A simple way to reduce calorie intake is to monitor the calories consumed by mentally keeping a tally of the calories consumed throughout the day. This takes some effort in the beginning because you will have to do some research on the foods eaten on a daily basis. However, after some time, it wont be difficult to have a relatively good idea of how many calories are on your plate without looking it up. Not only is the research useful for general knowledge, it can be very revealing in how many calories are in many of societies favorite foods.
Each meal, keep a mental tally of your estimation of the calories consumed. Even though it's not scientific, people find monitoring calories on a daily basis will reduce overeating. Based on my height, weight, and activity level, I usually give myself a range of 2,200 to 2,500 calories to work with a day. As I tally up my meals and snacks, I keep in mind how many calories I have "left" in my daily total. This stops me from munching on extra snacks before bed or eating that extra piece of chocolate at lunch knowing it will cost me too many calories.
Why does this mental tally work? It makes individuals conscious of what they are eating. As individuals learn about the foods they consume, they can start to substitute the high calorie foods with lower calories substitutes, making it easier to stay in one's own daily calorie range. It also allows individuals to estimate their fat loss over time. By constantly keeping a tally of calories consumed and comparing it to an estimated number of calories expended, one can get a great idea of how much fat they can expect to lose. Remember, 3,500 calories equals 1 lb of fat.
So start tallying your meals. Here's a great site to get calorie information: http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/ It's fun to then compare your estimated calories expended to see if you're plus or minus for the day. Here's a site for that: http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc
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