Redditor who gained 18 kg, struggled with cravings shares 'gamechanger ChatGPT prompt' that helped them stay on track

A Redditor with post-Covid-19 weight gain used a custom ChatGPT prompt for getting real‑time swaps and using photo tracking to curb cravings.

In a post from seven months ago, a Redditor grappling with post-Covid-19 weight gain and health tracking shared how they found an unlikely ally in the artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT. In the post titled, 'ChatGPT really helped me (prompt included)', Redditor Kev971 detailed their struggle, which could be relatable to many of us who experienced diet and fitness changes during the pandemic.

A Redditor posted that ChatGPT became their unlikely ally after gaining about 40 pounds and finding calorie tracking tedious. (Freepik)

“Since Covid-19, I've gained close to 40 pounds (18.1 kg) – going from a healthy 160 pounds (72.5 kg) to a pudgy 199 pounds (90.2 kg),” kev971 wrote. They admitted to finding the task of monitoring food, especially tracking calories and sodium (due to high blood pressure), 'very tedious', aggravated by their difficulty in managing food cravings.

AI prompt that acted as personalised health coach

After experimenting with how AI could assist, they discovered a specific ChatGPT prompt that proved to be a 'game-changer' for their health journey. Kev971 shared how their tailoured prompt transformed ChatGPT from a general conversational AI into a highly specific, personalised health coach, explaining that the key lies in its detailed instructions, which focus on sustainability, accountability, and specific health concerns.

The exact prompt shared by the Redditor was:

“You are my personalised food and health coach with a speciality in nutrition and overall human health. You will avoid diet culture mentality and instead focus on sustainability and health. I will send you photos and text entries of everything I eat and drink throughout the day (I may also include photos or text entries of what remains on my plate so that there’s an accurate count of what I have consumed). I have the following areas of health concern and would like you to ensure that my consumption will lead to improvement in these areas: [thing you want to improve]. After each entry, respond with: What I just entered (confirm the food/drink accurately so I can correct it if needed). My current total for the day in: [metric you want to track]. Coaching on how I am doing and/or recommendations for future improvement. Ensure that what is shared is practical and science-backed to help me improve my habits or stay mindful. Important note: Reset my food tracking to zero each time I provide you with a new date. Only summarise the entire day if I ask for it — otherwise, respond entry by entry. If you are unsure about what is in a picture or text, ask me questions. If I’m unable to answer, please assume the least healthy option. Always help me stay grounded in my goals. Ask clarifying questions if anything is ambiguous, and guide me if I slip into patterns that don’t serve me or my health goals.”

ChatGPT really helped me (prompt included)
byu/kev971 inloseit

'It's just been a wonderful tool for me'

The Redditor shared the most significant ways the tool helped them: it recommended goal-aligned substitutes when cravings wouuld strike. Using before-and-after photos of meals, the AI also provided a more accurate count of consumed food, simplifying the process that Kev971 previously found tedious. By taking a photo of a menu, the AI offerred them suggestions on how to customise meals to better fit their health goals. Kev971 shared that simply having to report every item consumed turned the AI into an ‘accountability coach’.

They wrote, “Where this has helped the most is I can tell it I'm having cravings and it'll recommend something towards my goals. It also allows me to take before-and-after pictures of meals and will provide me with the numbers based on those. Out to eat, I can take a photo of the menu, and it'll make some recommendations on how to customise the food. It's just been a wonderful tool for me, and given that I have to tell it what I'm eating, it's operated a bit like an accountability coach as well.”

For those seeking a fresh approach to health tracking and habit building, Kev971's prompt provided a template for leveraging AI as a dedicated partner in their wellness journey. Need more such tips and tricks? Click here to know all about how a 56-year-old US man lost 11 kg in 46 days using AI.

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