Every food or beverage has a caloric value assigned to it. According to the American Heart Association, most adults should consume an average of 2,000 calories each day. This amount of calories should be less if a person is more sedentary yet can be higher if a person is highly active. If a person eats excessive calories and does not exercise, he has a great likelihood of gaining weight because he is not burning enough calories. Tracking and recording the foods eaten can provide a snapshot view of how many calories are being consumed each day and provide feedback on whether exercise should be increased. Patients can use pencil and paper or a computing application to make a calorie chart.
Step 1
Create a column labeled "Food Item". This column will be used to record keywords that describe the food that is eaten.
Step 2
Create a second column labeled "Serving Size." Calories are assigned to food items based on the serving size. It's important to record the serving size to calculate the correct caloric value. For example, the serving size for bread is one slice.
Step 3
Create a third column called "Caloric Value." Patients should record the amount of calories assigned to each serving. For example, one slice of bread has approximately 70 calories.
Step 4
Create a column for "Total Calories." Patients should multiply the total serving size times the caloric value. For example, one slice of bread is considered one serving and contains 70 calories. If a patient eats a sandwich, he has eaten two servings of bread, resulting in 140 calories consumed.
Step 5
Add rows across each column to create a grid. A grid will provide boxes in which to write the pertinent information under the proper headings. Record all foods eaten within a day.
Step 6
Add all values under "Total Calories" and write the total at the bottom of the page. This number reflects the total number of calories consumed. Patients should make a copy of the chart before adding the proper values to make copies, which can be used on future days.
Step 7
Create additional sections to record the amount of water consumed or the exercise completed within the same day. Water contains no calories and can be used to save calories when patients drink water instead of high-calorie beverages. Exercise burns calories; recording the type of exercise completed can help patients to assess how many calories have been burned. Recording water consumption and exercise information on the calorie chart can help patients make a determination as to whether they need to reduce their caloric intake or increase their exercise.
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