Losing weight and maintaining fitness is a holistic endeavor, and tracking your progress is vital to realizing the greatest levels of success.

I’m recommending a group of apps, free and paid, that will help you plan and maintain a healthy lifestyle. These apps track everything from what you eat to strength training and cardio exercises. Put together, they make a powerful package not only for tracking progress, but also for providing ideas, inspiration, and motivation.

I’ve tested these apps on my Samsung Galaxy from T-Mobile, but most are also available on the iPhone and iPad. So here is the ultimate list of 5 Apps for Keeping Track of Your Fitness and Weight Loss:


1. FitnessBuilder

(iOS and Android)

Of all the apps for planning and tracking workouts, FitnessBuilder for Android and iPhone is the most robust and useful. In this app, you’ll find suggested workouts, a workout builder, and tons of exercises organized by muscle group and equipment used. Each exercise includes a written description, photos, and a video, so you can incorporate new exercises.

That said, the app is a bit complicated and takes time to learn. Plus, to take full advantage of this app, you’ll need to sign up for a $10 a month membership to PumpOne. I would still call this a bargain when compared to the cost of a personal trainer. The app includes a free month trial.

For a lower cost alternative, I recommend iFitness.

2. RunKeeper

(iOS and Android)
One of the best ways to improve your running and cardio activities is to keep close track of your progress. RunKeeper brings this idea to the next level and is the kind of app that was made for the smartphone era. Using GPS and other technologies, this app keeps track of where you run, how fast you do, and how long the run takes. I love this app’s graphical approach to run tracking, as I can easily see the spots where my pace lower and rise again.

Use RunKeeper to set up and maintain a routine; you’ll love watching as you make both major and incremental progress.

3. IronMan Magazine

(iOS and Android)
While this free app does include workout trackers, its focus lies primarily with excellent content. Here, you’ll find a plethora of articles on workout tips, nutrition and diet trends, and articles for inspiration and education.  I find the supplement reviews handy when I’m out shopping, and the blogs are frequently updated, so I find myself returning to this app again and again.

4. Calorie Counter – MyFitnessPal

(iOS and Android)
Calorie Counter makes tracking nutrition easier than ever. I simply love this app for watching what I eat. Enter foods manually, or find them in a huge library that has everything from pickles to lattes. In the past, I’ve quickly given up on attempts at counting calories; writing everything down on paper is just a nightmare. Fortunately, this app is so easy to use (and pleasing to the eyes), it’s fun to make tracking a habit.

And with bar charts and other visual motivators, Calorie Counter also makes it easier to maintain your limits and even to know when you have the freedom to splurge.

5. Nike Boom

(iOS and Android)
The idea behind this sounds cheesy, but it works. Keep this app on during a workout and you’ll hear motivation straight from the mouths of professional athletes like Lance Armstrong and Jerry Rice. While Nike Boom doesn’t track workouts like other apps, its music and sound effects will motivate you through workouts. From warming up to cooling down and intervals in between, this app provides a soundtrack to suit what you’re doing at the moment.