Best free apps to help you lose weight

We all have certain fitness goals we may be aiming for, but with so much information out there where do you even start?! Remember that it’s not an exact science, start with a plan and use consistency to your advantage. Staying motivated and on track isn’t always easy - especially if you’re just starting out. Thankfully though there is help available! We’re in an age where technology has an answer for just about everything including health and fitness. We’ve taken a look at our top 5 picks for diet apps and have included them below...

1. My Fitness Pal

This one was an obvious choice for us. My Fitness Pal has quickly become a favourite in the fitness community for it’s ability to track macronutrients. It also has an enormous library of products to enter into your diary. To give you a breakdown of what the app is about: MyFitnessPal is a free calorie counting app that features a food database of over 5 million foods. After you install it onto your device you will need to set up your account and enter information like age, weight, height along with your overall goals and targets. The app will then create a custom plan specifically for you, giving you a calorie goal to stick to each day, which appears on the top of the diary page where you add your food in. As you add your food to your diary, you'll see the food calories being deducted from your total daily allowance so it's easy to keep track. We all use My Fitness Pal in the Protein Bread Co office daily, and the best news is that our entire range of products has been entered into the database :) Open in Apple store Open in Google Play

2. Total Well Being Diet

The Total Well Being Diet software was developed by CSIRO and is relatively new to the market. As we all know, Psychology plays a big part in healthy eating, and that’s why this app’s new “diet type” questionnaire could be the key to sticking to your 2017 weight-loss plan. In developing this online weight-loss tool the team at CSIRO conducted extensive research into the emotional, psychological and behavioural patterns that influence a person’s eating habits. They found that there are 5 main personality types that heavily influence how successful a person is in sticking to their diet.

• The Thinker — Overthinking leads to stress and mood swings which can derail your eating patterns.
• The Craver — This person’s heightened experience of cravings can lead to overeating in a variety of ‘tricky’ situations.
• The Foodie — Food is on your mind 24/7 — you love making, eating and experiencing it.
• The Socialiser — Flexibility is essential — you won’t let strict food restrictions stifle your social life.
• The Freewheeler — Spontaneous and impulsive, you tend to make choices in the here-and-now.

Simply fill in the online survey (it only takes 3 — 5 minutes) to receive a profile describing your personal diet type; weight-loss tips suited to your diet type; a personality breakdown showing the characteristics of your diet type; and a recommended weight-loss target. Open Website

3. Nutrino

Nutrino is fantastic for those who want to completely take the guesswork out of your nutrition. This great app will build you a personalised menu, taking into consideration how many calories you should be eating each day to reach your end goal. As expected you will have to spend a few minutes entering your vital stats, afterward it will show you how much you should ideally weigh and work out a long-term goal for you. Perhaps best of all, you can then specify which food you like and dislike and Nutrino will build you a customised menu, and even makes shopping lists to make things that much easier! It also links right through to all your favourite social media profiles as well so if you’re so inclined you can share your progress straight from the app. Open in Apple store Open in Google Play

4. Superfoods

The term "Superfoods" has become a real buzz word in recent years. We hear a lot about them, how we should be eating them and the many benefits associated, but how many of us know all the different varieties, what they each do, and how to incorporate them into your diet plan? The Superfoods app may be exactly what you’re looking for! It makes things easy with a series of mini articles, like "Groundbreaking superfood antioxidants" and "Best super greens", plus a handy guide to all the individual superfoods and their specific benefits. This app has all the facts and answers to your superfood questions and will leave you equipped with everything you need to get the maximum out of your superfoods. Open in Apple store

5. My Diet Coach

This one is aimed specifically for women. My Diet Coach is all about motivating you to keep committed to your weight loss goals. This app allows you to set up personalised reminders - for example, "eat vegetables with dinner" or "drink water". As well as giving you motivational photos and slogans to push through any lazy days or food temptations. If you're looking for an app that acts as a supportive friend, rather than a calorie counter you'll love this. We also like the way you set your own weight loss target, and that it reminds you of the reason you're losing weight. Especially helpful if you are working towards a specific goal like a wedding or upcoming holiday. Open in Apple store Open in Google Play If there’s anything we haven’t included on our list, be sure to let us know by commenting below! We’d love to hear what everyone is using and how it’s working out for you.