It’s easily the most effective app download on my iPhone, right after the iPod part and, well, the phone part.  And maybe after e-mail and web browsing, then Pac-Man (lite) and then Lose It! — a free application for those of us who are trying to lose 30 pounds by their 30th birthday.  That’s me, by the way.  I’m the guy who’s trying to lose 30 pounds by my 30th birthday, code name ThirtyByThirty.

I’ve tried my share of weight loss tactics.  About 3 years ago Emily and I went on a “chicken and rice only” diet, which mostly consisted of chicken and rice.  Tasted great for like the first 2 days.  Then, terror set in as I realized that I now hated chicken and rice.  6 days later, I’m downing breakfast burritos like it’s 10:29 and they’re about to switch to lunch.

Another time, we tried to just cut out fast food altogether.  No more Taco Bell, McD’s, Burger Kings, Wendys’s, etc.  It went well for about a week, but one day we had to drive from Ann Arbor to Fowlerville to like Utah or something, and we needed something to eat.  2 linear submarine sandwich feet later, we were inching closer to eating fast food on a regular basis, a basis upon which we arrived in less than 3 weeks.

Oh, there have been other attempts at weight loss.  You try to psyche yourself out, saying things like “today, I’m only going to eat one whole pizza, not two”, etc.  This works for the stronger willed being, but for me, I need an app.  I need a utility that will tell me how much I’ve eaten and how much more I should eat.  I need something to give me a red screen if I’ve eaten too much and yet the encouragement to try again tomorrow.  I submit to you: Lose It.

So far, so good.  I’ve lost 13 pounds in 3 weeks, yet I’ve eaten junk, garbage and goo (all food rated, but not health rated per se).  The trick is that I know when to stop eating stuff, because I’ve kept a good record of what I’ve eaten and how much I’ve consumed.  We’ll see how it goes, but November 17 is looming — 17 pounds to go.  As long as I have the app, I’ll be OK.  Pac Man helps, too.