Accountability covered aspects such as access to coaching, group support, progress tracking tools, and reminders. Programs that provided multiple layers of support—such as in‑app check‑ins, coaching, communities, or structured progress reviews—were rated more favorably than those that left users largely on their own. Our team tested multiple options to select the best programs for busy lifestyles.

• If you’re looking for a weight loss program to educate you, push you to exercise and help you in the long run, then a program could be beneficial.
• You are then brought to a page with a graph outlining how long it will take you to reach your goal.
• The accountability aspect comes from the app’s reminder system, which keeps you aware of when your fasting window starts and ends so you stay on track.” He rated the accountability aspect of Simple as a 3 out of 5.
• If you’re a dedicated Fitbit user, the app will integrate seamlessly with your existing fitness tracker.
• Granted, that’s probably plenty for beginners, but if you want to get deeper into biometrics at some point you’ll have to transition to another app.
• “I think the best part of the apps (if you want to use them) is that it provides feedback and allows you to assess how you are doing when it comes to eating and activity,” Planells says.

AI-Powered Workout Customization

The app also lets users pick a pace that suits them, with data showing better long-term results for those who opt for less aggressive plans. Additionally, users who log their workouts lose weight faster – about 0.07 pounds per day compared to 0.05 pounds per day for those who don’t track exercises. One of its standout features is Meal Scan, which uses Passio AI’s Nutrition AI SDK to instantly identify foods via a smartphone camera. This tool matches images to a vast food database, making food tracking faster and more precise. These tools are designed to help users achieve measurable weight loss results.

This provides access to all of the app’s features but doesn’t allow digital-only users to attend workshops and coaching sessions. Our top pick is Noom; it offers a unique perspective into your overall lifestyle, not just your diet, and gives actionable insights anyone can benefit from. For a fitness-focused pick, we recommend MyFitnessPal; it views your diet through the lens of being active and offers suggestions based on foods that can improve your fitness. Some folks prefer regular check‑ins with a coach who reviews logs, adjusts goals, and offers feedback, which can be especially helpful if you struggle with consistency. Others feel comfortable using a self‑guided app and automated reminders and may only want occasional touchpoints, or no coaching at all.

Lifestyle

To help, we’ve rounded up five of the best weight loss apps for women, hand-picked based on tracking, workout variety, personalized nutrition, community engagement, and goal setting. 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.

Best Weight Loss App for Intermittent Fasting: Simple

Then, every 4-6 weeks, repeat the process so you can compare like for like. You will more accurately assess your progress and the physical changes that aren’t always reflected on the scales, such as an increase in heavier muscle. Instead, he encourages checking in with your mental state, physical fitness, sleep patterns, and quality of life. If you notice you’re particularly tired one day, and you’ve been tracking your meals, you can see if you were lacking in any macronutrients or did not eat enough calories.

Best for fitness: MyFitnessPal

You can download the app for free access to audio and video workouts, but subscribing to Fitbit Premium will unlock an even bigger library of workouts and other features. Check out these 16 expert-approved weight-loss apps to start crushing your goals. “Just like with anything, hard work and dedication need to be put in,” Price says. These tools make meal tracking easier, encouraging healthier habits without the hassle. “New technology that effectively promotes healthier eating and activity results in an overall improved lifestyle.” On average, users spend $3,433.89 annually on healthcare compared to $3,884.28 for non-users.

Foods That Support Your Immune System, Says Dietitian

Some apps focus on tracking active calories vs total calories, helping users see the difference between calories burned through movement and those burned naturally throughout the day. Others emphasize the balance between resting vs active calories to show how daily activity contributes to overall progress. That’s why, when it comes to New Year’s resolutions or making a workout calendar, a simple document or spreadsheet works better than trying to find the perfect, all-in-one app!

Fitness Apps People Stick With for Weight Loss

The pre-packaged, portion-controlled meals made planning and prep virtually effortless, and the app helped Pete track meals and stay on schedule. He appreciated the variety of lunch and dinner options, which kept things interesting, though breakfast choices were a bit limited. We enjoyed that Reverse Health offered inclusive imagery for all body types, so the program felt supportive, according to Paige. “My only comment is that the pictures in the beginning while registering were https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-weight-loss-apps clearly AI generated, and it would’ve been more encouraging to see real photos,” she said. That being said, Paige liked that she didn’t feel anything about the app was pressuring or shame-inducing. Rapid weight loss can lead to a range of issues, including muscle loss and nutritional deficiencies, and can negatively affect your overall health.

Which is better, MyFitnessPal or Lose It?

She says this isn’t a deal breaker if you meal prep or eat the same things daily. If you’re serious about tracking macros and other key health metrics, Cronometer is the choice for you. According to former GGR senior editor and certified nutrition coach Erin Chancer, who tested the app, it’s very easy to use, and has many available metrics to track. The only thing Sarah really didn’t love about Noom is the food tracking system.

Best for learning what nutrients to add to your diet

If you’re looking for smart tech, a focus on behavioral therapy, and food and activity tracking, Noom or Wellos might be a great fit. WeightWatchers offers three plans, all of which provide access to the company’s app. Depending on which plan you choose, WeightWatchers costs $10 to $55 per month, though the company frequently offers monthly discounts to new customers. “A platform where application users can ‘follow’ other users who were in similar situations as themselves, thus reducing feelings of isolation and overwhelm that people can often experience, can also be helpful,” Duah said.

Eating well made easy

We picked Noom as our overall best program for weight loss; we like its daily lessons, structured tracking, and built-in coaching along with community support. Different people have different goals—fat loss, muscle gain, performance, managing conditions like diabetes, or feeling more energetic. That means your ideal program might emphasize strength training, cardio, nutrition habits, or medical oversight in very different ways. There are lots of free weight loss apps out there, but many of them aren’t fully functional without a paid subscription.

If you’re looking for extra motivation as you embark on your weight-loss journey, HealthyWage might be just what you need. The app encourages you to make a healthy wager by betting on your own weight loss. Basically, you pick your weight loss goal and wager, and the prize calculator offers you a price. Once you unimeal reviews find the right goal and prize, you make a “bet” and get started. What you’ll love about WW is that it’s a points-based system, so no food is off limits.

If you do upgrade, you’ll get a barcode scanner, custom macro tracking, and no ads. It has always been a good ‘check-in’ tool for me to make sure I’m getting enough protein, or if I want to see how I’m doing on macros. I have gone through spurts where I want to lose weight, so I’ll use it for a few months at a time, and it has always been incredibly effective,” Kate says. Kate says she found the app extremely easy to use and very accurate—she only had to manually enter one item into the food database, which stores more than 12,000 recipes. There’s also a barcode scanner that allows you to quickly input packaged food, and that worked well too. Intermittent fasting, while trendy, can still be a rather new nutritional strategy for some, especially those accustomed to more traditional types of diets.