The Tab field guide
Twenty-five practical guides
Every guide gives the short answer first, then shows the reasoning, practical choices and sources behind it.
Food logging · 4 min read
A photo scan is a fast first draft, not a measurement. It can identify visible foods and suggest portions, but the useful result comes from matching those foods to nutrition records and letting you correct portions, preparation, and hidden extras before saving.
Food logging · 5 min read
Use the most direct evidence available: a verified label for packaged food, a saved recipe for meals you cook repeatedly, database search for simple foods, and a photo when speed matters and the meal is visually identifiable. You can switch methods whenever the first result is weak.
Food logging · 4 min read
Tab allows a vision model to identify foods and estimate portion grams, but it does not accept calorie or nutrient values from that model. Nutrition is calculated from matched food-database records so each number has a food identity, portion, and correction path.
Food logging · 4 min read
For a matched food record, nutrition changes in direct proportion to the edible gram weight. A 50 percent larger portion produces roughly 50 percent more of every nutrient in that record, which is why correcting the amount often matters more than chasing a different entry.
Food logging · 4 min read
Keep the useful parts of a scan and correct only what changes the result: verify the main foods, choose the right preparation, adjust portions, add hidden extras, and remove duplicates. If one component is uncertain, replace that component instead of rebuilding the whole meal.
Nutrition · 4 min read
Start with a reasonable estimate of your needs, make a modest reduction you can sustain, and protect meal volume, protein, produce, and foods you enjoy. Watch a multi-week trend and adjust gradually instead of reacting to one hungry day or one scale reading.
Nutrition · 4 min read
Set total energy first, choose a practical protein target, keep enough fat for a varied diet, and let carbohydrate fill much of the remaining space according to activity and preference. Treat macro targets as flexible ranges, not three daily pass-or-fail tests.
Nutrition · 4 min read
Choose several protein foods you already enjoy across refrigerated, frozen, and shelf-stable categories. Pair quick options with ingredients for cooked meals, compare labels when products vary, and buy enough variety that reaching protein does not mean eating the same dish every day.
Nutrition · 4 min read
Start with the size of the remaining meal, choose a protein-dense base, then add produce, carbohydrate, fat, and flavor to match your appetite. The closest practical option is better than chasing an exact calorie-and-protein intersection with an unsatisfying plate.
Nutrition · 4 min read
Daily scale weight includes more than body fat: water, stored carbohydrate, food and drink in digestion, and measurement conditions all move the number. Compare consistent weigh-ins and use a multi-day or multi-week trend instead of treating one reading as a verdict.
Fitness · 4 min read
For a simple first month, train the major muscle groups on two nonconsecutive days each week, practice a small set of stable movements, stop with good technique still available, and add repetitions or resistance gradually as the sessions become comfortable.
Fitness · 4 min read
Keep both: strength training supports muscular fitness, while aerobic activity supports cardiorespiratory health and increases movement. Put the session most important to you first, separate demanding workouts when practical, and reduce total stress when recovery or performance declines.
Fitness · 4 min read
There is no universal rest-day count. Most people should avoid training the same muscles hard on consecutive days, distribute difficult sessions across the week, and add recovery when performance, soreness, sleep, or enthusiasm deteriorates beyond normal short-term variation.
Habits · 4 min read
Plan components rather than seven finished dinners: prepare a few proteins, vegetables, and starches, then change sauces, formats, and textures. Add two true backup meals and leave intentional open space for leftovers, restaurants, or changed plans.
Habits · 4 min read
Make tracking easier by logging close to the meal, saving verified repeats, keeping a fallback for uncertain food, and reviewing patterns on a schedule. Aim for a useful record, not a flawless one, and treat returning after a missed entry as part of the habit.
Food logging · 5 min read
Start with nutrition published for the exact restaurant item when it exists. Otherwise estimate the major components, cooking fats, sauces, and drinks from the strongest evidence available, then accept a wider uncertainty range instead of forcing a precise-looking number.
Food logging · 5 min read
Log the food in the state you weighed it. Use a raw record for a raw weight and a cooked record for a cooked weight. Cooking changes water and sometimes fat, so the same food can have a different weight and nutrient concentration after preparation.
Nutrition · 4 min read
Build most meals from a produce component, a protein source, a grain or other starch when wanted, and flavor or fat that makes the meal satisfying. Treat the plate as a flexible visual prompt, not a prescription or a substitute for individualized nutrition care.
Nutrition · 4 min read
Adult fiber needs vary, and general guidance commonly falls between 22 and 34 grams a day depending on age and sex. Increase fiber gradually, spread it across foods and meals, and drink enough fluid rather than making a sudden jump that leaves you uncomfortable.
Nutrition · 4 min read
Water, other beverages, and water-rich foods all contribute to fluid intake. Needs vary by person and circumstance, especially with heat, physical activity, pregnancy, breastfeeding, fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, so use context and symptoms instead of a universal eight-glass rule.
Fitness · 4 min read
Progressive overload means gradually asking your muscles to do more over time. Add a small amount only after your current work is controlled and repeatable; progression can come from load, repetitions, sets, range of motion, or better execution—not from making every workout maximal.
Fitness · 4 min read
Start with a duration and pace you can repeat, attach walks to reliable cues, and add time or frequency gradually. Brisk walking can contribute to adult aerobic-activity guidance, while easier walking still adds movement and can be a practical starting point.
Fitness · 4 min read
Delayed muscle soreness commonly follows unfamiliar or demanding exercise and often develops after the session. Reduce or change training when soreness meaningfully alters movement, and stop activity for sharp pain or concerning symptoms; persistent or severe problems deserve professional evaluation.
Habits · 4 min read
Resume with the next meal you can record accurately. Add a broad estimate for the gap only when it provides useful context, and do not invent details or wait for a new week. Design a smaller fallback so future busy days are easier to capture.
Habits · 4 min read
Keep a few weekday anchors, plan for the social meal you actually expect, and use honest estimates when exact information is unavailable. A weekend does not require restriction beforehand or a Monday reset; it needs a flexible version of the same overall routine.