Counting Your Calories on the Way to a New You
To decrease your calorie intake, you have to know how many calories are in the food or drinks you consume.
For packaged foods, the best way to do this is to examine the label, were calories are listed per serving.
Determine how many servings of the food or drink you have had and multiply that by the number of calories per serving.
But, you are probably thinking, some foods like a piece of fruit or a deli sandwich, don't come with a label.
If you frequently eat out, order in, or cook from scratch, you may be dealing with many foods that do not advertise calorie count.
What to do? In these cases you need an independent resource, either a calorie counting web site or a calorie count book.
A calorie counting web site or calorie count book collects information on the calorie content of many foods and drinks.
The idea is that people will look up what they have eaten and drunk each day and record its caloric content in the journal or log book.
Some of these web sites even have diaries that can keep track of your calorie intake over a period of time.
Many of these books and web sites also have calorie and nutrition information for a variety of offerings from fast food restaurants and other popular eateries.
If you want to know how many calories were in that grande Carmel frappuccino or that Big Mac you just enjoyed, check one of these web sites or books.
Most chain restaurants also list nutrition information on their web sites.
Both calorie count books and web sites, however, present some difficulties when it comes time to determine how much food is in your portion.
For one, they often list the serving sizes of foods and drinks in cups and ounces.
But how can you recognize, for instance, a 3 ounce serving of steak? Many people find it helpful to use measuring cups, spoons, and scales to calculate the size of their food portions.
But you can also learn to eyeball serving sizes are relating them to common objects.
For example, 3 ounces of steak is often compared to the size of a deck of cards or a computer mouse.
Always remember that calorie counting is only one part of a successful eating plan.
The number of calories in a food says nothing about its nutritional value.
It cannot tell you the carbohydrate, protein, or fat content of the food.
Nor does calorie counting mean you can ignore the general rules of healthful eating.
Finally, it bears repeating that calorie counting is an inexact science.
Human metabolism is a very complex process.
Different bodies use calories differently and burn them at different rates.
You will almost certainly find that you need to tweak your recommended calorie intake to get the results you want.
Still, when it comes to managing your way, calories are a reasonable place to start.
With a little practice, you can even learn to put away the pencil and paper and internalize calorie counting, so that it becomes a natural part of your meal times.
And if you decide after a while that you can't or don't want to count every last calorie, you will have at least a better idea of where you can make some helpful changes in what and how much you eat and drink.
For packaged foods, the best way to do this is to examine the label, were calories are listed per serving.
Determine how many servings of the food or drink you have had and multiply that by the number of calories per serving.
But, you are probably thinking, some foods like a piece of fruit or a deli sandwich, don't come with a label.
If you frequently eat out, order in, or cook from scratch, you may be dealing with many foods that do not advertise calorie count.
What to do? In these cases you need an independent resource, either a calorie counting web site or a calorie count book.
A calorie counting web site or calorie count book collects information on the calorie content of many foods and drinks.
The idea is that people will look up what they have eaten and drunk each day and record its caloric content in the journal or log book.
Some of these web sites even have diaries that can keep track of your calorie intake over a period of time.
Many of these books and web sites also have calorie and nutrition information for a variety of offerings from fast food restaurants and other popular eateries.
If you want to know how many calories were in that grande Carmel frappuccino or that Big Mac you just enjoyed, check one of these web sites or books.
Most chain restaurants also list nutrition information on their web sites.
Both calorie count books and web sites, however, present some difficulties when it comes time to determine how much food is in your portion.
For one, they often list the serving sizes of foods and drinks in cups and ounces.
But how can you recognize, for instance, a 3 ounce serving of steak? Many people find it helpful to use measuring cups, spoons, and scales to calculate the size of their food portions.
But you can also learn to eyeball serving sizes are relating them to common objects.
For example, 3 ounces of steak is often compared to the size of a deck of cards or a computer mouse.
Always remember that calorie counting is only one part of a successful eating plan.
The number of calories in a food says nothing about its nutritional value.
It cannot tell you the carbohydrate, protein, or fat content of the food.
Nor does calorie counting mean you can ignore the general rules of healthful eating.
Finally, it bears repeating that calorie counting is an inexact science.
Human metabolism is a very complex process.
Different bodies use calories differently and burn them at different rates.
You will almost certainly find that you need to tweak your recommended calorie intake to get the results you want.
Still, when it comes to managing your way, calories are a reasonable place to start.
With a little practice, you can even learn to put away the pencil and paper and internalize calorie counting, so that it becomes a natural part of your meal times.
And if you decide after a while that you can't or don't want to count every last calorie, you will have at least a better idea of where you can make some helpful changes in what and how much you eat and drink.