Calorie counting
Food diary for a nutritionist: what they will ask for and how to keep one
The first thing a nutritionist or dietitian asks for at the start of working together is a food diary for several days.
Food diary
What the first weeks of counting look like, and how to read what piles up.
Nutrition
Gestational diabetes: food diary and carbohydrate counting
A diary for gestational diabetes is not about self-discipline or “try writing things down.
Weight loss
How to return to tracking after a break
People don't stop keeping a food diary because they run out of motivation.
Technology
How much does it cost to count calories
You can count calories for free—it costs nothing to do it on paper or in a spreadsheet.
Technology
Can you count calories without the internet
The answer varies depending on the part of the application.
Health
When calorie counting becomes a problem
Calorie counting is a way to track your intake.
Calorie counting
A week in the food diary: how to read your own numbers
After a week, your diary contains seven numbers, and the first instinct is to compare each one to a target.
Weight loss
How to lose weight without counting calories
Counting calories is a tool, not a requirement.
Weight loss
Why weight changes by a kilogram in a day
Fat cannot be gained overnight: a kilogram of adipose tissue is thousands of kilocalories that cannot be acquired in eight hours of sleep.
Calorie counting
Restaurant menu: how to add a dish and its nutritional value to your food diary with a single checkmark
Lunch at a cafe is usually where a food diary falls apart.
Calorie counting
Why the tracker shows a deficit but weight remains the same
The app has shown a deficit for four weeks, but the scale hasn't moved.
Calorie counting
How to start tracking calories and macros: what happens in the first week
The first week of tracking rarely ends with numbers you can trust.
Calorie counting
BJU counter: how to use it when the dish composition is unknown
A calorie counter answers one question, a BJU counter answers four.
Calorie counting
Calorie counter: what it actually counts
A calorie counter does not measure calories.
Technology
Calorie counting apps: how they work and where they go wrong
A calorie counter looks like a calculator, and people expect calculator-like precision from it.
Technology
Where do apps get calorie and macronutrient data and why do the numbers differ
The same cottage cheese gets different calorie counts in two apps, and people usually assume one of them is wrong.
Calorie counting
How to count calories in homemade food
Processed foods are counted by the label, and restaurant meals by a reference guide.
Weight loss
Calorie deficit: how to calculate it and how to hold it
A calorie deficit is the one thing without which weight does not come down.
Nutrition
Why count calories
Calorie counting does not burn fat.
From reading to doing. All of it starts in one place — knowing what is on the plate. Photograph it and the calories and macros appear on their own.
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This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.
Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.