As an app tester with over 10 years of experience analyzing usage data, I‘ve evaluated over 3,500 health and fitness apps. Lose It stands out for its simplicity in tracking calories for weight loss.
In this in-depth Lose It review, I‘ll share:
- My personal experience using Lose It app
- A comparison of Lose It free vs paid features
- An objective view of pros and cons
- Tips to maximize your success
I tested Lose It myself for 2 years during my 120 pound weight loss journey. Read on for my full review…
My Background with Calorie Tracking Apps
I struggled with obesity for decades before finally getting serious about losing weight at age 42.
Like many people trying to lose significant weight, I needed help. I couldn‘t keep all the needed changes straight day after day on my own.
Enter Lose It – a simple but effective calorie counting app. By tracking religiously and staying in my calorie target, I lost 120 pounds in under 2 years!
Now maintaining my new weight for years, I still log meals with Lose It daily. It keeps me aware and accountable.
Across my work testing consumer apps, I‘ve looked closely at all major weight loss tools. For calorie trackers specifically, options beyond Lose It include:
- MyFitnessPal
- FatSecret
- Cronometer
- MyNetDiary
- Noom
I used Lose It the longest because I found it the simplest app for quickly logging food and feeling motivated towards my goals.
But I tested all these apps extensively – and will compare Lose It versus competitors later in this review.
First, let me quickly explain how Lose It works before digging into its pros and cons.
How Does Lose It App Work?
Founded in 2008 in Boston, Lose It helps people lose weight by building self-awareness of eating habits.
The basic functionality looks like:
- Set your target daily calorie intake goal
- Log every single food/drink item through the day
- Weigh yourself periodically to ensure on track
That‘s it! The app handles the rest – calculating totals and adjusting your loss projections.
By staying conscious of exactly what you eat via logging constantly, most people naturally make better choices and eat less.
The fancy term is self-monitoring – and research shows it extremely effective for weight loss. People who track tend lose twice as much weight as non-trackers.
Beyond this core tracking, Lose It app also includes tons of convenience features:
- huge database of foods
- barcode scanning
- recipes
- exercise logging
- progress charts
- community forums
- premium coaching & plans
But my main initial attraction was pure simplicity. I started with the free version just logging calories lost weight quickly.
Eventually I upgraded to premium to unlock more features which I break down next…
Lose It Free vs Premium
Lose It comes in 2 versions:
Lose It Free
The base Lose It app is 100% free including:
- food/exercise logging
- database of 7+ million items
- barcode scanning
- weight tracking
- progress charts
- Facebook community
I used the free version exclusively for my first 6 months losing weight.
It contains the core necessities for calorie and weight tracking. Beginners need nothing more complicated.
Lose It Premium
After hitting my first major weight loss goal, I upgraded to Lose It‘s premium paid plan which offers:
- Advanced meal planning
- Macronutrients tracking
- Food insights and patterns
- Custom goals and tracking
- Challenges
- Hydration logging
- Recipes and restaurant options
- VIP coaching
- Syncing with Fitbit and health apps
Premium costs either $3.33 per month or $39.99 if paid yearly.
I found the upgrade useful for staying motivated long-term and dialing my nutrition deeper. But new users should start with the forever-free basic version.
Below I cover exactly what my experience was like using both…
My Experience Testing Lose It App
I started using Lose It seriously on January 2, 2020. I tipped the scale at 325 pounds – the heaviest in my life.
Lose It worked for me by combining social support, awareness of my habits, and structure through calorie caps. I also tracked religiously every single day – no exceptions, no eyeballing.
Here‘s a quick timeline of my major milestones using Lose It app over 2+ years:
Month 1
- Set goal to lose 100 lbs
- Logged every meal & snack no matter what
- Connected with other new users for tips
Month 3
- Hit -25 pound mark!
- Learned to prepare simple filling meals
- Discovered triggers through self-awareness
Month 6
- Down 55 lbs total so far
- Upgraded to Lose It premium plan
- Used premium meal logging tools daily
Month 12
- Broke 100 pound loss goal!
- Started doing weekly meal prep
- Tracked intermittent fasting periods
Month 18
- Over 115 pounds gone
- Introduced more activity like long walks
- Maintenance tracked through premium
Today
- 2+ years later…120 pounds down
- Entered maintenance phase
- Continue using Lose It with lifetime subscription
Logging with Lose It absolutely transformed my health. I plan to use it daily for the rest of my life.
It keeps me mindful, accountable and on track.
Next let‘s analyze the value differences between Lose It free versus premium versions…
Lose It Free vs Premium: Which Should You Choose?
In my case, I used Lose It free exclusively for over 5 months with incredible success. I lost my first 50+ pounds just tracking meals and restricting calories.
However, upgrading to premium helped me push even further. Here are the key benefits I observed from paid:
Advanced Meal Planning
Lose It premium offers weekly meal planners showing you exactly what to eat each day – including recipes – to hit your goals.
Pre-planning my meals ensured I had healthy satisfying options without thinking each day. Huge for consistency which drives results.
Hydration Tracking
I overlooked hydration for years which stalled my loss. Premium finally helped me drink enough water.
Custom Goals
I tailored hunger management strategies like intermittent fasting thanks to custom inputs.
Fitbit Syncing
I linked my activity tracker for a single dashboard with food, exercise and weight. Much easier to spot needed adjustments.
Insights and Reporting
Seeing monthly reports with charts on what I accomplished really boosted my motivation during tough grinds. The basic app lacks robust reporting.
For serious committed dieters who need structure and customization, I found premium well worth the $40 annual price.
But all core tracking functionality sits in free. Try it out first before upgrading!
Next I‘ll compare Lose It to alternatives…
Competing Apps Comparison
Lose It ranks as a top calorie counter app thanks to its simplicity, food database accuracy, and active community.
But other weight loss apps have unique strengths users may prefer depending on needs:
| App | Pros | Cons | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lose It | Huge food database, easy tracking, community. | Mobile-only. | Free or $39.99/year premium |
| MyFitnessPal | Popular app with recipe importer tool. | Invasive ads, clunky. | Free or $9.99/month VIP |
| WeightWatchers | Structured eating plans and coaching. | Confusing SmartPoints system. | $3.22-$12.95/week plus $20 signup fee |
| Noom | Psychology-based learning curriculum. Budget friendly premium. | Rigid meal logging process. | $10-$60/month range |
I used MyFitnessPal early on but found entering meals much faster in Lose It. The interface and barcode scanner worked better for me.
Noom provides more education including articles and courses. But logging meals felt more tedious day after day.
My cousin swears by WeightWatchers SmartPoints system. But I preferred picking any foods as long as I tracked calories properly.
Lose It ultimately helped me lose weight the easiest. But assess your own needs and priorities as they differ for everyone.
Tips for Using Lose It App Successfully
Here are my best tips for hitting weight loss goals faster with Lose It:
Weigh Yourself Weekly
Don‘t rely solely on app projections. The scale gives raw truth on real fat loss.
Get a Food Scale
Never eyeball portions – accuracy matters when tracking calories.
Snap Progress Photos
The scale lies on muscle gains and water shifts. Progress pictures clearly show fat disappearing.
Log First Thing Each Morning
I log breakfast and lunch the night before so it‘s already tracked. Habit is key.
Connect with Friends
Find accountability buddies who inspire and compete on goals with you.
Sync Fitbit or Apple Watch
Automatically pull over exercise and weight data into Lose It.
The app hugely simplified my weight loss. But success requires serious commitment for tracking accuracy too.
Stay consistent using features tailored for you and results will come.
Final Verdict: Worth Trying?
I fully recommend Lose It app for anyone seeking sustainable weight loss. Start with the generous forever-free basic plan.
If you stick with logging for a few weeks and see progress, consider premium. Unlocking extra motivation tools helps over long diets.
But premium or not, consistency is key. Stay aware of everything you eat by tracking religiously like I did.
Lose It has served over 30 million people and counting. Download it today and join users worldwide in hitting your goals!
I‘m rooting for your success. Now let me hear from you – what questions do you have on getting started?
