STOP TRACKING
Three years ago I updated the 80Bites app and deleted the tracking feature.
Even the coder said, “That’s a mistake.”
I said, “Nope. Tracking is a mental illness with Bluetooth. I’m not helping.”
Then the users revolted.
Because apparently people were counting bites at every eating event.
Which—on 80Bites—are called MEALS, because we do not do “snacking.”
Snacking is just your stomach livestreaming bad decisions.
The point isn’t to become a spreadsheet with lips.
The point is to figure out when your stomach detects fullness—which is a sensation Americans treat like a conspiracy theory.
And yes, maybe you CAN Do 70 bites in one sitting!! because you stretched your stomach into a carry-on suitcase.
But the goal isn’t in the beginning a specific number.
The goal is: learn when the signal shows up.
Because right now your signal is getting drowned out by “one more bite” propaganda.
This whole thing reminds me of Pilates. I’ve done it for 60+ years. It’s only been popular for five, even though I opened the Institute for the Pilates Method in 1991.
Why does everything take so long?
Because America needs a celebrity to do it first and then a podcast to bless it.
Meanwhile, the media has moved from the failed religion of “diet and exercise” to the new religion of “WHAT”:
Protein. Kiwi. Kale. Cauliflower.
“Eat this superfood to unlock your mitochondria!”
As if your mitochondria are sitting there like, “Ma’am, I can’t metabolize without a smoothie.”
The newest lie: people aren’t obese because they overate and wrecked their hormones.
No. It’s because they’re not getting “healthy protein.”
This is adorable. Americans have never eaten like woodland fairies.
They eat pizza, burgers, wings, and binge sugar like it’s a sport.
So why is protein suddenly the main character?
Because Ozempic-style weight loss scares everyone about muscle loss, so now every wellness influencer is screaming:
“EAT MORE PROTEIN OR YOU’LL TURN INTO A GHOST.”
And the advice is always the same: lift heavy, torch calories, eat clean, eat fewer calories, be perfect, never be human, never enjoy food, never relax, never exist.
But now the real numbers are out—and the big organizations have backed it:
Average American woman waistline: ~38.7 inches
35 inches is obese
They didn’t want to publish it. They LOVED BMI because BMI is a permission slip for denial.
But they had to, because around 70% of Americans are obese and metabolic syndrome is dragging millions toward diabetes and the healthcare system is basically on life support.
So yes—suddenly the “truth” is allowed.
And here’s the part no one wants to say:
The “magic mantra” of weight loss—exercise hard + eat fewer calories—fails because it’s the wrong formula.
When you’ve got 30–100 extra pounds, especially around the middle, your body acts like fat is the emergency generator.
It will NOT release it.
It’s like gremlins in your belly screaming, “NOOOO! THIS IS WINTER STORAGE!”
So people say, “I do everything right. I eat clean. I work out five days a week. I can’t lose a pound.”
And you assume they’re lying.
I used to assume that too. I thought they were secretly binging.
But the uglier truth is: many are doing the “right” things… and still stuck… because everyone is focused on what instead of how much.
You can lose weight eating a hot dog, sauerkraut, Diet Coke, and a cookie… if the quantity is controlled.
Because it’s one hot dog.
Not a Costco demonstration.
The wellness media hates this because “WHAT” gives them infinite content.
They can write twelve thousand articles about cauliflower and vitamins and smoothies and still never mention the only variable that matters.
But “HOW MUCH” ends their content farm.
Which brings me back to tracking devices: I have none.
I’m body-aware. I do Pilates. I do the real stuff nobody can monetize on Instagram: Feldenkrais, Trager, Alexander.
I don’t need an app to tell me I slept badly.
If I slept badly, I know. I’m not a toaster.
Anyway: when the public finally realizes quantity was the lever the whole time, the people who have dieted and exercised for decades are going to be furious.
Jane Brody, Marion Nestle, and Oprah…
maybe keep the security team on standby. The public may react physically and we don’t mean more crunches.
See below from Chat and please laugh.
ChatGPT Response
Here’s a big-picture map of body / wellness tracking devices—what exists, what they measure, and what they’re actually good for.
1) Wearables you wear (most common)
Wrist wearables (smartwatches / fitness bands)
Track: steps, activity minutes, workouts, heart rate, heart-rate variability (HRV), sleep duration/stages (estimates), stress scores, SpO₂ (blood oxygen), skin temperature (some), ECG (some), AFib alerts (some).
How: optical heart sensor (PPG), accelerometer/gyro, sometimes ECG electrodes, temp sensor.
Rings
Track: sleep (often strong), HR/HRV, temp trends, recovery/readiness scores, activity.
Why people like them: less “screen” distraction than watches; good overnight comfort.
Chest straps (exercise-focused)
Track: very accurate heart rate, HRV; best for intervals and training zones.
How: ECG-style electrodes on chest.
Tradeoff: not a 24/7 lifestyle tracker; it’s “workout gear.”
Smart clothing / patches (niche but growing)
Track: heart rate, respiration, posture/movement, sometimes muscle activity.
Use case: clinical-ish monitoring, athletics labs, rehab.
2) Sleep-specific trackers (beyond wearables)
Under-mattress / bedside sleep sensors
Track: sleep timing, movement, respiration rate, sometimes snore detection; sleep stages are still estimates.
Good for: people who hate wearing a device at night.
EEG headbands (sleep staging)
Track: brainwave-based sleep staging (closer to the real thing than wrist-only).
Use case: sleep geeks, insomnia tracking, sleep experiments.
3) Metabolic trackers (the “inside the body” tier)
Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs)
Track: glucose trends every few minutes; spikes/dips after meals, workouts, stress, sleep.
Use case: diabetes management; also used by biohackers for food response experiments.
Ketone meters (breath or blood)
Track: ketosis level (roughly, depending on device).
Use case: low-carb/keto adherence, endurance experimentation.
Blood pressure cuffs (smart cuffs)
Track: BP readings and trends.
Use case: hypertension monitoring, medication effects, stress/sleep impacts.
4) Eating / nutrition tracking devices (less “sensors,” more “logging tech”)
Smart scales (body weight + “body comp”)
Track: weight; many estimate body fat % via bioimpedance (BIA).
Reality check: BIA body-fat numbers swing with hydration; trends > single readings.
Food logging systems (apps + cameras + barcode scanners)
Track: calories/macros, meal timing, protein, fiber, etc.
Note: the “device” is usually your phone; accuracy depends on honesty + database quality.
Portion-control tools
Track: not much automatically, but guide behavior (portion plates, smart utensils, bite counters).
**These live in the “behavior design” lane more than “biometrics.”
5) Fitness performance trackers (sport & training)
GPS sport watches / bike computers
Track: pace, distance, elevation, route, VO₂max estimates, training load/recovery metrics.
Power meters (cycling)
Track: power output (watts) — gold-standard for cycling training.
Running pods / foot sensors
Track: cadence, ground contact time, stride length, vertical oscillation.
Strength training trackers
Track: reps/sets (auto-detected), tempo, bar speed (velocity-based training), sometimes form cues.
Use case: gym programming, progression, technique feedback.
6) Recovery / “readiness” devices (wellness culture loves these)
HRV + resting HR trends (mostly from wearables)
Used for: “recovery score,” stress load, training readiness.
Caution: HRV is useful as a trend, but it’s noisy (sleep, alcohol, illness, travel, anxiety).
Temperature trend trackers
Used for: illness detection, menstrual cycle insights, recovery estimation.
Massage / percussion / compression devices (not trackers, but “wellness devices”)
Do: recovery sensation, soreness management; some collect usage data but don’t measure physiology well.
7) Posture / movement / pain-management gadgets
Posture wearables (clips, straps)
Track: slouching time; buzz you to sit up.
Risk: can create rigidity; best used as short-term awareness training.
EMG and neuromuscular trainers (more niche)
Track: muscle activation (roughly) and guide rehab patterns.
8) Respiratory & stress trackers
Breathing trainers + CO₂ tolerance tools
Track: breath rate, guided breathing sessions, sometimes HR coherence metrics.
“Stress” trackers
Usually derived from HRV + heart rate + skin conductance (some devices).
Best interpretation: “physiological arousal,” not “you are stressed because your boss is evil.”
9) Women’s health / fertility tracking tech
Temp-based wearables + cycle apps
Track: basal body temperature trends, cycle timing, ovulation estimates.
Ovulation hormone tests (smart readers)
Track: LH surge (and sometimes other hormones), logs + predictions.
10) Lab-at-home testing (wellness-adjacent, not daily trackers)
Examples: finger-prick blood panels, microbiome tests, DNA tests.
Use case: occasional snapshots, not continuous tracking.
Caution: interpretation quality varies a lot.