The famous economist Peter Drucker once said, "What gets measured gets managed." One of the problems with weight loss is the difficulty in transforming your daily routine into a scorecard. Luckily, today there are many tools to help you discover how many calories you consume. Using nutrition labels, Internet databases and other tricks, you can keep track of and manage how many calories you eat on a daily basis.
Step 1
Find the Nutrition Facts label on the product for which you would like to count the carbohydrate intake. Many nutrition labels are located on the side of a box, or on the back or bottom of a bag. If the product you are using is individually wrapped but sold in bulk, the nutrition label will most likely be on the box.
Step 2
Find the Total Carbohydrate content on the label. Next, find the Dietary Fiber content. This will more than likely be directly below the carbohydrate content. Calculate the net carbohydrate content by taking the Total Carbohydrate content and subtracting the Dietary Fiber content.
Step 3
Set a weight goal and write it down in your notebook. Weigh yourself and put the scale away. Track every piece of information, including how many meals you eat and each item of food consumed. Highlight the carbohydrates and fiber values for easy referencing.
Step 4
Weigh yourself once a week and record it. Look for trends and habits in your eating pattern and make special note of any weight changes in relationship to alterations in your routine. In particular, monitor the variations in your carb consumption.
Step 5
Log onto the Internet to find a listing of the nutritional content of foods offered in the restaurants you frequent. Monitor the total intake per day and highlight the carb values. Look for alternative dishes if your current menu selections fail to meet your diet goals.
Tips and Warnings
- A food product's net carbohydrate content is important to consider because it represents the amount of carbohydrates that your body will absorb from that product. Always subtract fiber from total carbohydrates to find this value.
- Consult your doctor before making significant changes to your diet. Bring your calorie logs to review with your doctor when you discuss your intended change in your diet.
Things You'll Need
- Notebook
- Carbohydrate counter book
References
- MayoClinic.com: Counting Calories -- Get Back to Weight Loss Basics
- "Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss"; Joel Fuhrman, M.D.; 2006
Member Comments