While cutting, tracking your calories (A) accurately and (B) consistently is a KEY part of the process (at least at the outset).
I don't want this to get overly wordy, so let's jump right into everything you need to know...
First things first:
In order to make your life as easy as possible, download one of the following apps on your smartphone to do all the dirty work for you when calorie counting:
- MyFitnessPal
- Nutritionix
- MacroFactor
- Cronometer
After you've got the app downloaded, you'll simply begin to use it (duh)!
It's going to take a lot of trial & error on your part to really become a wiz on the app, but, if you stick with it, you will be able to navigate the app very swiftly in a relatively short period of time. When doing so, focus on the following tips to ensure your calorie counting is as accurate (or at least directionally accurate) as possible:
TIP 1: CHECK THE SERVING SIZE
Suppose you’re going to consume a can of soup.
The calories are listed at 80 calories per serving.
So, you dump the entire can in your pot, heat it up, and consume your 80 calories worth of soup.
There’s just one problem…
That can had 2.5 servings per container!
So, you didn’t consume 80 calories of soup…you consumed 200 calories of soup!
Please, for your own sake, check the serving size on labels in order to avoid making this mistake!
TIP 2: USE A FOOD SCALE WHEN NECESSARY
Suppose you’re going to consume 8oz of chicken breast.
The label reads:
"4oz per serving / Servings per container varied"
So, how do you actually know how much chicken breast you’re consuming?
You weigh it out!
Enter: A handy-dandy food scale!
You can pick one of these up on Amazon or at your local Walmart for ~$15.
Do you really NEED a food scale???
Yes. Trust me…your “eyeballing it” ain’t as accurate as you think it is.
When to weigh
Should you weigh the food cooked or raw?
Generally speaking, you should weigh foods in their least water logged state. This means weighing chicken POST cook and pasta/rice PRE cook.
Neuroticism
Do you need to be neurotic about weighing your foods?
No.
Don’t go scooping off .07 ounces to get the perfect amount. It’s not THAT serious. Just log the extra bit in your app. Calorie counting is all about being REASONABLY accurate…not “to the gram” accurate.
TIP 3: WHEN OUT TO EAT AT A RESTAURANT THAT LIST NUTRITION FACTS...
...use the nutrition facts!
There is a BIG caveat to this, however…
If you are eating at a restaurant that does not typically serve STANDARDIZED portions (meaning the serving size is not the same from portion to portion even if the order is the exact same) then you need to use your BEST JUDGEMENT to err on the side of caution (of your goal).
Let me give you an example:
Let’s suppose you walk into Chipotle.
You step up the counter and order a burrito with white rice, chicken, cheese, and mild salsa.
While the Chipotle worker is making your order, you notice they are giving you HEAPING servings of each ingredient.
In this instance, instead of taking the nutrition facts Chipotle lists at face value, you may want to multiply them by 1.25 (so that you add a 25% "margin of safety tax").
(It is worth noting that applying a "margin of safety tax" may even be a good idea in the event that portion sizes ARE standardized -- just to be on the safe side!)
Since you’re cutting, you may even want to multiply the calories listed on the nutrition facts provided for your specific order by 1.5!!!
This is, as mentioned above, to ensure you err on the side of caution of your goal.
If you were to find yourself in the inverse scenario (I.e the Chipotle worker was skimping you from a portion size standpoint), it would generally be a good idea to multiply the calories listed on the nutrition facts for your order by .9 or 90%. However, since you're cutting, it's probably better if you simply take the nutrition facts for you specific order at face value. If you do this, you'll either be on the money or you'll probably just end up in a steeper calorie deficit than you intended that day (because you overcounted).
In conclusion, if out to eat at a restaurant that provides nutrition facts, use them but also use your intuition/best judgement if needed! And…always err on the side of caution of your goal!
TIP 4: WHEN OUT TO EAT AT A RESTAURANT THAT DOES NOT LIST NUTRITION FACTS...
Suppose you’re going to consume food at a restaurant and said restaurant does NOT provide nutrition facts…here’s what you’re going to do:
1) Fire up your handy-dandy app
2) In the directory, search the food (or foods) you consumed
3) Find a listing that’s similar to what you consumed
4) Pick the option that errs on the side of caution of your goal (Ex: Since you're cutting, pick the HIGHEST listed calorie option)
Worked Example:
Suppose you go out to eat at a local pizza place that does NOT provide nutrition facts & you consume 2 slices of plain pizza. Go on your app and search for a slice of pizza. Since you're cutting, pick the HIGHEST calorie option you see.
Simple as that!
TIP 5: EAT FROM HOME AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
Tips 3 & 4 will do a good job of helping you approximate your calories and stay on track toward your goal when out to eat but make no mistake:
Going out to eat frequently is tough to do when you have a very specific/immediate body composition goal. Do NOT use this guide as a license to eat out all the time in hopes that it won’t make things at least a bit more difficult when it comes to tracking precisely.
Your best bet, at least initially, is preparing MOST of your meals at home yourself so you know EXACTLY what's going into them.
Once you have a firm understanding of what you need to do from an intake AND an activity perspective, you can give yourself some more leash.
TIP 6: TRACK PRIOR TO CONSUMING
I strongly strongly STRONGLY advise you use the app to track your calories THE NIGHT BEFORE to PLAN out all your meals for the next day.
This will raise adherence to the Nth degree and it will make your life MUCH EASIER.
You do not HAVE to do this...but, again, it will make your life MUCH EASIER and it'll increase the likelihood that you actually achieve your goal(s)!
TIP 7: BE CONSISTENT
Look, I get it...calorie counting is tedious and you're busy. You don't really feel like doing it. That said, it's usually well worth the time commitment because the data it provides is extremely valuable.
Don't slack.
Just do it.
WEEKLY AVERAGE(S) = KING
Your calorie intake each day matters but the most important calorie figure you can compile data on is your WEEKLY AVERAGE (or averageS).
To calculate your average calorie intake each week, simply add up the seven days worth of intake figures and divide by 7.
OR
You could just use this Data Log that I'm willing to give you TOTALLY FREE!
FYI
The tracking app you select will also tally up your macros for you...go ahead and input those on the Data Log that I'm willing to give you TOTALLY FREE as well.
P.S.
If you have NO CLUE how many calories you should be consuming and what macros you should be targeting, I built a calorie/macros calculator for you which you can have for FREE.
***PLEASE NOTE:
This calorie/macros calculator will NOT spit out the PERFECT numbers for everybody
There is a chance it prescribes the perfect calorie/macros breakdown for you.
There is a chance it prescribes a calorie/macros breakdown that is reasonably close to what you should be consuming and you'll only need to make minor alterations to your target allotment over time once your data provides you feedback.
There is also a chance it prescribes a calorie/macros breakdown that is WAY OFF what you should be consuming and you need to make MAJOR adjustments to your target allotment over time once your data provides you feedback.
The main point is this: Do NOT rigidly adhere to the numbers the calculator provides you once YOUR OWN DATA starts to compile. The calculator was simply built to give you a STARTING POINT that SHOULD be reasonably accurate (assuming you have no idea what you should be consuming at the outset).
I don't want this to get overly wordy, so let's jump right into everything you need to know...
First things first:
In order to make your life as easy as possible, download one of the following apps on your smartphone to do all the dirty work for you when calorie counting:
- MyFitnessPal
- Nutritionix
- MacroFactor
- Cronometer
After you've got the app downloaded, you'll simply begin to use it (duh)!
It's going to take a lot of trial & error on your part to really become a wiz on the app, but, if you stick with it, you will be able to navigate the app very swiftly in a relatively short period of time. When doing so, focus on the following tips to ensure your calorie counting is as accurate (or at least directionally accurate) as possible:
TIP 1: CHECK THE SERVING SIZE
Suppose you’re going to consume a can of soup.
The calories are listed at 80 calories per serving.
So, you dump the entire can in your pot, heat it up, and consume your 80 calories worth of soup.
There’s just one problem…
That can had 2.5 servings per container!
So, you didn’t consume 80 calories of soup…you consumed 200 calories of soup!
Please, for your own sake, check the serving size on labels in order to avoid making this mistake!
TIP 2: USE A FOOD SCALE WHEN NECESSARY
Suppose you’re going to consume 8oz of chicken breast.
The label reads:
"4oz per serving / Servings per container varied"
So, how do you actually know how much chicken breast you’re consuming?
You weigh it out!
Enter: A handy-dandy food scale!
You can pick one of these up on Amazon or at your local Walmart for ~$15.
Do you really NEED a food scale???
Yes. Trust me…your “eyeballing it” ain’t as accurate as you think it is.
When to weigh
Should you weigh the food cooked or raw?
Generally speaking, you should weigh foods in their least water logged state. This means weighing chicken POST cook and pasta/rice PRE cook.
Neuroticism
Do you need to be neurotic about weighing your foods?
No.
Don’t go scooping off .07 ounces to get the perfect amount. It’s not THAT serious. Just log the extra bit in your app. Calorie counting is all about being REASONABLY accurate…not “to the gram” accurate.
TIP 3: WHEN OUT TO EAT AT A RESTAURANT THAT LIST NUTRITION FACTS...
...use the nutrition facts!
There is a BIG caveat to this, however…
If you are eating at a restaurant that does not typically serve STANDARDIZED portions (meaning the serving size is not the same from portion to portion even if the order is the exact same) then you need to use your BEST JUDGEMENT to err on the side of caution (of your goal).
Let me give you an example:
Let’s suppose you walk into Chipotle.
You step up the counter and order a burrito with white rice, chicken, cheese, and mild salsa.
While the Chipotle worker is making your order, you notice they are giving you HEAPING servings of each ingredient.
In this instance, instead of taking the nutrition facts Chipotle lists at face value, you may want to multiply them by 1.25 (so that you add a 25% "margin of safety tax").
(It is worth noting that applying a "margin of safety tax" may even be a good idea in the event that portion sizes ARE standardized -- just to be on the safe side!)
Since you’re cutting, you may even want to multiply the calories listed on the nutrition facts provided for your specific order by 1.5!!!
This is, as mentioned above, to ensure you err on the side of caution of your goal.
If you were to find yourself in the inverse scenario (I.e the Chipotle worker was skimping you from a portion size standpoint), it would generally be a good idea to multiply the calories listed on the nutrition facts for your order by .9 or 90%. However, since you're cutting, it's probably better if you simply take the nutrition facts for you specific order at face value. If you do this, you'll either be on the money or you'll probably just end up in a steeper calorie deficit than you intended that day (because you overcounted).
In conclusion, if out to eat at a restaurant that provides nutrition facts, use them but also use your intuition/best judgement if needed! And…always err on the side of caution of your goal!
TIP 4: WHEN OUT TO EAT AT A RESTAURANT THAT DOES NOT LIST NUTRITION FACTS...
Suppose you’re going to consume food at a restaurant and said restaurant does NOT provide nutrition facts…here’s what you’re going to do:
1) Fire up your handy-dandy app
2) In the directory, search the food (or foods) you consumed
3) Find a listing that’s similar to what you consumed
4) Pick the option that errs on the side of caution of your goal (Ex: Since you're cutting, pick the HIGHEST listed calorie option)
Worked Example:
Suppose you go out to eat at a local pizza place that does NOT provide nutrition facts & you consume 2 slices of plain pizza. Go on your app and search for a slice of pizza. Since you're cutting, pick the HIGHEST calorie option you see.
Simple as that!
TIP 5: EAT FROM HOME AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
Tips 3 & 4 will do a good job of helping you approximate your calories and stay on track toward your goal when out to eat but make no mistake:
Going out to eat frequently is tough to do when you have a very specific/immediate body composition goal. Do NOT use this guide as a license to eat out all the time in hopes that it won’t make things at least a bit more difficult when it comes to tracking precisely.
Your best bet, at least initially, is preparing MOST of your meals at home yourself so you know EXACTLY what's going into them.
Once you have a firm understanding of what you need to do from an intake AND an activity perspective, you can give yourself some more leash.
TIP 6: TRACK PRIOR TO CONSUMING
I strongly strongly STRONGLY advise you use the app to track your calories THE NIGHT BEFORE to PLAN out all your meals for the next day.
This will raise adherence to the Nth degree and it will make your life MUCH EASIER.
You do not HAVE to do this...but, again, it will make your life MUCH EASIER and it'll increase the likelihood that you actually achieve your goal(s)!
TIP 7: BE CONSISTENT
Look, I get it...calorie counting is tedious and you're busy. You don't really feel like doing it. That said, it's usually well worth the time commitment because the data it provides is extremely valuable.
Don't slack.
Just do it.
WEEKLY AVERAGE(S) = KING
Your calorie intake each day matters but the most important calorie figure you can compile data on is your WEEKLY AVERAGE (or averageS).
To calculate your average calorie intake each week, simply add up the seven days worth of intake figures and divide by 7.
OR
You could just use this Data Log that I'm willing to give you TOTALLY FREE!
FYI
The tracking app you select will also tally up your macros for you...go ahead and input those on the Data Log that I'm willing to give you TOTALLY FREE as well.
P.S.
If you have NO CLUE how many calories you should be consuming and what macros you should be targeting, I built a calorie/macros calculator for you which you can have for FREE.
***PLEASE NOTE:
This calorie/macros calculator will NOT spit out the PERFECT numbers for everybody
There is a chance it prescribes the perfect calorie/macros breakdown for you.
There is a chance it prescribes a calorie/macros breakdown that is reasonably close to what you should be consuming and you'll only need to make minor alterations to your target allotment over time once your data provides you feedback.
There is also a chance it prescribes a calorie/macros breakdown that is WAY OFF what you should be consuming and you need to make MAJOR adjustments to your target allotment over time once your data provides you feedback.
The main point is this: Do NOT rigidly adhere to the numbers the calculator provides you once YOUR OWN DATA starts to compile. The calculator was simply built to give you a STARTING POINT that SHOULD be reasonably accurate (assuming you have no idea what you should be consuming at the outset).
