Fitness has become an even more pressing issue nowadays, hence the spread of and demand for exercise and diet-related apps for tablets and smartphones. One popular app is MyFitnessPal which, among others, counts calories and helps keep track of food. But how effective is this app, and should the success stories and testimonials be believed?
App Overview
MyFitnessPal is a free app available online, and will work with Windows Phones, Apple products, and Android phones and tablets. MyFitnessPal is actually a general term for a wide range of applications that track exercise and diet, ranging from calorie counters to fat loss counters. All these apps come in conjunction with a support forum, where exercise and fitness enthusiasts can share their experiences and expertise on fitness.
How It Works
The tools on MyFitnessPal all aim to take the burden off the dieter by providing information on what foods to eat, what to avoid, how many calories can still be consumed, and how fast an exercise regimen is working. All that a user needs to do is to be a member of the MyFitnessPal.com community, and avail of all the free tools.
MyFitnessPal also takes note of the food that you eat, and it reminds you of the bad eating habits that might keep you from losing weight. The food log also helps you look at what good habits you have, so that you can repeat them and ensure that you truly are fit. MyFitnessPal can also be customized to fit specific dietary prescriptions and restrictions.
Creator
The MyFitnessPal is run by MyFitnessPal LLC, which also creates the applications on the website. MyFitnessPal LLC also distributes the apps on the Blackberry and iPhone market, as well as on the Google Play Store. The rest of the site’s content, in terms of forum information and discussions, is created by users.
Website
The domain MyFitnessPal.com is registered through GoDaddy.com by MyFitnessPal LLC. The corporation is based out of San Francisco, California.
Pros and Cons
An advantage of this approach is that it’s free: you don’t have to pay a single cent for being a part of MyFitnessPal, and you still get a lot of the experience, expertise, and tools that might cost you more had you taken on a paying program. The tools available also work on the basic concept of recording the food that you eat and the exercise that you do, both of which are important in losing weight, keeping it off, and staying fit.
MyFitnessPal also has a searchable database of over two million foods, which can help you keep track of the foods in your diet. This can also be useful in making recipes and planning meals.
One disadvantage is that not all the information available on MyFitnessPal is authenticated by experts, and there might even be conflicting information on the website that could confuse some dieters. Although there are some experts on the forums and discussion boards, they will not always be available, and there could be false information spreading regarding health and fitness.
Social Media
MyFitnessPal is popular online. It has its own Facebook page, which has over 4000 likes. It also has its own Twitter page where it has over 39,000 followers.
Price
Membership to the website as well as the tools are all free. What might cost you are data plans for your phone or tablet, which you will need to run the apps and view the website.
