Let's face it, nearly all of us at one time or another have wanted or needed to lose weight. It seems to be even harder to do as we age. Something about female hormones being out of whack and our metabolism slowing down. There really needs to be some up sides of getting older!
There are so many diet options it can make your head spin - Keto, Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, Mediterranean, vegan, vegetarian, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig and the latest intermittent fasting to name a few. I even recall a watermelon diet years ago. There are people that swear by each of these. Yet, if any diet worked for all people there wouldn't be so many. I am hoping for an ice cream or chocolate diet to be invented. I think I could stick to that!
With the advances in technology there are now weight loss applications for our phones. Food trackers came out years ago. I used one and did lose some weight as I tracked everything I consumed. Being conscious of your intake and having to admit to that extra cookie does help you lose weight but only for as long as you stick to tracking and making healthier food choices.
Now there are coach led apps that include trackers for food, exercise, steps and weight as well as lessons and individual and group coaching. Some delve into the psychology of eating (Noom) while others appear to be about overall health. Rather than promoting a diet they promote lifestyle changes and making healthier choices.
My health insurance company made a program called Omada available to me. I had received post cards in the mail with very little information about the program, so I didn't understand what it was about. It wasn't until the Coivd-19 shutdown that I figured, well, I don't have anything better to do. I answered a few questions online and was approved for the program at no charge to me. I received a digital scale that talks to an app in the mail and the 52 week program began the following Sunday. I connected my Apple Watch to the app so my steps are counted. You can add them manually if you don't have a smart watch. There is a lesson to read each week that loads in the app and takes less than ten minutes to read. There are group and private sections where you can communicate with other people that started the program at the same time and with your coach. The app includes a food tracker and your coach can see your steps, food and weight. He or she offers words of encouragement and motivational tips along the way.
Here is what the Omada App looks like.
So, 16 weeks in and I am down 20 pounds. Had I known what was truly involved in the program, I think I would have signed up sooner. It really isn't as time consuming or as judgmental as I thought it might be. Tracking my food has led me to making healthier choices such as watching the portion ratios on my plate: protein (1/4), starch (1/4) and vegetable (1/2). Instead of being on a strict diet, I choose what I like to eat. I can still eat ice cream, I just make choices about how often and how much I eat taking into account what else I have eaten that day.
Using Omada has encouraged me to commit to a daily workout routine. It has actually been fun to see my progress and my dogs are excited to go on a daily morning walk with me. If you need accountability, just start taking your dog. It doesn't take very long for them to start expecting you to go. My younger one crawls up to me in bed when my alarm goes off and whimpers until we are out the door. Considering her vet says she needs to lose 10-15 pounds, it is good for both of us. Dogs can have metabolism issues too.
The bottom-line is that no app on it’s own will make you lose weight, but they can be a useful tool to keep you on track.
Have you had success with tracking apps?