How It Felt vs

Lose It vs MyFitnessPal vs Noom: which fits?

Lose It! is the more plan-led record; MyFitnessPal is the more searchable food and activity diary; Noom combines food logging with lessons and coaching. How It Felt is a private journal for noticing how eating feels, without an assigned target.

Eating-app comparison

What each app optimises for

Lose It! vs MyFitnessPal vs Noom

Structured recording in Lose It! and MyFitnessPal, or a guided logging programme with lessons and coaching in Noom.

How It Felt

A private pause around eating, without a score, programme or target to maintain.

Side-by-side

Feature	Lose It!	MyFitnessPal	Noom	How It Felt
Starting point	Lose It! A structured food record with review tools and optional activity tracking.	MyFitnessPal A searchable food and activity diary with review tools.	Noom A guided programme with lessons, coaching and a food log.	How It Felt A short check-in about the experience of eating.
Ways to record	Lose It! The current listing describes search, barcode, photo and voice options; access varies by plan.	MyFitnessPal The help centre documents food search and barcode scanning; other logging tools vary by plan.	Noom Noom's help centre describes search, barcode, photo, voice and text meal logging; availability varies by plan, platform and region.	How It Felt Write what you noticed, with optional prompts for hunger, fullness or sensation.
Guidance	Lose It! Structured plans and community features are described in the public listing.	MyFitnessPal The diary is largely self-directed, with additional tools depending on the plan.	Noom Daily lessons and coaching are part of the programme; the current offer determines what support is included.	How It Felt No lessons, coach or assigned practice.
Looking back	Lose It! Review views and progress records are part of the documented service.	MyFitnessPal Diary history and nutrition views help review records; features vary by plan.	Noom The app provides ways to revisit lessons, logs and progress; the current plan determines the available views.	How It Felt Read your own notes without an automated score deciding what they mean.
Privacy and access	Lose It! Review the current account, service and privacy disclosures before recording sensitive details.	MyFitnessPal MyFitnessPal uses an account-based online service; its policy covers diary data and related personal information.	Noom Noom's programme and logging features use an account-based service; review its current privacy policy before recording sensitive details.	How It Felt No account is needed for the journal. Entry content is stored locally, while the privacy policy describes selected service telemetry and advertising or subscription processing.
Clinical role	Lose It! Consumer software for food and activity records, not diagnosis or treatment.	MyFitnessPal Consumer software for food and activity records, not diagnosis or treatment.	Noom Consumer wellness software with lessons, coaching and records, not diagnosis or treatment.	How It Felt A self-reflection journal, not a clinical tool or replacement for care.
Cost and availability	Lose It! Free and paid features are described; check the current offer for your platform.	MyFitnessPal Free and Premium features are described; access can change by plan.	Noom Noom offers paid plans and plan-dependent features; check the current offer for your region.	How It Felt Free to use, with an optional Supporter tier.

When to pick which

Pick Lose It! vs MyFitnessPal vs Noom if…

Consider Lose It! only if an eating-disorder-informed clinician agrees that structured records are appropriate for you and they feel neutral in practice.
Consider MyFitnessPal only if an eating-disorder-informed clinician agrees that a searchable diary is appropriate for you and it feels supportive rather than demanding.
Consider Noom only if an eating-disorder-informed clinician agrees that a guided logging programme is appropriate for you and its lessons and coaching do not increase pressure.
Read each service's current product and privacy pages before signing up or recording sensitive information.

Pick How It Felt if…

You want a private journal without an account.
You want to notice eating without an assigned score or target.
You prefer a quiet practice that you can pause whenever it stops feeling kind.

Verdict

Lose It! offers a more plan-led record, MyFitnessPal a more searchable diary, and Noom a guided programme with lessons and coaching. How It Felt is the private, feeling-first option: a local journal with no assigned outcome. None is automatically right for everyone. If you are in eating-disorder recovery or tracking has felt compulsive, these tracking programmes are not a casual recommendation; speak with an eating-disorder-informed clinician before using one. Pause any tool that makes eating feel like a test.

Frequently asked

What is the main difference between these apps?

Lose It! is the more plan-led record, MyFitnessPal the more searchable food and activity diary, and Noom a guided programme with lessons and coaching. How It Felt is a private journal for reflection without an assigned target.

Is How It Felt another food-tracking app?

No. It does not calculate nutrition values or require a record of what you ate. You can note how eating felt, or choose not to write anything.

Which service is most private?

This page does not rank them. How It Felt needs no account and stores entry content locally, while its privacy policy describes limited service processing. The other services use online accounts or programmes; review each current privacy disclosure for your plan and region.

Can these apps replace professional care?

No. They are consumer tools, not diagnosis or treatment. If eating, hunger, fullness or body image is causing distress, speak with an eating-disorder-informed clinician.

Can I use none of them?

Yes. You do not have to track meals, follow lessons or keep a journal. A pause can be a caring choice when an app adds pressure.

Sources and review date

The official product, help, store and privacy pages linked above are the source of truth for current features, access and data handling. Details can change by plan, platform or region.

Lose It!'s product site is the source for its current product positioning; check it for changes before relying on this comparison. [Lose It! product site]
The current listing describes Lose It!'s food-recording, review and plan-dependent features; access can vary by platform or region. [Lose It! App Store listing]
The current listing is a source for MyFitnessPal's food and activity diary features; access can vary by plan or platform. [MyFitnessPal App Store listing]
MyFitnessPal's current policy describes account-based service processing and the kinds of diary information a user may provide. [MyFitnessPal privacy policy]
This review is general context for considering diet and fitness monitoring technology, including the need for care around tracking; it does not assess Noom or establish that any named app causes harm. [Anderberg I. et al. (2025)]
How It Felt stores journal entry content locally, while its policy describes selected service telemetry and other processing; it is not an entirely on-device service. [How It Felt privacy policy]
This review examined associations between diet or fitness tracking technology and disordered-eating behaviour; it does not establish that any named app causes harm. [Moody S. et al. (2025)]

Last reviewed: September 16, 2026.

Learn the concepts

Plain-language explainers behind the comparison.

Try How It Felt

A calmer way to be with food.

A quieter place to notice how eating feels, without a target to maintain.