THE 5 BEST FREE CALORIE COUNTING APPS TO BUILD MUSCLE AND LOSE FAT
These days, there’s an app for nearly everything, which is convenient because it can save us a ton of time and make life much more straightforward. A calorie-tracking app falls into this category. Whether we want to bulk up, shed some fat, improve our body shape, or boost our overall health, an excellent calorie-tracking app can make a huge difference in how quickly we see results.
Here’s the deal: If you want to build muscle, you must eat more calories than you burn (a calorie surplus). And if you’re aiming to lose fat, you need to consume fewer calories than you burn (known as a calorie deficit).
But here’s the problem: If we’re not keeping track of how much we’re eating, we’re flying blind. We need to find out if we’re in a calorie surplus or deficit, which makes reaching our goals a whole lot trickier.
This leads to frustration. When folks are trying to bulk up, they usually run into one of two issues: either they think they’re eating enough but need to see progress and get discouraged, or they end up overeating and wonder why they’re gaining more fat than muscle.
Similarly, those aiming to shed some pounds also face two common problems: they might think they’re eating fewer calories, but they do not see any weight change, or they end up eating too little, which causes them to lose muscle instead of fat.
That’s where a calorie-tracking app comes in handy. It takes the guesswork out of the equation and saves us time and frustration.
With an app, we can figure out exactly how many calories we should eat daily to maintain our current weight and adjust our calorie goals based on our fitness objectives.
Plus, many of these apps have supportive communities where users encourage and motivate each other, along with fun challenges to keep you engaged and motivated.
To make things easier for you, we’ve put together a list of the top five free calorie-tracking apps that will help you ditch the guesswork and get on track to achieving your dream physique.
WHAT IS A CALORIE?
A calorie is simply a unit of measurement for energy. You get calories from your food, providing the energy your body needs to carry out its daily functions. Your calorie intake is the total number of calories you consume daily.
In contrast, the calories your body burns through activities like exercise, digestion, and just maintaining essential bodily functions make up your calorie output. When your calorie intake matches your production, it’s called “energy balance.” Eating more calories than your body burns leads to weight gain while consuming fewer calories results in weight loss.
WHY USE A CALORIE TRACKER?
Keeping tabs on calories is a well-established method for weight loss, muscle gain, or maintaining your current weight. Numerous scientific studies have proven that monitoring your food consumption and physical activity is highly effective for shedding pounds.
However, calorie counting only gives you insight into the quantity aspect of your diet. It’s equally important to consider the quality of the food you consume. Not all 100-calorie snacks are created equal to 100 calories from a banana, which provides different nutrients than those from a doughnut. Therefore, it is crucial to choose foods based on their nutritional value, not just their calorie count. The apps listed below also offer features to help you assess the nutritional content of your food.
A study involving 272 participants discovered that those who tracked their food intake, physical activity, and weight were likelier to achieve significant weight loss.
Another recent study found that individuals who followed weight loss programs while counting calories lost an average of 7 pounds (3.3 kg) more than those who didn’t track calories. The study concluded that consistent calorie tracking correlated with better outcomes.
There are three primary reasons why calorie tracking is effective:
1. Monitoring calories helps identify eating patterns that may need adjustment to support weight loss.
2. Being aware of your calorie intake provides a baseline for comparison when decreasing or increasing calorie consumption.
3. Tracking calories helps monitor your behaviour, make informed choices, stay motivated, and stay on course toward your goals.
ARE CALORIE TRACKERS SAFE?
Research indicates that logging food intake to count calories is a successful weight loss strategy. However, studies have also highlighted the potential risks of calorie counting for individuals with a history of disordered eating. Self-monitoring of diet and exercise may increase the likelihood of developing eating disorders. If you’re concerned about safety, an intuitive eating approach may be better.
TOP 5 BEST FREE CALORIE TRACKING APPS
1. MY FITNESS PAL
MyFitness Pal stands out as one of the most popular calorie-counting apps, and it’s for good reasons! With around 200 million users and over 300 million foods listed, this app is a leader in diet and fitness tracking.
MyFitness Pal Interface
Navigating this app is incredibly simple. You just search for the food you want and add it to your diary. The diary is divided into Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks, or you can customise it with up to 5 meals of your choice.
You get detailed information on each food item’s calories, protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Once you add foods, the app calculates how many calories you should aim for the rest of the day to meet your target.
Every food you add goes into your history, making it easy to find them again. This history feature is quite handy since most people eat similar foods daily.
You can create your recipes by adding individual ingredients to ‘My Recipes’. The app tells you the calories per serving based on the number of portions you specify. Alternatively, you can explore the 500+ recipes available in the app.
The ‘Newsfeed’ section is regularly updated with recipes, nutrition tips, and workout ideas to keep you motivated and inspired.
The community forums provide a platform to share ideas, learn from others, and connect with people who share similar fitness goals, offering valuable support along the way.
Pros:
- Simple navigation
- Extensive food database
- Supportive community for motivation
Cons:
- Calories and nutrient information for user-uploaded recipes may not always be accurate
- The barcode food scanner feature was removed from MyFitness Pal on October 1, 2022. (Don’t worry, though—the other apps still have the barcode scanner in their free versions!).
2. FATSECRET
FatSecret is a free app for counting calories, offering a food diary, recipes, exercise tracker, and weight log. Unlike MyFitness Pal’s recent update, where users must pay for premium access to unlock the barcode scanner, FatSecret provides this feature for free.
FatSecret Layout
In addition to the basics, FatSecret boasts a scanner to track nutritional details for branded items, packaged goods, and restaurant meals. It provides monthly summaries detailing your average daily calorie intake. Moreover, FatSecret fosters a sense of community through daily challenges, promoting motivation and accountability.
Pros:
- Extensive food database
- Community engagement
Cons:
- Potential confusion with layout
3. LOSE IT
LoseIt Interface
Lose It! is another excellent option for a free calorie-tracking app. With over 112 million pounds shed collectively by its users, Lose It! tailors calorie targets based on individual factors like weight, height, age, and gender. Like other apps, Lose It! offers barcode scanning and a vast database of foods and recipes. It also syncs seamlessly with various devices and apps, such as the Health app on iPhones or Fitbit, simplifying goal attainment.
Furthermore, users can connect with health communities to stay accountable. For additional features like challenges and private support groups, there’s an option to upgrade to the premium version for an annual fee.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Integration with other devices and apps
- Community support
Cons:
- Adding nutritional information can be more time-consuming than with other apps
4. NUTRITION X TRACK
NutritionXTrack Overview
Nutrition Track is a handy app for counting calories and tracking nutrition. It boasts an extensive database of over 948,000 food items, including groceries, restaurant meals, and common foods. With a user base of over 5 million, Nutrition Track is known for its effective calorie counting. What sets this app apart is its ability to combine fresh foods with packaged and restaurant items, allowing for accurate meal calculations. For an annual fee of $29, users can upgrade their membership to share their food diary with a nutritionist or personal trainer.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface focused on calorie tracking
- Large database of nutritional information
- Developed by registered dietitians
Cons:
- Potential difficulty in connecting to other apps
5. CALORY
Calory Overview
If you’re seeking a straightforward calorie-counting app, Calory might be the perfect fit for you. This streamlined app focuses solely on calorie tracking, allowing users to log their intake easily. The home page displays daily remaining calories and consumption, with options to customise calorie targets. Calory also remembers your recent food choices for quicker entries. Upgrading to premium membership unlocks additional features like macro and water tracking, a barcode scanner, and expanded food database access.
Pros:
- Includes daily goal reminders and logging prompts
Cons:
- Database usability may be challenging
- Lacks community features
- Additional features require premium upgrade
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST CALORIE COUNTING APP FOR YOU
Consider the following factors when selecting a calorie counter app:
- Preferences: Each app offers unique features, so choose one that aligns with your needs and preferences.
- Special Diets: Look for apps tailored to specific dietary requirements, such as vegan, keto, or gluten-free diets.
- Membership Billing: Take note of the app’s billing cycle, especially if you plan to upgrade to a premium version.
- Compatibility: Check if the app integrates with other devices or apps to enhance your experience and support your goals.
THE BOTTOM LINE
If you aim to bulk up, slim down, or simply transform your physique and eliminate any guesswork to ensure progress right from the start, then a calorie-tracking app is your go-to solution.
Remember, they say fitness is 30% exercise and 70% nutrition. Many have hit the gym for ages without seeing the desired results, often because of poor dietary choices and neglecting calorie tracking.
Nowadays, user-friendly apps are readily available to us. Let’s maximise them and leverage their effectiveness to reach our fitness goals!
We hope you found this article helpful. If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments below.
