She lost 118 lbs at age 56!

Want to unlock your maximum ability to get lean in 2025? Then find a weight-loss app you like and use it on your phone, tablet or computer. Recent studies show the simple strategy can give you such a huge boost, you'll literally quadruple your results compared to dieting without an app. "If you want to set yourself up for success, it really is the way to go," confirms University of Vermont's Jean Harvey, Ph.D., R.D., who has conducted exciting research on the approach. Meanwhile, California reader Debbie Ramos, 56, says she's living proof of how much apps can help. After struggling on every diet under the sun, "I tried using an app, and it changed everything," she shares. "I'm down 118 pounds so far." Keep reading for Debbie's inspiring story and to find the app that can help you most.

- ALLISON NEMETZ

There are a zillion different apps out there these days, but most have this in common: They give us a solid jumping-off place. “That’s a big deal, since so many people don’t know where to begin,’” shares TODAY show nutrition and wellness contributor Joy Bauer, M.S., RDN. With an app, you plug in pertinent info and you’ll get help setting goals and receive science-based tips. “It’s like having a coach in your phone,” says Denise Hernandez, R.D., M.S., L.D., a nutrition expert for My Fitness Pal. You don’t have to read a book or memorize rules. “You can just start.”

You might worry you don’t have time for tracking. The good news is that research in the journal Obesity found that once we get the hang of it, using an app only takes “14.6 minutes a day,” reveals Harvey, who led the study. She adds that you don’t even have to do it every day; track 20 days a month, and results soar.

Of course, apps are not guaranteed to work. Yet a large Stanford analysis determined that a whopping 75% of us will lose faster if we use one.

3 ways apps can work wonders

1. Awareness made easy Experts generally agree that a main way apps work is by shining a spotlight on what we put in our mouths. “Most people have no idea how much they actually eat,” notes University of Washington nutrition expert Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D. “Just becoming more aware of calories and nutrition prompts you to make better choices.”

The same basic idea also applies to other habits that impact the scale. For example, one study found apps that track sleep habits lead us to get more Zzzs—and that helps protect lean muscle during weight loss while tripling fat burn, per University of Chicago research. Basically, awareness helps our waists shrink.

2. Aha! moments