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From my experience, which is mirrored in the article, the single most helpful item of advice to someone looking to control or change their weight is to track co

From my experience, which is mirrored in the article, the single most helpful item of advice to someone looking to control or change their weight is to track consumed calories in a strict way. The first step is not to change diet or exercise at all, but simply to track calories of the current diet. Everything else, in terms of strategy, action and results, comes from this.

kranner 10y ago
I would add timestamps to that. It matters a lot IMO whether calories are consumed in the first half of the day or the second half.
- eru 10y ago
  Not sure whether it does, but the extra information probably doesn't hurt. Some people suggest taking a picture of everything you eat, too. Forces you to stop and take the picture _before_ --- one can procrastinate on recording calorie entries in a journal, but you can't procrastinate on the picture.
  - csydas 10y ago
    I think this is related to some theories about how the body processes food as it approaches its rest period or something like that. I have not read any of the articles or theories, but I have heard the idea repeated many times, and across the world (heard it in the US, hear it here in Russia). I'm not sure if there is any validity to it really so much as just giving yourself a stopping point for the day, but I have not done any research in this regard.
  - danieltillett 10y ago
    I think I am going to do this photo idea - at the very least it should be an interesting data set for my future self.
    - eru 10y ago
      If you like wacky ideas, consider the 'graph meta-diet' for weight loss. Goes like this: Determine your current weight, w_0 Define a target weight, w_t Pick a reasonable target weight function w(d) of the number of days elapsed since the start of the diet: w(d) := max (w_t, w_0 - 100g * d) (Ie aim for losing 100 grams a day, until you reached your target weight. Important, we are aiming for a specific level for each day, so any lost ground has to be made up; but getting ahead of the game will give you a breather.) Get yourself a spreadsheet. Google Sheets works well. Draw that function's graph. Every day, record your weight. If it's below the line, follow whatever other primary diet you want. Important: if your weight is above the line, fast that day. If you hate fasting, make sure your primary diet loses you weight at the right pace. If you don't mind fasting days, feel free to stuff your face with cake. I guarantee, if you follow the graph, you will lose weight. (But I can't guarantee that you will have the discipline to follow the graph.)
      - kranner 10y ago
        That's pretty much the Hacker's Diet: https://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/ https://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/
        eru 10y ago
        I read that book a while ago. But I remember it being about calorie counting? In any case, whatever gets you to restrict your calories works for losing weight. Some approaches are just harder on willpower than others. (I suggest NOT moving to Singapore for weight control---it's delicious there. Though a friend of mine likes their smaller portions.)
        kranner 10y ago
        It is about calorie counting, but focuses on a feedback loop based on following a graph as you suggest. Yes Singapore is definitely not a great place to diet :)
      - danieltillett 10y ago
tzs 10y ago
I've done that. I've got a complete (as far as I know) record of everything I've eaten from early February 2008 through now in a spreadsheet, and more data going back before that to 2004 in text files. At first keeping such records can seem difficult. If you are like most people, though, most of the things you eat are things you've had before, in quantities you've had before. It doesn't take long to reach a point where your data entry becomes mostly copy/paste from previous entries instead of entering new information. I suggest initially tracking calories and carbs, and for the carbs have both total carbs, and for how many of those are from added sugar. The reason I suggest tracking carbs is that for many people a modest shift in carbs to where they make up a smaller percentage of your calories can make it so your meals satisfy you longer, which in turn makes it easier to cut some calories. Personally, I aimed for 40% of calories from carbs (and ended up at around 32% once I managed to acquire a taste for Diet Dr. Pepper and stopped drinking non-diet soda). That level of carbs is feasible without having to eliminate bread. There are a lot of offices in locations where if you take sandwiches and burgers off the menu finding lunch becomes a major pain in the ass, so being able to keep bread in your diet is very helpful.
tonyedgecombe 10y ago
That pretty much mirrors my situation with finances, I started recording every penny spent about 20 years ago.
nicky0 10y ago
MyFitnessPal is a useful tool for this. At lot of its usefulness lies in its vast existing database of foods.
ruminasean 10y ago
This. When I record the calories of everything I intend to put in my mouth, it's like flipping some previously undiscovered hunger switch. I can go from ravenous to "how many calories in that??" and drinking a glass of water instead in no time.
yawz 10y ago
You can't improve what you can't/don't measure.

kranner 10y ago

I would add timestamps to that. It matters a lot IMO whether calories are consumed in the first half of the day or the second half.

eru 10y ago
Not sure whether it does, but the extra information probably doesn't hurt. Some people suggest taking a picture of everything you eat, too. Forces you to stop and take the picture _before_ --- one can procrastinate on recording calorie entries in a journal, but you can't procrastinate on the picture.
- csydas 10y ago
  I think this is related to some theories about how the body processes food as it approaches its rest period or something like that. I have not read any of the articles or theories, but I have heard the idea repeated many times, and across the world (heard it in the US, hear it here in Russia). I'm not sure if there is any validity to it really so much as just giving yourself a stopping point for the day, but I have not done any research in this regard.
- danieltillett 10y ago
  I think I am going to do this photo idea - at the very least it should be an interesting data set for my future self.
  - eru 10y ago
    If you like wacky ideas, consider the 'graph meta-diet' for weight loss. Goes like this: Determine your current weight, w_0 Define a target weight, w_t Pick a reasonable target weight function w(d) of the number of days elapsed since the start of the diet: w(d) := max (w_t, w_0 - 100g * d) (Ie aim for losing 100 grams a day, until you reached your target weight. Important, we are aiming for a specific level for each day, so any lost ground has to be made up; but getting ahead of the game will give you a breather.) Get yourself a spreadsheet. Google Sheets works well. Draw that function's graph. Every day, record your weight. If it's below the line, follow whatever other primary diet you want. Important: if your weight is above the line, fast that day. If you hate fasting, make sure your primary diet loses you weight at the right pace. If you don't mind fasting days, feel free to stuff your face with cake. I guarantee, if you follow the graph, you will lose weight. (But I can't guarantee that you will have the discipline to follow the graph.)
    - kranner 10y ago
      That's pretty much the Hacker's Diet: https://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/ https://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/
      - eru 10y ago
        I read that book a while ago. But I remember it being about calorie counting? In any case, whatever gets you to restrict your calories works for losing weight. Some approaches are just harder on willpower than others. (I suggest NOT moving to Singapore for weight control---it's delicious there. Though a friend of mine likes their smaller portions.)
        kranner 10y ago
        It is about calorie counting, but focuses on a feedback loop based on following a graph as you suggest. Yes Singapore is definitely not a great place to diet :)
    - danieltillett 10y ago

tzs 10y ago

I've done that. I've got a complete (as far as I know) record of everything I've eaten from early February 2008 through now in a spreadsheet, and more data going back before that to 2004 in text files. At first keeping such records can seem difficult. If you are like most people, though, most of the things you eat are things you've had before, in quantities you've had before. It doesn't take long to reach a point where your data entry becomes mostly copy/paste from previous entries instead of entering new information. I suggest initially tracking calories and carbs, and for the carbs have both total carbs, and for how many of those are from added sugar. The reason I suggest tracking carbs is that for many people a modest shift in carbs to where they make up a smaller percentage of your calories can make it so your meals satisfy you longer, which in turn makes it easier to cut some calories. Personally, I aimed for 40% of calories from carbs (and ended up at around 32% once I managed to acquire a taste for Diet Dr. Pepper and stopped drinking non-diet soda). That level of carbs is feasible without having to eliminate bread. There are a lot of offices in locations where if you take sandwiches and burgers off the menu finding lunch becomes a major pain in the ass, so being able to keep bread in your diet is very helpful.

tonyedgecombe 10y ago

That pretty much mirrors my situation with finances, I started recording every penny spent about 20 years ago.

nicky0 10y ago

MyFitnessPal is a useful tool for this. At lot of its usefulness lies in its vast existing database of foods.

ruminasean 10y ago

This. When I record the calories of everything I intend to put in my mouth, it's like flipping some previously undiscovered hunger switch. I can go from ravenous to "how many calories in that??" and drinking a glass of water instead in no time.

yawz 10y ago

You can't improve what you can't/don't measure.