Review: Weight Tracker for Windows Phone

Here is a simple, but essential app for many. Weight Tracker allows you to set goals for weight loss, and then enter weigh-ins, providing a graph of your progress. That’s it. Simple. No calorie counting or other complicated steps for what should be a very basic process. Get on the scale, record your weight in the app and check to see how you are doing against your goals.

The app is comprised a three primary pivot screens; List-To record your weigh-ins, Graph-to chart your progress against your goals, and Progress-to see how you are doing with pie charts and other statistics. The Settings screen is where you can set Goals to track your progress. Any entry can be deleted (tap & hold) and everything is organized in chronological order. When you open the app you are presented with the List screen. It shows the last weight you entered along with the current date. If your weight has not changed since your last entry (hopefully not) all you need to do is tap the + (Plus) button to record a new weight. Otherwise overwrite the weight field with your new weight and record the entry.  If you have already entered Goals, they will be displayed as stars on the graph along with your progress, entry by entry. Progress will also show info based on you final Goal. The app includes a good set of instructions to get you started, and a “sort of” backup and restore function. I say sort of, as Weight Tracker will allow you to Export all of your weight entries and goals in an email message, and then Import that same data by copying from an email into two boxes on the import screen. This would work well if you were switching devices for example. As each entry is only comprised of a date, like 9/1/13, and a weight, like 210, the app can interpret the copy/paste and put it into a table properly. I would much prefer a simple TXT file that can be exported (backed up) to Dropbox or SkyDrive and then Imported (restored) to a new, or reset device. But at least the current setup works. You just have to remember to do this periodically, and then save the email somewhere, should your phone crap out for some reason.

From the developer:

Track and celebrate your weight-loss progress with this fast, flexible, and motivational app!

• • Supports any number of weight-loss goals over time
• • View your progress in three forms: list, graph, and dashboard (with pie charts and summary data)
• • Features up/down arrows for easy trend viewing
• • The graph supports custom ranges and superimposes goal weights
• • NEW IN V2.0 (thanks to a request by HotRodW): Import/export data for data backup, phone transfer, and/or bulk data entry •
• The charts and graphs use your phone theme’s accent color

The trial version limits the number of weigh-ins you can record and the number of goals.

As you can see below, I have been using Weight Tracker for five weeks. Actually I had it installed on my Lumia 900, but at the time was only making a half hearted effort to manage my weight, so didn’t visit the app very often. Back in 2009-2010, I lost 25% of my total weight and felt great. But after moving down to Florida in 2010, my lifestyle changed and I managed to gain back 2/3 of what I lost these past three years. By eating smarter and exercising every day (as I did the last time I lost weight) I am now recommitted to getting back to, or close to, where I was in 2010. Weight Tracker is going to help me get there.

On a personal note, setting aside everything in the news these days. I don’t have any data to back this statement up. But I do believe if every person in America, young and old,  exercised (at least) 30 minutes a day, we could reduce the cost of health care by 25% or more. If I was President I would mandate Congress to provide a 1:1 Tax Credit of up to $1,000 per year for home fitness equipment (larger expenditures could be rolled over three years). I would follow that with a National “Exercise for Life” campaign. At 57, I now know now that if I don’t exercise every day, I will most certainly become a burden on my family and society. No guarantees even if I do exercise, but I know I am significantly reducing the probability. That’s good enough for me.

Weight Tracker, with a 4.5 star rating, will set you back $1.99. Although there is a free trial with limitations. You can find Weight Tracker here in the Windows Phone Store.