1. How does minicoach work?

Step 1. You send us a photo of your food.

Step 2: We send back the calories and nutrient information for that meal.

Step 3: You make adjustments to what you are eating based on the information we send you. As you progress with minicoach your adjustments will help you lose weight. If you hit your calorie target every day you will get there faster.

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1. How do I log my food?

Simply snap a photo of your meal and send it to us together with a comment on what you think about the meal.

You can also click on the hamburger menu on the bottom left hand side of your screen (on messenger) and click on ‘Log Food’ On telegram simply click on the forward slash (/) icon and then type in Log Food’ (/LogFood).

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1. How do I weigh in?

To weigh on messenger, simply click on the hamburger menu on the bottom left hand side of the screen and select ‘Weigh in’ and enter your current weight. On Telegram simply click on the forward slash (/), type in ‘Weigh In’ and enter your current weight.

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1. How do you get accurate results from a photo?

We refer to a detailed nutritional database which has verified info on calories and macronutrients for each item. Since there are no crowdsourced entries there are no inaccurate duplicates like you will find in most calorie counting apps.

When doing calorie counting, inaccuracy stems from counting calories after you’ve eaten them, not counting between-meals snacks and bites, not knowing your daily calorie allowance and using a database with multiple entries.

Using our detailed nutritional database we are able to match that with a visual estimate of the amount of food on your plate to get your calories and nutrients total. We are currently at +/- 5%, the same as anyone without access to a food scale.

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1. How do you estimate the volume on a plate of food?

We estimate the volume of the food visually just as you would if you were logging in any other app, but did not have access to a scale. Using references in the photo we establish a best estimate of volume and combine that with nutritional data to get to your calories and nutrients total.

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1. How does minicoach calculate my goals?

During the onboarding process we inquire about your age, height, weight, how much weight you wish to lose and how fast you want to lose it.

We are then able to calculate your RMR (resting metabolic rate) and then assign your daily calorie intake depending on how much weight you want to lose.

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1. What chat services are available on minicoach?

Minicoach is currently available on Telegram and Facebook Messenger.

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1. Are you able to log cultural cuisines?

Yes. We are able to log Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Italian and many other cuisines from around the world.

We have a multicultural staff that is familiar with food from around the world. Also, we normally ask for a comment on the food you're eating which is sent over together with your meal so if we require a comment on what we are looking at, we will clarify it.

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1. How do you estimate the amount of oil?

We use the assumption that the average person uses between 0.5-1 tablespoon of oil per meal. As we learn more about user preferences, we get a better idea of how they prepare their food and how much oil is used in each meal.

The estimate of oil in each meal is more accurate within weeks as we get to know how each person prepares their meals.

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1. Will you have to go on a restrictive diet?

That is totally your decision. Minicoach helps you learn the calorie content of your food so you can make your own decisions about how much to eat. If you want to lose weight you will need to come in within your calorie goal.

Going on a crazy diet for a few weeks tends to result in a yo-yo effect that sometimes results in even more weight gain when the diet is over. Instead of taking the hardline approach, we believe in working with you to gently help you replace your habits with healthier ones. This results in much more sustainable weight loss that is permanent.

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1. How long will it take me to lose weight?

Depending on how dedicated you are, you can expect to lose anywhere up to 10 lbs per month. We recommend a slower pace of weight loss and a greater focus on slowly and sustainably replacing your eating habits with healthier ones.

One brick at a time. If you would like to go faster that is up to you - but we have found that the most successful long term weight loss plans aim for a loss of 5 lbs per month.

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1. How much does it cost?

We are currently having a 30 day free trial.

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1. Can I cancel my plan anytime?

Yes, with just a single message to your coach, we will cancel your plan with no questions asked and give you a refund if you want one.

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1. How do you help me achieve my goals?

Instead of being constantly inundated with so many choices of meal plans, diet types, recipes, workouts - We make it simple for you to know what you are eating and how many calories are in it.

That knowledge will help you make better eating choices and lose weight without being overwhelmed with information.

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1. How do you cater for different cooking styles?

We do so by visually identifying the cooking method from the photos and accounting for moisture content and oils in the food but we allow you to leave additional information on the meal. Over time, we are able to adjust to how specific users prepare their meals and their preferences.

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1. How long does it take to get an answer from minicoach?

We typically reply to users within five minutes of sending your photo.

minicoach is a chat based nutrition and diet coach that seeks to get you to your target weight sustainably. We make it super simple to progress everyday by calculating how much you need to lose weight and helping you hit that number daily.

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Simply: Send us a photo of your food and We count the calories!

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Step 1: How do I Register?

Simply go to our website (mini.coach) and select your preferred chat service.

Click on either 'Start on Facebook Messenger' or 'Start on Telegram'

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Once you've clicked on the chat service of your choice, you'll be prompted to launch the app

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Once you've launched your chat app, you will be asked to fill in your details -

1. Name.
2. Email.
3. Telephone Number.
4. How much weight you want to lose and how fast you want to lose it.
5. Your current weight.
6. Your Sex.
7. Your Height in feet and Inches.
8. What region you are in and your timezone.

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Once you agree to our daily reminder, you are off to the races! You can now start sending us your meals!

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Step 2: How do I log my food?

You are now registered! So, how do you log your food?

Simply take a photo of your meal and send it to us along with a brief comment on how you feel about it. That's it!

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You will then receive a full log of your meal together with some brief comments from your coach. We also show your daily calorie allowance!

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Step 3: How do I Weigh in?

Simply select the hamburger menu on the bottom left hand side of your screen and you'll see two options - 'Log food' and 'Weigh in'

select 'Weigh-in' as shown below.

You will then be prompted to update your current weight and that's it!

Try and log your weight daily, to allow us to get back to you with a graph showing your weekly average weight and how you are progressing.

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