In today’s technologically advanced world, there’s an app for everything. I mean, EVERYTHING. So, if you are wanting to get fit, lose weight, develop healthy habits, or just improve your wellness, don’t worry.
The most popular healthy trend apps are of course MyFitnessPal. MyFitnessPal is great because with the free version, you can still track your calories, track your macronutrients, log exercise, and connect with friends. MyFitnessPal may be the most recognizable, but it’s far from the only meal tracker out there.
When my husband was diagnosed with CKD, we wanted to track his protein, sodium, phosphorus, and potassium. There aren’t many trackers which do all that. In fact, the only one we found which works the best for him wasn’t MyFitnessPal. We found a whole new app called ChronoMeter.
I, myself, didn’t start with MyFitnessPal, although it’s what I use now because I have been using it for so long it feels more intuitive. I started with LiveStrong, My Plate, and then found LoseIt. In fact, when I started on my big journey in 2014, I lost about 50 pounds by using LoseIt. LoseIt, MyFitnessPal, and ChronoMeter make logging more convenient. And logging meals has been proven to help you lose weight 28% faster.
Meal trackers are popular, but they are far from the only apps out there to help you get fit and stay fit. The most fun app I experienced was Hubbub. I joined when I was a zookeeper through my zoo. You can join different fitness challenges, like working out 20 minutes a day, doing calf raises, flossing, or getting enough sleep. Some challenges last a couple of days, others last longer. If you are a little competitive like me, this is a great app to use to develop healthy habits. While you don’t necessarily GET anything for coming in first, you definitely get some bragging rights. And you get in shape.
I have also recently (as in the past 2 years) started using Strides to develop habits. It started with writing, but also helps me track my water, when I go to bed on time, exercising, and at one point, tried it to get me to meditate (actually, it didn’t work too well for that, but it does great for everything else). But there is something about having a long streak (for my writing, it’s 642 days so far), that you don’t want to lose it. Strides is great because it doesn’t punish you for starting over (I’ve had multiple occasions where I’ve missed meeting my goal of 5 workouts in a week, or drinking 8 glasses of water). Instead, Strides congratulates you when you start meeting your goal again. I find that very positive.
Specific apps which I have enjoyed in my time have been:
- Plant Nanny to track water intake. You grow an adorable seed to a full grown plant by watering it whenever YOU drink a cup of water. It’s a fun game to keep you on track.
- Project Noah for wildlife viewing and general get out and experience nature.
- Pokemon Go!- I tried it for nearly 6 months before I realized I was missing out on a lot of nature to try and find Pokemon, but honestly, it’s great for getting you out of the house, and doing SOMETHING! I’m pretty sure I’ll be completely useless if I ever get the Harry Potter version of the game, which I thought was supposed to be out by now but I haven’t seen anything about it.
- OptimizeMe You didn’t think I’d talk about apps and websites for healthier lifestyle and NOT mention Optimize with Brian Johnson, did you? If you haven’t checked him out by now, do it. Dooooooooo it! It’s the best $8 a month I spend, seriously.
There are dozens of others. I’m sure everyone has their own favorites. But until I get the motivation, knowledge, and ability to create my own ZooFit app, this is what I use to keep me going in a motivating way.