Lifesum

Lifesum
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Publisher: ShapeUp Club
Reviewed On: iPhone
Cert: 4
Available On: Android,iPad,iPhone

Dare we discuss calorie-counting when the turkey sandwiches and Roses have barely been digested? Lifesum is a practical “lifestyle tracker and calorie counter” app with a lovely layout and design (some of the same designers from Spotify are on board). After a brief questionnaire about your weight, gender, height and desired weight, Lifesum helps you keep tabs on what you eat (sometimes by scanning barcodes) and how much exercise you do. Lifesum then nudges you in the right direction. These habits are laid out in “Life Circle”; a wheel, with segments for foods and exercises. “A full green Life Circle equals a perfect day. Many green days equal a better life,” it says. Self-help apps are a good idea – they turn your improvements into a game, with little rewards in the form of validation. They also add friction to your habits, so you’re doing them more consciously. The brain is easily manipulated, so you might as well make full use of its discomforting malleability. It’s also recommended to allow this app to gently pester you with intermittent notifications. lifesum.com