Independent review desk
Macro & Metric is a one-person review desk. I download calorie counters, macro trackers and AI food-logging apps, use each one for real meals over real weeks, and write down what held up and what fell apart. No affiliate fluff, no clinical cosplay — just hands-on notes from someone who logs too much food.
I logged real meals across eight nutrition, calorie and macro tracking apps for weeks. Here's which one actually fits which person — with honest 'best for' and 'not for' calls on each.
Read the breakdown →Recent reviews & breakdowns
PlateLens, MacroFactor, Cronometer, MyFitnessPal and Lose It! compared on how you log, what the free tier really includes, adaptive targets, nutrient depth and annual price — and which one fits which kind of person.
Oct 13, 2026Whey concentrate, isolate, plant blends and ready-to-drink bottles compared on what the label really tells you — protein per serving, third-party testing, sweeteners and cost per gram — plus the well-known options that tend to come up.
Oct 13, 2026Short sleep makes you hungrier and changes what you lose when you diet. The key studies — what they found, how big the effects are — and the sleep habits worth fixing before you cut another 200 calories.
Oct 11, 2026Carb cycling means matching carbohydrate intake to how hard you train each day. What the evidence supports, a worked example for a lifter, and why most people get the same result from consistent macros.
Oct 9, 2026How to choose meal prep containers that survive the microwave, freezer and dishwasher — glass versus plastic, lids, compartments, sizes — plus the USDA storage rules that decide how long prepped food is safe.
Oct 7, 2026Whole30 removes added sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes and dairy for 30 days, then reintroduces them. Why people feel better on it, what the evidence can and can't say, and who it suits.
Oct 5, 2026Does 16:8 burn more fat, slow your metabolism or wreck muscle? The randomized trials — including a 12-month NEJM study — say intermittent fasting works about as well as ordinary calorie restriction. Here's what that means for you.
Oct 3, 2026For most gym sessions, water is enough. Sports drinks earn their place in long or hot efforts. How to tell which you need, how much to drink, and how to estimate your own sweat rate in ten minutes.
Oct 1, 2026Your smart scale's weight reading is reliable. Its body-fat percentage is an estimate that moves with your hydration. How bioimpedance works, why daily readings jump, and how to use trends instead of single numbers.
Sep 29, 2026A plain-English look inside health apps that help with calories and nutrition: where the food data comes from, how portions get estimated, how net carbs are calculated, how macro targets work, and which app fits which person.
Sep 29, 2026Ten keto breakfasts that aren't another plate of eggs and bacon — smoked salmon, full-fat yogurt bowls, chia pudding, frittata squares and more — with approximate net carbs and protein for each, calculated from USDA values.
Sep 27, 2026The 30-minute anabolic window is mostly a myth — but post-workout nutrition still matters in specific cases. What the meta-analyses found about protein timing, when fast refueling counts, and what to eat after training.
Sep 25, 2026Personal blender, full-size or high-performance? How motor power, jar shape and blade design affect a frozen protein smoothie, what you get by spending more, and the loading order that fixes most lumpy shakes.
Sep 23, 2026Tofu, tempeh, seitan, lentils, edamame, chickpeas, quinoa and pea protein compared on grams of protein per serving and amino acid quality — plus how to combine them so a vegan diet supports training.
Sep 21, 2026Fitness bands win on battery life, price and comfort; smartwatches win on GPS, workout detail and apps. What each measures well, the calorie-burn number you shouldn't trust, and how to pick for the way you train.
Sep 19, 2026Large trials like the Physicians' Health Study II and the Women's Health Initiative found little benefit from daily multivitamins for most healthy adults. Who genuinely benefits from supplements, and how to pick a trustworthy one.
Sep 17, 2026Total intake matters most, but timing matters around hard and repeated sessions. Pre-training carbohydrate, protein distribution across the day, daily carb targets by training load and pre-sleep protein — with the numbers from sports nutrition position stands.
Sep 15, 2026Five trackers you can run indefinitely without a card. PlateLens is the best overall — the only one with a verified accuracy figure and a free tier you can live on. Cronometer, MacroFactor and MyFitnessPal are excellent specialist instruments that ask more of you. Updated 11 September 2026.
Sep 11, 2026I pointed my camera at messy real meals across six AI calorie counters to see which photo-first app actually gets the numbers right. Here's my honest ranking, with best-for and not-for calls on each.
Jun 12, 2026If you've never tracked macros before, the best app isn't the most powerful one — it's the one with the least friction so you actually open it on day 8. Here's my honest beginner ranking, with 'best for' and 'not for' calls on each.
Jun 12, 2026I'm a tester, not a true believer. So do AI calorie counters actually work? Mostly yes — but only the ones that reason about hidden ingredients and ask you to confirm. Here's where photo logging breaks, and how to tell a good one from a lazy one.
Jun 12, 2026I used MyFitnessPal for years, hit the paywall wall one too many times, and quit logging entirely. Then I gave an AI photo tracker 30 days. A week-by-week, honest account of what got easier — and what didn't.
Jun 12, 2026A whole week of meals I actually cooked — stir-fries, a curry, homemade soup, leftovers — and not one had a barcode. Here's how the database apps fell apart and how an AI photo tracker handled food that doesn't exist in any database.
Jun 12, 2026MyFitnessPal moved its most useful features behind Premium, so I tested the alternatives people are actually switching to. Here's my honest, first-person take on five — with ratings, 'best for / not for', and pricing.
Jun 12, 2026Two apps every roundup keeps crowning, going head-to-head. I logged real meals in both for weeks. Here's which one fits which person — AI photo logging vs adaptive macro coaching, called honestly.
Jun 12, 2026