Building a Telegram Bot for Health Tracking

I built a custom Telegram bot for health tracking instead of using existing apps, providing complete control over data privacy and feature implementation.

Why Telegram?

• Free Infrastructure: No hosting costs for bot interactions
• Well-documented API: Robust development framework
• Minimal Server Requirements: Telegram handles message routing
• Universal Access: Cross-platform without app store dependencies

How It Works

Daily Check-ins: 7 AM PST reminders for five habit metrics: weight training, cardio, diet adherence, sleep (8+ hours), and steps (5,000+).

Weekly Measurements: Monday check-ins for weight and waist circumference with progress tracking.

Daily engagement was chosen over weekly reporting for better habit reinforcement, goal awareness, and progress visibility.

Usage

Search @sehatmand_bot on Telegram. Commands: /start to register, /daily for check-ins, /weekly for measurements, /stats for user history.

Self-Hosting

Deploy privately with Docker:

1. Create .env file: BOT_API_KEY=your_telegram_bot_token
2. Create empty app.db file
3. Use docker-compose.yaml:

version: "3.8"
services:
  sehat:
    image: ghcr.io/manparvesh/sehat:main
    volumes:
      - ./app.db:/data/app.db
    env_file:
      - .env
    restart: always

4. Run: docker compose up

Future Plans

• BMI tracking and trends
• Achievement streaks
• Better data visualization
• Custom reminder times

“Sehatmand” means “healthy” in Punjabi/Hindi