download Weight Loss Apps
Weight loss apps can be helpful to you in several ways. For one, by recording your daily food intake and exercise habits, you can gain clarity about your patterns and better assess the areas where you need to make better decisions. Many apps allow you to connect with coaches or other users, which can help encourage personal accountability. And by using apps that include recipes or specific cardio workouts, you can educate yourself about how best to lose weight and improve your fitness level.
Weight Loss Apps FAQs
What is the number one weight loss app?
Everyone has their own fitness goals, and everyone wants something different from their weight loss app. The weight loss app that works well for one person may not work as well for your needs. We recommend reading up on a few of the different available options, beginning with this roundup.
Do weight loss apps really work?
Weight loss apps can potentially work, but the success of your app will depend on a few different aspects. For one, commitment to the app is a must. Being honest in your activity log is also very important. Look for an app aligned with your specific weight loss goals and set reasonable objectives for yourself.
Do fitness apps help with weight loss?
The best way to lose weight is the tried-and-true combination of a nutritious diet and regular exercise. If your fitness app motivates you to eat better and exercise more frequently, it is likelier to help you achieve your weight loss goals.
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