Tools and Technologies to Help Improve Your Diet
- Dr. Koren
- Feb 10
- 5 min read
Improving your diet can feel daunting, but it doesn't have to be. In the previous post we talked about Rewriting Your Food Story: A Simple Guide to Weight Loss and Healthier Eating. Think of it as a journey of discovery, not a race to a finish line. There are many helpful tools available to guide you, and this post will introduce you to a few favorites. Remember, the goal is progress, not perfection.
Diet Tracking Apps: Unveiling Your Eating Habits
Many people shy away from diet tracking, fearing it will be tedious or obsessive. While some apps focus heavily on calorie and macronutrient counts, their real value lies in something much more fundamental: self-awareness.
Think of it as building "food clarity." By logging what you eat, when you eat, and even how you were feeling at the time, you create an objective record. This can reveal hidden patterns and help you understand the triggers behind your food choices. Did you reach for a sugary snack because you were stressed? Did you skip breakfast and then overeat at lunch? These insights are invaluable for making positive changes. Even if you stop tracking after a few days or after a week, it is still worth doing.
While precise calorie and macro tracking can be useful, remember that unless you meticulously measure every ingredient, your numbers will be estimates. Don't get bogged down in perfection. Focus on the bigger picture: what types of foods are you consuming regularly? Are there areas where you can make healthier swaps?
Two popular apps to explore are MyNetDiary (a personal favorite) and Lose It!. Both apps offer a robust set of features in their free tier and even richer functionality in their reasonably priced ($3-5/mo) premium offering. Experiment to find the app that best suits your needs and preferences.
Kitchen Scale and Measuring Cups/Spoons
If you want to improve the accuracy of your diet tracking, a kitchen scale and measuring cups are valuable tools. They can help you measure your food portions more accurately, which can be especially helpful if you are trying to lose or maintain weight.
When choosing a kitchen scale, look for one that is accurate, easy to use, and has a large display. The following kitchen scales were recommended by Wirecutter.com at the time of this writing:
Escali Primo Digital Food Scale: This scale is accurate, easy to use, has a compact design and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale: almost identical to the one above, but comes only with one-year warranty and costs $10 less. I have been using this scale for years without any issues.
When choosing measuring cups, prioritize durable, accurate sets with standard shapes, clear markings, and comfortable handles, considering stainless steel for dry ingredients and glass or clear plastic for liquids
If you are not a fan of measuring devices, you can use your palm, fist, and thumb to estimate the serving size, with your fist generally representing a serving of vegetables, your palm a serving of protein (like meat or fish), a cupped hand for carbs (like rice), and your thumb for fats (like mayo, nut butter, cheese, dark chocolate).
Full Plate Living
If you do not feel like weighing your food all the time, I won't insist. You can use your plate as your measuring device. Fill 75% of your plate at each meal with fruits, vegetables, beans, and cooked whole grains, leaving the remaining 25% for other foods. This is the key principle of the Full Plate Living, a free program offered by the non-profit Ardmore Institute of Health. The program does not require you to change all your eating habits. Instead, it demonstrates how to enhance your meals with the healthy "water-fiber" ingredients. "Nearly all Americans fail to eat enough of this actual superfood. While we obsess about carbs and protein, we’ve ignored fiber — at our peril," proclaims this Vox article. Explore FullPlateLiving.org website and discover the many FREE resources they offer.
Body Scale
A body scale can be a helpful tool for tracking your weight loss progress. Weighing yourself regularly can help you stay motivated and on track. However, it is important to remember that weight is only one measure of health. It's important to approach weight tracking with a focus on overall health and well-being, not just the number on the scale.
If you find regular weighing to be psychologically traumatic or difficult, there are other ways to track your progress.
Focus on how your clothes fit: This can provide a more objective measure of change than the number on the scale.
Track your energy levels and overall well-being: Are you sleeping better? Do you have more energy? These are important indicators of health.
Weigh yourself less frequently: Instead of daily weigh-ins, opt for weekly or monthly check-ins., such as taking measurements or tracking your body fat percentage.
Use Withings Body Smart scale (Wirecutter's editors agrees with me on that). This scale tracks various metrics, including weight, body fat, and muscle mass. It also integrates with other fitness trackers and offers an "eyes closed" mode, which allows users to weigh themselves without seeing the number, which can be helpful for those who find weighing themselves triggering.
Conclusion
Improving your diet can be challenging, but it is definitely possible. Be patient with yourself, celebrate your achievements, and don't hesitate to experiment to discover what works best for you. The tools shown above can be valuable companions on your path to a healthier and more vibrant you.
If you'd like to discuss your personal situation and receive individualized advice, schedule an appointment with the Institute for Diabetes, Endocrinology, Adiposity, and Longevity today.
Till next time,
Dr. Koren
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