Recommend a Weight-Loss Web Site or App
July 19, 2018 9:21 AM Subscribe
I've gained a tonne of weight since I had a baby. Now I'm ready to do something about that. I don't feel like WW or Noom are right for me. Details inside. Please recommend something.
I would like something that will create some accountability and log/record/graph prograss and behaviour change.
I feel like the obsessive points-counting of WW is not for me.
I tried noom, which I expected from their ads to be very science-based, but it feels like a gimmick that they just pick one thing (calorie density) as the ONLY THING the HOLY GRAIL of what you need to eat. For example, I feel like I really need to cut back on sugar and simple carbs, but this doesn't seem set up for that. The so-called science looks like someone took an undergrad psych course and then put together some click-bait facebook videos. I was expecting the whole "you get your own goal specialist to help you figure out your way of thinking/triggers etc. etc." to be something close to therapy around food, but it's just someone sending you canned texts. (yes, I realize for the price you can't expect much more, but their ads don't make it sound like canned texts).
I feel like I have a pretty good idea what to eat and how much to eat. I would like a system that lets me specify those sort of things rather than just deciding everyone needs to do X (eat only low calorie-density foods or whatever). I want to log meals but not obsessively (e.g. I like that noom has units like "a handful"). For logging it would be great if they had Canadian foods in their menu options. If it could sync with fitbit that would be great.
Basically, I want to eat more sensibly, deciding for myself what that means, and would like a system to quantify that a little, create some accountability, and just be generally supportive. What's my website or app?
I would like something that will create some accountability and log/record/graph prograss and behaviour change.
I feel like the obsessive points-counting of WW is not for me.
I tried noom, which I expected from their ads to be very science-based, but it feels like a gimmick that they just pick one thing (calorie density) as the ONLY THING the HOLY GRAIL of what you need to eat. For example, I feel like I really need to cut back on sugar and simple carbs, but this doesn't seem set up for that. The so-called science looks like someone took an undergrad psych course and then put together some click-bait facebook videos. I was expecting the whole "you get your own goal specialist to help you figure out your way of thinking/triggers etc. etc." to be something close to therapy around food, but it's just someone sending you canned texts. (yes, I realize for the price you can't expect much more, but their ads don't make it sound like canned texts).
I feel like I have a pretty good idea what to eat and how much to eat. I would like a system that lets me specify those sort of things rather than just deciding everyone needs to do X (eat only low calorie-density foods or whatever). I want to log meals but not obsessively (e.g. I like that noom has units like "a handful"). For logging it would be great if they had Canadian foods in their menu options. If it could sync with fitbit that would be great.
Basically, I want to eat more sensibly, deciding for myself what that means, and would like a system to quantify that a little, create some accountability, and just be generally supportive. What's my website or app?
I used Lose It! which I liked because it was pretty minimalist (log foods and exercise). They had grocery-based auto-add options, but a lot of what I ate was homemade so I just guesstimated. The graph of goal progress was probably the most helpful feature. I also liked that it was non intrusive with notifications or emails. You can upgrade to Premium which will sync with a FitBit -- I didn't do this so can't comment on accuracy. However, with the free version, I lost about 15 lbs (~12% of body weight) in a little over a year. Then I fell off the wagon and have put it all back....
posted by basalganglia at 9:35 AM on July 19, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by basalganglia at 9:35 AM on July 19, 2018 [4 favorites]
My Fitness Pal, from the people at UnderArmour is the gold standard for food tracking. Absolutely everything is in there. Every restaurant dish, every grocery store item, every home recipe. Everything.
There's also a MeFi HealthMonth group you could join that might give you the support angle you're seeking.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:36 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
There's also a MeFi HealthMonth group you could join that might give you the support angle you're seeking.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:36 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
I quit Noom for the same reasons, and the fact that it was so cutesy. I felt too old to be using it or something.
I'm still looking for a more comprehensive solution, but in the meantime I've found the free version of Lose It! to be somewhat decent in terms of food logging/calorie tracking and weight graphing. If I get depressed looking at my weekly progress, I can switch to view my three months' progress.
It also does a breakdown of fat/carb/protein from what you've logged, and the food logging options are pretty comprehensive as they are partially user-input, and they also have a UPC scan option. The calorie count isn't always 100% accurate, so some adjustments are needed there if you are looking to stick hard to a caloric goal.
posted by queensissy at 9:39 AM on July 19, 2018
I'm still looking for a more comprehensive solution, but in the meantime I've found the free version of Lose It! to be somewhat decent in terms of food logging/calorie tracking and weight graphing. If I get depressed looking at my weekly progress, I can switch to view my three months' progress.
It also does a breakdown of fat/carb/protein from what you've logged, and the food logging options are pretty comprehensive as they are partially user-input, and they also have a UPC scan option. The calorie count isn't always 100% accurate, so some adjustments are needed there if you are looking to stick hard to a caloric goal.
posted by queensissy at 9:39 AM on July 19, 2018
Here's the link to the MeFi HealthMonth team.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:46 AM on July 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:46 AM on July 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
If the "obsessive points counting of WW" is not for you, I want to throw in a gentle steer away from the oft-recommended MyFitnessPal.
In my experience of attempting to use it, the logging of meals is both time-consuming and obsession-inducing to do in any useful manner. Yes, their food database is ENORMOUS, but it is also wildly variable in its accuracy (even the items that have the little "verified" or "approved" or whatever checkmark beside them will have several different entries for the same foods, with often considerable differences in calorie values for the same portions) and is not, in my opinion, particularly easy to use precisely because of its vastness. I found searching the database for something like "raspberries" and having 7 billion search results returned overwhelming, and rarely was the "best" result near the top of the list. I also found uploading my own recipes a major pain in the ass. I think if your food choices consist of a lot of packaged or pre-made items, or if you tend to eat at a lot of medium-to-large chain restaurants, then maybe it would be an easier-to-use option. But if you cook for yourself a lot, eat at small restaurants, or eat mostly things that don't come with labels, the utility and ease is greatly reduced (in my opinion....I could just be a terrible user of MFP).
More generally, if "obsessiveness" and counting of miniscule units is not your bag or particularly conducive to your mental health, then I would caution you away from MFP's model, which displays your "calories remaining" for the day in either red or green, depending on if you are over or under, and the threshold for chaning from "good" to "bad" is literally 1 calorie which......is maybe not particularly useful?
Apologies for not having any constructive suggestions, but just wanted to throw in my $0.02 on how MFP ranks on the "obsessively counting" scale (lol....pun totally intended)
posted by Dorinda at 9:58 AM on July 19, 2018 [9 favorites]
In my experience of attempting to use it, the logging of meals is both time-consuming and obsession-inducing to do in any useful manner. Yes, their food database is ENORMOUS, but it is also wildly variable in its accuracy (even the items that have the little "verified" or "approved" or whatever checkmark beside them will have several different entries for the same foods, with often considerable differences in calorie values for the same portions) and is not, in my opinion, particularly easy to use precisely because of its vastness. I found searching the database for something like "raspberries" and having 7 billion search results returned overwhelming, and rarely was the "best" result near the top of the list. I also found uploading my own recipes a major pain in the ass. I think if your food choices consist of a lot of packaged or pre-made items, or if you tend to eat at a lot of medium-to-large chain restaurants, then maybe it would be an easier-to-use option. But if you cook for yourself a lot, eat at small restaurants, or eat mostly things that don't come with labels, the utility and ease is greatly reduced (in my opinion....I could just be a terrible user of MFP).
More generally, if "obsessiveness" and counting of miniscule units is not your bag or particularly conducive to your mental health, then I would caution you away from MFP's model, which displays your "calories remaining" for the day in either red or green, depending on if you are over or under, and the threshold for chaning from "good" to "bad" is literally 1 calorie which......is maybe not particularly useful?
Apologies for not having any constructive suggestions, but just wanted to throw in my $0.02 on how MFP ranks on the "obsessively counting" scale (lol....pun totally intended)
posted by Dorinda at 9:58 AM on July 19, 2018 [9 favorites]
Hi. I'm in Alberta. I'm female and 5' 1". I've been obese all my life except for a brief time in 1984 after being on a low-calorie commercial weight-loss program (I gained all the weight back within about 6 months).
When I started using LoseIt in 2012 I weighed about 220 lbs. I bought the premium app because it lets me log future meals. At the time I was a diabetic and I also used it to log blood glucose. On 2017 June 24 I weighed 195 pounds. I read Susan Peirce Thompson's Bright Line Eating that afternoon after being informed that morning that my sleep apnea was so severe that dying during the night was a very real possibility. The biology and cognitive science behind the book is compelling and widely supported. Using the LoseIt app and altering my eating I reached my goal weight of 126 pounds on 2018 March 30, and am still there. I am no longer diabetic and all other health indicators show me in excellent health for a woman my age (I'm close to 60).
The plan may be too strict (I no longer eat anything with any type of added sweetener, natural or artificial, nor anything made from any type of flour, including bean, rice, or nut flours) and the LoseIt food logging may be too specific for your needs. The app includes almost any food available in Alberta grocery stores and many Canadian chain/franchise restaurants. I won't be changing the way I've been eating for the past year, and I bought the "lifetime" membership of LoseIt about a month ago, so I'm sticking with it. YMMV.
posted by angiep at 9:59 AM on July 19, 2018 [12 favorites]
When I started using LoseIt in 2012 I weighed about 220 lbs. I bought the premium app because it lets me log future meals. At the time I was a diabetic and I also used it to log blood glucose. On 2017 June 24 I weighed 195 pounds. I read Susan Peirce Thompson's Bright Line Eating that afternoon after being informed that morning that my sleep apnea was so severe that dying during the night was a very real possibility. The biology and cognitive science behind the book is compelling and widely supported. Using the LoseIt app and altering my eating I reached my goal weight of 126 pounds on 2018 March 30, and am still there. I am no longer diabetic and all other health indicators show me in excellent health for a woman my age (I'm close to 60).
The plan may be too strict (I no longer eat anything with any type of added sweetener, natural or artificial, nor anything made from any type of flour, including bean, rice, or nut flours) and the LoseIt food logging may be too specific for your needs. The app includes almost any food available in Alberta grocery stores and many Canadian chain/franchise restaurants. I won't be changing the way I've been eating for the past year, and I bought the "lifetime" membership of LoseIt about a month ago, so I'm sticking with it. YMMV.
posted by angiep at 9:59 AM on July 19, 2018 [12 favorites]
I’ve always been pretty fit/thin (sometimes way too thin) due to having food aversions and a high metabolism- BUT I have always had a poochy belly/beer gut. It would get worse and better but it was always there and it was the worst. I noticed this year that it was pretty flat (or flatter) and the only thing that’s really changed this past year is that I started lifting weights and using weight machines at the gym and lifting heavy watering cans. So a lot of these programs will recommend cardio based excercise but I am here to recommend weight training as well, if only for the tummy issues. Just like a half hour at the Y using the leg press/rowing/chest press machines 4-5 times a week seems to have finally rid me of my beer gut (well mostly) hope this helps?
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 10:07 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 10:07 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
2nding Chronometer. I was using it for awhile for Keto, in my case to make sure I didn't lose too much weight, and it was really good for tracking carbs, since that's something you mentioned maybe caring about (it seemed better than myfitnesspal for that.)
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 10:22 AM on July 19, 2018
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 10:22 AM on July 19, 2018
I find just logging weight daily to an app that uses a weighted moving average to be the most successful for me. (I use Libra on android, I'm sure there's an iphone equivalent). Pretty much Hacker's Diet inspired. https://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/ fwiw.
posted by booooooze at 10:25 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by booooooze at 10:25 AM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
My wife has lost 20+ pounds this calendar year using only MyFitnessPal.
posted by uberchet at 10:27 AM on July 19, 2018
posted by uberchet at 10:27 AM on July 19, 2018
Another vote for LoseIt. I find the app just works better on my phone that MyFitnessPal, but they're basically the same thing. When I log my calories and stay more or less at my target, I lose weight. That's pretty much it.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:18 PM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:18 PM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
I mean, if WW's points system is not appealing, I don't think counting calories in MyFitnessPal is going to be much better. MFP (the last time I used, so maybe it has improved) is awful precisely because the database is so huge. There are so many entries for just about anything you search for, and I, personally, found it more anxiety-inducing for that. Weight Watchers, meanwhile, simplifies a lot of the stuff that MFP tracks. It's not quite the same as simple calorie tracking--the points are calculated in such a way as to nudge you toward certain foods and nutrients--but I think it's much easier to count their points than it is to track calories or anything else on MFP.
Also, there's not nearly as much counting as there used to be. The latest "release" introduced a bunch more 0-point foods (including chicken breasts and eggs and all fruits and fish and other things). A lot of people just don't bother tracking 0-point foods. And their app is much more pleasant to use than MFP. Obviously, it's costly, but it is worth it for me. I like the meetings and think they help (assuming you can find a good group).
posted by synecdoche at 2:42 PM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also, there's not nearly as much counting as there used to be. The latest "release" introduced a bunch more 0-point foods (including chicken breasts and eggs and all fruits and fish and other things). A lot of people just don't bother tracking 0-point foods. And their app is much more pleasant to use than MFP. Obviously, it's costly, but it is worth it for me. I like the meetings and think they help (assuming you can find a good group).
posted by synecdoche at 2:42 PM on July 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
I’m doing online only WW, and I love the ap. Points are easier than counting calories to me, and tracking is the only thing that keeps me accountable. I don’t have, and I don’t think I ever will have, a real sense of hungry or full. And I don’t really want to think about my eating psychology, or the nutrient density of what I’m eating, or whatever. I don’t want to think about food at all. I find it so dull! Unfortunately, my lack of attention got me to 300. Now I just follow the point allowances — I’m down 65 pounds in six months. The ap syncs with Fitbit, is actually useful and well made. You can enter your own food and recipes.
posted by Malla at 6:13 PM on July 19, 2018
posted by Malla at 6:13 PM on July 19, 2018
Just throwing it out there, but in combination with a tracking app (i use myfitnesspal too), have you tried keto? I didn't believe in it either at first, but oh my has it changed everything! It makes calorie restriction bearable because i'm never really hungry and i never crave sweets and sugar anymore. Amazing the effect certain foods can have on your brain.
I mention it because you said you're open to cutting your sugars and simple carbs. for resources i like ketoconnect and healthful pursuit on youtube and the /xxketo board on reddit (keto specifically for women, with lots of postpartum mommies on there).
One bonus point for myfitnesspal is that most recipe developpers/diet-centered recipe creators usually post their recipes there, so you can just search for it instead of manually logging everything. I never used the paid version but the free one serves me fine. I like the photo logging feature too for visual progress.
posted by PardonMyFrench at 10:41 PM on July 19, 2018
I mention it because you said you're open to cutting your sugars and simple carbs. for resources i like ketoconnect and healthful pursuit on youtube and the /xxketo board on reddit (keto specifically for women, with lots of postpartum mommies on there).
One bonus point for myfitnesspal is that most recipe developpers/diet-centered recipe creators usually post their recipes there, so you can just search for it instead of manually logging everything. I never used the paid version but the free one serves me fine. I like the photo logging feature too for visual progress.
posted by PardonMyFrench at 10:41 PM on July 19, 2018
I much prefer habit tracking to calorie tracking. Loop is great and simple. Set your habits and pick weekly goals. Then just check in once a day and don't break the chain! You get a great view of your progress over time.
To record your meals, snap a quick pic before you eat and keep a little diary. I list ingredients but rarely portions — unless I ate a whole bag of chips — I would note that kind of excess. A slim paper journal or any basic notes app will do the trick.
Weigh yourself once a day right when you wake up. That's the only stat you need for accountability. Most people have a natural swing of five pounds, so don't worry about a little flux unless your overall trend is going up!
Here's a sample day:
WEIGHT
178.3 lbs
HABITS
+ 1 homemade meal ✓
+ At least 5 vegetables ✓
+ No soda ✓
+ No sugar ✓
+ Max 1 coffee
+ Morning stretch
+ Evening workout ✓
MEALS
Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs, plain yogurt
Lunch: deli ham on rye with mustard, pickle on side, apple, sliced carrots, sliced cucumber
Dinner: butter lettuce salad with grilled salmon, tomatoes, 1/2 avocado, olive oil, salt, pepper
Bedtime snack: 10 almonds, 2 slices cheddar cheese, celery sticks
Coffee: 2 black
[6 pics]
posted by fritillary at 7:30 AM on July 20, 2018 [4 favorites]
To record your meals, snap a quick pic before you eat and keep a little diary. I list ingredients but rarely portions — unless I ate a whole bag of chips — I would note that kind of excess. A slim paper journal or any basic notes app will do the trick.
Weigh yourself once a day right when you wake up. That's the only stat you need for accountability. Most people have a natural swing of five pounds, so don't worry about a little flux unless your overall trend is going up!
Here's a sample day:
WEIGHT
178.3 lbs
HABITS
+ 1 homemade meal ✓
+ At least 5 vegetables ✓
+ No soda ✓
+ No sugar ✓
+ Max 1 coffee
+ Morning stretch
+ Evening workout ✓
MEALS
Breakfast: 2 boiled eggs, plain yogurt
Lunch: deli ham on rye with mustard, pickle on side, apple, sliced carrots, sliced cucumber
Dinner: butter lettuce salad with grilled salmon, tomatoes, 1/2 avocado, olive oil, salt, pepper
Bedtime snack: 10 almonds, 2 slices cheddar cheese, celery sticks
Coffee: 2 black
[6 pics]
posted by fritillary at 7:30 AM on July 20, 2018 [4 favorites]
Fitday.com the free version. Has a good database of foods, easy to add your own, does calculations for you, tracks weight, exercise and other stuff (I never used the site to its full capability). Lots of graphs. It also retains your data for years... hold on to your password!
posted by alwayson_slightlyoff at 2:05 PM on July 20, 2018
posted by alwayson_slightlyoff at 2:05 PM on July 20, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:35 AM on July 19, 2018 [8 favorites]