I used ChatGPT to lose weight: Here’s how you can too

Tracking macronutrients is one of the best use cases of AI bots like ChatGPT and Gemini.

ChatGPT and fitness—they do not seem to go together, right? But what if I told you that I have been using ChatGPT as well as Google Gemini to sort out some of my fitness needs? Of course, ChatGPT or Gemini will not give you the motivation to work out, but there is a specific use case I have discovered for these generative AI bots, and that mostly has to do with nutrition.

ChatGPT can prove to be a handy tool with fat loss.(Unsplash/solenfeyissa)

I would say these have replaced popular fitness tracking apps for me. Yes, those apps do give you a track record of what you ate, but logging in every meal is just not realistic for me with my current work schedule. So, all I do is use ChatGPT and Gemini to track my macros of every meal I eat.

Note: This is my personal account of using ChatGPT for macro tracking. Use it with caution and take into account any deficiencies or illnesses you may have.

How I use Gemini and ChatGPT to track my meal macronutrients

So, I have been on a weight-loss spree lately and have lost around 20 kgs since July last year. A primary part of this was to fix my nutrition, increase protein content, and decrease processed foods. And over this time, I have developed a habit of measuring whatever I eat, and that's why I use a measuring scale.

So, what I do is I weigh the food item I am eating. Let's say if I am preparing a post-workout protein shake with mango, I weigh the mango. And if I'm adding other ingredients like oats or something, I weigh them. And then I ask ChatGPT what would be the macros of a mango shake that contains a scoop of protein, a medium-sized mango, and around 20 grams of oats. And then I get results in return. To be more accurate, you can also tell ChatGPT how much the mango weighs. Similarly, I do the same for other items as well, including when I'm eating an egg-based dish or something else.

This is how your prompts should look like.

Technicalities aside, always remember that the calories you consume should be less than your calculated maintenance calories (BMR), and you should further enhance this deficit with workouts like HIIT or traditional strength training. So, use ChatGPT’s advice with this context in mind.

You could also ask ChatGPT to create custom diet plans for you

If you are a beginner and are not sure what to eat, you can describe to ChatGPT your current situation, for instance, how much you weigh, what your daily activity is like, how much you can work out, and also ask ChatGPT to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR) or the amount of calories you need to consume to maintain your weight. So, depending on how active you are, ChatGPT will give you a detailed diet plan.

You can also describe to it what food items you are comfortable eating, what your preferences are—Indian food or Western food—what ingredients you have available on a day-to-day basis, and ChatGPT will create a detailed diet plan for you while keeping the calories and macronutrients in check too.

Interestingly, while you can use the ChatGPT free version, I have also been using Google Gemini 1.5 Pro lately ever since it launched, and I can tell you the answers are quite detailed, especially if you use Gemini 1.5 Pro.

Bonus tip: Try using an activity tracker like the Apple Watch over a period of time, and then feed data like your average daily step count, average calories burned, etc., to help ChatGPT/Gemini create an even more personalised plan for you that also accounts for your activity level.

You can also use AI to create workout splits for you

If you are new to the gym and not sure what to do, well, while ChatGPT or Google Gemini will not be able to tell you how to perform a specific workout, what it can help you with is creating a logical split based on the kind of machinery your gym might be equipped with.

So just detail the kind of machines you have in your gym. If you're not sure what they are, just go inquire what a specific machine is called and then feed all the data into ChatGPT or Google Gemini and ask them what would be the best workout split for you if you're a beginner.

Of course, if you are going to be an intermediate or expert, you do not need to rely on ChatGPT, but you can still ask if it can create splits or routines that might shock your body and push it for growth.

Note: Advice from chatbots is not always reliable, especially depending on your current situation, but it can help you get started and reduce the friction that comes with tracking calories and more. Also, for any exercise recommended by ChatGPT, ensure you understand the proper form and technique before attempting it to avoid injuries.

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