Sep 30, 20216 min read

Why use a food tracking app?

According to Livestrong, in a February 2019 study in the journal JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 105 overweight people were asked to track their food intake via a smartphone app for several months. Even those who didn’t follow a particular diet plan lost significant amounts of weight during the trial period. Even if weight loss isn’t your goal, tracking foods can help you make wiser and healthier choices.

When I first started using ‘MyFitnessPal’ a food tracking app in 2012, my goal was to be healthier and fit. I was often tired and had low energy, although I was getting a good night's sleep. I was snacking throughout the day even though I wasn’t hungry and had no idea how many calories I was consuming every day. I didn’t like the way my clothes fit. Even if I bought new clothes, they just didn’t hang well on me. I was frustrated and needed to take action.

So, what are the disadvantages of not using a food tracking app?

The disadvantages of not using a food tracking app are many. Here are few key things to keep in mind before you decide to ignore this advice.

You eat what you want but won’t know if it’s healthy or how many calories are included.
You eat when you are bored, stressed, or angry but don’t realize you are adding pounds.
You have issues like high blood pressure, sleeplessness, low energy, or fatigue but don’t know what is causing them.

These issues and more can be in focus every day by using a food tracking app and setting key goals for sodium, calories, fat, and sugar. You’ll be amazed at how much better you will sleep by getting healthier foods in your body.

"no one has the willpower to avoid their favorite foods every day or remember how much they ate."

Here are 5 benefits for why you should use a food tracking app.

Benefit #1 - It helps you understand your eating habits

Input everything that you eat and drink. This will help you discover your eating patterns and habits. Are you eating foods that are healthy and good for you? Are you consuming a lot of added sugars and empty calories from beverages like soft drinks? Are you eating or snacking while sitting in front of the television? Or, are you running out the door in the morning and stopping for fast food on your way to work?

To save time in the morning, boil some eggs at night and have one with a piece of avocado toast in the morning for a quick nutritious breakfast. You might opt to make your coffee at home in the morning instead of buying that high-calorie and expensive Latte. Preparing or prepping meals ahead of time will give you healthy choices, save you money, and there will be a meal ready for those days when you are too tired to think about what’s for dinner.

Benefit #2 - It helps you be mindful of why you eat

Studies show that mindfulness has a great influence on how much we eat, how we feel when we eat and when we choose to eat.

Don’t eat too fast! Give your brain and body a chance to get on the same page. Your body sends signals to your brain that you are full and this can take up to 20 minutes, so slow down. Am I eating because of emotional signals such as stress, boredom, frustration, low energy level, stomach growling, or from body clues like feeling lightheaded? So, before you pick up that donut, think about the clues your body is giving you rather than the emotional signals from your brain.

One thing that I learned was that I often snacked out of boredom and while watching television. If I surround myself with healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables to snack on, this would prevent me from consuming unhealthy snacks like chips, cookies, and donuts. My trips to the grocery store are now consumed with more planning and thoughtfulness, which has enabled me to reach and maintain my goal.

Don’t forget to add the condiments because some of them are unhealthy. 2 tablespoons of Helman’s mayo has 180 calories, 20g of fat, 180mg of sodium, and 10mg of cholesterol. 4 tablespoons of Heinz ketchup has 80 calories, 640mg of sodium, 20g of carbs, and 16g of sugar. Who knew they put a lot of sugar in ketchup for your hotdog? If you put mayo and ketchup on a sandwich, you could be adding over 800mg of sodium.

A food tracking app gives you the discipline to know what you are getting before you eat it.

Benefit #3 - It helps to automate entering your meal items

Food tracking apps have two big ways of saving you work when entering what you eat. This also helps with being disciplined at selecting each meal item before you eat.

First, you can type in the name and get a list of that food from grocery stores, restaurants, or home-cooked items. Just select the one that matched your choice and the calories, sodium, fat, sugar, protein, vitamins and other information will automatically be added. For home-cooked meals, you can create a meal with all the items and ingredients so you can select it later. All of my favorite meals and sandwiches are saved so I can pick from the list and all items for that meal will be loaded.

Second, you can scan the barcode on foods in your pantry or refrigerator. When you scan the bar code, it will give you information for one serving. If you eat two servings then adjust the serving count as needed. This method is similar to reading the food label in the grocery store because it gives you the information to choose healthier foods before you buy or eat them.

Benefit #4 - It helps you hold yourself accountable

When you enter accurate information, it can hold you accountable especially when trying to lose weight. You will immediately know if you are going over your calorie goal for the day. You will start to focus on making smarter food choices. In the past, I would opt for a slice of pizza, use up a whole lot of calories and be craving something else soon after. Now I can make better food selections with fewer calories, and I feel satisfied.

Instead of consuming calories from junk food, I started to pay attention to portion size, eating more nutrient-dense foods, such as whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and complete proteins. I also discovered that I wasn’t consuming enough water. Part of my fatigue probably was coming from not consuming the proper fluid intake. This food tracking app provides a way for me to monitor and stay on top of my fluid intake.

When dealing with health issues such as hypertension, we know that limiting sodium can help, so why not have an app that is convenient and readily available to track your daily sodium intake. This may reduce your blood pressure, which may reduce headaches and other issues.

Benefit #5 - It balances total calories, micronutrients, and macronutrients

When I started tracking my food intake, I began to realize how many empty calories I was consuming. I was eating enough calories, sometimes too many, but they were not the healthiest. I was not meeting my protein nor my fiber goals and I was eating too many foods with added sugar, sodium, and fat.

When looking to eat healthier, a food tracking app provides a comprehensive method to assist with selecting nutrient-dense foods for healthier meals. When I discovered that I wasn’t eating enough protein and fiber, I was able to target those nutrients by making better food choices. For example, when I grab an apple for a snack I also add a serving of peanut butter, in that way I get both fiber and protein. I’m also able to stick to my daily sugar, sodium, and fat goals without going over. This is possible because I can see exactly how much I am consuming daily.

Summary for why you need to use a food tracking app

When I first started to use the MyFitnessPal app to track my food and exercise, it took some work and commitment on my part to start this process. However, over time it became easier and I began to understand my eating habits. It has been great for me because it has provided a method to achieve my goal of being healthier and fit. I feel better and have more energy.

This is a journey that I can easily continue for a lifetime.