How to Lose Weight Watching Calories

Many fads claim to help you lose weight. Those fads range from crash diets to diet pills, but there is no magic pill. One of the best and most effective ways to lose weight is to count calories. The calories-in/calories-out equation is what ultimately helps a person drop pounds. Eating less but still eating enough is crucial as well. The bottom line is that you have to burn more calories than you eat to lose weight.

Instructions

1

Aim to decrease your food intake by 500 calories every day. You lose 1 pound by burning off 3,500 calories, so by cutting out 500 calories a day, you should lose 1 pound a week. You can do this with a combination of exercising and eating foods with fewer calories.

2

Read the labels on the foods that you eat. Aim to eat meals that are between 400 and 500 calories and snacks that are between 100 and 200 calories. The average recommended daily intake of calories is 2,000. It is important to never go below 1,200 calories a day, as this can slow your metabolism and actually cause you to gain weight.

3

Keep a food journal. Write down everything you eat and how many calories were in it. This way, you can keep record of everything you have eaten and what kind of progress you have made.

4

Weigh yourself once a week, at the same time--for example, every Saturday morning before breakfast. This will help you get a better idea of how your weight loss is coming along.