Can ChatGPT Help Track Calories and Aid Weight Loss?

In the last couple of years, I’ve explored various apps on my Android phone to monitor my calorie intake and support my weight loss efforts. From well-known options like MyFitnessPal and Lifesum to alternatives such as Healthify and Journable, I’ve tried a range of apps. However, I consistently find myself returning to ChatGPT for precise calorie analysis of my meals.

As any dietitian would agree, effective weight loss requires both healthy eating and maintaining a sensible calorie deficit; simply exercising won’t offset poor dietary choices. Utilizing ChatGPT’s advanced AI capabilities, I can analyze images of meals to obtain calorie counts and insights about my food choices. This has enabled me to adjust portion sizes and steer clear of items that might hinder my weight loss goals.

Thanks to ChatGPT’s comprehensive nutritional database, I receive food recommendations that are low in calories yet satisfying. Over time, it has built a memory of my likes and dislikes, which allows it to offer tailored suggestions that align with my preferences.

ChatGPT has also retained important information like my height, weight, age, BMI, and other health metrics from previous discussions, allowing for more personalized responses. Such a detailed level of diet planning for weight loss is something traditional calorie-tracking apps rarely offer. Below is how I’ve utilized ChatGPT to stay committed to my weight loss journey.

ChatGPT as Your Personal Weight Loss Mentor

First, I’d like to emphasize that I use the free version of ChatGPT, and it meets my needs for meal analysis and ongoing discussions. From my experience, the default GPT-4o model excels at processing images, so there’s no need to upgrade to a Plus subscription. To help you get started with calorie tracking, here’s a prompt you can use:

Analyze the image, identify each food item, provide the calorie count for each, and calculate the total caloric intake. Also, list relevant micronutrients and note any nutritional gaps. Finally, suggest improvements to support my weight loss journey.

You may include your health details, such as BMI, age, and weight, in the prompt for even better advice. Since ChatGPT remembers key facts, you won’t need to repeat your health metrics every time. You can continue uploading food images in the same chat and receive personalized responses.

As shown in my example below, ChatGPT was able to accurately identify the food items, even correctly counting the chapatis. It calculated the calorie totals for each item and provided insights on nutritional gaps along with meal suggestions.

Unlike traditional calorie tracker apps, I don’t need to manually enter meal information. Just upload a meal image to ChatGPT, and it gives me a complete overview of my diet. This simplifies tracking my calorie intake, helping me stay within my limits. If there’s an error in the analysis, I can simply correct it, and the total calorie count will be recalculated.

The conversational aspect of ChatGPT makes it intuitive to use. You can ask questions about health and nutrition, much like consulting a personal weight loss coach. This focused method of calorie tracking helped me lose 10 kg (22 lbs), bringing my weight from 105 kg (231 lbs) down to 95 kg (209 lbs).

If you’re looking to lose weight through effective meal planning, I highly recommend using ChatGPT for meal analysis and calorie tracking. It illustrates that ChatGPT is more than just a standard AI chatbot; it can be a practical tool for enhancing your overall health. Additionally, if you decide to opt for the ChatGPT Plus subscription, you can utilize task scheduling to set reminders for calorie tracking at specific times.