Can you share honest reviews of simple weight loss apps?

Apps
1

I’m trying to lose some weight and feel overwhelmed by all the simple weight loss apps in the app stores. I’ve tried a couple that felt spammy or confusing, and I don’t want to waste more time or money. Can you recommend simple, user-friendly weight loss or calorie tracking apps that actually helped you lose weight, and explain what you liked or didn’t like about them?

2

I went through the same mess of spammy “simple” apps. Here is what ended up working or sucking for me. All personal use, no sponsorship junk.

  1. Lose It!

    • Pros:
      • Simple calorie tracking.
      • Barcode scanner works well.
      • Goal setting is clear.
    • Cons:
      • Free version has a lot of paywall nudges.
      • Some food entries are off by 10 to 20 percent, so double check portions.
    • Good if you want “log food, hit number, move on.”

  2. MyFitnessPal

    • Pros:
      • Huge database.
      • Easy to sync with wearables.
    • Cons:
      • Ads in the free version feel aggressive.
      • Interface got more cluttered over the years.
    • Use it if you want lots of foods pre entered and you do not mind a busier screen.

  3. Carbon Diet Coach

    • Pros:
      • Adjusts calories based on your weekly weigh ins.
      • Focus on trends, not daily perfection.
    • Cons:
      • No free tier.
      • Interface feels a bit stiff if you prefer “tap and go.”
    • Works if you want the app to “think” for you on macros and targets.

  4. Cronometer

    • Pros:
      • Very accurate database with verified entries.
      • Great if you care about protein, fiber, vitamins.
    • Cons:
      • Looks more like a spreadsheet.
      • Can feel nerdy and heavy if you want quick and dumb.
    • Strong pick if you want data you can trust and you like numbers.

  5. Simple apps that looked good but felt spammy to me

    • “30 Day Weight Loss,” “Weight Loss for Women,” “Lose Weight at Home” type apps.
      • Lots of full screen ads.
      • Aggressive 3 day trial then auto bill.
      • Random workout plans with no progression logic.
    • These gave me short term motivation then I quit because the popups were insane.

  6. What I recommend if you feel overwhelmed

    • Pick one of these three and ignore the rest for 8 weeks.
      • Easiest: Lose It free version.
      • Data focused: Cronometer free.
      • Coaching style: Carbon Diet Coach.
    • Set one goal: daily logging, no perfection.
    • Weigh yourself 3 to 4 times a week, track the weekly average, not single days.
    • Aim for 0.5 to 1 pound loss per week. Faster than that is hard to keep.

  7. Red flags in “simple” weight loss apps

    • No clear pricing on the store page.
    • “Only 3 spots left” or fake countdown timers.
    • Big claims in the title like “Guaranteed” or “No diet needed.”
    • Push notifications every hour to buy something.

  8. Simple setup that worked for me

    • Cronometer for food.
    • Free step counter on phone for movement.
    • One rule: hit protein target and stay near calories. No fancy meal plans.
    • I lost around 18 lbs in 4 months with this. I had 2 to 3 off days a week and still trended down.

If you post your height, weight, step count, and how much you want to lose, people here can help you pick between those apps and set a rough calorie target that fits your life so you do not bounce between apps every week.

3

I’m with you on the “simple weight loss” app spam. Half of them feel like casino apps wearing leggings.

@vrijheidsvogel already covered most of the big calorie trackers, so I’ll hit a few angles they didn’t lean on as much and disagree in a couple spots.

1. Yazio

  • Pros:
    • Much cleaner and calmer than MyFitnessPal IMO.
    • Decent free version, not as shouty about premium.
    • Built in recipes and meal ideas that are actually realistic.
  • Cons:
    • Pushes meal plans a bit if you’re not into “follow this exact recipe” stuff.
    • Some foods are missing or in German/local variants, so you may need to add custom items.
  • Verdict: Good if you want structure but not hardcore “macro nerd” level.

2. FatSecret

  • Pros:
    • Totally functional free tier, less ad pressure than MyFitnessPal.
    • Simple interface, feels like early internet in a nice way.
  • Cons:
    • Looks slightly outdated, which might bug you.
    • Community section is… hit or miss, lots of random posts.
  • Verdict: Solid “I just wanna log my food and shut the app” option.

3. Lose It vs MyFitnessPal (where I disagree a bit)

  • I actually find MyFitnessPal easier for beginners who eat a lot of packaged stuff. The database is enormous, yes cluttered, but you almost always find what you need.
  • Lose It is cleaner, but personally I got more annoyed with the nudges there than in MFP. MFP’s ads are ugly, but I tuned them out faster than the constant upgrade prompts in Lose It. Totally a personality thing.

4. Free, truly simple options that people overlook

  • Built in phone health apps

    • Apple Health / Google Fit combined with:
      • A basic food logging app (Yazio / FatSecret / Cronometer).
      • A step goal.
    • No “14-day detox” BS. Just: log food, move more, watch the graph.

  • Plain weight tracking apps (Happy Scale on iOS, Libra on Android type stuff)

    • Pros:
      • They average your weigh ins so you don’t freak out when you gain 1.5 lbs of water.
    • Cons:
      • No food logging. You need a separate app.
    • Good if calorie counting stresses you out but you still want to monitor progress.

5. Apps I would personally avoid in your situation

Not naming specific brands here, but patterns:

  • Anything with “Lose 10 kg in 7 days” in the screenshots.
  • “Workout at home for women/men” that:
    • Makes you tap through 7 popups before you can even see a workout.
    • Has a 3 day free trial with tiny-font pricing on a yearly plan.
  • Apps that ask you 30 questions then spit out “Your special plan” for $59.99/year. That’s not personalization, that’s a Mad Lib.

6. If you want super minimal effort

If logging food has burned you out before, try:

  • Pick one of these combos and stick to it for 6 to 8 weeks:
    1. FatSecret + step tracker
    2. Yazio + weekly weigh in app
    3. MyFitnessPal free + ignore every single ad and upsell
  • Set boring rules like:
    • Log something for every meal, even if not perfect.
    • Hit a minimum step target (e.g., 6k to start).
  • No fancy “30 day shred,” no “detox,” no carbs panic.

7. Quick red flag checklist before you download

If an app does 2+ of these, I’d skip it:

  • “Only X spots left” or fake discounts / timers.
  • Free trial shorter than 7 days.
  • Hard to find the actual subscription price on the store page.
  • Before / after photos in the app store that look like stock images.
  • Daily push notifcations screaming about “last chance.”

If you want to share roughly: age range, height, weight, activity level, and how fast you think you want to lose, people here can help you pick between 1 or 2 apps that fit you so you’re not stuck speed dating every “simple” app in the store.

4

Short version: calorie tracker + weight trend app + step counter beats most “simple” weight loss apps that scream at you to subscribe.

Since @reveurdenuit and @vrijheidsvogel covered the big names really well, I’ll hit a different angle: how to use them without going nuts, plus one app type they barely touched.

1. Where I slightly disagree

They both lean heavily on apps that do a lot (Cronometer, Carbon, MyFitnessPal). Those are great, but if you are already overwhelmed, the “do everything” approach can backfire.

I actually like splitting things up:

  • One app for calories
  • One for weight trend
  • Built in step counter

It sounds like more work, but in practice it is calmer, because each app has one job and you are not being upsold on “workout plans,” “detoxes,” or “premium coaching” every tap.

2. The underrated category: pure weight trend apps

They mentioned these in passing, but this is where a lot of people quietly succeed.

Typical examples (brands aside): very simple weight trackers that:

  • Let you log weight daily
  • Show a smoothed trend line
  • Give you weekly change like “down 0.6 lb this week”

Pros

  • Zero diet spam
  • No “special plan,” no “fat burning workouts”
  • Helps you not freak out over water weight

Cons

  • No food logging or advice
  • You must be okay with a slow, data based mindset

If calorie counting has burned you before, you can start with just:

  • Trend app for weight
  • Step count target
  • Rough habit rules like “half my plate veg or protein”

Then maybe add a food app later.

3. How to pick between the big contenders they mentioned

Both @reveurdenuit and @vrijheidsvogel had good takes, but personality matters more than feature lists.

Use this logic:

  • Hate clutter and just want “type food, see calories”
    → Try something clean like Lose It or FatSecret.

  • Want accuracy, do not mind a more technical feel
    → Cronometer.

  • Want hand holding and macro adjustments
    → Carbon Diet Coach.

Where I’d push back: I would not start with MyFitnessPal if you already feel overwhelmed. The database is great, but the interface and ads can feel like walking into a crowded mall when you just needed bread and milk.

4. About all the “simple weight loss” apps in the store

Those “30 Day Weight Loss,” “Lose Weight at Home,” “for Women / for Men” apps are flashy for a reason. They monetize your anxiety.

Patterns that are almost always bad:

  • Long quizzes that end with “unlock your personalized plan”
  • 3 day trials that convert to a yearly subscription
  • Full screen video ads between every tiny action
  • Before / after photos that look like stock images

You do not need built in workouts to lose weight. A separate bodyweight routine from YouTube plus a step goal handles that side fine.

5. How to not bounce between apps every week

Whatever you pick from their lists or your store, give it this structure:

  1. Commit to one app for 8 weeks
  2. Set only one primary habit goal
    Example: “Log everything I eat, even if it is messy”
  3. Add a very boring movement rule
    Example: “Hit 6k to 8k steps daily most days”
  4. Weigh yourself 3 to 5 times per week and look at weekly averages, not single days
  5. Target about 0.5 to 1 lb loss per week

If after 8 weeks you are:

  • Losing roughly in that range
    → Keep the app, it works.

  • Not losing at all
    → Lower calories by 150 to 200 a day or push steps up a bit. No need to download a new app.

6. Quick compare to what has been said

  • @reveurdenuit: Solid on specific app behavior and red flags. I agree that Cronometer + basic step counter is a killer combo, but I think their “nerdy” critique is somewhat a plus if you want to avoid garbage entries.

  • @vrijheidsvogel: Good callouts on Yazio and FatSecret and on avoiding fake personalization. I would still say if you eat mostly home cooked food, Cronometer or a simple logger plus a trend app will serve you better than chasing any “simple weight loss” app that promises fast drops.

If you want help narrowing it down, post:

  • Height
  • Current weight
  • Rough daily steps
  • Job type (desk vs active)

Then you can get suggestions like “App X + basic trend tracker is enough, forget everything else” so you are not stuck testing every “simple” app on the store.