Lose It!
Lose It! is a calorie-counting and weight loss tracking app that helps users set daily calorie budgets based on personal goals. The app offers food logging via barcode scanning, photo recognition, and a database of over 63 million verified food items, with a freemium model that locks advanced features behind a Premium subscription.
Score generated by AI agents based on publicly cited evidence and reviewed by the project maintainer. Not independently validated.
Score History
Timeline events are AI-curated from public reporting. Score trajectory is derived from documented events.
FitNow launches Lose It! as a free, ad-free calorie tracker on the nascent iOS App Store. The app is built by serial entrepreneurs (Allaire, Teague, DiCristina) who previously sold Onfolio to Microsoft. With no premium tier, no ads, and no investor pressure, the product is entirely user-focused. Minor structural scores reflect standard mobile app opacity and early-stage competitive dynamics in the new app economy.
FitNow raises $5.5M Series A from General Catalyst and UnitedHealth Group, funding expansion to web (2010), Android (2011), and connected devices like Withings scales and Nike+ FuelBand. The app introduces a freemium model with basic Premium features, though the free tier remains generous. UnitedHealth's investment signals the beginning of corporate wellness monetization. Lock-in increases slightly as users accumulate cross-device food logging data with no export path.
FitNow enters its most innovative period: Snap It AI food recognition wins a CES 2017 Innovation Award, the embodyDNA genetic testing kit launches at $190 (later slashed to $20), Apple Watch integration arrives at launch, and international expansion begins. Premium feature gating deepens as Snap It and embodyDNA are paid additions. The embodyDNA kit faces academic skepticism about genetic marker predictive power and introduces DNA data collection, raising minor regulatory risk. The competitive landscape intensifies as MyFitnessPal (acquired by Under Armour for $475M in 2015) dominates market share.
A February 2019 WSJ investigation reveals Lose It! shared user weight and calorie data with Facebook without consent, forcing FitNow to immediately cut the data feed. CEO Charles Teague steps aside in June 2020, replaced by Patrick Wetherille. COVID-19 drives record app usage, and FitNow responds by adding seven free features and launching the public Challenges app. Behind the positive pandemic response, dark patterns begin appearing in subscription flows, cancellation processes grow more opaque, and the Garmin integration is gated behind Premium. The company reaches five consecutive years of cash-flow-positive growth and 40 million total members.
Ziff Davis acquires the entirely founder-owned FitNow in June 2022 and immediately begins monetization intensification. Within months, the barcode scanner — Lose It!'s most-used free feature — moves behind the $39.99/year Premium paywall. Full-screen interstitial ads are introduced during meal entry. The company implements 'longboarding' onboarding designed to exploit loss aversion, deploys fake countdown timers for premium discounts, and BBB complaints document systematic cancellation barriers. Meanwhile, Ziff Davis shuts down Humble Games (36 employees) and begins portfolio-wide cost cuts despite growing revenue.
Three years post-acquisition, Lose It! has fully transitioned into Ziff Davis's revenue extraction model. The barcode scanner paywall is permanent, the 2025 UI redesign draws widespread backlash from long-time users, BBB complaints document systematic cancellation barriers, and the Trustpilot rating sits at 2/5. AI features like voice logging are launched exclusively behind the paywall. Ziff Davis continues portfolio-wide cost-cutting despite revenue growth, reflecting shareholder extraction priorities across all subsidiaries.
Alternatives
Clean, ad-free nutrition tracker with adaptive calorie targets that adjust weekly based on your actual weight trends. No free tier ($11.99/month), but the absence of ads, dark patterns, and paywalled features means you get the full product from day one. Easy switch for the daily logging workflow.
The most accurate calorie-tracking app available, with a verified food database sourced from USDA and government data rather than unverified user submissions. Free tier covers everything most people need. Moderate switch — you'll need to re-enter custom foods and lose your meal history, but the core logging workflow is similar.
Dimensional Breakdown
Summaries below were written by AI agents based on the cited evidence. They are editorial interpretations, not independent research findings.
Dimension History
Timeline (42 events)
FitNow Founded, Lose It! Launches on iOS App Store
J.J. Allaire, Charles Teague, and Paul DiCristina found FitNow Inc. in Boston and launch Lose It! as one of the first calorie-tracking apps on the iPhone App Store. The app is completely free with no ads or premium tier. All three founders previously co-founded Onfolio, which Microsoft acquired in 2006.
Lose It! Web Version Launches, Expanding Beyond iOS
FitNow launches the Lose It! website (loseit.com), allowing users to log food and track progress from desktop browsers. This extends the platform beyond the iPhone, supporting cross-device syncing for the first time and broadening accessibility to non-mobile users.
Lose It! Launches on Android, Reaching Google Play Users
FitNow releases the Lose It! app on Android, expanding its addressable market beyond iOS. The Android launch helps the app grow from a niche iPhone tool into a cross-platform calorie tracker. Combined with the web version launched in 2010, users can now access their data from iOS, Android, and desktop browsers.
FitNow Raises $5.5M Series A from General Catalyst and UnitedHealth
FitNow closes a $5.5 million Series A round led by General Catalyst with participation from UnitedHealth Group. The investment funds platform expansion, connected device integrations, and team growth. The UnitedHealth participation signals early corporate wellness interest in consumer calorie-tracking tools.
Lose It! Integrates with Withings Connected Scale
Lose It! adds integration with the Withings WiFi Body Scale, one of the first connected health devices on the market. When users weigh themselves, the scale syncs to Lose It! and automatically adjusts calorie requirements. This marks the beginning of FitNow's connected device strategy.
Lose It! Becomes First Third-Party Nike+ FuelBand Integration
Nike announces a partnership with Lose It!, making it the first third-party app to integrate data from the Nike+ FuelBand. The integration adds NikeFuel as a trackable metric within Lose It!'s dashboard and allows users to set combined nutrition and fitness goals. Nike chose Lose It! because it had no competing food logging feature.
FitNow Launches Branded Bluetooth Scale Hardware
FitNow enters hardware with a co-branded Health o Meter Lose It! Bluetooth Body Fat Scale priced at $49. The scale measures weight, body fat, hydration, and BMI and syncs automatically with the Lose It! app via Bluetooth. This represents FitNow's first foray into hardware and ecosystem lock-in through proprietary device integrations.
Lose It! Announces International Expansion Plans
With 24 million registered users in the US and Canada, FitNow announces plans to expand Lose It! internationally to Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The expansion requires localizing the food database for regional items and nutrition labeling standards across new markets.
Lose It! Available on Apple Watch at Launch
Lose It! is among the apps available when Apple Watch launches, allowing users to log food and track calories from their wrist. The wearable integration deepens engagement with the Lose It! ecosystem and adds another platform to the app's cross-device strategy.
Lose It! Launches Snap It AI Food Photo Recognition
FitNow releases Snap It, the first in-app AI food photo recognition feature, allowing users to log meals by taking a photo. Built using NVIDIA DIGITS on four TITAN X GPUs and trained on 230,000 food images plus 4 billion logged foods, Snap It achieves 87-97% accuracy on the Food 101 dataset. The feature generates 70+ media placements including TechCrunch, Engadget, Forbes, and TIME.
Snap It Named CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree
Lose It!'s Snap It food recognition technology is named a CES 2017 Innovation Awards Honoree, recognizing it as best-in-class food photo analysis and tracking technology. The award validates FitNow's AI investment and positions Lose It! as a technology leader in the calorie-tracking space.
Lose It! Launches embodyDNA Genetic Testing at $190
FitNow launches embodyDNA in partnership with consumer genetics company Helix, offering a $189.99 DNA testing kit that provides personalized weight loss, nutrition, and fitness recommendations based on 17 genetic markers. Academic researchers express skepticism about the predictive power of the markers for weight loss, but the feature differentiates Lose It! from competitors. Helix handles DNA sequencing while Lose It! delivers results in-app.
EmbodyDNA Kit Discounted 90% to $19.99 in Holiday Promotion
Lose It! slashes the embodyDNA kit price from $189.99 to $19.99 as a holiday promotion, representing a 90% discount. The aggressive discounting suggests initial consumer demand for the DNA feature fell short of expectations, as the company tries to drive adoption through dramatic price cuts.
WSJ Reveals Lose It! Shared Health Data with Facebook
A Wall Street Journal investigation reveals that Lose It! has been sending sensitive user health data to Facebook via the App Events SDK, including weight logged, weight gained or lost, and caloric content of every food item. The data sharing occurred without user consent and affected users regardless of whether they had a Facebook account. FitNow stops the data sharing immediately after the WSJ contacts them.
Lose It! Adds Garmin Device Compatibility
Lose It! announces compatibility with all Garmin fitness trackers through the Garmin Health API. Premium members can sync exercise and calorie data from Garmin devices to the Lose It! app. The integration is one-directional (Garmin to Lose It! only) and requires a Premium subscription to activate.
Lose It! Adds Seven Free Features During COVID-19 Pandemic
FitNow bolsters the free tier with seven new features including improved food search, faster tracking, and better personalization. The move responds to increased demand as users turn to health apps during quarantine. The additions are available to all free and Premium users of the app's 1.4 million monthly active members.
FitNow Launches Standalone Challenges App for Social Distancing
FitNow releases its Challenges App publicly, previously limited to corporate wellness clients. The free app encourages group fitness challenges using Apple Watch ring completion data. The public launch is timed for the COVID-19 quarantine period as a community motivation tool. Account credentials are shared between Challenges and the main Lose It! app.
Patrick Wetherille Replaces Charles Teague as CEO
Patrick Wetherille, who joined FitNow in 2012 as VP of Growth, is appointed CEO. Co-founder Charles Teague transitions to Executive Chairman. Eric Puidokas, formerly VP of Engineering, is promoted to President. At the time, Lose It! has 1.4 million monthly active users, over 40 million total members, and five consecutive years of cash flow positive growth.
Lose It! Members Collectively Log 100 Million Pounds Lost
FitNow announces that Lose It! members have collectively logged 100 million pounds lost since the app's 2008 inception. The milestone comes during a period of record app usage driven by COVID-19 pandemic health awareness. The app now has over 2 million monthly active members.
FTC Issues Enforcement Policy on Dark Patterns in Subscriptions
The Federal Trade Commission issues an enforcement policy statement warning companies offering subscription services to avoid dark patterns in negative option marketing, including hidden terms, difficult cancellation processes, and misleading free trials. While not targeting Lose It! specifically, the guidance describes practices that closely match patterns later documented in Lose It!'s subscription flows.
Ziff Davis Acquires FitNow for Undisclosed Sum
Ziff Davis, Inc. acquires FitNow (d/b/a Lose It!) in an all-cash transaction with undisclosed terms. Lose It! joins Ziff Davis's Everyday Health Group, the company's largest revenue segment focused on health and wellness media. FitNow was entirely founder and employee-owned at the time of acquisition, meaning all proceeds went to people who built the product.
MyFitnessPal Paywalls Barcode Scanner, Lose It! Gains Users
MyFitnessPal moves its barcode scanner behind a Premium paywall at $19.99/month or $79.99/year, effective October 1, 2022. The decision drives significant user backlash and migration to competitors. Lose It! initially keeps its barcode scanner free, attracting disillusioned MyFitnessPal users. However, Lose It! later follows suit by paywalling its own scanner.
Lose It! Moves Barcode Scanner Behind Premium Paywall
Following the Ziff Davis acquisition, Lose It! moves the barcode scanner (Scan It) behind the $39.99/year Premium paywall for new users. The scanner was previously free and considered a core feature for daily food logging. Some long-time free users retain access temporarily, but new signups find it locked. The change mirrors the same unpopular move MyFitnessPal made months earlier.
Lose It! Introduces Extended Onboarding and Loss Aversion Tactics
Under Ziff Davis ownership, Lose It! implements a prolonged onboarding flow called 'longboarding' — a 10-minute personalized survey designed to increase trial start rates through loss aversion. After investing time customizing their profile, users are presented with a free trial that auto-converts to a paid subscription. The company's VP of Marketing describes targeting users with 'progressively steeper discounts' to monetize cohorts.
Macro Tracking Beyond Three Nutrients Moved to Premium
Lose It! restricts free users to tracking only three macronutrients at a time, moving custom macro goals and expanded nutrient tracking behind the Premium paywall. Previously, users could view a broader range of nutritional data without paying. The change further degrades the free tier experience in line with post-acquisition monetization strategy.
Full-Screen Interstitial Ads Introduced on Free Tier
Lose It! introduces full-screen interstitial advertisements that hijack the interface during meal data entry — the app's core use case. Free users report that ads appear with no easy dismiss option, forcing them to wait or accidentally tap through to advertisers. Long-time users describe the experience as 'ruined by very intrusive ads' and note there is sometimes no way to return to meal logging other than quitting the app entirely.
Lose It! Reaches 50 Million Total Users Through Organic Growth
Lose It! reaches the 50 million user milestone, driven primarily by organic growth and word-of-mouth referrals. The company's VP of Marketing reveals that paid marketing is 'a very, very small part' of their overall marketing mix, with App Store Optimization as the primary acquisition channel. Estimated annual revenue reaches $23 million.
Ziff Davis Partners with Xyla AI, Invests $25M in Healthcare AI
Ziff Davis announces a strategic partnership with Xyla Inc. and purchases $25 million of Xyla equity. The initial focus integrates Xyla's OpenEvidence AI technology into Everyday Health Group's MedPageToday platform for healthcare professionals. The deal signals Ziff Davis's broader strategy to deploy AI across its health portfolio, including properties like Lose It!.
Lose It! Deploys Fake Countdown Timers for Premium Discounts
Google Play and Trustpilot reviewers document Lose It! displaying fake countdown timers showing '24 hours left to buy premium at a discounted price.' The timers reset when they expire, creating perpetual artificial urgency. The timers appear alongside popup upsell prompts that interrupt normal app usage. This pattern matches the FTC's definition of deceptive urgency practices.
BBB Complaints Document Systematic Cancellation Barriers
Multiple Better Business Bureau complaints document a pattern of broken cancellation flows: links redirect users in circles between the app and website without reaching an actual cancel button, the app claims 'there is no subscription during trial' when users try to cancel during free trials, and customer service is unreachable with no phone support. Some users report being charged after attempting to cancel.
Lose It! Launches Premium-Only AI Voice Logging (Say It!)
Lose It! introduces Say It!, an AI-powered voice logging feature that lets users describe meals verbally and have them matched to the 63-million-item food database. The feature is available exclusively to Premium subscribers. Free users can trial the feature during onboarding but must upgrade to continue using it, deepening the loss-aversion conversion funnel.
Ziff Davis Shuts Down Humble Games, Lays Off All 36 Staff
Ziff Davis shuts down indie game publisher Humble Games, laying off all 36 employees after failing to sell the business. A recording reveals operations will be outsourced to a third party called the Powell Group. Former employees cite Ziff Davis's expectation of 'immediate revenue increases' as incompatible with game publishing timelines. The closure signals Ziff Davis's willingness to eliminate underperforming acquisitions.
Everyday Health Group Partners with DeepIntent for Health Ad Targeting
Ziff Davis's Everyday Health Group announces a strategic partnership with DeepIntent, a healthcare marketing DSP platform. The deal provides advertisers first-look access to EHG's premium health content inventory and jointly developed audience targeting segments across properties including Everyday Health, BabyCenter, MedPage Today, and Lose It!. This signals potential for more targeted advertising within the Lose It! ecosystem.
FTC Finalizes Click-to-Cancel Rule for Subscription Services
The Federal Trade Commission finalizes its Click-to-Cancel rule requiring sellers to make cancellation as easy as sign-up, prohibit misrepresentations in negative option marketing, and obtain express informed consent before charging. While the rule is later vacated by an appeals court in July 2025, the FTC retains enforcement authority under ROSCA and Section 5. Lose It!'s documented circular cancellation flows directly conflict with the rule's intent.
Trustpilot Review: Auto-Renewal Without Notice, Cancellation Impossible
A December 2024 Trustpilot review documents the app 'claims to be free, but constantly offers upgrades for a premium, it then renews without notice and is very difficult to cancel.' The review describes attempts to contact customer service as 'basically impossible' with circular chat loops and incorrect help links. The app's Trustpilot rating remains at 2/5 with the majority of reviews being one star.
Lose It! 2025 UI Redesign Draws Widespread User Backlash
Lose It! rolls out a major UI redesign described by the company as 'putting the finishing touches on a full redesign' focused on 'refining colors, tightening visuals, and smoothing small details.' Users strongly disagree, calling it 'the worst update or facelift' they've ever seen from an app. Specific complaints include replacing simple drop-down menus with gimmicky infographic circles, requiring extra clicks to view daily summaries, and an exercise calorie display forced to the top of the interface.
Shacknews Review: 'Effective but Wonky' UI and Performance Issues
Shacknews publishes a review of Lose It! describing the app as 'effective but wonky,' noting a busy UI that makes it difficult to track items, slow performance, and a lack of social sharing features. The review captures the tension between the app's functional calorie-tracking core and its deteriorating user experience under post-acquisition design decisions.
Lose It! Reports AI Logging Drives 3.5x Faster Meal Tracking
FitNow publishes data showing its AI-powered Snap It (photo) and Say It (voice) logging features result in 6% more weight loss, 3.5x faster meal logging, and twice as many foods logged per user. The company claims 57 million total members have collectively lost 150 million pounds. Both AI features remain Premium-exclusive, making the performance data an implicit argument for upgrading.
PissedConsumer Reports 4% Customer Service Resolution Rate
Consumer complaint aggregator PissedConsumer reports that only 4% of Lose It! customers who contact support report their issue being resolved. The extremely low resolution rate suggests systematic understaffing or deprioritization of customer service. Complaints center on billing disputes, inability to cancel, and unresponsive email support with no phone option available.
Ziff Davis Lays Off 23 Employees Across CNET, Mashable, ZDNet
Ziff Davis lays off 23 employees across CNET, Lifehacker, Mashable, and ZDNet, reducing the Ziff Davis Creators Guild bargaining unit by over 15%. The union notes the cuts came 'despite several quarters in a row of year-over-year revenue increases,' attributing them to a Ziff Davis cost-cutting mandate. CNET, acquired just one year earlier for $100 million, faces the deepest cuts.
Ziff Davis Lays Off IGN Staff, 12% of Union Bargaining Unit
Ziff Davis lays off eight IGN staff members, comprising 12% of the IGN Creators Guild's bargaining unit. The layoffs continue a pattern of portfolio-wide cost-cutting at Ziff Davis despite revenue growth. The IGN union notes the mandate came from Ziff Davis corporate leadership, not from IGN management.
Lifetime Premium Members Report Previously-Paid Features Removed
Trustpilot and BBB reviews document complaints from users who purchased lifetime Premium memberships finding that features they paid for are 'no longer offered.' Specific complaints include inability to find historical data, removed weekly and monthly averages, and modified interfaces that obscure previously accessible information. The pattern suggests feature changes without grandfathering lifetime purchasers.
Evidence (41 citations)
D1: User Value Erosion
D2: Business Customer Exploitation
D3: Shareholder Extraction
D4: Lock-in & Switching Costs
D5: Twiddling & Algorithmic Opacity
D6: Dark Patterns
D7: Advertising & Monetization Pressure
D8: Competitive Conduct
D9: Labor & Governance
D10: Regulatory & Legal Posture
Scoring Log (4 entries)
Stripped for Phase 2 re-enrichment
Changed MacroFactor alternative from url to slug (exists in scored products)