How It Felt vs

Lose It vs Ate Food Diary: which feels right?

Lose It! is built around calorie tracking and weight-loss goals, while Ate Food Diary (AteMate) is built around photo-based meal journaling. How It Felt is a reflection-led journal about the experience of eating. Product details, availability and pricing can change, so review each service's current official information before you decide.

Food diary comparison

What each app optimises for

Lose It! vs Ate Food Diary

Reviewing the current product information for Lose It! and Ate Food Diary before choosing.

How It Felt

A reflection-led approach to the experience of eating, without making an external target the focus.

Side-by-side

Feature	Lose It! vs Ate Food Diary	How It Felt
Main approach	Lose It! vs Ate Food Diary Review each service's current description.	How It Felt Reflection on the experience of eating.
What you record	Lose It! vs Ate Food Diary Features and entry fields can change; check the current product information.	How It Felt Choose the kind of reflection that feels useful to you.
Targets and numbers	Lose It! vs Ate Food Diary Review current plans and settings directly.	How It Felt No external outcome is the focus of the reflection approach described here.
Photo logging	Lose It! vs Ate Food Diary Check each service's current feature information.	How It Felt Use the kind of reflection that feels useful to you.
Guidance	Lose It! vs Ate Food Diary Check the current product information for guidance features.	How It Felt Self-directed reflection rather than a programme to follow.
Account and storage	Lose It! vs Ate Food Diary Review each service's current privacy policy and account terms.	How It Felt Review the current privacy information before recording sensitive details.
Price	Lose It! vs Ate Food Diary Review current pricing for your region and platform.	How It Felt Review the current access and pricing information before choosing.

When to pick which

Pick Lose It! vs Ate Food Diary if…

The current offering meets your need for structured tracking or reflection.
You have checked the current feature, privacy and pricing details before signing up.
You have considered whether the approach feels supportive without increasing food or body preoccupation.

Pick How It Felt if…

You want a reflection-led journal rather than a programme to follow.
You want to notice the experience of eating without making targets or scores the focus.
You prefer a quieter tool with no external outcome to maintain.

Verdict

There is no universal winner here. Choose based on the current information for each service and on whether its approach feels supportive and easy to pause.

Frequently asked

What is the main difference between Lose It! and Ate Food Diary?

Lose It! is built around calorie tracking and weight-loss goals. Ate Food Diary (AteMate) is built around photo-based meal journaling. Features, plans and access can change, so review each app's official product and help information.

How is How It Felt different from both apps?

How It Felt is described here as a reflection-led journal. Review its current privacy information and decide whether that approach suits your needs.

Does How It Felt analyse meal photos?

Review the current product and privacy information for photo handling before recording sensitive details.

Which app should I choose if tracking makes eating feel harder?

Pause any app that increases pressure or distress and talk with an eating-disorder-informed clinician if that is relevant to you. How It Felt is not a treatment or recovery app, and this comparison cannot tell you which tool is safe for your situation.

Sources and review date

The DOI-linked research below describes eating awareness, food recording and digital tracking in general. It does not establish that any particular app is suitable for you. Product details can change, so check each service's current official information.

Kristeller and Wolever described the conceptual foundation of mindfulness-based eating awareness training and reviewed prior research; this article was not itself a controlled-trial report. [Kristeller & Wolever (2011)]
Robinson and colleagues reviewed food-intake memory and awareness in eating research. [Robinson E. et al. (2014)]
Doumit and colleagues examined cell-phone camera pictures as a method for recording food intake. [Doumit R. et al. (2016)]

Last reviewed: April 30, 2026.

Learn the concepts

Plain-language explainers behind the comparison.

Try How It Felt

A calmer way to be with food.

A reflection-led journal for noticing how eating feels.