App offers 1:1 daily diet advice

Rise wants to help users reach their dieting goals by connecting them with a remote personal coach, who checks up on them daily.

When it comes to dieting, most of us require a bit of friendly encouragement — or harassment — in order to stick to weight loss goals. In the past, we've seen innovations such as the Virtual Fridge Lock leverage embarrassment as a motivation tool, using a sensor that detects when users raid the fridge at nighttime and letting their friends know by posting an update on their Facebook profile. Now an app called Rise wants to help users reach their dieting goals by connecting them with a remote personal coach, who checks up on them daily.

After answering some questions about their lifestyle and weight loss targets, Rise matches users with 5 different experts that are registered dietitians. Users select which one they'd like to work with and their chosen dietitian will be on hand to give advice and review their progress at least once every 24 hours on a weekday (although many will also reply on a weekend). Dieters can take a photo of each meal they eat and the experts will respond with guidance about whether they're on the right track. They'll also offer advice about healthy options when eating out or writing a grocery list, as well as friendly encouragement.

Typically, a diet coach would charge more than USD 300 a month to guide customers through a weight loss program, but Rise users pay USD 15 a week. Although it doesn't offer calorie tracking like many other services, the app has already received positive reviews regarding its success at helping to shed weight. Are there other ways remote guidance through smartphones can help consumers to keep on track of their life goals?