From Counting Calories to Counting Minutes: How Dieting by Numbers Has Evolved

For over a century, calorie counting has dominated the way we think about food and weight loss. But what if there’s a better way? This article traces the surprising history of calorie tracking—from 19th-century chemistry labs to bestselling diet books—and explores its hidden flaws. Then it dives into the next evolution: minutes counting—a time-based approach to nutrition that connects daily food choices to long-term life expectancy. Learn why apps like Longist are ditching calorie math in favor of a more holistic, motivating metric: time added to your life.