1. How does the fatsecret app help you lose weight?
At its core, weight loss comes down to understanding how much energy you consume through food, and how that compares to what your body needs each day. Calorie counting is one practical way to make this clearer. At fatsecret, we focus on simple tools that help you understand your food intake, so you can make changes that support weight loss.
This guide explains how the fatsecret app supports weight loss through calorie tracking and walks you through the basics of getting started, so you can feel confident in getting started.
How does the fatsecret app help you achieve your weight loss goal?
The fatsecret app helps you lose weight by showing you how many calories you eat each day, based on the food you log. Calories are simply a way of measuring the energy your body gets from food.
Your body needs a certain amount of energy each day to keep you alive and support daily activities. When you eat more calories than your body needs, the extra energy is stored as body fat, which leads to weight gain over time.
When you eat fewer calories than your body needs, your body makes up the difference by using stored energy, including body fat. This is known as a calorie deficit, and it’s the foundation of weight loss.
To help you create this calorie deficit and lose weight, fatsecret calculates your Recommended Daily Intake (RDI). Your RDI is your personal daily calorie target. It shows how many calories to aim for each day to support weight loss, based on your details and goals.
By logging your food and comparing it to your RDI, you can see how your daily choices add up and whether you’re eating within a range that supports weight loss.
How to prepare for food logging
Once you have your RDI, food logging is how you use it day to day.
When you log foods in the app, it calculates how many calories they contain, adds them up for the day, and compares that total to your RDI. This means you don’t have to guess whether you’re eating the right amount for weight loss. The app shows you in real time whether you’re under, on, or over your target.
To start logging your food, you only need two pieces of information:
- What you ate (e.g., chicken, apple, coffee)
- How much you had (e.g., 100g chicken, 1 small apple, 1 cup of coffee)
When getting started, don’t stress about getting everything exact. Focus on logging the main parts of each meal, like the protein, carbohydrates, or vegetables on your plate. As you get more comfortable, you can start adding the smaller details such as sauces, condiments, or cooking oils. The key at this stage is to just get into the habit of opening the app and logging something for each meal.
How fast can you expect to reach your goal weight?
If there is one thing that derails people when trying to reach a weight loss goal, it's unrealistic expectations. The consensus is that 0.5 kg - 1 kg / 1.1 lb - 2.2 lb of weight loss, or gain, is a healthy amount of weight change per week.
Knowing this from the onset can help you keep on track and not feel frustrated with the apparent ‘lack of progress’. We understand that safe and long-term weight change involves moderate calorie changes, rather than drastically increasing or reducing your food intake. Small changes over time can make a significant difference when trying to lose weight.