How It Felt vs
How It Felt vs Lose It!.
Lose It! is a calorie-tracking app oriented around a weight goal — log food, log weight, watch the budget. How It Felt is built on the opposite premise: no goal, no budget, no scale. The diary captures hunger, fullness, feelings, senses — and stops there.
What each app optimises for
Lose It!
Reaching a weight goal by staying within a daily calorie budget.
How It Felt
Noticing meals without measuring them — building self-knowledge instead of compliance.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Lose It! | How It Felt |
|---|---|---|
| Calorie budget / goal | Lose It! Yes — central | How It Felt No |
| Weight tracking | Lose It! Yes | How It Felt No |
| Food database / barcode | Lose It! Yes | How It Felt No |
| Emotional check-in | Lose It! No | How It Felt Yes |
| Hunger / fullness sliders | Lose It! No | How It Felt Yes |
| Streaks / scores | Lose It! Yes | How It Felt No |
| Account required | Lose It! Yes | How It Felt No |
| Data location | Lose It! Cloud | How It Felt Local-only |
When to pick which
Pick Lose It! if…
- You have a clearly defined weight goal.
- You like a daily budget you can spend down.
- You want progress charts and streaks to keep you engaged.
Pick How It Felt if…
- Calorie budgets stopped working — or started feeling punishing.
- You want to know how you feel around food, not what you 'spent'.
- You'd like an app that closes the loop without homework.
Verdict
Lose It! makes weight loss the game. How It Felt isn't trying to win that game — it's trying to give you a quiet space, with no scoreboard.
Frequently asked
Will How It Felt help me lose weight?
It isn't designed for that. There's no weight tracking and no calorie counting. Mindful eating sometimes changes how someone eats — but that's a side-effect, not a promise.
Are there streaks?
No. No streaks, no scores, no daily compliance metrics. The journal is meant to feel like a journal, not a scoreboard.
What does an entry actually contain?
Hunger and fullness sliders, an emotion (or several), optional sense-based notes (taste, texture, setting), and an optional photo or short text note. That's it — no portions, no quantities.
Is the app free?
Yes. The full journal is free forever. There's an optional Supporter tier (7-day trial) that removes ads and unlocks the full affirmation library and extended export.
Sources and review date
Comparison claims are based on the public product information linked below and the How It Felt feature set on this site.
Last reviewed: May 1, 2026.
Learn the concepts
Plain-language explainers behind the comparison.
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A calmer way to be with food.
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