An Easier Way to Count Calories

     If you抳e never done it before, counting calories can really be tedious. You probably aren抰 used to putting a number to the quantity and type of foods that you eat every day. The truth is, if you don抰 start learning how to count your daily calories, you won抰 know what progress you抮e making and you won抰 be able to meet the goals that you are making for yourself.

Two things will undoubtedly happen when you start counting calories. You抣l probably be shocked at how far off the mark you are from what you imagined your eating habits looked like, and you抣l find that writing down everything that you eat is a strong motivation for making better food choices. It is hard to dodge the truth when it抯 right in front of you in black and white.

Even if you抮e not going on a prolonged diet, try counting calories for a few days every year as a way to check your status. It can be a real eye-opener. If you抮e struggling to lose weight and can抰 figure out why you抮e not making any progress, you can gain some invaluable insights by examining your daily caloric intake. You抣l probably be surprised how many calories are in those little late-night snacks that you can抰 resist, or the giant frapuccino that you sneak in on your lunch break.

Calorie counting can be difficult, but there are ways to make it easier. Try counting the daily servings that you have of the different essential food groups. The US government has an excellent website called: mypyramid.gov. Here you can customize your own food pyramid with suggested servings of each food group. You抣l probably see suggestions like: 6 oz of whole grains per day, 6 oz of lean meat daily, 2 ?cups of vegetables per day, etc. By tracking your food in simple identifiable units like this, you抣l be able to stay on track without a lot of the tedium that goes into adding up specific numbers of calories all the time.

Mypyramid.gov also gives you tips on how best to prepare foods from each food group. Suggestions like sticking to lean meat that is baked, broiled or grilled can be the difference that helps you to eat as smart as possible. There are all kinds of other supporting materials that help you estimate portion sizes, and even break down complicated foods like pizza into the separate food groups.

You抮e much more likely to find balance in your daily diet if you stick to a pyramid structure for counting calories. It helps you to see what you抮e eating broken down into proportions each day.

If you find yourself struggling to stay under your calorie limit for the day, try a meal replacement supplement. This is a great way to treat yourself to a low calorie meal with plenty of protein (the best type of meal replacements use whey protein, low in fat and extremely high in protein), and lots of extra nutrients to give you a nice boost during the day. You抣l be surprised how much this can help you cut down calories without sacrificing nutrition.

Embrace the truth, start counting calories, and pay attention to the results, you抣l be surprised at how much progress you can make when you see clearly where you are and where you want to be.

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