7 Reasons using a food and exercise tracker app helps you get the best weight-loss results

If you struggle to lose or maintain weight, using a food and exercise tracker app is a proven way to overcome hurdles. Maybe you want to learn more about your eating habits or nutrient intake. Using an app like MyNetDiary can help you understand how to manage calories, macros, and nutrients so you can meet your goals as you learn along the way.

How a food and exercise tracker app can help you meet your weight and health goals

Calories count when it comes to changing your weight. More calories eaten than burned equals weight gain. So eating fewer calories and/or burning more calories equals weight loss. Calorie and nutrient awareness is to your advantage whether you want to change your weight or know more about what you consume daily. Become aware of your eating patterns, calorie intake, physical activity, and more as you involve a food and exercise tracker app.

7 Reasons to use a food and exercise tracker app

1. You learn about what you eat

Food tracking increases awareness about what you actually eat. You’ll find yourself noticing and comparing calories. For example, you realize how a side of broccoli instead of fries saves you 343 calories. Small changes in your choices can lead to big scale, waistline, and health results.

MyNetDiary’s food barcode scanner helps you make in-the-moment decisions based on how the item contributes to your overall plan. Use the scanner to find and log packaged foods, allowing you to instantly notice how certain foods contribute to your calorie, macronutrient, vitamin, and mineral targets.

2. You dial in when you eat

Your time entries in your food log can reveal clues about your habits. Do you see meal or snack time patterns that stand out? For example, these everyday habits can result in a calorie surplus:

• You skip breakfast and/or lunch, eat a large dinner, and then snack late into the night.
• You go longer than 5-6 hours between meals, so often, your next meal will be higher in calories.
• Your timestamps, visible when you click “View All Meals” on your Dashboard, show that you eat or drink calories all day long; that’s "constant grazing." Are you not eating enough at meals? Do you eat more out of habit or hunger? If you don’t see the timestamp on your app, double-check that you have turned on this feature. Go to “Me,” then “App Settings,” tap “Diet Logging,” then select “Timestamp.”

Remember, for an accurate food log, do your best to record your intake right away so you don’t have to rely on memory.

3. You tune in to why you eat

MyNetDiary and some other food and exercise tracker apps allow you to record notes and observations to help you learn more about your eating habits. For example, is there a correlation between what happens in your day and your eating habits? In addition, look at days when your exercise is lower or higher than usual. Do you see food intake differences those days? You can determine for yourself by watching the details you track in Notes on MyNetDiary.

4. You become more aware of the portions you eat

Learning about portion sizes may be the greatest benefit of using a food and exercise tracker app. It can have a profound effect on your calorie intake. Face it; we are masters at underestimating how much we really eat. Whether you prefer perfectly measured portions or MyNetDiary’s portion guide found next to the portion size options when logging a food, a tracker helps at home or dining out.

Portion sizes are larger when dining out. MyNetDiary’s AI Meal Scan recognizes your food and portion and then matches it to the MyNetDiary food database for accurate nutrition information. AI Meal Scan provides information about your meals’ calorie, macronutrient, vitamin, and mineral content, allowing you to make informed eating choices aligned with your goals.

5. You learn about your nutrient intake

Tracking macros (fat, carbs, and protein), water, vitamins, and minerals is helpful for anyone, regardless of the goal. MyNetDiary uses the U.S. Dietary Reference Intakes for recommended nutrient goals. These are evidence-based goals for people based on age, sex, height, weight, and life stage. For instance, let’s say your doctor advises you to increase your calcium and vitamin D to a certain level. Or perhaps your dietitian recommends no more than 14 grams of saturated fat daily. No problem. You can customize nutrient goals with Premium membership’s full range of options.

6. You notice your activity level

You can easily track your activity using the step counter, manually recording your exercise on the Dashboard, or syncing MyNetDiary with fitness trackers such as Fitbit, Garmin Connect, and Withings. Activity tracking can be a huge motivator and feel gratifying. Before you know it, you will be walking 60 minutes a day instead of 20!

7. You see the benefits of meal planning with weight loss

MyNetDiary’s Shopping List feature easily integrates tracking with meal planning and grocery shopping to help you lose weight while reducing food waste and being budget-conscious. Meal plans help you stay on track with weight-loss goals by having a plan ahead of hunger. The Shopping List makes meal planning more convenient and helps limit impulse purchases from lack of planning or hunger.

Using a food and exercise tracker app will help you make informed choices to meet your weight and nutrition goals. You will discover a great deal about weight, calories, foods, and nutrients. And most importantly, you will understand how your lifestyle habits affect your health and weight.

Related Content

• MyNetDiary how-to videos can help you become a tracking pro in no time!
• 8 Food tracking tips to improve your accuracy and meet your weight-loss goals
• How to track food intake and exercise for long term success

Updated by Amy Brownstein, MS, RDN on February 28, 2025

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