The Method

You think counting calories and keeping track of calories is too much trouble?  You're thinking, "I'll need to carry a notebook with me and it will take tons of time to figure out how many calories are in that peanut butter sandwich or that hamburger."

With so many different foods, so many different meals with different ingredients...I can understand how people would think that counting calories is a total drag.

But I do it, and it's not hard at all. Really.  I've been counting my daily calories for years and it takes up less than 1 minute of my entire day, even if I'm eating at a restaurant.   Yes, there is a little bit of learning involved, but after less than a week of consulting your calorie book for how many calories are in an orange or a hamburger, you'll be very familiar with the basic amount of calories in any given food.

It's easy.  Here is an average day of eating with calorie counting:

Breakfast:  1 bowl of cornflakes = 200 calories
1% fat milk = 100 calories
Bagel = 250 calories
Cream cheese =100 calories

Total calories = 650

Black coffee  = 0 calories (I don't count any calories from coffee, diet soda, mustard, hot sauce, cinnamon, or anything like that which has only a tiny amount of calories.  They just don't matter in any way. So you see, things just got easier right there).

Chocolate Powerbar = 220 calories.  I'm in the habit of having an energy bar in the morning, and once I know how many calories are in each brand, I find it hard to forget.

Cheerios = 300 calories.    I have a nice Pyrex measuring cup.  1 cup of cereal?  100 calories.

Milk for Cheerios = 100 calories.   Non fat, 1%,  to whole milk has different calories, so I read the label and measure accordingly.

Total calories for breakfast:  520  I can write that down, or remember it.

But I rarely need to write calories down.  Though when I do, I generally write them on my kitchen calendar (don't have one?  get them at your nearest 99 cent store).

So while it may seem that keeping track of calories is a hassle