Why Track Calories?

Calorie tracking makes your energy intake visible and quantifiable. Most people significantly underestimate how much they eat — research consistently shows people underreport by 20–50%. Tracking for even 2–4 weeks gives valuable insight into your eating patterns, even if you do not track long-term.

Step 1: Set Your Calorie Target

  1. 1

    Calculate your TDEE

    Your Total Daily Energy Expenditure is how many calories you burn per day. Use an online TDEE calculator (search TDEE calculator) — enter your age, height, weight, sex and activity level. This gives your maintenance calories.

  2. 2

    Set a deficit or surplus

    To lose weight: subtract 300–500 calories from your TDEE. To gain muscle: add 200–300 calories. To maintain: eat at your TDEE. A 500 calorie daily deficit theoretically produces about 0.5kg weight loss per week.

Step 2: Choose a Tracking App

  • MyFitnessPal (free): Largest food database, barcode scanning, good for beginners. Some database entries are user-submitted and inaccurate — check entries from verified sources.
  • Cronometer (free): More accurate database, excellent micronutrient tracking. Better for people focused on nutrition quality not just calories.
  • Lose It! (free): Clean interface, good for straightforward calorie tracking.

Step 3: Track Accurately

  1. 3

    Weigh food — do not measure by volume or guess

    A kitchen scale (under $20) is essential for accurate tracking. Measuring cups are imprecise — 1 cup of oats varies by 20–30% depending on how tightly it is packed. Log food in grams for accuracy.

  2. 4

    Log before eating, not after

    Logging in advance makes you aware of what you are about to eat and prevents memory-based underestimates. It also allows you to adjust the meal before committing to it.

  3. 5

    Do not forget drinks, oils and condiments

    These are the most commonly forgotten items. A tablespoon of olive oil is 120 calories. A latte can be 150–250 calories. Sauces, dressings and cooking fats add up significantly.

  4. 6

    Track every day including weekends

    Weekend eating often undoes weekday deficits. Track consistently or at minimum be aware of significantly higher weekend intake.

Calorie tracking is not for everyoneFor people with a history of disordered eating, calorie counting can be harmful and is not recommended without professional guidance. Focus on food quality and hunger cues instead. Consult a dietitian for personalised advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Even careful tracking has inherent error — food database entries vary in accuracy, home cooking calorie estimates are imprecise, and individual metabolism varies. Studies suggest even careful trackers are typically within 10–15% of actual intake. This is accurate enough to be useful for most goals but not precise enough for medical-level monitoring.
No — most people find that tracking for 4–8 weeks calibrates their portion sense and awareness well enough to maintain without ongoing tracking. Many people track periodically (a week every few months) as a check-in rather than continuously.