Cronometer: Calorie Counter

I wasn’t initially interested in macros because it was all I could do to focus on deficit when I first started. A few things lead me here. After a long while on Noom, I decided I wanted to know my micronutrients becuase I have a habit of getting random vitamins and saw that Cronometer offered that. I also wanted to start logging food a few days in advance and to be able to create easy recipes that I could do tons of variations on. HOT TIP: I always include the calorie count in my descriptions in parentheses and it turns out that’s been super useful for me. I also create lager portion versions for my husband when he asks for help and it lets me create special versions for him. Oh, and my macros? To my absolute SHOCK…I discovered that over time, simply by making small changes in my own time…I accidentally balanced my macros without even trying! Just by focusing in improving health choices, I added more veggies and such. I also love that it tracks the micros. I was interested in all the misc nutrients but didn’t consider how helpful it would be to also hone in on sugars and sodium. For me, Noom was super helpful and Cronometer was a great next step. I also love that it links to my Fitbit as well. Health and lifestyle changes truly take a lot of time and learning and fine tuning, plus we still evolve along the journey and I am glad to have an app like this to help. Sidenote: I tried myFitnessPal for a short time and never paid, so I really can’t compare much other than to say the free version was not my thing.

This is the best tracker around, no question, but an scoring bug has appeared in the last two software updates - I need to record data in another app (I happen to use Notes, but that’s not the problem). I have a few parameters that I record from the Daily Report function. I need to alternate between Cronometer and Notes to record the values. It used to with great but with a previous update, it suddenly started to jump back to the top of the Daily Report instead of staying where it was - so as I progress through the long list of information looking for the dozen or so parameters that I need to record, it repeatedly goes back to the top of the report, requiring a LOT of repetitive scrolling to get back where I was. The first time this happened as a result of an update the Cronometer staff got right on it and fixed it within a day. This time, I haven’t even gotten a response to my bug report that they’re “working on it.” I like this app, but this new feature is maddening and causes a lot of time wasting simply to get back to the place where you were prior to having to momentarily jump to another app. What would be great would be the ability to create my own limited report within the app with a list of parameters that are user customizable - but in the meantime, at least having the Daily Report staying put while you jump between apps would be desirable. Othetwise, the app is great.

I haven’t counted calories for years, not since I had to do it with a calorie book and pencil and paper. Recently, I have gained some weight. I had been struggling to figure out how to shed some of those extra pounds. I know that weight loss is a matter of burning more calories than I take in for the day, but I honestly had no idea how many calories I was consuming per day until I started using this app. On a whim I googled calorie tracking apps and I chose this one because it also tracks macro nutrients and not just calories. I remember it being annoying to have to look up the calories for things myself and then having to total them up back when I had to do it on paper. But this app makes it so quick. It already has a huge database of foods that you can choose from. Also you can scan a barcode for the calories on prepackaged food which makes the lookup even quicker. I’ve been using this app for 2 weeks and I’ve only had to add about 5 custom foods because I couldn’t find them in the database. I have added many more recipes, but those are also really quick to add because you just choose the ingredients from the list and it adds up the total calories for you. I thought that I would maybe not be able to keep up the calorie counting long term but with this app I’ve been doing this absolutely everyday for more than 2 weeks and it hasn’t been a struggle at all. It just takes a few seconds to enter something in as I eat. It helps make me aware of how many calories I am consuming and when I should stop! I have lost 4 pounds already.

This is the best macro tracking app that I’ve ever used and I’ve tried many of them. I love the Energy and Macronutrient target bars, as they are very easy to read (nice color coding and I like that they are bars and not circular graphs). I was also able to manually enter my own Calorie/Macro targets which is great. Also, having the Micronutrient breakdown is a huge bonus. The last app that I used did not have this feature and it is so helpful to be able to visualize my vitamin and mineral consumption. The search feature is amazing! The database is extremely large and I’ve had zero issues finding the foods that I’m looking for. I absolutely love the barcode scan feature. The diary is great; Having it right below the targets is really convenient and easy to read. It allows you to scroll through past days or to drag/drop foods if you need to organize your entries. Honestly, I could go on and on about all of the reasons why I love this app but what I love most is that it is simply a place where I can track my foods and it’s not full of a million unnecessary bells and whistles. This is an especially great app for those who are familiar with tracking macros and want something simple; but it is just as easy to use for someone who is just starting out. Thank you for this wonderful app, I am so glad to have found it!

NEW UPDATE: I ended up emailing the support staff about the issue I was having and one of their people was in constant contact with me until the developers were able to fix the issue. My Polar Fitness Band is now back to syncing with the app, and my activity data (i.e. calories burned) are showing up in the app again! I’m back to losing weight!! Thank you so much, Developers and Support Staff!!! ********************************* The app all of a sudden stopped working with my Polar Fitness Band five days ago. Now, my activity data (i.e. calories burned) won’t sync with the app anymore. I’ve tried everything. I unlinked/re-linked my Polar Band with the app. I’ve logged out and back in after changing the settings. I uninstalled the app and reinstalled it. Now, any time I try to link my band with the app, I get an Error message, and the app gets stuck on a page that says “Connecting Device” with a little circle going round and round like it’s “loading.” To get out of that screen, I have to exit out of the app, and when I go back in to the “Connect Device” page, it says my Polar Band is linked- even though it’s not! Been dealing with the for 5 days now. Very frustrating. The app is only useful for me to guide as a weight loss tool if I know the correct amount of calories I am burning, and thus what a true 500 calorie deficit is, so that I can aim for a one pound a week loss. Please fix!! Otherwise, would be 5 stars!!