Which iPhone App?

The Weight Snap iPhone app was created in response to a rapidly growing movement in weight loss: the Photo Food Diary.  Sure, most dieters have heard of calorie counting and logging foods in order to keep track of the amount of food they consume, but a photo diary is a newer twist on this concept.  Countless studies have been released over the last several years promoting the physical and psychological benefits of , yet the introduction and prevalence of smart phones has revolutionized this approach to weight loss.

“For individuals who are trying to lose weight, the No. 1 piece of advice…would be to keep a food journal to help meet daily calorie goals.  It is difficult to make changes to your diet when you are not paying close attention to what you are eating.” –Anne McTiernan, M.D., Director of the .  Dr. McTiernan and her colleagues believe that a food diary needs to be simple and easily accessible if it’s to be effective.  And because carrying around a notebook and pen feels a bit archaic, relying on a smart phone or tablet often proves to be the dieter’s best resource.

Food Journal Apps

The health and fitness iPhone app market is packed with offerings that are functional capable of counting calories, logging exercises, tallying water consumption, calculating nutritional values of meals and on and on…  So how does a dieter choose?!?  Photo food diaries tend to lead the pack for dieters over the long run because of the speed and ease of taking a photo for each entry (versus recording data by typing out ingredients, portion size and other important details of the meal).  When used correctly, photo food diaries:

• Require self awareness before the user even picks up their fork
• Allows the user to review their meals and compare this data with changes in their weight/measurements
• Helps users stick to their specific diet plan
• Allows users to track the foods/meals that work best for their body and avoid the ones that don’t

It’s clear that photo food diaries play an integral role in successful dieting plans.  The key to a successful weight loss app is its simplicity, accessibility and ease of use… making photo journals an excellent alternative to traditional pen and paper diaries while still empowering the dieter to reap the rewards of keeping a food journal.