I used my phone to lose 55 pounds and run a marathon. Here’s how. - Android
Growing up as a stereotypical geeky kid who cared more about computers than sports, I’ve always struggled with weight issues. For lack of motivation and proper guidance, I found it extremely hard to get into a routine that would work for me.
As it turns out, I’m far from alone in struggling with better health in this ever-connected world. However, it is those same tools that can be exactly what you need to guide you and, more importantly, help you stay on the path towards better fitness.
I used the power of my Android phone to drop 55lbs (~25kgs), get into better shape and start running trails and marathons. If I can do it, so can you!
Now, your goals might vary. Be it a few extra pounds gained over the holidays or the choice to lead a healthier lifestyle, losing weight is not easy even on a good day. In fact, it is extremely common to get disheartened with the lack of progress or direction. Additionally, what worked for me might not for you, and it is always a good idea to seek professional advice. Remember, everyone’s bodies are different!
The guide below should serve well as baseline suggestions for how you can create a structured regime to lose weight and achieve better health using your Android phone.
As a foodie, I quickly came to realize just how many calories my favorite treats have. No matter how much exercise you put in, diet is far and away the biggest factor in a weight loss journey. Called a calorie-deficit diet, your daily caloric intake needs to be lower than what you burn. Sounds simple? You’ll be surprised by just how quickly those calories add up.
Calorie counting is fine, but apps that give you a nutrient breakdown can be much more helpful.
Keeping a tab on your daily dietary intake has multiple benefits. Of course, you can see how many calories you are taking in, and with the integrations with fitness trackers and apps, you can readily see if you are burning off enough. More than that though, it is the nutrient breakdown that comes across as more handy.
While there are many apps that claim to assist with calorie counting, a few might be better for your part of the world. I found MyFitnessPal to be among the best. The app has been around forever and doesn’t quite have the best interface, but it does the job and has a robust food database. I also tried out HealthifyMe which is another option but the constant reminders to upgrade to premium plans and the lack of integration with complementary services was off-putting.
MyFitnessPal is pretty self-explanatory as far as apps go. During the onboarding process, you will need to enter your age, height, and weight. You can then set yourself a weight goal, as well as how much weight you are aiming to lose every week.
It is easy to get too optimistic, but I would highly recommend sticking to a goal that you can realistically meet. You don’t want to get disheartened do you? Keeping a track of your food intake can show you exactly how many calories you are consuming, as well as an overview of the nutrients so that you can optimize your dietary habits.
MyFitnessPal not cutting it for you? From apps that just track your daily intake to others that can recommend customized diets, check out our list of the 10 best diet and nutrition apps for Android to find one that might be your jam.
In addition to eating healthier, hydration is another aspect that most of us forget or give up on. The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recommends a daily water intake of 3.7 liters for an adult male.
I’m not proud of the fact that I’m particularly bad at keeping myself hydrated. If it weren’t for the constant reminders, I would likely go days without grabbing a sip of water. No, coffee is not a substitute.
Listen, I get it. It is easy to get caught up in work and activities to the point where you drink water only when you are thirsty. However, water not only helps keep you full but also helps your metabolism and assists in dropping weight faster.
I’ve found myself using the Hydro app to keep a log of my daily water intake. It also provides handy reminders if I go too long without drinking a tall glass of water. The app’s interface is a bit basic, and if you want something that can track your coffee and tea intake as well, Water Time might be another alternative. You can check out our list of the best water reminder apps for Android to take a look at more options.
Also read: How to get into shape with your fitness tracker in just 7 minutes… a day
Of course, a diet can take you only that far. It is imperative that you put in the effort to burn more calories than you consume. Workouts come in many shapes and forms, be it outdoor running or hitting the weights at the gym. I needed help in coming up with a scientific plan for running better, and so it was time to turn to apps on my phone to help me plan a defined fitness routine.
Now, I’ve never been much of an athlete and achieving my goal of running a 10K was not going to be easy. Referring to our list of the best weight loss apps, I stumbled upon the Couch to 5K app.
The app presents you with an expertly designed plan for interval training and structured schedules to help you achieve your goals. Not only did the app work for me, but it also helped me get on track to run and complete marathons and trail runs. How’s that for an endorsement!
The first few days were certainly not easy. Finding the motivation to get up and go out for a run can be particularly hard. However, I observed that notifications from the app and the gamification aspect of earning ticks for completed workouts were a good incentive for me to step out every day.
If you are using a fitness tracker, it is probably best to use the accompanying app to keep a track of your outdoor runs. As a Fitbit Ionic user, I’ve been using the accompanying app to send over my data to Strava for more granular analysis of my workout data. If you don’t have a fitness tracker, you can strap in your phone in an armband and track your workouts using a range of fitness apps just as well.
Over time, I discovered that the Strava app provided a bit more granular data about my heart rate and pacing for my runs. Fitbit integrates reasonably well with Strava to upload data to the service.
If you are coming over from another fitness tracker that doesn’t, the SyncMyTracks app is a great resource to bring over all your data from some of the most popular fitness services. In my case, I had a lot of historical data from Google Fit and a range of other trackers I’d tried out.
In case you are in the market for a new fitness tracker, we’ve got an up-to-date list of the
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