5 Apple Watch Apps That Will Help You Stick To Your Diet
For fitness junkies, there are so many apps available online that you can use to help keep yourself on track. Whether it is for weightlifting, yoga, or running, there is no shortage of workout apps for iPhone owners, especially for people with an Apple Watch. With a smartwatch, you can enjoy additional benefits, like hands-free logging and easy-to-spot notifications, while keeping your phone in your wallet.
Although, anyone who works out will tell you that it's much easier to push the boundaries of what your body can do if you give it the right fuel. Regardless, if you're a professional athlete, a casual gym goer, or just someone who wants to lose a few holiday pounds to avoid having to buy an entirely new wardrobe, nutrition is an essential component of an overall healthy lifestyle.
When it comes to sticking to any sort of diet, you can either eat less in general, eat more or less of a certain kind of food, or simply reduce the window you allow yourself to eat. With so many variations, it can be challenging to find the right app that fulfills your specific needs. Additionally, you may want to switch nutrition strategies as you progress in your fitness journey.
While some apps are designed to supplement your preferred method of movement, there are also Apple Watch-enabled apps that you can use to keep your diet on track. Here are a few that you may want to consider adding to your devices today.
MyFitnessPal
Consistently on the list of many fitness enthusiasts, MyFitnessPal is one of the most popular food-logging apps. Since its launch in 2005, MyFitnessPal has one of the most comprehensive databases on food and their corresponding calories worldwide and is compatible with several third-party apps, including the Apple Health app.
On its Apple Watch integration, MyFitness Pal helps you view your caloric deficit more effectively by showing how many calories you've consumed versus the amount you've used when exercising. In addition, you can review nutrient breakdowns so you can optimize your next meals to fulfill your daily requirements.
When you're using MyFitnessPal, it's important to understand that because some of its 18 million global foods database is from volunteers, its calorie counts may not be 100% accurate. For example, the amount of calories in the same fast food item across countries may be different, or other people may not be very good at estimating portions.
Not to mention, the MyFitnessPal food library also has a lot of duplicates, errors, or missing out on key information, like how many grams something is. Despite this, it's still an incredible tool for building mindfulness around eating in general.
Although its basic food tracking features come free on the App Store, you have the option to pay $79.99 annually to access more features. Aside from removing ads, MyFitnessPal premium lets you create custom macro tracking goals, access food insights and comparisons, barcode scans, and other helpful features.
FoodNoms
For a simple, no-frills food tracker, FoodNoms fulfills the role of MyFitnessPal with a less intimidating user experience. Unlike MyFitnessPal, which has moved its barcode reading features to its paid tier, FoodNoms is committed to keeping its barcode scanner for free.
Using the FoodNoms barcode scanner, you can utilize its database of over 450,000 branded products to take note of your consumption easily. However, its claims of an 85% match rate are for the United States only, so it may not be perfect if you're a frequent traveler. That said, it does give you the option to scan nutrition labels directly if the grocery item is not in its library. On FoodNoms' Apple Watch integration, you can quickly see your macros and how much allowance you have left for the day.
Suppose you're the type of person who is conscious of your data privacy. In that case, FoodNoms' developer prides itself on its privacy-focused features, which include not requesting your name or email addresses and storing your data in your iCloud, not in their servers. Built for the Apple ecosystem, FoodNoms is also compatible with the iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac.
While FoodNoms has a free version on the App Store, you can give FoodNoms+ a go in its seven-day free trial and decide if its $35.99 annual fee is worth the money. With its premium version, you can view more stats and track more types of components, such as sodium, fiber, caffeine, and alcohol.
Noom
While we all have different reasons for wanting to gain or lose weight, Noom makes it possible to do so by addressing the psychological elements that affect our eating habits. For example, you may tend to be an emotional eater, tend to binge or have a sugar addiction, which are conditions that an ordinary diet can't always fix. According to Noom, it uses the latest breakthroughs in behavioral science to help people take control of their health.
When you download Noom for the first time, you'll need to fill out an extensive questionnaire, which includes questions like your weight-related goals, demographic profile, and even more intimate questions, like if you have a history of eating disordered eating. Afterward, the app will share some recommendations and projections of what your weight could look like by a certain timeframe if you follow it.
Although there isn't a direct Apple Watch app for Noom, you can still connect your Noom app with Apple Health. With this, you can allow Noom to read your health data and sync information from your Apple Watch, such as steps, dietary energy, active energy, blood glucose, and weight. Afterward, Noom can create better recommendations for your eating plans moving forward.
Unfortunately, Noom doesn't have a free tier on the App Store, but it does offer a free trial that includes food logging, weight tracking, and tips. Afterward, you can decide which of its various payment plans suits your specific weight management needs.
No Meat Today
In 2021, Nature Food shared that about a third of all our combined greenhouse gas emissions are due to our food systems. If you're part of the 59% of Americans who see climate change as a serious threat (via Pew Research Center), you may be considering having less meat in your diet. On the other hand, you could also simply perceive your diet as an extension of your personal values. For example, some religions with plant-based diets, such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, believe in the concept of Ahimsa, or kindness and non-violence towards all living things.
Regardless of the reason, you can try downloading No Meat Today to encourage you to avoid eating meat in a cute and visual way. When you download No Meat Today, you can choose your weekly Meatless Goals for as short as one day a week. Initially, you'll start with your "personal cowch," Naomi, but you'll be able to attract more dairy cows and unlock more cow designs and combinations with each day of meatless meals.
On your Apple Watch, you'll be able to easily log whether or not you've consumed meat for the day without opening your iPhone. You can try No Meat Today for free on the App Store, but only being able to log your progress once daily can feel limiting. So, if you want to be able to log multiple meals, attract special cows, edit past days, and more, you'll need to pay for a premium subscription.
Zero
If you can't be bothered tracking or changing the composition of your meals, intermittent fasting (IF) might be your diet of choice. By establishing set eating windows, intermittent fasting is a straightforward way to reduce overall caloric consumption. However, Women's Health cautions practicing IF for aging women, people taking medication, or if you're over 65.
One of the most highly rated IF apps on the App Store, Zero prides itself on being your partner in weight loss and health gain. When you first download it, it will ask for your name, sex, and birthday. You'll also be asked to share why you downloaded the app, which includes benefits like weight management, gut health, and increased daily energy.
On the app, you can track your IF progress daily and review it monthly. Zero offers tracking for multiple types of fasting that include the 13-hour circadian rhythm fast and the 16:8 IF, one meal a day (OMAD), and custom prolonged fasts. Using your Apple Watch, you can quickly select your target fasting hours, start your fast, end your fast, and review your fast summary.
For most people, Zero's free tier is more than enough for essentially tracking your eating window. But while Zero is available on the App Store for free, you can experience its full features with a $69.99 annual fee — there's a free trial to decide if it's worth it. Otherwise, several alternative intermittent fasting apps can help you reach your goals.
Stay on top of your eating habits
While fad diets come and go, the right one for your body depends on many factors. Whether it's calorie counting or skipping meals, the wrong diet can still give you your desired results, but whether or not it's a sustainable solution for you is a different story. Not to mention, it may cause severe complications in the future.
Before going on any diet, especially the ones that encourage calorie restriction or removing entire food groups, it's important to do proper research. If it's within your means, it's best to consult licensed professionals like nutritionists or doctors, who can help make sure you create sustainable eating habits.
In some cases, they may require additional testing, like blood tests, food allergy or intolerance tests, before recommending the right diet for you. With time, as you progress in age, you may also want to switch up your diet to fit your changing needs.
In addition, you may also want to regularly monitor your health in ways apart from your weight. While weight is a typical indicator of health, additional information like nutrient deficiencies, visceral fat levels, inflammation, blood pressure, and more also matters for overall health.