UPDATED AUGUST 2026!!!

This is another “Sneak peek” preview of the re-writing progress as part of obligate major rebranding + entire manuscript overhaul.  Here, a sub chapter on the “Learning Curve” Getting Started onboards the actual how-to phases at adopting my principle/s as phases from one to the next.   

Strictly WIP. 

Live-It-Forward, AW.

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Chapter 4 – Getting Started 

The Foundational Routine(s) & Baseline Experience

Eating “well” for one to therefore expects to live “healthy” life, is not always a congruent linearly as a path. Everything has a ground. And that – is where Baseline Experience comes in.

Let’s start with the tangibles. That which we can do. Routines. here referring to as actionable(s) on observing and amending our surroundings which we must, sooner or later undertake as follows: 

1. Survey. “surveillance” or to “survey” ~ is to examine our surround(s) namely our Liabilities Ecosystems – sociology and environments. Examine their relevance(s) or for their mutuality(s) if any, back towards one’s own pursuits and appeals.
2. Amend. Upon surveying the above ~ decide at one’s own volition, decision, calculation and/or intuition to make a change to our surroundings first, before any or all dietary changes.

It is worth repeating that this beginning “journey” and/or suggestive “plans” is aimed to be as general as possible at catering a large number of audience.

With the above vein in mind This Author (AW) remains aware for there is a sub-group of readers who genuinely are at deep hardships ~ depravity, homelessness, poverty and/or severe malnutrition. Whilst This Book never intend to exclude any segments of demographic, This Author (AW) remains obligated to nonetheless share the following contacts for consolation, wherever and whenever crisis events escalate.  

• Homelessness support: Entry Point (Perth, Western Australia) ~ www.shelterwa.gov.au. Phone (08) 6496 0001 or 1800 124 684.
• Homelessness support: Anglicare ~ Crisis Care (Perth, Western Australia) ~ Phone (1800 199 008).
• (General / inclusive services portal): Askizzy.org.au ~ Australia / Nationwide.

On top of the general disclaimers in the beginning overleaf of This Book, we may begin.

#1 . Tracking calorie consumption (MyFitnessPal®)

To remain conscious of consumption, we need metrics compelling us a feedback mechanism to both relate and reflect.

Readers may or may not heard of the self-help realm “The Quantified Self” ; referring to the comprehensive reliance on wearables, and biometrics eg. continuous glucose monitoring, high-end / sports/medical grade watches, monitors and other smart device(s),  to overlay these feedbacks. However,  as one expect these are likely unaffordable for many individuals and thus This Author (AW) is unable to comment on such luxury(s).

Hence, as simple as a calorie tracker online (free) membership, on top of discretionary spending on glucometers, with ketone testing if given the option – should suffice for most readers.

Here on our first routine focuses on the calorie tracking component. Macrocalculators dominating the health and wellness markets today refer to Chronometer / Fatsecret® / Fitday® / and Myfitness Pal (MFP). 

This Author (AW) recommends MyFitnessPal (MFP). Despite not without its own stability errors from time to time, which other calculators are also not immune ~  it nonetheless purveys the widest databases of food/s; both commercial and wholefood.

The following bulletpoints generally apply towards MFP through its free membership, but may also be accessed by other calculators at readers own timely exploration.

• FOR STARTERS / BEGINNERS. To “begin” all nutritional tracking – This Author encourages that BEFORE partaking any changes in macronutrient or nutritional regiments- Readers are well advised to remain / continue existing consumption of resources at current habitual patterns and circumstances AS IS. Until daily nutritional tracking is constantly practised for at least a full calendar month- Readers then are free to explore and instigate appropriate caloric footprints to their metabolic and physiological needs.
• Track down each and every grammage of foods. This encourages consumption of resources only in their most untreated / holistic states. As opposed using them for “recipes”; which likely manifest difficulties overtime as hidden ingredients remain likely unaccounted for. 
• Create/Save regular lists as meals and recipes. As Readers build up a series of items for each Meal Header under MFP; these tend to be cumbersome to manage if these are indeed readers regular unchanged meals. Hence – create a series of these “Meals” that readers expect to consume regularly.

Track and plan out  these meals BEFORE consumption. This incentivises proactivity towards a calculated future, rather than leaving one to reflect them all, as after-thoughts.

First few weeks to a few month(s) depending on readers own patience for adjustments. Overtime, readers will and should become self-acquainted on their own patterns. Identifiably so, they will gain intuitions on varying foods’ projection and their impact on satiety, implications, repercussions and so on.

#2. DO NOT – use any calculators to calculate HOW MUCH “SHOULD” one eat. At all.

This Author (AW) shall repeat. Do not even try calculating “TDEE”, “BMR” or “RMR” anywhere throughout this beginning phase; at the very least specifically and catered ~ for those completely new to nutrition in general.

At first this might seem an overly devil’s advocate. How could someone be so egoistic as This Author (AW) telling readers who are completely new to nutrition, to not rely on any numbers telling them how much they should eat?

Instead of calculating, we are accounting what we’ve consumed.

Use our own prior footprint to understand our consumption. Rather than guessing and speculating by “numbers” ~ that does not actually understand what or how our body reacts.

The reason for this is simple – we are trying to answer the most subjective the main overarching question in all of nutrition. “What does enough” means for one? For “you”, “me”, “her”, “him”? This require holistic judgment. Numbers instantly promote fear. “Digits” instantly dictates one to feel guilt, somewhere on a sliding scale between “good” and “bad”. Relying on numbers at calculating your destiny on how much to eat therefore is already doomed at testifying ourself to be self-demotivating. Self-judgmental, and self-imploding.

So what do we do instead? Nobody knows your body by our own feeling what enough means based on our actions. Actions speak louder than words. Once again, habits first, bickering second.

As affirmation exercise – instead of telling ourselves “I feel satiated by 2,000 kcals per day”.   Instead, readers should reword these, consciously throughout the day as they eat something:

1. “I felt satiated and “enough” ~ through a a bowl of salad, half a chicken, two whole apples for lunch. Two servings of protein shake here and there one before my workout and another afterward. And for dinner – I have large bowl of rice, beef mince and soy sauce, simple enough! For dessert, I’d have a bowl of yoghurt and another piece of fruit and some lactose free milk. Done.”

That ~ is a more humane way of describing what or how one auto-journals a day of eating. Obviously one would not able to recite all and every bit of food eaten. But one intuitively understands and are fully aware – what one has eaten. Hence understand big things first unto ourselves. Track into account what we’ve eaten. Before bickering on the details. The latter soon will surface.

#3. Read and understand food labelling & additives.

Whilst This Book assumes its readers to have general familiarity and/or basic skill in interpreting components of a nutritional food label.

But what of synthetic ingredients, mysterious looking codes,  that are so far out of our own dictionary?

1. Research and acquaint with industrial additives. This Book is unable to accommodate a database of such with known as well as unknown repercussions as such would be simply an unreadable capacity. It is noteworthy to accept that additives and/or industrial processing is an inevitable necessity. Some However, as readers may expect do commonly raise concerns for their both documented and/or individually reported, often case(s)-by-case basis ~ adverse implications in physiology and psychology:
   1. Carrageenan, polygeenan, polysorbates-80, carboxymethyllysne (CMC). It is inappropriate for this chapter to explain at length on each of these, however suffice to say that all have been linked in some way or another accross both youth and adults – with adverse mental and physiological effects particularly the gut health.
   2. For more information and indepth coverage it is essential for readers to consider additional sources beyond This Book, which This Author (AW) has prepared them at the blog under the title Resources & Information Toolkit.
2. The more “numbers” listed in its ingredients, the more likely industrial processing and additives used.
3. Keep in mind that advertising statements no added sugars or no added preservatives usually denote or decoded as a very certain percentage ¬ that is registered below a certain recognisable threshold. In other words, there is marketing protectionism in place to succeed legislative scrutiny. Hence implying that a product do nonetheless contain “some sugar”, and/or “some” preservative ¬ but small enough in concentration that manufacturer standardisation and/or labelling practices often permits them nonetheless, for mass general consumption.

#4. Survey our present reliance on external conveniences.

At last, we have our surrounding(s) to survey.

• Currently self-made meals,
• Take away meals,
• Ready made meals,
• Frequent indulgences inbetween either one or more of the above.

Once again, with our calorie calculators – calculate and survey internally, how we feel satiation wise, from day to day. Or for those with more acutely incisive journalling – hour to hour.

We do this so that we can:

1. Identify What or which processed foods affect us more at triggering our compulsions and/or allures for binges. 
2. Relate such a feeling consistency whenever compulsion and/or allures to happen.
3. Introspect and reflect – what we can do with alternative(s) that which are foods we prepare and choose by our own hands, minds and senses.

Before everything else that matters as a bottom line? our own wallet. Soon, a $10 AUD single meal can afford you perhaps two or even three (perhaps years down track) – once Intermittent Fasting becomes your path. Not mere months. But years.

Know that this is the path readers will eventually, lands. A new identity awaits. 

#5. Establish and acquaint – to one’s Baseline Experience.

With all the above routines in place what are we left with? what are actually producing? Our own Baseline Experience. We have routines in our to do list. But what to “feel” at the end of it all – is this holistic state for us to confidently say:

 “This is me. This is what enough feels to me. And this – felt fair enough. I am not injured. I am not deprived. I just felt “myself”. “

Dissecting the term apart – “Baseline” is the ground or the foundation that which is accounted by our decisions and actions. “Experience” ~ wisdom and knowledge we accumulate about ourselves; accounted through encoding & decoding, surveying and reflecting ourselves relative to our surround(s).

It takes anywhere between weeks or even month(s) depending how on how “new” readers are currently at amidst realm of self-journalling.

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Summary

Habits first. Bickerings second.

Common among the neurotic and anxious readers would reinvent their internals first (dietary changes, down the-rabbid-holes nuances – the biology ecosystem,), before externalities (friends, allegiances, environments – the sociological ecosystem. This Author (AW) own admissive mistakes have proven shamefully – that such is haphazard way of self-optimisation. Unless if one is already a biochemist in and out,  the majority of us are not decorated in lab coats to ably make changes inside out, instantly.

Survey, reflect and impose control accordingly. Easier and kinder this way. Because surrounding(s) are immediately just that – one’s own surrounds already established, relative to our control and conscious-surveillance. The food choices we decide, the ideologies we choose to align, friendships/peers/circles we choose to acquaint – are all likewise remain proof of puddings right under our nose all along; as proxies either they relate more or less – with our goal for scientific and conscientious autonomy.

Track calorie consumption. Account. But do NOT, at least not yet calculate – any caloric suggestive inputs. Take time to acquaint how food labels are generally followed, and which number or select industrial additives may or may not pose a legitimate concern. Having surveyed all of this, what matters next is forming a well informed decision – to nobody else, but readers’ own calculated, conscious and conscientious ~ conviction.

Long and beyond after these Foundational Routines, a new identity awaits. A philosophic remark perhaps at contending against outside “noise”.

Control your influences outside first, before they – influences and outside control ~ slowly habituate inside you. 

 

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That concludes yet another sneak peek draft chapter! please leave your comments and/or thoughts. Live-it-forward, AW