Lose It! App Review: How It Works for Weight Loss

Lose It! is a calorie-counting and weight-loss app for iOS and Android that helps you create a calorie deficit by tracking your daily food intake. This Lose It! app review covers how the app works for weight loss, its key tracking features, the free versus premium subscription, and how it compares to other popular weight loss apps.

What is the Lose It! app review about?

Lose It! is a calorie-counting and weight-loss app with a free download and an optional premium subscription, available on iOS and Android. Its core goal is to help you lose weight by creating a calorie deficit, which means burning more calories daily than you consume. This review explains how the app works, what features it offers for tracking food, and whether it might be the right tool for your weight loss journey.

How the Lose It! app works for weight loss

The app simplifies weight loss by developing a customized plan based on your personal details. When you set up your profile, you provide basic information including your height, age, current weight, and goal weight. Lose It! uses this information, along with your weekly weight loss plan, to create a personalized calorie budget that shows how much you should eat each day.

The fundamental principle is straightforward: you log the food you eat and the intentional exercise you perform, and the app tracks the calories you consume and burn. Meeting your calorie budget every day is key to reaching your goal weight on time. The app also allows you to choose a physical activity level, such as not active, somewhat active, highly active, or extremely active, which helps estimate your daily calorie burn. Exercise calories from activities like running, cycling, or gym workouts are added to your daily calorie budget, giving you more flexibility in your food choices.

Lose It! key features for tracking food

Lose It! provides the necessary tools to log your meals and snacks conveniently, which encourages mindful eating. The app's primary features make it simple to record everything you consume throughout the day.

Food database search

The app includes a large database of food items, allowing you to search for what you ate and add it to your log. The food database contains over 32 million items. The app doesn't restrict you from eating your favorite dishes, but it will deduct the calories from your budget and show you how many calories you have left for the day as you keep adding food.

Barcode scanner

For store-bought products, you can use the barcode scanner to log food quickly. This feature eliminates the need to manually search for each item, making the logging process faster and more accurate.

Logging your meals

To track your food, you go to the Log tab, tap the "+" button, and search through the food database. You should log every food you consume, even small bites or snacks, to ensure you stay within your calorie budget.

Recipes and meal ideas

Recipes and meal ideas are available for Premium users, accessible via Profile > Premium Guides > Lose It! Meal Ideas.

Water tracking

Premium users can track water intake.

Fitness tracker and smartwatch integration

To sync Fitbit: Profile > Automatic Tracking > Fitbit > Connect, or via loseit.com under Apps & Devices tab. Premium Garmin connection tracks steps, body fat, and sleep data; sleep tracking requires setting a custom Sleep Goal. Apple Watch integration has three settings: Active Calories + Workouts, Steps + Workouts, Workouts only. To sync Apple Watch: Profile > Settings > Apple Health Integration > select Active Calories + Workouts.

Lose It! free vs. premium subscription

Lose It! is free to download, with the core version providing all the basic features you need to count calories and track your meals and exercise directly on your phone. The creators designed the free version to make a healthy lifestyle as accessible as possible, believing that losing weight should not be difficult or expensive.

For users who want more advanced tracking, there is an optional premium subscription. Premium costs US$39.99 per year. Premium users lose an average of three times as much weight as free users (per app claim). This upgraded version offers additional features to support your weight loss journey, such as more detailed tracking options. While the free version contains all the basic tools needed to hit your weight loss goal, premium is designed for those who want a more comprehensive tracking experience.

Lose It! vs. other weight loss apps

Several weight loss apps are available today, each with a different approach to weight loss. Some encourage users to stick to a specific diet or follow particular workout routines, while others focus on broader lifestyle changes.

MyFitnessPal is a weight loss app designed to help users eat better and become more active, making it ideal for those looking for an app that focuses on overall fitness. It features a large food database, a barcode scanner, and access to numerous cardio and strength workouts. MyFitnessPal also has an online community for support and allows integration with fitness trackers like Garmin and Fitbit. MyFitnessPal premium costs US$50 per year.

Noom takes a different approach by examining a person's entire lifestyle, including age, height, activity level, and medical history. It works in conjunction with health and nutrition experts to create a plan for sustainable changes. Noom's approach promotes better health and fitness, making it ideal for individuals who want to lose weight healthfully and sustainably, though its price point can be a disadvantage. Noom costs US$17 to US$59 per month or US$199 per year.

Lose It! distinguishes itself by focusing primarily on calorie counting. If you want a straightforward tool that helps you track your daily food intake without prescribing a specific diet or requiring a broad lifestyle overhaul, Lose It!'s calorie-focused approach may be the best fit for your style.

Pros and cons of the Lose It! app

Unlike other weight loss apps, Lose It! mainly focuses on tracking the food you eat every day. It uses the calorie counting approach, which has helped millions of individuals achieve their weight loss goals. The app is easy to use, so you can track your daily calorie intake quickly, and it includes a large database of food items and exercises for intuitive logging.

One of the app's key strengths is that it makes calorie tracking fast and simple. It also helps you become more mindful of what you consume and is easy to connect with other fitness and health apps and devices. The app's smart technology even allows users to estimate how many calories their food has by taking a photo.

However, there are some drawbacks to consider. Calorie counts can be inaccurate, and logging every food you eat can be a tedious process. Some users may find that the focus on calorie counting can cause eating problems or anxiety. Additionally, most advanced features are only available for premium users, which may be a limitation for those who want the full experience without paying.

Is the Lose It! app right for you?

If you want to focus on tracking the food you eat and prefer a straightforward, no-diet calorie counting tool, Lose It! is an incredible app to use. Its easy-to-use features make calorie counting a lot easier, and you can also connect it with wearables and fitness apps for more convenient exercise tracking. The key to success with this app is consistency, you need to log everything you consume and the physical activities you perform to make it effective.

Remember that any weight loss program requires hard work and discipline. No matter what app you use, you can't achieve your desired weight if you're not consistent. Beyond monitoring your diet, don't forget to get adequate exercise, and consider seeking help from fitness or health experts to guide you in choosing a program that suits your body and lifestyle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Lose It! require an iPhone with a specific iOS version?

The official app store listing for iPhone says the app requires iOS 18.0 or later.

Can I use Lose It! without a premium subscription?

Yes, the core version of Lose It! is free to download and includes all the basic features for counting calories and tracking your meals and exercise. The premium subscription is optional and offers more advanced tracking features for users who want them.

Does Lose It! work with fitness trackers?

Yes, Lose It! allows you to sync with various fitness devices and health apps to make exercise tracking easier. The app supports different devices, and syncing can help you track the calories you burn more accurately.

Will Lose It! tell me exactly what foods to eat?

No, Lose It! does not focus on a specific diet or tell you exactly what to eat. Instead, it uses a calorie counting approach that allows you to eat your favorite dishes as long as you stay within your daily calorie budget.