Calorie counting made easy!

Previously under the impression that calorie counting is a difficult and impractical way to weight management, I’ve never really tried it out. Sure, there were moments where I took “mental notes” of how much I was eating and sometimes I would put an extreme calorie count on a particular meal in the hopes that I would cut back the next meal. Other times, I would be “modest” and reason: surely lunch didn’t contain that much calories… I could have that extra serving at dinner!

(Not difficult to see why my impression of calorie counting was warped.)

Honestly, I never paid much attention to what I ate as long as the food tasted good, not too oily and not too salty. In fact, I didn’t actually think calorie counting would do any good.

However, I cannot help but notice that I am eating as much as Eli. RIDICULOUS! My calorie needs are half of his! For a while now I have been whining and telling Eli I shouldn’t be eating as much as him, but we haven’t done anything about it. Until last night.

In the midst of blending a fruit smoothie, I told Eli that I think I should start calorie-counting.

Where to begin?
Get something you can record your every food intake, either electronic such as cellphone/PDA or the good old pen and paper. Make sure the notebook is small enough for your to carry everywhere.

I have a notepad and pen in my bag but always find it difficult to write in it. Also inconvenient to pull it out sometimes. So I chose to use my phone. At the same time, I have a lot of drafts sitting in my message folder and more often than not, new messages come in and pile on top of drafts… And before long, those drafts disappear off my radar and are forgotten. Hence, Twitter came in really handy.

Two fold approach to reporting calorie intake on Twitter:

1. Posting on Twitter @keepmylover eliminated the “forgotten draft” problem completely. It would be posted onto my Twitter page immediately.
2. Posting on Twitter is like letting anyone and everyone know what I am putting into my mouth. This makes me more conscious of the food I eat. I feel obligated to choose my food wisely and report calories accurately. This is a great motivation and honest reporting is what makes calorie counting work.

When to note calories?
START RIGHT NOW! And write down the food/drink every single time you eat/drink.

Writing it down as you go along allows you to keep track and know where you are along the day. It also allows you to scale back if your calorie intake is too high or to pump it up if you are not getting enough.

The practice of noting down each food/drink as it is consumed also allows you to reflect on the food/drink choice. It helped me evaluate if I really need this drink or that piece of chocolate. As far as my first official foray into calorie counting goes, it helped me make a healthier choice (more often than not), delayed my consumption and also helped me save money!

Avoid waiting for the end of the day because chances are, you will forget what exactly went into your food. Great if you can note down the calories immediately so that you know whether you should eat more calories or not. However, if you are unable to access calorie counters/nutrition labels on the spot, simply note down the food you ate and check it as soon as you can. As time goes by, you will have a better idea of how much calorie is in the food you usually eat and you may not even need to refer to calorie counters anymore!

What to write down?
EVERYTHING you put into your mouth. Be as detailed as possible. For example, if you had a ham and cheese sandwich with two slices of tomato and one small leaf of lettuce, you have to write:

• 2 slices ham = 23 calories
• 1 sliced cheese = 60 calories
• 2 slices tomato = 8 calories
• 1 small lettuce leaf = 1 calorie

TOTAL: 92 calories

Do this for every other food and drink you consume.

How to count calories of food?
Good question and one that stopped me from embracing calorie counting.

Fortunately there are options:

1. Nutrition Facts label: Good old fashion way of calorie counting by reading the food label. For an accurate count, look out for: serving size.
2. Pocket Calorie Counter: Pocket-sized books in which you can look up the nutrition facts of what you are eating. Inexpensive, useful to have around and helpful especially if you are just starting out. Also complements the pen and paper way of calorie counting.These books usually have all the major foods in them and guides you along the path to a good wholesome diet.

   Downside is that as much as these books try to cover all the different foods, there are still foods that get left out.

   Not all foods have nutrition facts readily available. (Number one reason why I dismissed calorie counting as impractical.) For these, the advent of the world wide web is the answer.

3. Online calorie counters/nutrition information: Straightforward, quick but require internet connection.With much appreciation for the wonderful world of the internet and expensive data plans allowing for 24/7 internet connection anywhere, I simply do a quick search.In the example above, my search words were: sliced deli ham calories.

   My favourite calorie counter: The Daily Plate.

   I like that The Daily Plate has an extensive database of food calories, is easy to use and in particular, the “frequently eaten with…” information, which allows you to gather your calorie count all in one page.

Now what?
CONGRATULATIONS! You have just taken that first step to being more aware of your body’s nutrition needs. At the end of the day, it is good to reflect upon the food/drinks you have had for the day and figure out what you can improve upon.

My reflection, calorie-counting Day One:

This calorie count method is the most basic calorie counter. There are many who take down the precise nutrition information such as amount of fibre, iron, protein etc in each food. For me, I am happy with a ballpark idea of how much of each I am getting. This is possible because I do eat a balanced diet and do not have that much “bad” food in my diet to begin with.

Day One of calorie counting went really well for me. I managed to keep track of just how much calories I consumed and am able to immediately pinpoint where the high caloric intake comes from. Drinks other than water and tea contribute a very high calorie count and not to mention the amount of sugar and unhealthy fats. It has also made me think more than twice about what I eat and drink. In this way, I practice self-control as well.