You’ve probably heard the saying “health is wealth” too many times before but I’d like to say it again. We’re blessed to have the gift of life. Since we’re limited of having a single lifetime and an irreplaceable body, we have to be responsible for taking care of our health and wellness to enjoy life. One among the many ways to stay healthy is to be physically fit.

I stumbled upon My Fitness Pal, a free web and smartphone app, that both weight and fitness watchers can use to keep track of exercise regimen and food intake. Overall, the app boasts 4 million food and food recipes on their database. This is a huge list of foods to be discovered and shared for the calorie-conscience population.

I’ve been using this app for quite a while and have enjoyed the experience overall. I’d like to share with you what I like and don’t much like about the My Fitness Pal.

What I like:

• It saves me money because you can use it for free! You can simply sign-up for an account through the web (www.myfitnesspal.com) or download the app in the app stores.
• It also has a library of different exercise routines at different speed and intensities. You’re in control of your exercise and pace and can gradually increase whenever you please.
• The information shown in the platform came from MFP users. You can interact, be-friend, follow, peek at some recipes, read their fitness success stories and ask them a question about how they do it and how far they have reached.

What I don’t much like:

• Because it’s free, ads are everywhere. I wouldn’t mind and guess you wouldn’t either as long as we get to use the calorie counter, exercise tracker and have the access to the millions bits of information in the database.
• The data found in this app came from its community of users. You’ll encounter some similar products and recipes multiple times. Plus, some of the shared information may carry inconsistencies and misinformed data. Always do backup research to confirm an article that seems wrong. Or to find more helpful information for your health and fitness.

My husband and I used this app for about 3 months. He lost 12 lbs. me, nothing. But I felt better and that counts.

Staying healthy is an endless process. I recommend you give this app a shot and you might get inspired and motivated to be more physically fit! Just imagine reducing the huge chunk of health hazards of having a sedentary lifestyle. Not only do you reduce your health risks, you’ve extended your life for another 3-5 years. Pass it on – change your diet and put on your gym shoes.

Photo credit to Ambro.