How to Keep a Calorie Journal

Using a calorie journal can be successful in helping the people who are serious about losing weight. It's especially useful in helping people realize what they're actually putting into their mouths on a daily basis.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Notebook

1. Visit a free calorie counter website to calculate the number of calories you need to consume each day in order to meet your goal. A lot of people want to lose weight, some want to maintain and some want to gain. Knowing how many calories you should be consuming is half the battle.

2. Assign 1 piece of paper for each day's meals and write the day's date at the very top of the page.

3. Make 3 columns or rows on the page to help track calories and name them "name of food", "number of servings eaten", and "total number of calories consumed".

4. Record the information from step 3 by looking at the nutrition label on your food's packaging.

5. Keep the calorie journal in plain view at all times. Keep it on a kitchen counter, end table or nightstand. The more you see it, the more likely you'll remember to record foods that you've eaten.

6. Analyze your journal entries at the end of each week. This will allow you to see what you are doing well with and what you need to make improvements on.

Tips & Warnings

• Always make note of serving sizes and the number of calories associated with each serving. If you have 2 servings, be sure you double the calories from the nutrition label.
• If you eat at a restaurant, be sure to check their nutritional information and record it in your calorie journal. Many places have the info available in stores and/or online.