I am pleased that the coach assigned to us (Jennifer) is very knowledgeable and easy to reach. She is quick to answer questions or refer us to where we can get answers. I like it that the program has videos that are easy to understand. I can’t say the information is all new to me but it is always good to hear it or see it and get reminded of basic ways of preventing diseases like diabetes and heart disease. It is good that there is opportunity to connect with other members via posts, and these posts help members inform and support each other in the same journey. Getting a free weighing scale makes sense so we can see objective results although I’m not a big fan of the brand we got. It gave me different readings within a couple of minutes of weighing (and yes, I did follow instructions). I ended up using my old digital scale. It was a bonus to earn (yes, earn) a Fitbit. It’s a good message—you participate and you can get “rewarded,” and it was a good reward because it made tracking activity, calories burned, stress, sleep, etc easier. The app is good that it gives you info on calories consumed and carb, fat and sodium intake that’s not all available in some of the other apps I’ve used. Now, for the things that are not my favorite—- I find that the food and drinks library can be improved. You can enter a simple and popular branded item and not get information, but enter an “ethnic” food item or dish and you’ll get that info. The phone app is easier to use in term of logging food compared to using the app using a PC. It’s almost impossible to completely log food items from my work PC as items are not found (but they easily pop up when using my phone). I also think the way exercise minutes can be improved; somehow it only shows the number of steps taken despite being synced to my Fitbit. Also, If I forget to manually enter my “other” exercise minutes the day before, then I can’t modify it. As the title of this review says, it is an overall good app. I think the pros outweigh the cons.

I only signed up with this app because my insurance company makes it a requirement for weight loss programs. The program so far is okay, if you have time to input things. The food database isn’t very large so when you try to scan something in often times, the app doesn’t recognize the product and you have to manually put it in. We have a coach that does group sessions. But the service isn’t very personalized. It’s sort of a universal weight loss program.My problem with HabitNu is the app itself. It has multiple glitches. My insurance requires at least six months of using this program in order to proceed with weight loss guidance. I actually signed up with the program last summer and was unable to use the app until January of this year. That was only after multiple emails to HabitNu customer service and my insurance company’s customer service. They reset the app and I was ready to go. My problem now is when you watch the videos it has multiple stalls, sometimes the app will close and restart on its own, some of the PDF files the coach uploads cannot be opened, and so far, I have not been able to actively participate in the group video meetings because the app freezes as soon as it connects. I even tried using the app on multiple devices. Hopefully they’ll provide an update and fix all of the glitches and issues with the app soon.

Habitnu is a lifestyle changing program to prevent diabetes. The core of it's approach is encouragement , tracking and support. The coaching is the best part of the program. In a small group each individual is able to contribute and help support the other members along with the coach and find others struggling and solving the same challenges while changing to a more active lifestyle with better food choices and activity levels. The coach helps each one face the challenges they face and move forward. By recording everything you eat you are not only made more away of portion control but in many cases hidden carbs, calories and fat. There are challenges that make exercise both competitive and personally rewarding. I enjoyed the hikes that show you virtually beautiful views along the way. Since most of traveling has been limited in the last couple years it is a progressive way to see and visit sites along hikes based on miles walked each day.I truly believe that Habitnu has the support, accountability and information to help almost anyone to reduce weight and avoid or eliminate diabetes.

Based on other reviews and my experience, looks like Coach Sally is the only one that knows how to coach (unfortunately she is not my coach). I appreciate my health insurance paid for a free scale because I signed up for this. But due to the weird restrictions and poor shipping of the scale, I can’t earn a Fitbit so be careful if that’s important to you. The app itself is missing some key components, most notably that it doesn’t adjust caloric intake for activity levels. You also can’t copy meals, although one of the typical weight loss strategies is to have a few reliable meals, especially for breakfast and lunch. Combined with an uncurated database, it makes for some tedious logging. The videos are very basic info (although according to a prior response on that issue, the app developer blames the CDC for that). Overall, if you’ve done the weight loss thing before and just need a way to (1) get a free scale and (2) start logging again, and your insurance pays for it, it’s reasonable. If you are new to weight loss and need some personal support, look elsewhere. (And to the insurance companies, come on guys. You can do better than this. )