Calorie counting apps / trackers

[gzar]

So, what do you all use for keeping track of what you eat?

I have been a MyFitnessPal user for about 4 years now, and I tried a few other apps prior to it that I didn't like for one reason or another. It is a completely free app, by Under Armour and is very simple to use.

The stuff you eat, you can simply hit "scan" and use your phone to scan the barcode to automatically get the nutritional info & servings. You can also create custom meals & foods and plug in the nutritional content manually, and re-use it in the future with a single click. When i first started using this I bought a digital scale and started weighting what I ate religiously until I could "eyeball" portions with good accuracy.

For tracking your calories, it doesn't get any easier. You can eliminate all the mystery as why you aren't losing weight at an expected rate vs what you are consuming. You can also use it to log / track your exercise whether you are strength training using weights, or walking, or taking a spin class.

If you are honest with what you eat, this app (or others like it) can really educate yourself on what you are really eating, what kinds of calories you are really putting down, and can be a very valuable tool in your weight loss / management lifestyle. You can set daily caloric limits / goals and keep a real-time running tally on how much you've eaten each day, and how much remains of your goal.

You can also link it up with another Under Armour app MapMyRun for mapping, tracking distance, pace, calories burned, and even further link to fitness monitors like Fitbit, etc.

What apps & tools do you guys use, and would recommend? I'm always open to improvements.

 

[dianeseattle]

That sounds awesome, gzar.

Ultimately it's important for everybody to learn what they're eating and how many protein grams and calories each item has, so they know it by heart, just like when you take drivers ed and you learn where the accelerator Brake & Clutch are and you don't have to think about it twice when you're driving. In other words it becomes automatic.

But because of the fact that we would never be obese if we didn't have something wrong, specifically, an eating disorder that lies to us, this is a great little lie detector you can carry on your wrist at all times.

And having access to a calorie counter that works in restaurants for common, brand name or item name calorie breakdowns, is awesome also.

 

[Taxman]

I use the Fitbit calorie counting feature. Combined with the steps counting, it's been a good guide for me.

 

[3momchaos]

I use Baritastic. It’s great-when I remember to use it :-/ I’m really horrible at tracking because I eat the same thing for some meals frequently. It’s a presurgery goal for me to track 4 out of 7 days, 2 meals, and all snack. My dietician is good with that. Some days are just more successful than others.

 

[eladams2015]

I use my Fitbit - I can scan foods in the same way, and things that I eat frequently are all saved there to just "grab" for my totals. I find that easier than using multiple apps, although there are a lot of apps now that integrate into the Fitbit app, which makes it easier.

 

[missdarmitage]

I am right with you, I have been using MyFitnessPal for years. Absolutely love it! I tried baritastic and it was very similar. It didn't really do anything above and beyond what MyFitnessPal does so I decided to stick with the one I was already comfortable with.

 

[mmitti]

I use SparkPeople website and app.

 

[Badgy]

I use MyNetDiary, it tracks everything

 

[Bill S.]

I keep it all in my head

 

[dianeseattle]

I keep it all in my head

This is the way it should be, just like before you had the surgery. You didn't have to keep track of all the foods and habits that you had that led you to obesity. It was all in your head.

After the surgery the list of things you need to know about eating is pretty short. You need to know how many protein grams you should get it today. You need to know when you should take your supplements and what your supplements should be. You need to know what foods you should avoid.

In my opinion, this should be as natural to you as breathing. So you begin with keeping tabs in a journal and move on to keeping tabs in your head and before you know it you have developed a good habit and healthy eating.

It's just like when you learn to drive. You had to be told where the clutch, brake and accelerator were. But this has to become a natural part of your subconscious, or else you would not be safe on the road. You would always be looking down at your feet to see what pedals you should touch.