As we continue through the 21st century, the popularity of smartphones has increased rapidly; it is now estimated that there will be 1 billion users of smartphones by the end of 2013! It is understandable therefore, that there are now many dieting applications designed for the iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android.
The applications are varied in practise and principle so if you are following a low fat diet or looking to achieve something specific like lose belly fat, you need to choose your App carefully.
Healthy Eating
Being able to eat healthily is a challenge that an increasing number of adults face. With a lack of decent nutritional education for children, we as a society are becoming a lot less capable of determining choices suitable to maintain a balanced diet of the food groups. That is why the MyFitnessPal application for the iPhone and Android mobile platforms is a great way to educate yourself on eating healthily.
The application features a database of almost a million different food products, including food from big brands such as KFC and Starbucks. Whether you want to be able to record your entire diet, or just want to measure the calories in the occasional treat, this application is perfect. Membership is absolutely free, giving you access to the mobile applications and a personal website account to aid you in your weight loss.
Paired with eating healthy, being able to drink the appropriate amount of water to aid your diet is crucial for its success. The Drinking Water application, designed for Android devices, does just that: it reminds the user several times a day that they still have not consumed their recommended 8 glasses of water a day. The application will helpfully (or perhaps annoyingly) ensure that you drink the recommended 2.5 litres of water a day, which can be a huge benefit with losing weight.
Exercise and Fitness
It is unanimous among experts that exercise is vital for weight loss. Although you can eat healthily and have a good diet, without regular exercise the excess fat that you wish to lose will unfortunately still be there. The recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day does not have to be particularly strenuous – around an hour of moderate walking a few times a week will be a huge benefit to your weight loss, usually having a visible effect on your waistline and belly fat.
Walking is becoming increasingly popular, with it becoming less and less associated with something reserved for dog walkers. The Pedometer application for the iPhone and iPod Touch is a very cost-effective way to measure and record the amount of steps that you have taken, the distance travelled and the calories you have managed to burn off. A pedometer, whether a clip-on physical device or mobile app, will help to keep you motivated with your walking goals – if you see that after a moderate walk you have managed to burn 200 calories easily, you will be spurred on to do so in the future. It is important that exercise is taken regularly, so a weekly regime of walking for an hour or two will help you slim down quicker than you think.
If you are determined to be able to run and jog long distances, but have little experience doing so, the Couch to 5k (www.c25k.com) application for the iPhone (C25k Pro on the Android) is exactly what you are looking for. With running and jogging becoming more popular than ever before, this application will help a novice couch potato with being able to run five kilometres in just nine weeks. With a regular programme of 30 minute training sessions, you will be guided along how best to run the 3.1 mile distance that you have your heart set on. The application is good even for those that do not know much about exercise, as its warm-up and stretching guides will ensure you are exercising safely.
There are various applications available to aid in your personal training that cost a lot less than hiring a personal trainer! An example of such an app is the 200 Sit-ups application. As it gives you a custom exercise plan to suit your individual preferences, it will encourage you to complete the whole set of sit-ups, resulting in being able to successfully complete a set of 200 consecutively. The application is very good, as it make sure that you rest for an appropriate length of time between completing sets, so as to make sure there is no harm done by over-exercising.
A somewhat unique application is the iMuscle for the iPhone. It uses cutting edge 3D technology to create over 450 HD images to show you exactly how to stretch and complete muscle exercises effectively. Complete with animations and explanations, if you are unsure of stretches and muscles, then this is exactly what you need.
Hopefully you have found this guide to some mobile phone apps for dieting useful. You should now be well placed to choose a suitable complement to your low fat or low calorie diet. If you do choose any of the applications, do remember that you should always take caution when dieting and exercising.