Best Weight Loss Tech: Tools That Are Actually Worth Your Money

Best Weight Loss Tech: Tools That Are Actually Worth Your Money

There is more weight loss tech available today than ever before. Smart watches track your heart rate and steps. Smart scales estimate body fat. Apps track your calories and protein. Continuous glucose monitors show how your blood sugar changes throughout the day. You can even test many health markers from home without going to a doctor’s office.

But more technology does not always mean better results. You can spend thousands of dollars on fitness gadgets and still fail to lose weight. The basics still matter most. You need to strength train, eat well, move more, sleep enough, and stay consistent. The best weight loss tech simply makes those habits easier to measure and manage.

I have become a bit of a gearhead when it comes to health and fitness. I like data. I like being able to see changes in my weight, body fat, sleep, blood pressure, blood sugar, activity, and other health markers. That information gives me objective feedback instead of forcing me to rely only on how I feel.

You do not need everything on this list. Pick the tools that solve a real problem for you. The best weight loss technology should help you take action, stay accountable, or see whether your current plan is working.

Use a Smart Scale to Track Weight and Body Fat

One of my favorite pieces of weight loss tech is the Hume Body Pod. It is a smart scale that measures more than body weight. It also estimates body fat, lean muscle mass, visceral fat, subcutaneous fat, and fat distribution throughout different parts of your body.

No home smart scale is as accurate as a high-quality DEXA scan. That does not mean the data is useless. What matters most is that the scale is consistent with itself. If it measures your body fat a little high or low every time, you can still use the trend to see whether your body fat is moving in the right direction.

I weigh myself every morning under similar conditions. That gives me a large amount of data over time. One day’s body weight does not mean much. Your weight can change because of water, food, sodium, carbohydrates, or digestion. The trend over several weeks tells you much more.

There are other good smart scales available as well. Withings makes several options, and some commercial gyms have InBody machines. If body composition data motivates you and helps you stay consistent, a smart scale can be one of the best weight loss tech purchases you make.

Track Important Health Markers With Regular Blood Tests

Blood work gives you information that a bathroom scale cannot. I like being able to track markers such as testosterone, cholesterol, triglycerides, ApoB, vitamin D, ferritin, blood sugar, and other health measures over time.

One service I use is Rhythm Health. It allows you to collect a small blood sample at home and send it in for testing. I like being able to watch the numbers change from one test to the next instead of getting blood work only once every year or two.

I also use SiPhox Health for more complete testing. Some panels include markers that may not be available on every at-home test. I sometimes use a larger panel when I want a deeper look at my health.

Blood testing is not a replacement for a doctor. It is simply another way to collect useful information. If something looks abnormal, that information can help you ask better questions when you speak with your doctor or another qualified medical professional.

Check Blood Pressure at Home

A basic blood pressure monitor may be one of the cheapest and most useful health tools you can own. You do not need an expensive model. A simple automatic cuff can give you useful information in less than a minute.

Blood pressure can change depending on stress, sleep, caffeine, activity, and even how nervous you are at the doctor’s office. Some people experience higher readings during medical appointments. Checking your blood pressure at home gives you more measurements and may give you a better picture of your normal range.

I usually take more than one reading. Again, I care more about the trend than a single number. If you are trying to improve your long-term health while losing weight, blood pressure is one useful marker to watch.

This is also a good example of weight loss tech that does not need to be expensive. A simple tool that you actually use is often more valuable than an expensive device that sits in a drawer.

Blood Glucose Monitors and Continuous Glucose Monitors

I also like checking blood glucose. A basic glucose meter is inexpensive and can show you your blood sugar at a specific moment. I often check fasting glucose because I enjoy tracking the number over time.

A continuous glucose monitor, or CGM, gives you much more information. A CGM attaches to your arm and tracks glucose throughout the day. It can show how your blood sugar responds to meals, exercise, walking, sleep, and other parts of your routine.

I have used the Dexcom G7. There are also options such as the Dexcom Stelo and Abbott Lingo. Some options require a prescription, while others are sold without one.

Most healthy people probably do not need to wear a CGM all year. I like using one for a short period because it lets me experiment. You can see what happens after a high-carbohydrate meal. You can compare that with a lower-carbohydrate meal. You can see how walking after dinner changes the response.

A CGM is another example of technology being useful because it gives you feedback. The information is only valuable if you use it to make better decisions.

Apple Watch, WHOOP, Oura Ring, Garmin, and Other Fitness Trackers

Wearable fitness trackers are some of the most popular weight loss tech products available. I personally use an Apple Watch Ultra and wear it constantly.

I use it to watch my heart rate, activity, steps, resting heart rate, and other health measures. Other people may prefer Garmin, Fitbit, WHOOP, or an Oura Ring. All of these devices can provide useful information.

WHOOP is especially useful for people who care about training and recovery. It also offers different ways to wear the device, which can be helpful during strength training when wrist wraps or other equipment get in the way.

The Oura Ring is another strong option, especially for sleep and recovery. It tracks activity, sleep, stress, heart rate, and other recovery measures in a small ring instead of a watch.

Garmin, Fitbit, and Strava can also work well, especially for people who run, cycle, swim, hike, or do other endurance activities. Strava is useful because it gives you a clear record of your conditioning work.

The most important point is not which tracker you buy. The goal is to find something you will actually wear and use.

Use Daily Steps to Increase Activity

You do not have to become a runner to lose weight. I do very little traditional cardio. I would rather increase my daily activity through walking and use conditioning circuits around my strength training.

This is where wearable trackers become especially useful. I can see how many steps I take each day and work on increasing that number.

The exact step count may not be perfect. Your device may slightly overcount or undercount. That is usually not a major problem. If the same device tells you that you went from 7,000 steps per day to 10,000 steps per day, you know your activity increased.

That trend matters more than arguing about whether the tracker counted every single step perfectly.

Walking is also easy to recover from. You can do it every day. You can walk in the morning, after dinner, or whenever you have time. It can help increase energy expenditure without creating the same fatigue you may get from harder cardio.

I also recommend getting a good pair of walking shoes. If you are going to walk thousands of steps every day, comfortable shoes are worth the money.

The Best Weight Loss Tech for Tracking Nutrition

Nutrition tracking is one of the most powerful uses of technology during weight loss. There are several good macro tracking apps available, including Cronometer and MacroFactor.

My current favorite is MacrosFirst. I like the interface, and I especially like how it integrates with TurnKey Coach. I can track protein, carbohydrates, fat, calories, fiber, and

Strength training gives you that path. It helps you build muscle, preserve capability, and move through life with greater confidence. It helps you become harder to kill and easier to live.

If you are curious what coaching could look like for you, go to barbellogic.com/experience and sign up for a free Experience Call. You can talk with a coach, get free form checks, and see what it would look like to start building strength for the life ahead of you.