Sugar and Starch Free, No Problem

I don’t really do this too often–reviews have never really been my thing when it comes to writing, but as I have gotten older I have also understood the importance of a really great review. I’ve always enjoyed scouring the internet before I make any really BIG purchases and finding out all I can about items.

Before I bought a pair of noise-cancelling headphones I spent weeks watching videos and reading reviews on them and found the perfect pair that fit my tiny head just right! That’s just the kind of stuff I love to do so I’m happy with a product but for some reason I had never realized there wasn’t much when it comes to reviews on food and calorie tracking apps unless you’re looking at really big influencers accounts, which if you are let me say it’s not always the best of resources since they’re often paid spokespeople for companies.

These food tracking apps can become a really important part of your routine if you’re working with a dietician or nutrition specialist as I found out in my first few months of my CSID diagnosis.

I actually tried a few different apps including My Fitness Pal, Cronometer, and NOOM before really landing on one that worked for my needs.

I’ve been using Lifesum for almost 4 years now and each year I feel like it gets significantly better and more user-friendly although there are a number of people who would disagree with this statement on the latest update. I think it is way easier to use with the incorporation of the text section which can automatically pull up a nutrition panel based on your submission. I usually have to be really specific when it comes to this like I can’t say I ate an apple but I need to say I had a granny smith apple (1/2 cup) for it to really work its magic.

Okay, so I shared a little bit about the “bad” things the app has at this moment in time. We’ll call them quirks because what might work for you doesn’t really work for someone else.

If you’re a data nerd (ahem, me) than you’ll love the progress reports and charts that this app offers. Honestly, they’re really pretty and they help me stay on track. The database and mechanics the app offers are also very easy-to-use and if they change or update they try to keep a similar layout and flow for users. I’m also lazy and a lot of the food I eat is useful with the barscanning function but I can also just as easily input tracking some of the Whole Food and plant-based food I eat.

I also did a little bit of research on the cost end when I first started using it and it was one of the more affordable options at the time–this might have changed from when I first did that research but here’s what the cost breakdown looks like now:

3 MONTH PLAN	$10/MONTH (BILLED $29.99 QUARTERLY)
6 MONTH PLAN	$8.33/MONTH (BILLED 2X ANNUALLY $49.99)
12 MONTH PLAN	$8.33/MONTH (BILLED ANNUALLY $99.99)

There’s also an option to use the app’s free version which costs nothing but the features are limited; I did this for the first couple of months while I was deciding between a few of the other apps for tracking food.

What do you get with the paid version that doesn’t come with the free version of the app?

Adjust Calories	Set your own daily calorie goal.
Adjust macronutrients	Set your own daily goal for carbs, protein and fat intake.
Meal Plans & Programs	Get the perfect Meal Plan or Program to succeed with your goals, based on your preferences and lifestyle. Reduce stress and simplify healthy living by following one of our nutritionist-developed Meal Plans including 3-Week Weight Loss, Intermittent Fasting, Sugar Detox and Vegan for a Week.
Create Favorite items and exercises	Create your own food items, recipes, meals and exercises. This will help you save time while tracking by adding your custom meals and recipes to the app with nutritional information.
No ads	Enjoy an ad-free experience and stay focused on your health goals with the Premium plan!
More nutritional details	See the amount of nutrients such as sodium, fiber, and cholesterol etc. for each meal.
Connect to more fitness apps	Sync exercises and data with Fitbit, Runkeeper, Withings and Samsung Health – depending on the device you are using.

OVERALL OPINION:

I’m going to give the app a 4 out of 5 stars because I realize that all of the things I love about the app are pretty subjective. The features I use the most like the barscanner, the favorites section, the data from charts, and the curated meal planner and recipe section might not be what other people are looking for. It’s also a little pricey for this kind of app and the AI tools are relatively new, and if you’re looking for a way to connect to fitness apps for weight loss goals something like MyFitnessPal was leagues better. That could be because my Garmin watch is pretty ancient though.

Overall, this app delivers in every area that I need it to and I’ve been exceptionally happy with the nutrition advice, the meal planning, and the lifestyle goals I have it currently set at. It really helps me stay on track.