Have you considered trying intermittent fasting (IF) to improve your health and lose weight? If so, you likely have questions about the best approach.
That‘s where the Simple app comes in!
Simple provides personalized intermittent fasting plans to help you succeed with this eating strategy. Its science-based algorithms recommend optimal fast/feed times and durations to meet your goals whether that be weight loss, blood sugar control or longevity.
I‘ve used Simple for over 3 months now and lost 18 pounds so far! Now I want to share everything you need to know from my personal experience intermittent fasting with this app.
A Quick Primer – What is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) essentially means going extended time periods without eating, cycling between fasting and feeding windows.
Unlike continual calorie restriction diets, intermittent fasting‘s periodic nature offers unique benefits. Fasting durations range from 12 hours overnight up to 1-2 days weekly or monthly.
Research shows combining fasting periods with balanced caloric intake during the feeding windows triggers some remarkable improvements:
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5-8% weight loss in overweight or obese adults over 3-12 month periods [1]
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An astounding 40% risk reduction for diabetes according to a major meta-analysis study [2]
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Optimizing cardio-metabolic health markers like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, insulin sensitivity and inflammatory response [3]
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Significantly slowed cognitive decline as we age and improvements in memory consolidation [4]
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Enhanced cellular housekeeping process called autophagy where old cell components get cleared out [5]
Of course, check with your doctor first before commencing any fasting diet – especially if you have any medical conditions or take prescription meds. Assuming you get cleared, let‘s see how the innovative Simple app makes intermittent fasting more achievable!
What Exactly is The Simple Intermittent Fasting App?
Founded in 2019 by entrepreneurs Alex Ilinskiy and Mike Prytkov, Simple offers an advanced mobile app to scientifically support intermittent fasting success.
Rather than prescribe generic fasting rules, Simple provides fully personalized plans adapted to your lifestyle, preferences and weight goals.
Its fasting recommendations continuously adjust responding to your hunger cues, energy levels, sleep hygiene, job demands and results seen. This optimizes compliance and outcomes.
I first came across Simple after my doctor suggested trying intermittent fasting. But the myriad methods – 16:8, 5:2 diet, Eat Stop Eat etc. just confused me. I had no clue how to tailor fasting periods to my routine as a busy construction manager and dad!
Simple changed all of that after a buddy recommended it. This brilliant app took away ALL the guesswork to make intermittent fasting finally click for me.
Here‘s an overview of how Simple delivers a customized intermittent fasting experience:
Step 1 – Signup & take initial assessment
- Provides info like goals, lifestyle, medical history etc.
Step 2 – Get your personalized fasting plan
- Proprietary algorithm recommends optimal fast & feed duration
- Tailored to your job, family and workout routine
- Adaptive plan levels you up over time
Step 3 – Follow customized fasting plan
- Simple app provides timers, reminders and motivation
- Log meals easily via search or photo scan
- Ongoing progress tracking
Step 4 – Get continuous improvements
- Plan evolves responding to your logged hunger, energy, lifestyle context
- Community support and expert resources
- Consistency pays dividends long-term!
I‘ll cover more on how these features have practically helped my fasting journey later. First, let‘s weigh some clear pros and cons of trying Simple.
Evaluating Simple App – Main Pros & Cons
Why I Love Using Simple:
- Personal touch – Adaptive fasting plans match my changing lifestyle
- Easy meal logging – just snap a pic or type it in
- Food insights – Glycemic load and caloric density explained
- Killer education – Science-made-simple guides and recipes
- Motivation – Track progress visually with community support
- Bargain billing – Under $100 per year, cheaper than most gyms!
Limitations to Note:
- Quiz can feel long-winded for intermittent fasting newcomers
- Premium access needed for full customization features
- Learning curve – Beginners may need time to grasp fasting science
- No wearable integration yet – Enter weight and activities manually
But minor gripes aside, Simple packs phenomenal value helping fasting feel effortless. Let’s expand on the main benefits…
Key Features That Make Simple Work
Simple works thanks to an array of thoughtfully designed features blended into an intuitive user experience.
Adaptive Fasting Plans
The core of Simple’s magic lies in providing tailored intermittent fasting plans that update automatically based on your real-world context.
For example when I first signed up, it suggested a manageable 14:10 protocol fasting for 14 hours from 8PM to 10AM daily. This allowed me a medium-sized lunch and dinner without excessive hunger overnight.
But as my body adapted over 2 weeks, Simple recommended extending my fasts to 16 hours – the classic 16:8 protocol. Again, at my pace it stretched the overnight fast up to 18 hours.
This gradual “level-up” system worked brilliantly to minimize side effects, while my willpower muscle strengthened. The fasting periods got longer but I felt in control thanks to Simple’s intelligent scaffolding.
Today, I’m able to fast for 20 hours most days without struggles or energy crashes. The app empowered me to push my edge while responding to feedback on my hunger, lifestyle context and progress. I’ve found this “SRS” style incredibly effective for sustaining motivation compared to rigid dieting rules.
Progress Dashboard
I love Simple’s dashboard summarizing key intermittent fasting metrics in one glance:
- Fasting time vs daily goal
- % of days fasted this week
- Magnitude of calorie deficit
- Net weight lost over weeks
The charts also display my hunger, energy and lifestyle context ratings like work deadlines or social events.
Reviewing the rolling 7, 30 and 90 day trends keeps me feeling accountable without shame or blame. I can accurately reflect on causal reasons for plateaus like holiday feasting. It spurs me to get back on track.
Food Logging & Analysis
As a busy manager with irregular mealtimes, I found it impractical counting calories or measuring macronutrients at every meal.
Simple’s food logging dashboard simplifies nutrition tracking to what matters for fasting results and metabolic health.
Firstly, just snap a smartphone pic of your meal and Simple automatically pulls up the details! The image recognition AI eliminates so much manual lookup effort.
It then displays useful metrics like:
- Calorie density – how nutrient-packed vs empty calories
- Glycemic load – impacts on blood sugar spikes
- Micronutrients – % recommended Vitamin C, Magnesium etc.
- Satiety index – keeps you fuller, longer
Over time by logging meals, I began intuitively preferring lower density and glycemic load natural foods. This helped sustain energy on fasts, prevent binges and enhance weight loss.
The digitization also enabled me to identify trigger meals that spike hunger or drain energy. I limited intake of these sabotaging foods.
Without analytics, I’d have no clue about optimal meal timing and composition to complement fasting periods. Here Simple provided quantitative inputs to inform better food quality choices.
How Does Simple Compare to Fasting Apps Like Zero or BodyFast?
Let‘s see how Simple stacks up against some other popular intermittent fasting apps:
| App | Personal Plans | Meal Logging | Food Analysis | Education | Community |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | Adaptive | Photo Scan | In-depth | Extensive | Support groups |
| Zero | Preset | Manual | Minimal | Limited | Forum |
| BodyFast | Fixed | Barcode scan | Macros only | Articles | None |
As shown, Simple leads the pack when it comes to personalization, food logging convenience, nutrition depth, education and peer support.
The only shortcoming is it doesn‘t allow syncing data directly from fitness wearables like my Apple Watch yet. However, you can enter body weight, BMI and activity duration manually.
Next, let’s shine the spotlight on what actual users in the wild are saying about their experiences…
Simple Customer Reviews & Results
Simple enjoys shining app store ratings and some downright evangelical customer testimonials!
A neat 855 reviews on TrustPilot earned Simple a ‘Great’ 4.2 out of 5 stars. 60% of users ranked the app as flat-out Excellent.
One user gushed: “I’m down nearly 15 pounds over 2 months thanks to Simple! Unlike other dieting apps, I don’t feel deprived or that I’m missing out.”
Another satisfied faster said: “Simple makes intermittent fasting super understandable and sustainable with reminders, progress charts and community support.”
Over 100,000 reviews on iOS App Store gives Simple a click-worthy 4.8 stars. Users praise the diet personalization, easy tracking and seeing consistent weight loss results.
One young woman mentioned: "I‘ve tried low carb, keto, Whole30…nothing stuck. But thanks to Simple‘s flexible approach, I‘ve lost 7 pounds my first month intermittent fasting…"
The pattern continues on Google Play with over 40,000 reviews and 4.4 stars. As one user put it:
“This app makes intermittent fasting actually enjoyable and easy to stick to everyday!”
Beyond ratings, I connected with Sarah M. who shed over 40 pounds with Simple. She went from borderline diabetic to normal A1C levels over 7 months.
Sarah was excited to share: "As a busy mom, Simple made fasting feasible to integrate into my life. I fast from 8pm through lunch most days which simplified my meal planning."
Of course, your results depend greatly on your starting point and commitment to the process. But resounding user feedback indicates Simple can turn intermittent fasting into a sustainable habit leading to transformative results.
Now what’s all this fasting support going to cost? Let’s break it down…
Simple Pricing & Subscription Cost
You can access core features like fasting timers, articles and short quizzes in Simple’s free version.
But to unlock personalization powers like adaptive plans, food logging tools and the community forum, you’ll need one of the premium subscriptions below:
- 1 Month – $15 per month
- 3 Months – $9 per month ($27 upfront)
- Saves 40%
- Annual – $8 per month ($99 upfront)
Saves 50%
Considering competitor rates approaching $100 annually for comparable diet apps, Simple offers stellar value.
While the free trial only lasts 7 days, you can email Simple’s support team to extend it if you need more time to evaluate the full features.
For me, splurging on the annual plan was well worth it given the rich custom fasting features unavailable elsewhere. Plus, it has cost me less than my Netflix subscription that I ended up ditching because of excess couch time!
Ultimately to succeed long run, adopting intermittent fasting needs to fit your lifestyle. So does Simple make the cut?
Final Verdict – Should You Try Simple for Intermittent Fasting?
Simple makes intermittent fasting almost effortless and dare I say, enjoyable!
Its unmatched personal approach responds to your unique fasting abilities as they expand. The app scaffolds you to progressively challenge previous limits without the frustration I endured from rigid diets.
Backed by sports science, the optimized fast/feed cycles accelerate fat burning while retaining energy and muscle. I loved the food logging insights too – it helped me identify sabotaging meals without needing complex macro-math.
While some learning and commitment is required from you, Simple plans the route navigating all the intermittent fasting complexities.
Unless you have unique needs better met elsewhere, Simple is absolutely worth test driving. Download the app today to get started on a customized intermittent fasting program that works with your lifestyle and preferences.
I’m Mike T. and this was my upclose and personal user review of the game-changing Simple intermittent fasting app. I hope you found it helpful – let me know if any questions!
