A Weight-Loss Resolution That’s Light on the Wallet

For most people who resolve to shed pounds after the holidays, the decision means shelling out cash — on packaged foods, books, health club memberships, a scale, liposuction consultations. Problem is, the only thing many people end up losing is money.

But on a cost-per-pound basis, the newest class of weight-loss innovation could beat them all.

Free and nearly free cellphone applications for dieters and aspiring hard bodies are proliferating in the various app stores for iPhones, Android handsets, BlackBerrys and others. In some cases it feels like the Internet, circa 1999, in that companies are giving away products that seem fairly valuable.

Just as that early Internet practice screeched to a halt once everyone (well, almost everyone) came to their senses, this will too. So if you are thinking of shedding a few pounds, it might make sense to load a couple of these programs onto your phone before you devour your next pig in a blanket.

I tested a handful of the most popular applications, including Lose It! (free, for the iPhone), Calorie Counter (free, on Android and BlackBerry) and Calorie Tracker by Livestrong ($3 on iPhone, BlackBerry and Android).

Lose It!, from FitNow, is the top choice of calorie counters, with 3.5 million downloads in the 14 months since it became available. But more noteworthy is that 190,000 people have bothered to rate the app, usually with high marks, which suggests that the software has some staying power.

Based on a week or so of playing with it, the ratings are well-earned, and probably would be just as high if it cost a few dollars or more.

At its core, Lose It! is a calorie counter and weight tracker, with tools for logging and watching your food intake. Enter a few personal metrics into the program along with your weight-loss goal and deadline, and Lose It! sets a budget for your calorie intake.

source: nytimes