Fasting without the hype, and money by hand.
What I actually did to lose about 300 pounds, written down plainly, plus how-tos on tracking bills and money without an app.
When to Move to a Longer Fasting Window, and When to Stay Put
I started below 12:12 and can hold 20:4 now. It took almost two years. Here is what I'd look at before adding hours to a fast, and when I'd leave them alone.
What I Eat While Intermittent Fasting: Whatever I Want, Just Less
I never changed what I eat. My old Taco Bell order was five items and a large pop. Now it's one, maybe two. Here is what one meal in my eating window looks like.
Intermittent Fasting With a Physical Job and Chronic Pain: How It Went for Me
I've worked hard physical jobs and I've been in pain for years. Here is where my bad fasting days came from and what changed as the weight came off.
What Breaks a Fast? And What I Actually Drink
Anything with calories breaks a fast. Here is the plain list of what does and what does not, and what I actually drink in a day, including the pop I have not quit.
5 Intermittent Fasting Mistakes, Including the One I Still Make
Five mistakes I'd warn a fasting beginner about: starting too long, changing everything at once, quitting after one bad day, expecting it to be fast, and the one I still make.
How I Lost 300 Pounds With Intermittent Fasting
I went from 520 pounds to 200 in almost two years by changing when I ate. No surgery, no weight loss drugs. Here is what I did, including the rule I still break.
What to Actually Write in a Fasting Journal
A short, honest fasting journal needs a handful of fields, not a daily grade or a race toward a longer fast. Here's what's worth recording and what to skip.
Planning Your Eating Window Around a Normal Workday
Fitting an eating window around a day job, a commute, or family dinner, with labeled worked examples and the logistics that actually make a schedule stick or fail.
How to Use the Free Fasting Tracker (And Keep Your History)
A walkthrough of the free Fasting Companion Tracker: picking a window, starting and correcting a session, and exporting a backup before you lose your history.
12:12, 14:10, and 16:8: What Do Fasting Windows Actually Mean?
12:12, 14:10, and 16:8 are just hours in a day, not a difficulty rating. Here's what the fasting and eating windows actually mean, and what the research says.
Before You Try Intermittent Fasting: Questions Worth Asking
Before picking a fasting window, sit with a few questions first: what problem you're solving, whether it fits your schedule, and what to ask a clinician.
How to Budget for Bills That Change Amount Every Month
Electric and gas bills arrive monthly but never cost the same. Here's the peak method, the average-with-buffer method, and how utility budget billing actually works.
Why Some People Choose Manual Spreadsheets Over Budgeting Apps
Budgeting apps automate the work. Plenty of people switch back to a spreadsheet anyway. Here's the real reasoning, drawn from actual forum discussions.
Budget vs. Cash Flow Forecast: What's the Difference
A budget totals what you spend by category. A cash flow forecast shows your balance on a specific date. Here's why manual bill trackers lean on the second one.
Excel Formulas for Carrying an Unpaid Balance Forward
A running-balance formula and a SUMIF-based unpaid total, explained step by step, so balances don't reset every month.
A Simple Way to Audit Your Subscriptions Before They Add Up
One real audit found $6,700 a year in forgotten subscriptions. Here's the manual method for listing every recurring charge before it becomes invisible.
Setting Up a Manual Bill Tracker: What to Record First
New to tracking bills by hand? Here's what to record first: opening balance, income, bills, and payment dates, and why order matters.
Setting Up a Savings Goal Tracker That Actually Sticks
A savings goal tracker only needs three real numbers. Here's how to structure one so you actually keep updating it.
What to Do When Your Spreadsheet Balance Doesn't Match Your Bank Account
A manual tracker won't catch a missed entry for you. Here's the real reconciliation method for finding where two balances split apart.
Tracking Debt Payoff in a Spreadsheet: Snowball vs. Avalanche
Snowball and avalanche are payoff order choices, not spreadsheet features. Here's what a debt tracker actually needs to record for either method.
Budgeting on Irregular or Variable Income: What Actually Works
Variable income breaks average-based budgets. Here's the baseline-and-buffer method, and honestly where a manual tracker fits and where it doesn't.
How to Budget for Bills That Aren't Monthly
Annual insurance, yearly memberships, and other non-monthly bills catch people off guard. Here's how to plan for them without a special app.
Common Mistakes People Make Building Their Own Budget Spreadsheet
Three real mistakes that break DIY budget spreadsheets: hard-coded totals, mismatched category text, and unlocked formula cells.
How to Track Bills When You're Paid Every Two Weeks
A biweekly paycheck rarely lines up with monthly bills. Here's a manual way to track what's due, what's paid, and what's left, without an app.
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