Weight Loss Apps: Worthwhile or Not?
If you’ve asked yourself whether or not it’s worth it to download a weight loss app, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll examine how weight loss apps may help you get closer to your goals, while also giving you some guidance and direction on your journey. 8fit is one of many apps out there that can help you lose weight, but is a health and fitness app right for you? Let’s find out.
Do weight loss apps help?
Consistency is critical when it comes to losing weight, and if a weight loss app helps to keep you accountable, then it’s well worth using. Unlike the old days when you were told to write down what you eat, now you can use weight loss apps to seamlessly track your macros, keep track of your weight and see your progress. So, do weight loss apps help? Yes, they do! Let’s dig in.
Weight loss app features
With so many weight loss apps out there on the market, it can be tough to know where to begin. Apps vary in quality, and unfortunately, there’s a lot to look out for. We recommend taking the time to separate the wheat from the chaff rather than opting for any old app you find. Since it’s your health in question, it’s important to weigh out the pros and cons.
Let’s use 8fit as an example, and dive headfirst into the weight loss app features you may want to look out for.
Workouts created by actual trainers. This is one area that you should be careful regarding. It’s important to make sure that the exercises in your weight loss app have been adequately thought out and formulated by professionals rather than a computer algorithm. With 8fit, you can benefit from workout routines made by expert coaches who bring decades of experience to the table.
Meal plans made by registered dieticians. Nutrition is particularly important for losing weight, so it’s in your best interest to make sure you’re following the right sort of advice for your goals. Make sure that the meal plans you’ll get are balanced, satisfying and reasonable — try to avoid using weight loss apps that promote extreme diets.
An extensive recipe book. Does the weight loss app you’re looking at include a recipe book of healthy dishes suitable for your meal plan? For us, it’s a must, because not many of us like having to eat the same thing over and over again. 8fit has over 700 recipes that our nutritionists tailor to your specific dietary needs and goals.
An easy-to-use shopping list. The cool thing about 8fit is that the app will generate shopping lists for you so that you don’t have to worry about calculating the totals yourself. It makes shopping a breeze, especially if you like to plan for the week.
A flexible meal and fitness planner. If you weren’t able to follow the meal plan to a tee, you should still have the ability to record meals that weren’t part of your meal plan. With 8fit, you can log your meals and even add pictures of them so that you can remember what you ate. If you don’t have room to be spontaneous, then the app isn’t sustainable for your weight loss journey.
Calorie tracking
You may be asking yourself why calorie tracking isn’t the main criteria for weight loss apps. Now, we’re not saying that you should completely ignore calories. We just don’t like obsessive calorie-counting because it’s not sustainable, at least for us. We simply offer accurate calorie ranges to follow according to your needs and goals.
We prefer a weight loss app that’s more flexible and doesn’t feel so restrictive, and one that takes into account other nutritional factors such as macronutrients (fiber, protein, and carbohydrates). It’s also a good idea to track your water intake so that you can stay hydrated. Sometimes you may feel like eating a snack when you’re actually just thirsty. So having a water tracker can help you stay on track with your goals.
It’s such a nice thing that there’s no need for calorie counting with the 8fit app, in our opinion. Our in-house nutritionists created all of the recipes you’ll get, and all of the meal plans are tailor-made to your specifications. Looking to lose weight but you’re a vegetarian? Or do you eat meat but you don’t like beef? You can customize your plan to suit your lifestyle! We’ll do the tricky part and let you enjoy the rest.
Meal prepping — should you bother?
Our answer? Yes, you should bother! Meal prepping can make a huge difference in the success of your weight loss plan. One major thing that can derail a new lifestyle is a lack of preparation. If you have delicious meals prepared ahead of time that you can heat up when you’re feeling lazy, you’ll be less likely to reach for junk food.
These are our top 3 reasons why we like meal prepping alongside using a weight loss app:
It’s affordable. One positive aspect of meal prep, aside from it being convenient, is that it will usually save you money in the end. After all, you can buy grains like rice and quinoa in bulk for heavily reduced prices. And they’re perfect for making in big batches ahead of time so you can keep them in the refrigerator for several days.
It’s fast. Even just an hour of meal prep can make the rest of your week feel like a breeze. If making whole meals ahead of time sounds daunting, you can even just prep your favorite veggies so that they’re ready to go when you want to snack or throw together a quick salad.
It’s practical. We all know how tough it can be to work up the energy to cook a nice meal after a day at work or school. Sometimes, the lure of delivery is just too strong, beckoning you to forget about all your healthy plans in exchange for a fast and easy meal. Well, not with meal prepping!
Make losing weight fun
One thing that we like most about weight loss apps is that they can make the process feel a little bit like a game. Just like you’d play Tetris on your phone, you can now play with getting fit. Unlike a game, however, you’ll be setting up real-life goals and earning real-life results.
Choose your game wisely — avoid anything that asks you to restrict too heavily or makes unrealistic promises. For science-backed nutrition, delicious meals and trainer-curated workouts, take 8fit Pro for a spin. It’s not only for weight loss. 8fit is also ideal for weight gain, maintenance, or stress relief.