Do diet apps work? Pros and cons of 5 popular options (MyFitnessPal, WW, Noom, Lose It!, Fooducate)

Many focus on getting healthier at the start of the year as part of their resolutions. Tap or click for simple tech resolutions you can keep. But if you want to truly be healthy, it’s an all-year event.

There is so much misinformation about eating healthily, the right amount of exercise and the best ways to lose weight. Thankfully, there are tools to help you get fit in whatever way you want. 

If you hope to ramp up your exercise routine or find better ways to eat the right way, let us help. Here are five of the best diet and exercise apps to try now.

1. MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal has an open discussion forum that lets you get in touch with other folks in different stages of their weight loss journey. Use this tool to get tips, tricks, and encouragement if you struggle to stay on track.

RELATED: 5 health tests you can take online

The free app focuses on food tracking but can also help you stick to your diet plan. You can also track exercise, and the app pairs with almost every fitness watch on the market, including Fitbit and Apple Watch. MyFitnessPal is available for iOS and Android devices.

Pros: There’s a free version! It’s worth noting that it has a free option, unlike others on the list.

Cons: Limited offerings in comparison to competitors.

Cost: Free or upgrade for $19.99/month.

Best for: Those who want a community to motivate them on their weight loss journey.

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How long do you have to live? Take this Harvard quiz for people 65+

Would you want to know if you could find out when you’ll die? I know. It’s grim. While online quizzes aren’t exactly 100% accurate, results can be super interesting. Harvard now has a quiz you can take that predicts how long you have to live.

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Get free stuff: FreeCycle is a fantastic online community where folks give away things they no longer need or find items they want.

Fake doggy DNA tests, Google's Bard mistake & deepfake art clues

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Plus, Martinus Evans is on a mission to get everyone running. I talk to him about the Slow AF Run Club, his community of over 25,000 slow runners and walkers. Blue light might speed up puberty — here’s the scoop. Also, streetlights are going purple and a web browser designed for people with ADD.

😱 The truth is out: Earlier this year, Raffaela Spone was accused of creating a deepfake video of her daughter’s cheerleading competitor vaping. The community turned on Spone, complete with death threats. Fast-forward — the video turned out to be real and the investigation was botched. Yeah, Spone’s suing for $20 million.

How to bring in more income in the new year by selling your stuff

Are you new to the neighborhood or want to connect with your community? Try joining a buy nothing group. Neighbors pass around items for free, which is a great way to save money on things you need and establish rapport. Tap or click here for safe ways to get free stuff from next door.

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Safe ways to get free stuff in your neighborhood

If you want to save money while connecting to your community, you have to join a buy nothing group. It’s exactly what it says on the tin: a group of neighbors with their own gift economy. You can join a Facebook group or even a community on NextDoor or other apps. Tap or click here to find out how Nextdoor and other apps help sell your old, used or battered tech.

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A photographer snapped a pic of an incredibly rare blue rock-thrush bird in Oregon. These little guys, native to Europe and Asia, have never been recorded in North America. The birding community is chirping, with experts collaborating to verify it all. How’d the bird get here? Theories range from strong winds to hitching a ride on a ship. Isn’t that amazing?!

Have a kiddo between the ages of 7 to 12 in the family? Share Google’s Be Internet Awesome, a crash course in internet safety and smarts. There are even slides for teachers or community or church leaders to share.

Shake your money maker: Reddit’s Contributor Program requires you to cough up some personal details, but you get actual cash if you go viral. It’s based on how much karma and gold — aka community-voted attaboys — a post earns. On Reddit, post your referral code at the bottom to win prizes when people sign up. Just an idea!

Happy New Year from Kim! How to live your best digital life in 2023

Let me be among the first to wish you a blessed, healthy, and prosperous New Year! We make resolutions this time of year more than any other time.

The average American makes three resolutions, and the theme is pretty much summarized by one word — better. We want to look better. We want to act better. We want to be better. We just want to be better at something.

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5 ways tech can help you feel safer at home

When I host a national radio show and podcast about all things tech, digital security is always in every program. Take your home’s router, for instance. An outdated model can put your entire network, files, and anything connected to it at risk for hackers. Tap or click for five reasons you need to replace that old router.

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Want to make new friends? 5 apps to meet a pal online or in your city

Making friends used to be easy enough. You met people at work, your local gym or community events on the weekends. Then the pandemic hit and made it much more challenging to meet new people.

Some turn to dating apps. But those are full of scammers that you don’t want to run into. Things are so bad the FBI issued a warning about dating apps. Tap or click here to avoid these romance scams that have cost victims millions.

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Find all the best candy spots this Halloween with a handy neighborhood map

Nobody does Halloween like America with an entire night of festive trick-or-treating until you can’t fit any more candy in your bag. Want to really get into the Halloween spirit? Tap or click here to get spooky with your smart speakers.

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Access a million free, high-quality images for any project

Content is the backbone of the internet — and few pieces of content are more important than graphics. They allow us to share what we’re feeling without words, create an atmosphere and attract bigger audiences. Tap or click here to learn some basic photo editing tricks that make anyone’s amateur photos look pro.

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From my home to yours, Merry Christmas!

We were all reminded these past months just how instrumental technology is in all our lives. It has powered so much connection and togetherness in a time when we’re apart from those we love. Think about all the families and friends staying in touch via Zoom and the businesses, like mine, operating from home.

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Your top 8 IT questions answered

Do you ever feel stumped when working on your computer during the day? Our computers don’t always behave how we want them to, and finding answers online is often easier said than done.

You can Google anything, but you can’t Google trusted advice. That’s why Kim and the smart IT pros at Komando HQ answer your questions in the Komando Community Tech Forum. Want to try it for yourself? Get 30 days free at getkim.com. After that, it’s a few bucks a month, and there are discounts for military, seniors and service personnel.

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Parler: Your guide to the 'free speech' social network

Debates about free speech on the web are as old as the internet itself. But due to rapid changes in public discourse and opinion, not everyone is sure as to where free speech applies online.

Per the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Congress shall make no law “…prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech.” Of course, this applies to the government making rules about speech, not businesses and the platforms they own. Tap or click here to explore a high-resolution digital edition of the U.S. Constitution.

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Quick, simple way to listen to radio around the world

When I was a kid, I would listen to the radio whenever we were flying across the country from New Jersey to California. I loved hearing all the different dialects and music. That’s why I totally love this site and I just know you will too.

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Extra time on your hands? Help give sight to the blind

Technology is constantly changing how we interact with each other and spend our time. It’s also what helps us get through tough times, like staying indoors to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.

But while we all enjoy our technology for entertainment, others take advantage of tech for other reasons. Those with vision, speech and hearing challenges are now able to use their smart devices to improve their daily lives. Tap or click here to use your smartphone to make real-time transcribed calls.

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