PORTLAND, Maine — 207’s tech guy, Rich Brooks of Flyte New Media in Portland, checked out some of those apps that track how well you’re sticking to your resolutions. Here’s what he had to say about what he found.
You've been looking at apps that help us keep to our New Year's resolutions...what did you find?
Weight loss is one of the most popular resolutions, probably due to all the holiday feasting. The pandemic hasn't helped, so lots of people want to lose weight.
While there are a lot of weight-loss, calorie counting apps out there, I really liked Carlory for its interface.
Start by entering in your current height, weight, and goals, and your timeline for hitting those goals. From there, Calory calculates how many calories you should take in a day.
You can then enter in the foods you eat throughout the day, either by entering what it is or scanning the barcode.
The app is free, but there is a premium version that allows you to enter custom foods and track your water intake among other features for $14.99/year.
This is only for iOS, but works on the Apple Watch as well.
I know you like video games, and you found one app that turns your life into a game. What's that?
Habitica has a fun and unique take on setting and achieving goals, by turning your life into a sim game. You create a character, create habits and goals you'd like in your own life, and then earn rewards both in-game and in real life when you accomplish those goals and master your habits.
They have some pre-set habits like flossing or washing dishes, but you can create your own. They can be one-offs, like returning your books to the library, or recurring tasks like working out. As you accomplish these tasks, you build your character.
As you play the game more you level up, are able to customize your character, and even go on boss battles with other Habatica users. If you're a fan of sim games or RPG games, but not a fan of doing your laundry, this might be the app for you.
This app is available in the Google Play or Apple Store, as well as having a desktop app.
This app is also free with a $47.99 annual premium membership, or about $4/mo.
For those who may not be ready to don a wizard hat and go on quests, but still looking to stay on task, what do you recommend?
Of all the apps I played around with, Fabulous was probably my favorite. Like Habitica, you can customize the app for whatever your personal goals are, but rather than a gaming approach, this app differentiates itself through it's science-based approach to habit making and its gorgeous interface.
I had just finished the book Atomic Habits, and a lot of what was in the book--the idea of making small changes that result in major changes in your life--seems to be at the cornerstone of Fabulous' code.
For example, if you're looking to be healthier, it might suggest just committing to drinking one glass of water as part of your morning ritual. Then it suggests putting a bottle of water on your nightstand the night before, to make it easier for you to keep that promise to yourself.
Like the other apps I've mentioned, Fabulous can send you reminders to stay on your journey. It also has tons of inspirational and education animated videos, meditations, and more.
You can find Fabulous in the Google Play and Apple Store, and use it on your computer. Like the other apps, this is free to download, then has a $35.99 annual fee for premium features, which works out to about $3/mo.