Calculating your daily caloric intake remains a critical aspect of fat loss or muscle gain. To accomplish this, you must track everything you eat. In addition to just counting calories, you must count your macronutrients -- protein, fats and carbohydrates. Using any calorie counter that shows the quantity of macronutrients will allow you to calculate, record and track your food, and then your progress. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any dietary program.
Step 1
Weigh everything you eat. Write down the type and weight of each food.
Step 2
Calculate the number of grams of protein in each serving of food. Add up your total number of grams of protein per day and multiple this by 4. This is the total number of calories you consume in protein per day.
Step 3
Calculate the number of grams of fat in each serving of food. Add up your total number of grams of fat per day and multiple this by 9. This is the total number of calories you consume in fat per day.
Step 4
Calculate the number of grams of carbohydrates in each serving of food. Add up your total number of grams of carbohydrates per day and multiple this by 4. This is the total number of calories you consume in carbohydrates per day.
Step 5
Add up your total calories from protein, carbohydrates and fats. This is your total of ingested calories per day.
Tips and Warnings
- Carry a small notebook with you if you are out and do not have the ability to weigh your food. Estimate as best you can. If you wait to write it down, you may forget or under-estimate.
- Preparing your food in advance and weighing it before storing it saves time.
Things You'll Need
- Calorie counter
- Food scale
References
- "Nutrition: An Applied Approach -- Second Edition"; Janice Thompson, et al.; 2008
- "American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide"; Roberta Larson Duyff, et al.; 2006
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