This past January, I shared the story of how I lost 50 lbs in just three months, and I wrote about how technology helped me do it. More important than the amount of weight I lost and the speed at which I lost it were the lifestyle changes I made and the good habits I formed along the way, thanks largely to some good advice and some good apps.
But a huge piece of the puzzle was still missing, and I think I just found it.
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For me and others like me, the realization that weight loss can be thought of in large part as just simple math is a huge deal. With that realization, plenty of exercise and a couple of great iPhone apps, I was able to lose weight and improve my health.
But as I mentioned in that article, I was still fairly shaky on the all-too-important nutrition side of things.
This is becoming especially important for me as I approach my target weight and transition from the weight loss phase to the maintenance phase. I need to ensure that I increase my calorie intake, but also that I eat healthy meals that are high in protein, especially when I work out.
Now, I think I’ve found the app that’s going to help me do it.
Food blogger Kevin Curry of Fit Men Cook has amassed a huge following, and his blog really is terrific. Because of my line of work though, I already follow more blogs than I care to admit — so when I heard that he was about to release an iPhone app, my interest was immediately piqued.
Apps helped me get to where I am today in terms of weight loss, and now I think I’ve found the app that’s going to help me keep the weight off.
I’ve only spent a few days with the new Fit Men Cook app, but I really like what I’ve seen so far. The recipes look amazing, the interface is gorgeous and the concept is superb. It couldn’t be easier to find great recipes and once you’ve found one you like, a single tap adds all the ingredients you need to a shopping list. And as a bonus, that shopping list is instantly accessible in the companion app for the Apple Watch, so you can check things off quickly and easily as you pick them up at the supermarket.
Beyond that, the key is a simple life hack that I’ve known about and seen work for other people, but I’ve never really tried to integrate it into my own life because I’m terrible with planning and preparation. Using the app, you can easily prepare all of your meals for the full week in advance on Sunday, so the temptation to order takeout or eat quick, easy, unhealthy meals later in the week vanishes.
The Fit Men Cook app’s full description follows below along with a link to download it from Apple’s iOS App Store.
Struggle free, healthy recipes that are easy on the wallet. It’s as simple as that, and it’s a message that’s seen over 942,000 people join Kevin Curry on his popular Instagram account.
Be honest, have you ever heard these complaints about healthy eating?
– “Eating healthy is too expensive!”
– “It takes too long! I don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen.”
– “Healthy food is too bland”
– “I just can’t afford to eat the food needed for bodybuilding”
– “I always end up cheating and slipping back in to bad habits”Kevin Curry, founder of Fit Men Cook, has been there. After spotting a picture of himself on a friend’s Facebook wall he knew it was time for a change.
He followed all the common advice, changed to a healthy diet and started hitting up the gym.
For a few months, things were great, but after a while he found himself craving the old foods he was trying so hard to avoid.
He got his hands on every book he could find on nutrition and started experimenting in the kitchen.
His aims were simple:
A) Food should be easy to prepare and affordable
B) Food should be vibrant and tasty, never boring
C) Preparing food in advance is important
D) Following a, b, c helps you stick to your goalsKevin shares his journey with the Fit Men Cook community and inside this brand new app where you’ll find the best way to prepare over 100 of his most popular recipes.
Quick Tour of The Top 5 Features:
#1
EASILY SCALE UP A RECIPECooking for one? two? ten? Or preparing your meals for the week? No more getting your calculator out. You can easily adjust the serving sizes of a recipe by simply tapping the plus and minus buttons inside the app.
#2
THINK A RECIPE LOOKS TOUGH TO MAKE? THINK AGAIN WITH VIDEO INSTRUCTIONSIf you’ve ever looked at recipe instructions and thought “this just looks too difficult for me” then you’ll find the included recipe videos very helpful. Not only is Kevin a great host, who’ll fill you with inspiration for healthy meals, but he’ll also break down the steps in a way that’s easy to follow.
#3
FOCUS ON MEAL PREPBuying ingredients in small quantities can make recipes more expensive. Not only that, but many of us don’t have the time each day to spend in the kitchen.
Meal prep is the solution. By designating two days of the week as your main cooking days, you can prepare your meals in bulk and eat healthy all week.
This is a crucial part of the app, and many of the meals are designed with meal preparation in mind, to make healthy living fit in with a busy life.
#4
SHOPPING CART + APPLE WATCH INTEGRATIONWe’ve taken the hassle out of grocery shopping. Add any recipes you want to cook in to the shopping list, then, when you are at the supermarket, tap to tick off the items.
We’ve even organised the shopping list by isle, so you can easily find the items you need.
The shopping list also works on the Apple Watch.
#5
MACRO COUNTING AND INTEGRATION WITH APPLE HEALTH KITBodybuilders and fat-loss superheroes can rejoice as the Fit Men Cook app has nutritional information built right in! Recipes list calories, protein, carbs and fat.
We know keeping track of your macros can be a pain, so we’ve integrated with Apple’s Health Kit. Beneath the nutritional breakdown, choose your serving size and tap “Add to Health Kit”.
You can then open the Health Kit app to see your breakdown for the day.
There’s more including:
– Search by ingredient: Type in Egg Avocado to see all recipes containing these ingredients (By popular request from Kevin’s readers!)
– Integration with Instagram: Share a picture of a recipe & see what others have shared for that recipe
– Switch measurements between cups and grams
– Add your own notes to recipes
– Share recipes with friends and family
– Available in English and SpanishIf you’d like to see a video demonstration by Kevin of the app in action, take a look at: http://fitmencook.com/app/
The FMC app is collaboration between Fit Men Cook and Nibble Apps.
