How to Count Calories Eaten

When you are watching your dietary intake for weight loss or weight gain, you should count the number of calories you eat each day. This allows you to regulate what you eat and will help your health care professional give you proper diet guidelines. At first, counting the number of calories you eat may seem difficult, but once you have some practice it only takes a few extra minutes per day.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook

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Instructions

• 1

  Look at the caloric information on the label of your food. Note the calories per serving, typically located in the upper section of the nutritional label. If you are eating at a restaurant, ask for the caloric information on your meal or check their website.

• 2

  Look at the serving size on the nutritional label. For example, the serving size for a glass of milk is typically 8-oz. or 1 cup. Count the number of servings you plan to consume. If you already ate, estimate the size of the portion you consumed.

• 3

  Multiply the calories per serving by the number of servings you consumed. Using the previous example, if you drank two cups of milk, you would multiply the calories per serving by two.

• 4

  Write down the number of calories you ate in a notebook to keep track of your daily consumption.

• 5

  Repeat the caloric calculation with each item you eat or drink throughout the day.