The DietX blog
Practical, sourced guides to counting calories, tracking macros and choosing a calorie tracking app.
App comparisons
App comparisons
Best Calorie Counter Apps in 2026: 10 Compared
Ten calorie counter apps side by side: how each logs food, what is free, what it costs and who it suits. DietX is our own pick, and we explain why.
8 min read
App comparisons
Best AI Calorie Counter Apps: Who Charges for Photo Logging
Which AI calorie counters log from a photo, which charge for it, and why nobody can honestly name the most accurate one. Plus a seven-day test you can run yourself.
7 min read
App comparisons
Free Calorie Counter Apps: What Is Actually Free in 2026
A free calorie counter can mean a full tracker or a limited trial of one. Here is what each free plan really includes, which have a free barcode scanner, and why DietX is not on the free list.
6 min read
App comparisons
MyFitnessPal Alternatives, Picked by Why You Want to Switch
A free barcode scanner, free photo logging, a lower yearly price or macro coaching: the right MyFitnessPal alternative depends on your reason. Here is each option and its catch.
6 min read
App comparisons
Cal AI Alternatives: Apps Like Cal AI, Free and Paid
Cal AI needs a subscription for scan results, and MyFitnessPal now owns it. Here are the apps like it, what each one changes, and the questions nobody can answer yet.
6 min read
App comparisons
Best Macro Tracker Apps: 6 Options, Free and Paid
What a macro tracker app needs, six options compared on targets, logging and price, and the free routes, including Cronometer’s $0 plan and a plain spreadsheet.
7 min read
App comparisons
DietX vs MyFitnessPal: Price, Logging and Who Should Pick Which
MyFitnessPal has the history, the scale and a free plan. DietX, which we make, has a lower listed yearly price and very few ratings so far. A side-by-side, with a verdict for each type of user.
7 min read
App comparisons
DietX vs Cal AI: Two Photo-First Calorie Trackers Compared
Both apps start with a photo and both need a subscription. Here is what separates them, what the listings leave unanswered, and which one fits which kind of day.
7 min read
How to track
How to track
Count Calories From a Photo: How It Works and How to Get It Right
Snap a photo and an AI calorie counter names the food, estimates the portion and looks up the nutrition. It can’t see oil in the pan, so here is how to shoot well and correct the result.
6 min read
How to track
Are AI Calorie Counters Accurate? What the Evidence Shows
Partly. They are good at identifying food and weaker on portions and hidden ingredients. Here is what the studies show, what vendor percentages are worth and how to get closer to the real number.
8 min read
How to track
How to Count Calories: A Beginner’s Guide in 6 Steps
Set a target, pick a way to log, then record what you eat and drink for a week. This beginner’s guide also covers homemade meals, counting without a scale, weekends and weight loss.
6 min read
How to track
Log Food by Voice: How to Describe a Meal So the Calories Add Up
Say what you ate in a normal sentence and a calorie tracker estimates the rest. The detail you give decides the result, so here are good and bad phrases, when voice beats a photo and its limits.
6 min read
How to track
How to Read Nutrition Labels and Use a Food Barcode Scanner
Start with the serving size, because every number on the label depends on it. Then check per 100 g versus per serving, raw versus cooked, and whether a barcode scan matches the package.
6 min read
How to track
Calorie Counting Mistakes: 7 Common Ones and How to Fix Them
Forgotten cooking oil, drinks and bites can hide hundreds of calories a day. Here are seven common calorie counting mistakes, the numbers behind them and how to fix each one.
6 min read
How to track
How to Count Calories When Eating Out: 7 Practical Rules
Restaurant calories are estimates, so aim for a good guess. Use the menu figure when there is one, correct a photo for oil and sauces, count your share of shared plates and log the extras.
6 min read
Calories & weight
Calories & weight
How Many Calories Should I Eat a Day? A Simple Calculation
As a rough guide, an average man needs about 2,500 kcal a day and an average woman about 2,000. Your own number depends on your body and how much you move. Here is how to work it out in two minutes.
5 min read
Calories & weight
Calorie Deficit: What It Is and How to Calculate Yours
A calorie deficit means eating fewer calories than your body burns. Here is how to calculate one, why 300 to 500 kcal a day is a sensible start, and how to tell whether it’s working.
7 min read
Calories & weight
BMR vs TDEE: What They Mean and How to Find Maintenance Calories
BMR is what your body burns at rest. TDEE is everything you burn in a day, and it matches your maintenance calories. Here is what goes into each and how to check yours against real results.
7 min read
Calories & weight
Calorie Deficit but Not Losing Weight? 8 Things to Check
If you’re in a calorie deficit but the scale won’t move, the deficit may be smaller than your log says, or water may be hiding your progress. Here are eight things to check before you cut more.
6 min read
Calories & weight
How Long Does It Take to Lose 10 kg (or 20 Pounds)?
At the 0.5 to 1 kg a week the NHS suggests, losing 10 kg takes about 10 to 20 weeks. Here are realistic timelines for 5 to 20 kg, plus why loss slows down and what to expect from plateaus.
6 min read
Calories & weight
Calories in Alcohol: How Many in Beer, Wine and Spirits?
Alcohol has 7 kcal per gram, so one US standard drink is about 98 kcal before any sugar. A glass of wine can reach 158 kcal and a pint of beer 222 kcal. Here is how to count and log them.
6 min read
Protein & nutrition
Protein & nutrition
How to Track Macros: A Simple Guide With a Worked Example
Tracking macros means turning your calorie target into grams of protein, carbs and fat. Here is the full math at 1,800 kcal, how to set protein first, and how to keep it from taking over your day.
7 min read
Protein & nutrition
How Much Protein Per Day Do You Need? A Table by Body Weight
The RDA is 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight a day, and 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg is enough for most people who exercise. Here is a table by weight and a day of food that gets you there.
6 min read
Protein & nutrition
High Protein Foods: Ranked per 100 g and per 100 kcal
Chicken and turkey breast top the list per 100 g, but canned tuna gives you the most protein per calorie. Here are animal and plant foods ranked both ways, with portions and easy swaps.
7 min read
Protein & nutrition
Meal Plan for Weight Loss: Build Yours, With a 1,500 kcal Example
A good meal plan for weight loss starts from your own calorie target. Here is how to build one, protein first, plus a sample 1,500 kcal day with gram amounts and totals for every food.
7 min read
Protein & nutrition
Vegan and Vegetarian Calorie Counting: Protein, Macros, Logging
Calorie counting works the same on a vegan or vegetarian diet, but plant protein tends to bring more carbs and calories with it. Here is how to plan protein, and how to log a mixed dish.
8 min read
Water, sleep & activity
Water, sleep & activity
How Much Water Should I Drink a Day? The Real Numbers
The NHS suggests 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day. Bigger figures you may have seen, such as 2 or 2.7 L, also count the water in your food. Here is how to make sense of them.
6 min read
Water, sleep & activity
Does Sleep Affect Weight Loss? What Small Studies Show
Sleep appears to matter for weight loss, but the evidence comes from small studies. Here is what they found, what they can’t tell you, and how to check the pattern in your own log.
6 min read
Water, sleep & activity
How Many Steps a Day to Lose Weight? No Magic Number
No step count guarantees weight loss. Research on health points to benefits from about 2,600 steps a day and more up to about 8,800. Here is how to use that and build up from where you are.
6 min read
Water, sleep & activity
Should I Eat Back Exercise Calories? A Practical Rule
For most people trying to lose weight, the answer is none or only part. Your target may already include your workouts, and watch estimates are rough. Here is a simple rule, with the arithmetic.
7 min read
Water, sleep & activity
Why Does My Weight Fluctuate? Reading the Daily Ups and Downs
Day-to-day weight changes mostly come from water and the food still in your gut, not body fat. Here is why the scale jumps overnight and how to read the real trend with a weekly average.
6 min read
Water, sleep & activity
Intermittent Fasting and Calorie Deficit: Do Calories Count?
Yes, calories still count when you fast. In two studies, timing alone wasn’t clearly better. Here is what they found, who should avoid fasting, and how to track it.
6 min read
Start tracking smarter today
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