How to Properly Count Calories

Counting the calories you consume each day will help you regulate and modify your diet to meet your goals for weight loss or gain. Additionally, your average calorie count will help your physician assess your health and give you nutritional guidance. When counting your calories, remember that every food or drink you consume throughout the day has a calorie count. Accurately recording your daily calorie intake requires you to take proper steps in preparation, and throughout every day.

Instructions

• 1

  Choose a method of counting your calories that suits your personal lifestyle. You can keep a calorie log in a notebook, use a free calorie-counting website or create a spreadsheet on your computer. Selecting a method that works with your lifestyle makes you less likely to forget or be unable to record calories for a meal, or entire day.

• 2

  Download or print out a list of common foods and their calorie content to refer to throughout the day. Alternatively, you can purchase a calorie book to keep on hand or bookmark a few calorie websites. Not all foods have calorie labels, so having a list available will help you record the calorie content of food accurately.

• 3

  Read nutritional labels on foods you eat and beverages you drink. Pay close attention to the serving size in relation to the calorie count per serving. A bag of chips might read 120 calories per serving, but the serving size might be only 12 chips when you have eaten around 30. Additionally, ask restaurants for the calorie content in the meal and drink you order, or check their websites when you return home.

• 4

  Record the calorie count for everything you consume from the moment you wake up until right before you go to bed. Include snacks and drinks such as pieces of candy, your morning coffee and the soda you drank with lunch.