Review: LoseIt! iPhone App

We've all got the baby weight to lose, some of us are lucky enough to lose it while our kids are still babies, others are still toting the baby weight along to preschool graduation, even high school graduation.  I personally called it baby weight til my little boy turned two...then I just called it extra weight.  I did end up losing it though, using an app called LoseIt!  I started using LoseIt! when my son was almost 3, and in about 6 months, I managed to shed almost 20lbs.  Then I got pregnant with my daughter, but instead of abandoning LoseIt!, I adjusted my daily calorie target to account for the extra calories needed during pregnancy.  I don't know if it was just using LoseIt! or if there was something else at play, but I did not gain nearly as much with my second pregnancy than with my first (and that's even with the 9th month of crazy chocolate cravings...).  I'm still using it (most days) now that I'm breastfeeding (again, I added calories to my target to make sure I'm getting enough), and after three short months, I'm only a few pounds from pre-baby weight.

I'm not an advocate for "diets" - fancy and scientific though they may be, the basic concept of weight loss is still limiting your calorie intake while maximizing your calorie expenditure through activity.  LoseIt! app for iPhone helps you to track calories in/calories out in a simple and quick way.  Because let's face it, we're busy moms, we don't have time for fancy journals, point calculations, support group meetings/weigh-ins, or typing in all of the nutritional info of each thing we eat.  LoseIt! allows you to select from the HUGE list of built-in foods, their food database even includes restaurant foods which is handy when you are eating out.  For the odd item that isn't in the database, LoseIt! app allows you to enter in custom foods.  Not only can you enter in custom food data, but you can even enter in custom recipes!  You just add foods to the recipe, say how many servings it makes, and it calculates the calories for you.

The best part is that the app is on your iPhone, so you can have it with you everywhere you go.  That also means there's no excuse to not log your meals.  LoseIt! can be set up to remind you at a set time if you haven't entered, say, your breakfast by 10am.  LoseIt! also tracks your exercise, so anytime you do anything, be sure to enter it in.  It does the calorie expenditure calculations based on the weight you are on the date you exercise, so you'll also want to make sure that you log your weight regularly.

If you want to try LoseIt!, check out their website here: http://www.loseit.com/ or check it out on the iTunes App Store (it's FREE): http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lose-it/id297368629?mt=8