Bariatric surgery isn’t a quick fix for weight loss. Bariatric patients have to commit to significant lifestyle changes, including a new diet and exercise regimen. However, adequate support is a critical component to long-term weight loss success, and many patients don’t consider it until after surgery. If you’re considering weight loss surgery, you’ll need the right tools to help you reach your weight loss goals.
We reviewed dozens of the most popular apps for weight loss. The 4 below are our favorites that we recommend to our patients.
The following apps are some of the most useful for post-op bariatric patients:
1. Baritastic
Baritastic is one of the most popular apps among bariatric patients. It boasts several features that can help you on your weight loss journey. The app includes a food log to track your calorie, protein, fat, and carb intake. It also allows you to set goals and provides weekly motivation. You can set several timers as well to separate your food, water, and supplement needs. If you need additional support outside of your friends and family, Baritastic has a robust forum of other bariatric patients.
2. MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal offers much more than simple food logging. Whether you’re a macro expert or a food tracking newbie, this app is simple and intuitive for all users. You can scan barcodes, search for specific foods by the brand of restaurants, and balance your macros with easy-to-read pie charts. The app tracks your water intake and calories burned from exercise as well. It integrates with most fitness watches as well, so you don’t have to manually enter your workouts. If you don’t have a fitness watch, you can search their exercise database. The app estimates your calories burned based on the exercise intensity, duration, and body composition. Another bonus is the ability to save meals and import recipes, which allows you to update your food diary quickly.
3. Waterlogged
The above apps include water tracking, but Waterlogged takes proper hydration to the next level. Dehydration is the leading cause of rehospitalization after bariatric surgery. Waterlogged offers smart hydration tips and insights by recording your water intake and mapping your hydration history. The visuals allow you to identify trends, such as when you typically don’t drink enough water. It integrates with Apple’s Health app and Fitbit, so you can set reminders to hydrate.
4. Fooducate
Learning new nutrition habits can be challenging in the initial months after bariatric surgery. Many foods claim to be healthy because they are low-fat or high in fiber. However, many of these foods have too much sugar or sodium with scant amounts of protein. Bariatric patients need everything they eat to be as nutritious as possible, and Fooducate demystifies the nutritional value of your food. The app rates food on a graded system, which makes it easy to identify healthy food choices. Like MyFitnessPal, Fooducate can scan barcodes on food packaging.
Final Thoughts
Navigating your new diet and nutritional needs can be daunting at first. With the help of these apps, you can avoid common diet pitfalls and expedite your weight loss. Any of these apps will work for you, just as long as you actually use it consistently. These apps are simply tools to use and help you get where you want to go.
Contact us to learn more about life after bariatric surgery and how it can improve your health.
