What to look for in a weight tracking app
A notebook and a pencil can track your weight. An app should do more than the notebook, or it is not worth the space on your phone. Here is what to look for before you put months of weigh-ins into one.
A trend line, not just a list
Your weight swings from day to day with water and food. An app that only lists your weigh-ins, or draws a line from dot to dot, shows you that noise and little else.
Look for a trend line: a smoothed average that moves a little each day toward your latest weight. It shows which way your weight is really going. We explain the idea, and the sum behind it, in why your weight changes every day.
An honest goal date
A goal date you type in tells you what you hoped, not what is happening. A better app works out your recent pace from the trend and shows the date that pace reaches your goal. When you speed up or slow down, the date moves. That is the number that helps you decide whether to change anything.
A way to spot a plateau
Every long diet has slow weeks. A good app can tell you whether your trend has really stopped, or whether water is hiding progress for a while. Our guide to the weight loss plateau covers the difference.
Body numbers beyond the scale
Weight is one number. Your waist and your body fat say where the weight comes from. An app that also records your measurements can show your waist-to-height ratio and a body fat estimate next to your weight. It should tell you which formula it used, because each one has limits.
Your data stays yours
Your weight history is personal health information. Before you start, check these:
- Does the app need an account? If it does, your weight goes to someone’s server.
- Can you export everything to a file, such as a CSV, that other apps and spreadsheets can open?
- Can you keep a backup and restore it on a new phone?
- Can you bring in the history you kept in your last app?
If an app makes it hard to leave, ask why.
Reminders that do not nag
A short reminder at a time you choose helps you build a daily habit. A reminder that scolds you for a missed day does not. Look for reminders that are off until you turn them on.
Where Downtrend fits
Downtrend, our own weight tracker, does each of these things. It draws the trend through your daily weigh-ins and shows the date your pace reaches your goal. It has a plateau check, BMI, body fat and waist-to-height pages, and records six body measurements. It has no account, and your weigh-ins stay on your phone. You can import a CSV from another weight app, export to CSV and keep a backup file. Reminders stay off until you turn them on, and they never mention a missed day.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before a big change to what you eat or how you train, and especially if you are pregnant, under 18 or have a health condition.