Calorie counting is one of the oldest and most relied upon diet methods. Virtually everyone at one time or another has found themselves counting calories in an attempt to lose weight. The principal behind losing weight on a calorie counting diet is pretty straightforward. If you use more calories throughout the day then you consume by eating you lose weight. It's that simple.
Here are 5 easy steps to counting calories and making the calorie counting diet work for you:
1. Purchase a plain notebook so you can record everything. You need to create two columns one titled "Calories Consumed" and one titled "Calories Used." Each day you will need to record everything that you eat and its calorie value. You then record your daily bodies base calorie need simply to function and any calories burned during exercise.
2. Go online and find out what your base calorie needs are. There are dozens of online calculators that you can use to determine this.
3. Either purchases a book or search online and find a good source of nutritional information. While most food products have the calories listed on the packaging many fruits and vegetables may not. Getting the dietary information on fruit and vegetables may require additional online research.
4. Write down everything. You will be amazed at how many calories you consume each day without even realizing it. The cream and sugar in your coffee, the piece of hard candy you pop in your mouth without even thinking. The same goes with any exercise you partake in, if you spend an hour on the treadmill write down the calories used from that activity.
5. At the end of the day you are looking to have used more calories than you consumed. If you took in more than you used then you need to examine what foods you need to cut from your diet and which you can perhaps substitute for a lower calorie choice. If you didn't exercise that day then perhaps incorporate a ½ hour jog to your daily routine?
There are a few things that should be mentioned when it comes to food choices. Beverages are empty calories, so if you can try to drink only water. By drinking water instead of soda or coffee you can save literally hundreds of calories a day. Consider how full some foods make you compared to other foods.
Foods high in fiber and protein generally are more filling and give you that full feeling for longer than other foods. Many fruits and vegetables are very low in calories so if you're someone that loves to snack there are many low calorie food options. Just because you're on a diet and counting calories doesn't mean you can't go out to eat. Most restaurants, even fast food places offer low calorie food options. If you keep those tips in mind and follow the 5 easy steps to calorie counting then you will be well on your way to losing the weight and feeling great!
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