Healthy blogger Ali Hale suggests that an important key to maintaining or losing weight is knowing exactly what you're eating, and the way to do that: Write down everything you eat for a week. Hale lists five reasons why writing down everything you eat will change your habits. For example:

Within a day, you'll realise just how much you snack. A bag of chips mid-morning, a cookie from a colleague's stash, a few bits of candy... it all adds up. You might find you're eating more in snacks than in proper meals.

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If you've got a bunch of small stubborn splinters that are evading your attempts with the tweezer, the Parent Hacks blog offers an alternative solution:

Next time your little ones have splinters in their hands or feet, try this: Let them soak well in the bathtub, then use a pumice stone (like you would for rough heels or elbows) to rub over the splinters in a circular motion before they dry off. They can even do it themselves. It seems to work for those playground / deckrail splinters pretty well.

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After years of tap water, I'd finally had enough of drinking water that tasted like it had been skimmed from the pool of the local YMCA. Between the chemical taste and concerns over lead and other contaminants, installing an under-sink filter became the most economical option to ensure my family was drinking pure water. It wasn't until I installed the filter system that I realised just how much stuff was in my local water supply. The photos speak for themselves!

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Windows only: Free application EyeDefender regularly reminds you to take breaks and walks you through eye exercises to help you avoid headaches and blurred vision of the dreaded computer vision syndrome. EyeDefender is a simple program, allowing you to set breaks whenever you need them. If RSI is more of a problem for you than eyestrain, you may prefer previously mentioned WorkRave. EyeDefender is free for private, non-commercial use, Windows only.

Many people are under the impression improved health and fitness requires a costly gym membership or home exercise equipment. The consummate minimalist in all endeavours including fitness, Leo of the blog Zen Habits has put together a list of exercises that are heavy on results but light on equipment.

It takes no equipment to get a great workout and get in shape, and with one or two pieces of simple equipment, you can turn that great workout into a fantastic one, you magnificent beast, you.

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There's plenty of things you can do to live longer -- eat well, exercise regularly, minimise your stress levels by not using Vista more than you have to -- but here's one you might not have picked: getting hitched. Data recently released by Federal Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot suggests that being married has a dramatic impact on your life expectancy, especially for the over 60s. Just why this is the case isn't clear: one theory is that couples pressure each other to make sure health issues are addressed promptly. Presumably, this happy outcome assumes that your wife doesn't turn out to be Anna Nicole Smith. (Thanks Shayne P!] [Marriage Increases Life Expectancy]

My runner pal Lane Becker explains why on earth anyone would want to run a marathon in this fantastic and informative slideshow about the history (and first-person reality) of running a 26.2 mile race. (Boss/kid alert: There's a little bit of swearing in this talk.) Congrats on finishing the race today, Lane!

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Popular Science says that sleeping in on the weekend makes it harder to get up on time during the week. The concept may be common knowledge for most, but the article backs it up with science for those who still aren't convinced.

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If there's one thing geeks and non-geeks alike all share, it's an aversion to exercise. No matter how much you'd like to slim your waistline and lose the belly, it's difficult to find a workout routine that not only works, but one that fits your needs and is easy to stick to. Over the years we've covered several fitness plans along with free and cheap technology to help you get in shape and stick to a training plan, and I've used many of these tools to help run two marathons. Read on for a look at the most simple yet effective plans we've covered—along with the best tech tools to help you get and stay in shape. Photo by luiginter.

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Runner Leo Babauta offers his advice on how to go from sedentary to running in five steps. The key is slowly graduating from walking to running in intervals, similar to the Couch-to-5k running program.

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