track everything you eat

you have no idea how many calories you ate yesterday. you think you do. you'd estimate something reasonable. and you'd be wrong by 30-50%, just like everyone else who's ever been studied on this.

the self-deception problem

humans are spectacularly bad at estimating food intake. we forget the handful of chips we grabbed in the kitchen. we undercount the oil used in cooking. we call a 700-calorie coffee "just a coffee." we eat a serving size of peanut butter that's actually three servings and don't even realize it.

this isn't a moral failing. it's a cognitive blind spot. and the only cure is data.

the one-day experiment

download myfitnesspal or any calorie tracking app. for one day — just one — log every single thing that enters your mouth. every meal, every snack, every drink, every "just a bite" of your partner's food. weigh things if you can. measure if you can't.

at the end of the day, look at three numbers:

total calories — is it way more or less than you assumed?
macronutrient split — what percentage came from protein, carbs, and fat?
where the surprises are — which foods were wildly different from what you expected?

what most people discover

the salad you thought was healthy has 800 calories once you add dressing, croutons, and cheese. the "light lunch" was actually your biggest meal of the day. the two beers after work added 400 calories you never thought about. the protein you think you're getting enough of? you're probably getting half of what your body needs.

none of this is about guilt. it's about reality. you can't fix what you can't see, and you can't see what you don't measure.

beyond the single day

one day of tracking gives you awareness. a week gives you patterns. you'll start noticing that you eat differently on weekdays versus weekends. that stress triggers specific cravings. that your energy levels correlate directly with what you ate three hours earlier.

you don't have to track forever. but everyone should track long enough to destroy their illusions about what "eating pretty healthy" actually looks like.

if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.