According to the United States Department of Health, being overweight or obese puts you at risk for serious diseases, including heart disease, heart attack, diabetes and stroke. While losing weight is not easy to do, the process is simple: Eat fewer calories than you burn off each day. If you create a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day, you will lose approximately 1 lb. per week. You do not have to spend a lot of money or join a weight-loss club to lose weight. You can lose weight at home by counting and keeping track of daily calories.
Step 1
Talk to your doctor about what a reasonable daily caloric intake is for you, recommends the American Heart Association. Your doctor knows your history, current weight and current activity level and can advise you as to how many calories you should consume each day.
Step 2
Write down everything that you eat or drink. Use one notebook page per day, and write the date on top of the page. Include condiments, oils used for cooking and bites off of someone else's plate for the most accurate results.
Step 3
Read the packaging to find out how many calories are in pre-packaged foods. The United States Department of Health advises noting the amount of food that is considered one serving, and being mindful of how many servings you are eating. If, for example, you eat 20 potato chips out of a package that lists the serving size as 10 chips, write down two servings and multiply the calories consumed accordingly.
Step 4
Use a calorie counter book or website to determine the number of calories in fresh foods, or of those that do not come in packaging. Some websites to consider are The Daily Plate or Sparkpeople.
Step 5
Add up all of the calories that you have consumed each day and see how close you are to your physician-recommended total. Make adjustments for the next day if you have gone over your calorie goal or if you have eaten too few calories.
Tips and Warnings
- If you can not consult with your physician for a specific calorie goal recommendation, use an online calorie counter calculator, such as the one at the American Cancer Society's website, to determine a healthy goal. If you lose more than 2 lbs. per week, increase the number of calories that you are eating each day.
Things You'll Need
- Notebook
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