Best apps for a deadline cut

The best apps to cut for a trip.

Last updated October 19, 2026

OttoSix weeks to the cruise. About a pound a week. Very doable.

We make Doubles, so read this knowing that. To keep it fair, every fact about another app comes from its own App Store page or website, checked October 19, 2026, and we say where the others do better. Prices change, so check before you buy. Spot a mistake? Email [email protected] and we'll fix it.

What we looked for

1. Works back from your date without pushing you past about 1% of body weight a week.
2. Fast logging for busy weeks: photo, voice, barcodes and restaurant meals.
3. A protein minimum, so the weight you lose is mostly fat.
4. Handles the trip itself, so vacation days don't wreck your averages.
5. A fair monthly price, because you may only need it for a couple of months.

The picks

Each app gets the label it earns against the list above. Prices are US, from each App Store page.

1. Doubles

   Best for a date with restaurants on the way

   In setup you can add the date that matters. It guides the plan but never forces a steeper cut: you pick a pace of 0.25%, 0.5% or 0.75% of body weight a week, and the deficit never goes past 25% under maintenance. Ask your partner what to order before dinner out. When the trip comes, tell your partner the dates and those days have no targets and stay out of your averages.

   Watch out: iPhone only and no free version. Less precise than weighing every meal.

   iPhone · $12.99/mo or $69.99/yr · 7-day free trial

2. MacroFactor

   Best for hitting a number precisely

   Its weekly algorithm adjusts your targets as your expenditure changes, so a cut is less likely to stall in week five. A verified database helps if you weigh food.

   Watch out: Search-first logging; AI photo logging is in beta.

   iPhone and Android · $11.99/mo, $47.99 per 6 months or $71.99/yr · 7-day free trial

3. Carbon Diet Coach

   Best for planning big meals

   Weekly check-ins adjust your macros. Its diet planner lets you set high and low-calorie days, which helps if you know a big dinner or weekend is coming.

   Watch out: Priciest yearly plan here, though the monthly price is in line.

   iPhone and Android · $11.99/mo, $59.99 per 6 months or $99.99/yr

4. Lose It!

   Best free pick

   Its free version includes a personalized calorie budget and weight-loss schedule, photo meal logging, voice logging and a barcode scanner.

   Watch out: Built around weight loss, with protein as one macro among several. Premium prices vary by offer.

   iPhone and Android · Free, Premium varies by offer

5. MyFitnessPal

   Best for looking up restaurant meals

   Its database of 20.5M+ foods includes restaurant dishes, which helps if your cut runs through a lot of eating out.

   Watch out: Barcode, meal scan and voice log need Premium, and exercise can change your daily goal.

   iPhone, Android and web · Free, or Premium $19.99/mo or $79.99/yr

We left out Cronometer and Cal AI for this list. Cronometer is excellent for detail, but its photo and voice logging need Gold and it works best when you weigh food, and Cal AI's 3-day trial and offer-based pricing make it hard to plan a fixed-length cut.

How much can you lose before a trip?

A pace you can keep is about 0.5% to 1% of your body weight a week. At 180 lb, 0.5% is about 0.9 lb a week and 0.75% is about 1.35 lb. Over 8 weeks that's roughly 7 to 11 lb, plus some water in the first week. Faster than that makes it harder to keep your muscle and to stick with it. Keep protein high and keep lifting, so what comes off is mostly fat.

Who shouldn't use Doubles

• You're on Android or want to log on the web. Doubles is iPhone only for now.
• You want a free tracker. After the 7-day trial, Doubles is paid.
• You want to weigh and log every gram, or track lots of micronutrients. Doubles covers calories and protein first, plus carbs, fat and fiber.
• You want workout programming. Doubles reads your workouts but doesn't plan them.
• You're pregnant, have a medical condition or have a history of disordered eating. Talk to a professional first; a calorie tracker may not be right for you.

Sources

• MacroFactor on the App Store and MacroFactor website
• Carbon Diet Coach on the App Store and Carbon Diet Coach website
• Lose It! on the App Store and Lose It! website
• MyFitnessPal on the App Store and MyFitnessPal website
• Cronometer on the App Store and Cronometer website
• Cal AI on the App Store and Cal AI website

Try Doubles free for 7 days.

Then $69.99 a year or $12.99 a month. iPhone, US.

Calories2,060In the zone

Protein183 gGoal met

Coming soon to theApp Store