Think about trying to lose weight and what first comes to mind? Tedious calorie-counting? Deprivation? Hunger? Rolling a giant rock up a hill every day? Most of us have pretty negative associations with dieting and weight loss. I mean, if it were fun and easy, you'd already be skinny, right? And most of us can't afford a personal health coach/chef to constantly motivate us and make losing weight taste better.
But what if you stopped taking dieting so seriously? What if it were just a game? That's where Foodzy comes in.
The app, with its cute Lego-like graphics, is kind of like FarmVille meets Jenny Craig. You have to enter everything you eat each day, and it calculates the calories for you. You can compete with your friends over who clocks in the least fattening meals and win "badges."
It sounds kind of silly. I mean, we're adults here. The information is out there for us to make healthy choices. But the thing is, having the facts and knowing what makes us fat or thin obviously isn't working. People aren't choosing unhealthy lifestyles because they think diabetes is a party and hate the idea of looking swell in a bikini. The reality is, we make a thousand choices every day, and a lot of them have nothing to do with logic.
Foodzy aims to make dieting fun, turning your food and fitness choices into social and instantly gratifying exercises. You get your friends urging you on. You get little badges (okay, you can't eat them, but rewards are rewards). You can connect with people who have similar tastes and share strategies and recipes that work specifically for your own cravings. The more you use it, the more customized it becomes, and the closer you get to shedding those extra pounds.
Foodzy also takes the pressure off. They don't call calories calories, they call them "bits," and since 20 calories equals one bit, you're dealing with smaller and less scary numbers. It's magical thinking! The app's Dutch inventors (who get away with consuming all the chocolate, cheese, and beer they want and still stay slim) tell you Foodzy isn't about losing weight -- it's about being healthy. The truth is, it is about losing weight, but the emphasis is on nutrition and good habits rather than on how much you weigh.
Obviously a weight loss game isn't going to work for everyone. But if you like playing FarmVille and think a little fun will help you reach your goal, this may be the solution for you.
Would a diet game help you lose weight?
Image via Foodzy.com
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Comments 54
I would forget to track stuff
I think it would be a great way to motivate me to lose weight.
I think I might like this, all I have now is a calorie counter, not much fun.
I doubt it.
I might like it.
It sounds like a fun and great idea! I will definitely check it out. I am a nutritionist and I work helping people to lose weight the healthy way. One of the most important things that my clients do is track their foods... those who track regularly, have much greater success than those who don't. The only problem I have with the app is the use of "bits" of 20 calories as opposed to just plain old calories. Calories make it more real and in my opinion more concrete when reading labels but other than that, it seems good.
I would totally use it!