Use your smartphone to lose more weight

Tech vs. traditional

Smartphones are easy to use, which is why using them to track your weight loss progress could be more effective than simply writing it down.

The smartphone advantage

Researchers examined how smartphone use affected weight loss goals, and determined that smartphones may offer users an advantage over traditional methods when tracking diet data.

In a study, healthy, weight-stable adults were recruited and divided into groups based on their diet-tracking methods.

Interesting study findings

"Participants using a commercially available app more consistently entered complete days of dietary data, compared with the paper-and-pencil group, and also withdrew from the study less often than the other groups," lead author Christopher Wharton, PhD, said.

Each group kept track of their weight loss goals using a smartphone app, a memo function on their phone, or the traditional paper and pencil method.

"It's possible that app technology offers a less burdensome method for tracking data compared with traditional tools," he added.

How to find a weight loss app

Whether you have a smartphone or an iPhone, there are plenty of free weight loss and fitness apps available to easily download onto your phone.

Take a browse through your phone's app store and see which app you like the best, or try one of the five apps recommended below:

Recommended reading: 5 Best weight loss apps for your phone

1. Prev:Which fruits contain the most sugar?
2. Next:How to make sure the weight youve lost stays off