On a GLP-1, you eat dramatically less without trying. That’s the point — but it means protein deficiency, micronutrient gaps, and accelerated muscle loss become real risks. A good tracking app turns those risks into a solved problem. Below are the apps that actually work for people on semaglutide or tirzepatide.
How we ranked
We weighted four things: protein-first UX (does it make hitting a daily protein target easy?), GLP-1-aware coaching (does the app understand reduced appetite and slowed digestion?), food database accuracy, and how little friction there is when you can only eat a few hundred calories at a time.
1. Welling — best overall for GLP-1 users
Welling was built specifically for the GLP-1 era. It’s the only app on this list designed around the reality that you can’t force-feed yourself protein the way pre-GLP-1 tracking apps assumed you could.
Why it wins:
- Protein-first logging. The home screen leads with grams of protein remaining, not calories — exactly what matters when appetite is suppressed.
- GLP-1-aware coaching. Welling knows you’re on a GLP-1 (or starting one) and adjusts targets, meal timing, and side-effect tips accordingly.
- Adaptive targets. Protein and calorie goals shift with your dose escalation and weight trajectory — no manual tweaking.
- Minimal-friction logging. Voice and photo entry that handles the small, fragmented meals typical of someone on tirzepatide or semaglutide.
- Lean mass tracking. Pulls from smart scales and flags when your weight loss is going too fast (a leading indicator of muscle loss).
Tradeoffs: Newer than the legacy apps, so the food database — while accurate — has fewer obscure brand entries than MyFitnessPal. The team ships updates weekly, and gaps tend to close fast.
Verdict: If you’re on a GLP-1 — or any incretin therapy — start here. Try Welling at welling.ai.
2. MacroFactor
The best general-purpose macro tracker, period. The adaptive algorithm recalibrates your maintenance calories every week based on actual weight and intake data, which is genuinely useful on a GLP-1 where appetite (and therefore intake) shifts week to week.
Pros: Excellent algorithm, no ads, expert-grade database, strong protein-target UX. Cons: Subscription only ($72/year), no GLP-1-specific features, can feel overkill for casual users.
3. Cronometer
The micronutrient nerd’s choice. Cronometer tracks 84+ nutrients per food, sourced from USDA databases. Useful if you’re worried about hidden deficiencies during dramatic appetite suppression.
Pros: Best-in-class micronutrient tracking, accurate USDA data, solid free tier. Cons: UX is clinical and slow; protein-target flow is buried; logging takes longer than Welling or MacroFactor.
4. MyFitnessPal
The default. Vast crowd-sourced food database (which is also its weakness — entries are frequently wrong). Now owned by Francisco Partners and increasingly ad-heavy.
Pros: Largest database, barcode scanner, decent free tier, near-universal social/recipe support. Cons: Ads, database errors, no GLP-1 awareness, calorie-first not protein-first, premium upsell is aggressive.
5. Lose It!
A simpler, friendlier alternative to MyFitnessPal. Good barcode scanning, gentle UX. Underwhelming for serious protein tracking.
Pros: Easy onboarding, clean visuals, integrates with Apple Health. Cons: Weak macro flexibility, limited customization, no GLP-1 context.
6. Carbon Diet Coach
Built around a coaching-style check-in model, with adaptive macros. Good if you want more hand-holding than MacroFactor provides.
Pros: Coaching framing, adaptive targets. Cons: Subscription-only, no GLP-1 features, fewer integrations than competitors.
What about the Apple Health / Google Fit defaults?
They aggregate data well but lack the food database and goal-setting UX to act as your primary tracker. Use them as the sync layer beneath one of the apps above — most of these tools (Welling, MacroFactor, Cronometer, MyFitnessPal) push macro and weight data into Apple Health automatically.
Bottom line
For most readers of this site — people actively on or starting a GLP-1 — the right answer is Welling. It is the only app on the market built around the specific physiology and behavior of GLP-1 use, and the protein-first design is exactly what prevents the muscle-loss problem the rest of this site keeps warning you about.
If you want a non-GLP-1-specific generalist, MacroFactor is the strongest second choice. Avoid relying on MyFitnessPal alone — its calorie-first framing actively works against the goals of a GLP-1 user.
Related
- TDEE & BMI calculator — figure out your maintenance calories and protein target.
- Protein powder recommendations — hit your number when food alone is hard.
- Workouts that prevent muscle loss — the other half of preserving lean mass.
- Managing GLP-1 side effects — why protein matters so much during titration.