1. Know Your Calorie Count
You might be wondering how many calories a day you're supposed to be eating. The average number of calories an adult male needs on a daily basis to maintain his current weight is 2500 calories. For women, it's 2000 calories. This number varies based on a variety of factors such as age, height, muscle mass and activity level. If you want to diet, track your calories and then cut out 500 calories a day. This will lead to a weight loss of about 1 pound a week.
2. Keep Track of Your Calories
Keep a food journal. Record your meals and snacks as you eat them to avoid forgetting what you had later on. There are countless free programs available online that help you track your calories. Some of them even look up nutrition facts for you in their database. Track calories consistently so that you can watch for troubling trends and also so that you can celebrate your progress. It may seem like a tedious task in the beginning, but you get used to it in no time.
3. Measure Up
Use measuring cups and spoons when you begin calorie counting. You might be surprised at how much you have been eating compared to what an actual serving size is. A food scale is helpful when you're eating meat, vegetables or pasta. Some nutrition facts are easier determined by weighing your food, too. Keep your measuring cups handy. Consider buying a second set to use when one set is dirty. Measuring tools will teach you a lot about nutrition if you use them to your advantage.
4. The Fine Print
Read nutrition labels carefully to make sure that you're actually eating a true serving size. Some labels are confusing, making you think you're eating less than you actually are. Ten calories here and there add up quickly over the course of the day. Pay attention so that you can count as accurately as possible.
5. Make Your Choices Count
You can reduce the amount of calories you're eating by paying attention to what's in your diet that's really high in calories and reducing your portion size. Watch the extras. Even things like condiments have calories in them. If you snack on your child's leftover lunch, you're packing in extra calories. Don't be fooled by something that's not on a plate, or if nobody sees you pop it into your mouth. It all counts. You can also seek healthier options. Buttered popcorn can be replaced with air-popped popcorn. Choosing a diet soda over a sugared one will save you almost 200 calories. Drink skim milk rather than whole milk. Split your dinner in half when you go out to eat and take one half home to eat the next day. It doesn't take a lot of drastic changes to reduce your caloric intake. Small changes here and there make a difference.
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