Where would we be without technology? It’s true that for just about any aspect of your life there is some form of technology to make things easier for you. That extends to your health too and one area where this is best demonstrated is how technology can help your weight loss efforts. There’s no denying that losing weight requires a lot of hard work on your part, but using the various apps and websites devoted to the subject can help keep you on track.

It’s often thought that losing weight is a costly business – reduced fat or sugar versions of foods tend to be more expensive, gym memberships don’t come cheap and the weekly fee to attend a slimming club soon adds up. Anything that’s free to help you on your weight loss journey is therefore welcomed with open arms. For those of you with a smart phone – think Android, iPhone, Blackberry – make sure that you take advantage of one of the many free or low cost apps designed for anyone looking to shed the pounds.

Noom Weight Loss Coach

If you have an Android phone, Noom Weight Loss Coach can be used to help you to set goals for your weight loss and track your progress. Not only this, but it allows you to record your daily food intake and activity – not just formal exercise, but any day to day activities too. Every day you will be given a task to help you to foster healthy changes to your lifestyle. You will also have access to informative articles that provide you with all you need to know to make positive food and activity choices. Visit https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wsl.noom to find out more.

Endomondo Sports Tracker

Making changes to what you eat is usually not enough alone to promote weight loss, activity is essential to achieve this. Anyone with an Android, iphone or Blackberry can use Endomondo Sports Tracker to record information about their walk, run or cycle. Thanks to GPS technology it can tell you how far you went, at what speed, the altitude you gained and how long it took you. It logs each exercise session that you undertake, providing a history of these and the opportunity for you to see the improvement in your route times. More information can be found at http://uk.appitalism.com/app/android/262950-endomondo-sports-tracker/.

Calorie Counter PRO My Net Diary

With a database of over 300,000 foods, this app for Android and iphone allows you to monitor your calorie and intake of 35 nutrients. Although this app does have a small cost associated with it, it has to be one of the most comprehensive apps available to track your nutritional intake, so this makes it well worth it. It couldn’t be easier to use either, as you can scan the barcode of a packaged food or type the name of the food into the app, providing a cumulative total of your intake and the number of remaining calories you can still consume for the day. Record your daily exercise and see the progress in your weight loss visually, motivating you to continue with the changes that have been successful. Your wallet will also benefit as cheap private medical insurance is often only available if you are average weight and in good health. You can also access recipes to provide inspiration and keep your meals interesting. Download the app at http://uk.appitalism.com/app/android/515165-calorie-counter-pro-mynetdiary/.

My Fitness Pal

This is an internet based log of your food intake, so a good option for anyone who does not own a smart phone. With nearly two million foods listed, it’s easy to keep track of what you eat; it also records what exercise you do. This website has the huge benefit of access to the discussion forums to gain tips, support and encouragement from others working at reducing their weight. Register at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/.

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Jenny writes about health issues for a private health insurance company. She believes that health and fitness are better than any cure and encourages her readers to develop an active, fun lifestyle.