Best Weight Loss Program for Men (2024): 11 Plans Backed by Research and Experts

With so many options available with the best weight loss programs, it’s difficult to know what will work best for us guys in our weight and fat loss journeys. Truth be told, it will vary from person to person since we’re all individuals; some men may need more guidance than others, while others may just need a basic outline and a means of tracking it.

Knowing that one program won’t work for everyone, our team of certified personal trainers, nutrition coaches, and lifelong athletes at Garage Gym Reviews tested a bevy of weight loss programs that covered a wide breadth of plans and programs—from supplements and meal deliveries to fitness apps and diet plans—to compile our list of the best weight loss programs for men.

We put each weight loss program through a comprehensive testing methodology, scoring the following factors and more:

• Ease of use: How easy is the user interface to navigate through?
• Progress tracking: What metrics are able to be tracked and measured, and are they useful to your goals?
• Features and resources: What resources are available to the app, such as databases, articles, or a community of user support?
• Scientific validity: What scientific evidence is available to support a weight loss program’s claims?

In addition to our testing methodology, we also talked to registered dietitians for their professional opinions on these weight loss programs, apps, and services.

Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider.

The Best Weight Loss Programs for Men

• Best Weight Loss Program for Men Overall: WeightWatchers
• Best Weight Loss App for Men: Noom
• Best Personal Training App for Men: Caliber
• Best Weight Loss Program for Men for Intermittent Fasting: Simple
• Best Meal Tracking App for Men for Weight Loss: MyFitnessPal
• Best Prepared Meal Delivery Service for Men for Weight Loss: Fresh N Lean
• Best Meal Delivery Service for Men for Weight Loss: Home Chef
• Best Weight Loss Diet for Men: Mediterranean Diet
• Best Weight Loss Supplement for Men: Protein Powder
• Best Fitness App for Men: Aaptiv
• Best Meal Planning App for Men for Weight Loss: PlateJoy

Best Weight Loss Program for Men Overall: WeightWatchers

Good for: Men looking for an easy tracking app with a large community of users

Best Overall

WeightWatchers

GGR Score: 4.23

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Product Highlights

• Designed specifically for weight loss
• Targeted quizzes to find the right plan for you
• Two membership options, starting at $23 per month
• Online-only or hybrid memberships available
• Works on a point budget system—no “off-limit” foods
• 24/7 support chat

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Point system allows you to tailor the plans to your preferences
• Online or hybrid options provide more flexibility
• Can choose a plan that works within your budget
• Includes an app for easier tracking

Cons

• Assigning Points to food is hard to translate to real-world eating when off the plan
• Tracking can be tedious
• Requires weekly weigh-ins, which can be problematic for some

Bottom Line

WeightWatchers is a flexible weight loss program that allows you to tailor your diet and lifestyle to your needs and preferences. There are two membership options: one for those who prefer in-person support, and one for those who are looking for an online program.

Although WeightWatchers is often endorsed by female celebrities, the weight loss program has seen its share of success stories from the male population, helping the likes of Charles Barkley, Kevin Smith, and DJ Khaled. It’s one of our favorite weight loss programs to recommend due to its longstanding success since it began in 1963, plus it has some research to back it up.

A controlled trial from 2017¹ compared the effectiveness of an online WeightWatchers program with just a weight loss newsletter. The study found that those in the WeightWatchers group lost significantly more weight in the first three months of the trial; after a year, more participants had lost 5% of their body weight than in the newsletter group.

The diet is also (mostly) sustainable. Dietitian Perry Nix, RD, explains, “Unlike other diets that eliminate certain foods or food groups, Weight Watchers takes an ‘all foods fit’ approach. This may enhance the sustainability of the program for those pursuing a balanced approach to weight loss.” Instead of eliminating foods, WeightWatchers assigns a point value to the food, based on calories, saturated fats, protein, sugars, and fibers.

GGR head of content Kate Meier, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, tried out WeightWatchers and gave it very high scores overall. The program is reasonably priced at $10 a month, with an expansive community on the app and on social media to connect with for support—which Kate scored a 5 out of 5.

The app also has 11,000 recipes available and it syncs with Apple Health and other fitness apps so you don’t need to manually input exercises, leading Kate to rate the features a 5 out of 5. The main drawback is that there aren’t as many tracking options on the app as other nutrition apps, and there may be a learning curve for those new to weight loss apps. You can get Kate’s full thoughts on this program in our WeightWatchers review. 

Best Weight Loss App for Men: Noom

Good for: Anyone looking to learn and establish new healthy habits

Best Weight Loss App

Noom

GGR Score: 3.67

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Product Highlights

• Uses a psychology-backed approach to weight loss
• Provides behavioral guidance more than nutritional guidance
• App supports food, weight, and activity tracking
• Multiple membership options available
• A stress-relief plan is also available

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Gives you freedom to make your own choices
• Helps you identify patterns and behaviors that may be connected to your weight
• Flexible payment options
• 1:1 coaching plans are available for purchase

Cons

• Doesn’t offer much nutritional guidance
• May not be the best option for those who need a more structured plan
• Expensive on the month-to-month plan

Bottom Line

Noom is built on the psychology of weight loss. Instead of specific nutritional guidance, you’ll get lessons that are designed to help you break habits that may be contributing to your weight gain.

As a competitive weightlifter, I know the importance of nutrition for performance, building muscle, and burning fat. Also as a weightlifter, I can’t stand tracking calorie intake and food intake—although I know there can be some health benefits from knowing what you’re putting into your body.

Noom is a weight loss app that takes a lot of the tracking information out of the equation. Instead of working with a plan from a nutritionist or dietitian, Noom emphasizes behavior and habits more, with the goal of changing behaviors in eating patterns, aiding in sustained weight loss. Along with this, there is a large community in-app that can offer support to you, as well as a coach. The community was rated a 5 out of 5 in our testing. 

Our product tester, Sarah Price, explains, “You get a personal accountability coach who texts back and forth with you in the app. You can literally ask them any question and they get back to you, and within hours. The content is offered each week that makes sense for the week and stage that you are in…I feel like there is a psychologist in this app helping me.”

Because Noom focuses more on behaviors, it’s limited in what it tracks. You’re able to track calories and weight, but not macros, which is something Sarah was hoping to do. Instead of macros, Noom color codes their foods to help you make choices on what foods to eat.

The color coding of foods may not be the best option for some. Dietitian Perry Nix, RD, says “Noom’s color coding system may be triggering for those with a history of disordered eating. A ‘red’ or ‘green’ food could easily be interpreted as ‘bad’ and ‘good.’ This type of labeling can lead people to feel guilt or shame when eating.” 

Although the app is available on iOS and Android, it’s still limited in its compatibility with tablets; plus, it doesn’t sync up with smartwatches or other devices, which seems to make it a little dated compared to other apps. Check out our Noom review for a more in-depth look at this weight loss program.

Best Personal Training App for Men: Caliber

Good for: People who want one-on-one coaching and personal training through the convenience of an app

Best Personal Training App

Caliber Strength Training

GGR Score: 4.7

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Product Highlights

• Strength training and nutrition app
• Personalized, data-driven workout programs
• Expert habit coaching
• Free and paid versions
• Private 1:1 coaching available
• Weekly lessons, metric tracking, nutrition syncing

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Scientifically-based training plans
• Individualized coaching for both fitness and nutrition with paid subscriptions is reported to be very thorough
• Free version offers a library of curated workout plans
• Reportedly easy-to-use

Cons

• Personalized macronutrient goals only available with paid versions

Bottom Line

Caliber Strength Training is a fitness coaching program grounded in scientific principles designed to increase strength and improve body composition. The app offers both group and individual training plans which are written and modified by a certified coach based on progress.

Caliber is one of the best personal training apps for men looking to lose weight because it can be personalized, and while the paid versions are well worth the price there’s also a free version that blows many workout apps out of the water with its extensive exercise library and ad-free features.

“It’s rare for me to say that a product or service is 100% worth it, because usually that’s just not true,” says certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto, who used the app for nearly a month straight to write our Caliber App review. “But the Caliber offers several options to fit different budgets, has consumer-first policies in place, and, honestly, is an absolute bargain for the paid options.”

One of our favorite parts of the app is that it can recommend exercises based on the workout equipment you have available and has a selection of bodyweight exercises, which is why we rate it a 5 out of 5 on equipment demands.

We’d only recommend the free version to intermediate gym-goers or longtime fitness junkies who have a good grasp on things like progressive overload and nutrition. There’s no one-on-one coaching or community features, but you do get access to their workout library, create your own workout plans, and track your training sessions in the app. The fact that this is all ad-free is just the cherry on top.

There are two paid versions: Pro ($19 per month) and Premium (starting at $200 per month), both of which are a 5 out of 5. You heard us right, we’re giving a $200 per month workout app a perfect score for value.

“Some places charge that much for a single session,” Amanda notes. For that price, you’re getting customized workout programming and one-on-one sessions with a trainer, along with all the other features in the Pro and Free plans. “it’s almost always worth it, especially if you are struggling with accountability and consistency,” Amanda says.

The Pro plan gives you access to community forums that can help you stay motivated and be used to trade workout tips and can message with a coach.

“People seem to be pretty active on the group chat and ask lots of questions that get a quick response from the trainers,” says certified personal trainer Lindsay Scheele. “The trainers checked in with my about once a week to ask how certain movements felt or how i was feeling in general. I also got quick responses from the trainers when i would ask them a question.”

We do have some minor complaints about the app: You can only send one photo at a time to your coaches, you can’t connect it to any external apps like Fitbit or Strava, and it the workout videos can be glitchy at times, so we’ll knock a point off the app’s ease of use and rate it a 4 out of 5.

Best Weight Loss Program for Men for Intermittent Fasting: Simple

Good for: Those who want to try intermittent fasting for weight loss but need some (virtual) guidance

Best for Fasting

Simple App

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Product Highlights

• AI-powered intermittent fasting app
• Personalized content with paid subscription
• Instant feedback
• Provides educational content on recipes, workouts, and more

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Uses neutral language about food
• Instant feedback on meals
• Educational content on meals and workouts
• Daily reminders

Cons

• No human coaching
• App crashes and loses data, according to customer reviews

Bottom Line

The Simple App is an AI-powered weight loss program that focuses on intermittent fasting, providing users with instant feedback on their meals and daily notifications on how to reach their weight loss goals. Customer reviews say the program is effective, though some miss having a human coach and others say the app is prone to glitches.

The Simple app helps make losing weight with intermittent fasting…well, you know what pun we were about to make. In all seriousness, our GGR tester loved having this weight loss app around when fasting for 16 hours a day.

“Intermittent fasting is mentally and physically challenging, but there’s not a lot of logistics involved,” our tester says. “You simply stop eating at a certain time and start the Simple App timer to track your fasting periods.”

There’s no community or coach keeping you accountable for sticking to your fast, which is easier said than done. We rate the accountability a 3 out of 5 since the clock may be enough to help people stick to their plan.

The other main feature is an AI “coach” that rates your food from 1 to 4 based on how much protein and fat it contains. All you have to do is take a picture. “I felt the AI gave it an accurate rating based on what I’ve learned as a nutrition coach,” the tester says.

What’s more, the app uses neutral language around food and avoids labeling things as “bad.”

“I like this better compared to obsessing over whether your numbers are accurate in a tracker,” the tester says, rating the app’s safety a 4 out of 5. “There’s no body shaming.”

The tester rates the instruction a 4 out of 5, saying while there were some informative articles they weren’t as comprehensive as other apps. They and other customer reviewers said the app was prone to glitches, with some reviewers saying the app lost their stored data.

There are paid versions that give you more personalized fasting programs than what’s available in the free version.

Best Meal Tracking App for Men for Weight Loss: MyFitnessPal

Good for: Guys who’d like to track macronutrients and other factors in healthy living

Best Meal Tracking App

MyFitnessPal

GGR Score: 4.42

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Product Highlights

• Nutrition and fitness tracking app
• Calorie and macro counter
• Syncs your data from popular fitness apps
• Vast database of nutrition labels and food

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Free and premium accounts available
• Find and track virtually any food
• Create and store your homemade recipes
• Track recipes from your favorite cooking websites

Cons

• Free version doesn’t allow barcode scanning
• Free version doesn’t feature Macro Goals
• Monthly subscription is costly

Bottom Line

MyFitnessPal is one of the OG calorie counting apps on the market. The free version is available for looking up food per item and creating recipes, but does not allow you access to the barcode scanner. The Premium version grants you access to macronutrient data, intermittent fasting, food comparison, and the barcode scanner. The Premium plan offers a significant price break if you sign up for the annual plan at $79.99 per year compared to the monthly plan, which is $19.99 per month.

When it comes to a fitness tracking app, MyFitnessPal has been extremely popular and continues to be a top fitness app. Plus, unlike most apps and programs on this list, it has a free version.

GGR head of content and certified personal trainer Kate Meier has used MyFitnessPal over several years and has mostly positive things to say about it. She gave the ease of use a 5 out of 5, saying, “I think this is one of the easiest apps I’ve ever used. I love how clean the interface is. It’s super user-friendly and it works really well if you are just needing to count calories/track macros.”

As far as stats go, it only is dedicated to tracking weight, but Kate says you can input your own progress goals in a separate tab and track them easily enough. Additionally, you can also log food to track macros and calories.

“I’ve used MyFitnessPal on and off for about 5 years. It has always been a good ‘check-in’ tool for me to make sure I’m getting enough protein, or if I want to see how I’m doing on macros. I have gone through spurts where I want to lose weight, so I’ll use it for a few months at a time, and it has always been incredibly effective,” Kate says.

One issue Kate runs into is with the automated formulas of the app, particularly with calories. She prefers to input her own calories, as the app will often underestimate her calorie intake for her activity level. “It will suggest I eat as low as 1,500 calories a day; I’m incredibly active, so that just doesn’t make sense for me and isn’t sustainable,” she says.

MyFitnessPal can’t track sleep, although studies have shown⁴ better sleep health can contribute to greater weight loss and fat loss, so if you’re looking for a more robust tracker, you may need to look elsewhere. But with a free version and fairly inexpensive premium version, we can’t help but like this app for helping you track your meals, physical activity, and fitness goals.

Best Prepared Meal Delivery Service for Men for Weight Loss: Fresh N Lean

Good for: Men who want the convenience of healthy meals sent to their door weekly

Best Prepared Meal Delivery

Fresh N Lean

GGR Score: 4.1

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Product Highlights

Editor’s Note: As of July 2024, Fresh N Lean has ceased all operations and is no longer providing meal delivery services.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Free shipping in the Contiguous U.S.
• Low minimum of meals
• Over 100 meals to choose from

Cons

• Very little customization when choosing meal plans
• Meals can be pricey

Bottom Line

Fresh N Lean is a prepared meal delivery service that has a variety of meal plans to choose from. From those plans, you can choose how many meals you’d like weekly, and notify anyone of food preferences. In addition, you can select exact meals from their A la carte section.

Meal delivery services, like meal planning, can help you lose weight by replacing processed foods with quality ingredients, but few have dedicated weight loss eating plans like Fresh N Lean. With eight menus to choose from for up to three meals per day five or seven days per week, these prepared weight loss meals are dedicated to helping you shed some pounds.

“Fresh n Lean delivers pre-made meals made with whole food, locally grown, nutrient-dense ingredients,” says registered dietitian Perry Nix. “The company uses high-quality ingredients that are GMO-free and often organic.”

RELATED: Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss

As for the service itself, GGR Senior Director of Content Kate Meier gave it a 5 out of 5 for meal variety, as there are more than 100 meals per week that suit various dietary needs, including keto, vegetarian, and meals with at least 30 grams of protein. She also rated the taste of most of them a 5 out of 5.

“I didn’t think by the looks of them that they would taste good, but I was surprised,” Kate says. “My partner said ‘this actually even tastes like a steak from a restaurant’ — it’s actually that good.”

The ease of preparation is also a 5 out of 5, because all you have to do is heat it and eat it. Kate rates the customer service a 4 out of 5, only because she had to directly contact customer support to cancel her subscription instead of being able to do it online.

Best Meal Delivery Service for Men for Weight Loss: Home Chef

Good for: Men who want meal kits to save time on grocery runs and money on takeout

Best Meal Delivery Service

Home Chef

GGR Score: 4.1

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Product Highlights

• Can choose from meal kits, pre-made meals, or grill-ready ingredients
• Recipes can accommodate two, four or six people, and you can get up to six meals per week
• No specific meal plans, but you can narrow down your choices
• Menu changes weekly, with up to 30 meals to choose from
• Requires a subscription, but you can cancel or skip a week anytime

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Menu changes weekly to prevent food boredom
• Options for meal kits or pre-made meals
• Can skip a week if you don’t need a delivery
• Can accommodate larger groups and families (many meal delivery services cap out at four servings per recipe)
• Reasonably priced

Cons

• Doesn’t accommodate a lot of dietary restrictions
• Options can be limited if you’re on a specific diet
• Requires a subscription (that you can skip or cancel, but you have to remember)

Bottom Line

Home Chef is a meal delivery service that gives you options between meal kits, heat-and-eat meals, and grill-ready selections. It does require a subscription, but you can cancel any time or skip a week if you don’t want a shipment.

There are times when you may need a low-calorie diet, and other times where you’re simply looking for a healthy diet to replace restaurant takeout cravings. For the latter, we recommend Home Chef. While it doesn’t offer specific meal plans or programs, Home Chef offers low-carb, low-calorie, and plant-based meal kits that can help improve your diet.

RELATED: Best Meal Kits

Perry Nix, RD, LD, shares this sentiment, saying, “Using Home Chef meal kits may help you improve your diet, but long-term weight loss is dependent upon changing multiple lifestyle factors. In addition to cooking healthy meals at home, you’ll want to implement healthy sleep, movement, and stress management habits.”

Menus change each week to add variety to your meals, but there are about 36 main meals each week, along with extras like smoothies. You can get between two to six meals each week, with each meal serving two, four, or six people. This makes Home Chef great for couples and families, too.

Our product tester Emily Chidester has used Home Chef for over a year now, and gives it high marks in both taste and portion size (5 out of 5 for both). She says, “I’ve tried a few different meal delivery kit services, and this is by far the best. My husband and I love these meals, frequently getting more than the three we typically order because they are so easy to make and are delicious.”

American families living in the Continental United States can enjoy this meal kit service for about $10 a meal, depending on the number of meals you order.

Best Weight Loss Diet for Men: Mediterranean Diet

Good for: Men who want a diet plan without feeling too structured or restrictive

For men wanting a diet but not needing a structured plan, the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet is one we suggest, as it’s been heavily studied through the years. Trials suggest⁵ that the Mediterranean diet may provide more sustainable weight loss than low-fat diets. Furthermore, a 2020 review⁶ states that the diet can be beneficial for weight management after hitting your weight loss goals, so long as you’re keeping up your protein intake.

RELATED: How Much Protein Do I Need?

The Mediterranean diet is also connected to better cardiovascular health. Research shows⁷ that this diet can help reduce your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, as well as other cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The diet may also help lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation according to a 2022 review⁸, which is a whole lot of benefits to get from a diet.

So, how do you do the Mediterranean diet? The diet emphasizes eating primarily veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, fish, and olive oil. While dairy and red meats are allowed, they’re limited, with a focus on plant-based foods and healthy fats—omega-3 fatty acids and monounsaturated fats. There’s no real focus on calorie-counting, but to lose weight on the Mediterranean diet, you should probably pay attention to portion sizes of meals.

Registered dietitian Perry Nix explains the necessity of paying attention to your body for this diet, saying, “In order for the Mediterranean diet to work for weight loss, it would be up to you to determine the quantity of food you eat. For someone who isn’t in tune with their body’s hunger signals, this could be challenging to navigate.”

There are plenty of free resources and diet plans available on the internet for more information on this diet.

Best Weight Loss Supplement for Men: Protein Powder

Good for: Men looking for an aid for weight loss as well as building lean muscle mass

Best Weight Loss Supplement

Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate

GGR Score: 4

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Product Highlights

• High-quality whey protein isolate
• 28 grams of protein per serving
• 15 flavors to choose from
• $1.99 per serving

Pros & Cons

Pros

• High-quality protein
• No artificial sweeteners, food dyes, or preservatives
• Lots of flavors to choose from
• Good customer reviews
• Whey isolate may be easier to digest for some people
• Subscribe and save 10% plus free shipping

Cons

• Price per serving on the high end
• Some reviews complain that it's too sweet

Bottom Line

Our testers love Transparent Labs 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate because we know exactly what's in it, and almost every flavor we've tried is a 5 out of 5 on taste. Yes, it's a little more expensive than other protein powders but you get what you pay for.

There’s no diet pill that will tackle all of your weight loss goals. Actually, most supplements that were touted as such were proven to be ineffective, or in some cases dangerous.

RELATED: Weight Loss Pills That Don’t Work

Instead, we recommend guys looking to lose fat and build lean mass supplement with protein powder. A diet high in protein has time and time again been shown to help lower body weight and improve body composition, according to a 2020 review⁹. This is all because protein can help regulate metabolism¹⁰, reduce appetite, and help manage your overall calorie intake.

While you can get this macronutrient from high-protein foods, most people still aren’t getting enough protein. That’s why supplementing with protein powder can be so helpful to anyone working to lose weight. One scoop of the best protein powder can net you 20 to 30 grams of protein, which is considered the optimal amount¹¹ to have in one sitting.

RELATED: How Much Protein Should I Eat to Lose Weight?

Additionally, a 2020 trial¹² shows that protein—specifically whey protein—can decrease hunger and increase satiety, which will lead to fewer cravings. This is because the whey protein stimulates the GLP-1 hormone, which delays stomach emptying. GLP-1 also manages insulin and blood sugar, which is important for sustainable weight loss.

While there are many protein powders to choose from, we’ve compiled a list of the best protein powder for weight loss, which has a variety of low-calorie protein powders to choose from.

Best Fitness App for Men: Aaptiv

Good for: Men looking for a workout app that offers great variety for workouts

Best Fitness App

Aaptiv

GGR Score: 4.6

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Product Highlights

• Audio-guided workout app
• Over 2,500 workouts 
• New workouts each week

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Audio-based classes
• Thousands of workouts
• New classes each week
• Goal-based programs
• Free trial for annual plan

Cons

• Fewer coaches than competitors
• No information on nutrition
• Must sign up for annual plan to get the free trial

Bottom Line

Aaptiv is a great option for people looking for an alternative to video-based workout programs.

While healthy eating habits will have a larger impact, exercise can also promote weight loss and help sustain weight loss in the long term. A 2013 study¹³ showed that adults who exercised for at least 200 minutes a week lost more weight than those who exercised less, and those who combined exercise with a restricted-calorie diet maintained their weight loss longer.

Men who are looking to lose weight and build lean muscle might want to consider Aaptiv for its sheer variety and customization options. After subscribing to the app—at $15 a month—it takes you through a questionnaire and has you input information about yourself, including height, weight, training frequency, goals, and your typical training style. After that, Aaptiv will create a collection of workout plans based on your input.

Aside from the curated workouts, you can also browse a large database of workouts available. Like many weight loss apps, Aaptiv has the “team” tab, which is a community social feed where you and other Aaptiv members can post.

No matter how you like to train, Aaptiv has virtually every workout style you can imagine: strength training, indoor and outdoor running, walking, stretching, calisthenics, Pilates, yoga, boxing, rowing, and more. The app also has mental health sessions grouped into its “sleep” and “meditation” tabs.

RELATED: 12 Benefits of Strength Training

At its price, Aaptiv has good value. However, there is no live instruction or coaching in the app, so we’d recommend this for people who have some experience training already. If you don’t have experience in fitness training already, there may be a better option for a fitness app.

Best Meal Planning App for Men for Weight Loss: PlateJoy

Good for: Men looking to plan more meals and have less takeout

Best Meal Planning App

PlateJoy

GGR Score: 3.38

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Product Highlights

• Nutrition app providing meal plans and grocery lists
• Grocery lists have optional Instacart delivery
• Large database of recipes based on groceries
• Can personalize meal plan for family, dietary preferences, and more

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Simplified grocery shopping for healthy eating
• High customer ratings
• Adapts to different preferences

Cons

• Expensive service
• No free app, just a free trial

Bottom Line

PlateJoy is an app that simplifies healthy eating through customized meal plans and simplified grocery lists. Additionally, you have the option of purchasing groceries through the app with Instacart delivery.

PlateJoy is another option for a weight loss program that doesn’t necessarily feel like a weight loss program. Why’s that? Well, because it’s not really a weight loss plan. Instead, the app helps you meal plan for future meals. Research shows that greater weight loss can occur from meal planning², and also correlate with a lesser chance of being overweight³.

GGR senior staff writer and certified sports nutrition coach (CSNC) Amanda Capritto tried out PlateJoy and had mostly positive things to say about it. She gave the ease of use for the app a 4.5 out of 5, as the app was aesthetically pleasing with its interface—although the clunky weekly menu planner took a little bit of getting used to.

Instead of logging food and tracking macros, you’ll input meals and the app will calculate calories and macronutrients for the meal. This is really convenient for men who aren’t looking to do all the tracking themselves.

One issue with the app is that there isn’t any community support, whether in-app or through social media. Additionally, Amanda notes that there aren’t any supporting articles about meal planning or nutrition. Although it’s a great tool for planning future meals and grocery trips, the app doesn’t educate users on why healthy eating matters. With that said, it keeps meal planning simple and could be a great tool for the right person.

Read our in-depth PlateJoy review for our complete thoughts on this app.

Other Weight Loss Programs We Researched and Tested

As I’ve said before, there are a lot of options for anyone with weight loss goals in mind. Like, a lot. Here are several other programs, supplements, and meal services that we’ve researched and tested, and that can be viable options to improve one’s overall health.

Nutrition Apps

Cronometer: Cronometer scored an overall rating of 4.4 out of 5 from us and our tester, GGR editor Erin Chancer, CNC. Like other fitness tracking apps we tested out, the amount of metrics and measurements that can be tracked can be overwhelming to someone just looking to count macros or calories. Additionally, Erin mentioned that some biometrics were a bit generic, like only tracking mood using a scale from 1 to 5.

FatSecret: Although similar to MyFitnessPal, in our experience we had difficulty reaching out to customer service, making us rate this aspect of FatSecret a 3 out of 5.

Fooducate: Many apps like Fooducate offer access to community forums or chats for free, however Fooducate requires you to upgrade to the paid version for access. Along with this, food tracking appears to be accurate, but activity tracking is off, according to our tester Kate Meier, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, and GGR head of content.

Carb Manager: Carb Manager scored well in our testing, receiving a score of 4.4 out of 5 overall. The app can cover quite a few different things to track, in the free and premium versions, but the app is geared toward those following a keto or low-carb diet. Still, if you’re limiting your carbohydrate intake, this may be a good app for tracking.

Fitness Apps

iFit: We like the NordicTrack-based iFit app, especially since it has expanded to not needing exercise equipment to utilize it. Still, the best user experience with the app comes from using compatible equipment. If you don’t have compatible equipment, it may not be worth the hefty price tag, for an individual or family. For more information, you can read our full iFit reviews.

Nike Training Club: This app is completely free and has quite a few workouts available. However, some controls can be clunky, and sometimes on-screen metrics are a little tough to see, leading us to recommend some paid apps like Aaptiv instead.

Peloton: The Peloton app can be great if you use an exercise bike often, but if you’re looking for strength training, they’re extremely limited in barbell classes, and the membership fee can be pricey for some at $44 a month. You can read more in our in-depth Peloton app review.

Supplements

Vitamin D: There are quite a few people deficient in vitamin D—an estimated one billion people¹⁴ worldwide. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked¹⁵ to abdominal weight gain specifically, and one 2019 study¹⁶ showed that vitamin D supplementation helped reduce the weight, BMI, and overall body fat in obese participants deficient in the vitamin. If you’re struggling with weight loss, this may be the missing link in your efforts.

Vitamin B12: Like vitamin D, being deficient in vitamin B12 has been linked with weight gain or being overweight, as well. However, the majority of these studies were done with animals¹⁷, specifically rats, which makes it more difficult to say whether this translates to humans or not.

Multivitamin: According to registered dietitian (RD) Destini Moody, a whole food multivitamin can help ensure you’re getting your recommended daily allowance of essential vitamins and minerals that aren’t produced by your body on its own. It can fill any gaps that may occur from your diet, although it won’t be a quick or viable solution for all. Destini suggests giving it a few weeks to test out its effectiveness.

Meal Deliveries

HelloFresh: HelloFresh provides meal kits for home-cooked meals, but the options available don’t cater to weight loss or any specific diets, according to Perry Nix, RD, LD. Although it’ll provide wholesome ingredients and leafy greens that’ll support lifestyle changes, it won’t be the best choice for a dedicated weight loss program. Check out our HelloFresh review for more information.

Factor: Although people have lost weight using Factor, the prepared meal delivery isn’t necessarily a weight loss program, so we didn’t put it on our list here. However, with options for keto, high-protein, and low-calorie meal plans, it can be a suitable option for some. You can read our Factor meals review to see if this meal delivery service is right for you.

How We Picked and Tested the Best Weight Loss Programs for Men

Narrowing down our picks for the best weight loss program for men can be categorized into two major categories that are performed extensively: research and testing.

Expert Research

We try to test as many products as possible firsthand, but because of how expansive the fitness market can be, we always start with research to narrow our testing pool. With weight loss programs, we looked at the programs as a whole. Our researchers tried to decide if claims made by these plans and programs were realistic or too good to be true. Any weight loss programs that overhyped their product with unrealistic promises were taken out of our initial list.

Furthermore, we were also wary of any diet plans or fads that cut out entire food groups or required a lot of restriction. These types of programs can work for some, but probably aren’t the best options for the general public. Plus, these extreme restrictions may not lead to sustainable weight loss in the long term.

Expert Testing

Most of the weight loss programs on our list have been personally tested by at least one of the experts on the GGR team, which consists of certified personal trainers, nutrition coaches, CrossFit-L1 trainers, and registered dietitians.

We handled each weight loss program for several weeks, testing several factors of each. Apps were tested on aspects of pricing, ease of use, community, progress tracking, and accuracy. Meal services were looked at by cost, taste, customization, and meal plans available. After testing, we rated these factors from 1 to 5 and gave each program an overall score. The ones that impressed us most made our final list.

Benefits of Weight Loss Programs

The main benefit of a weight loss program is the support system provided by the program. Being a weightlifting coach, a common sentiment I hear from athletes about accomplishing goals is, “I know what to do, I just need someone to tell me to do it.” 

Weight loss programs help provide that support and accountability through various means, but often a large community can help support you on their weight loss journey. Additionally, a coach or trainer can help guide you through pitfalls when you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by the program—or life in general.

The specific benefits of a weight loss program will depend on what you choose, but for the most part, you’ll get a community of support, more structure to your plan, guidance through a coach or database of resources, and a greater chance of success.

Buying Guide: What to Look for in Weight Loss Programs for Men

So you’re ready to take that step for your health and wellness and sign up for a weight loss program to help achieve a healthy weight for yourself. What things are most important to you, though? Let’s break down a few factors to consider.

Community, Coaching, and Support

The community and support provided by a weight loss program might help make or break your chances of success in long-term weight loss. One study from 2010¹⁸ shows that, generally speaking, support from peers or social communities increase the likelihood of you hitting your weight loss goals.

Not everyone needs the support of a community, but many weight loss programs offer support beyond just coaching, through a large community either built into the fitness app or on social media. Others are catered to someone working more individually. Consider what kind of support you lean toward before making a decision on the weight loss program best for you.

Accessibility and Compatibility

One major aspect for a weight loss program that uses an app is the compatibility with the phone or operating system you use. With the increased use of mobile devices, it’s rare to find an app that isn’t available on both iOS or Android devices, but it still does occur—or the app is catered for one platform more than the other. Make sure that the app you choose is compatible with the devices you use.

Another aspect to consider is accessibility. Can your program sync with other devices you may use, like the best fitness trackers? This can help streamline stat tracking, saving you lots of time over manually inputting information.

Ease of Use

The best weight loss program for you is the one that you stick to. One way to increase your chances of success is to have a streamlined experience while using the app. Many fitness apps can track many metrics related to exercising and diets, but that may be overwhelming to some users, especially if the interface is cluttered. Find an app that provides the right information for you, and provides it in a way that doesn’t overwhelm you.

Cost

There’s no right or wrong answer to how much a weight loss program should cost. They’ll range wildly on prices, but also offer different things that may or may not justify the price to you. App subscriptions can vary from a few dollars a month to nearly $200 monthly, with other apps offering robust free versions, too.

Again, the main thing is to make sure the cost still has value to you. Also, consider that this subscription price will have to fit into your budget on a recurring basis.

Weight Loss Programs for Men: FAQs

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.

References

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Caine Wilkes, OLY, CNC, USAW-L1

Caine Wilkes is an Olympian, placing 9th in weightlifting at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A former gym owner, he also has more than 15 years of experience coaching other athletes in weightlifting, CrossFit, and functional fitness.

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