by Joel Dennison

Created on: May 18, 2009   Last Updated: May 22, 2009

Calories in; calories out. That's what they always tell you. Decrease the number of calories you're consuming through food, increase the number of calories you're expending through exercise, and you're guaranteed to lose weight. However, as any dieter knows, this is easier said than done. If your body wants you to eat, you'll still ignore the calorie content of your favorite foods. And if you're feeling tired, it's far easier to do nothing than to get up and move around. You might congratulate yourself for that 300 calorie salad you had for lunch on Tuesday, or the 20 minutes you spent at the gym last night, but you probably conveniently forgot that slice of cheesecake or the fact that you spent all weekend in bed.

The best way to ensure that you're not taking in any more calories than you planned to is to keep a food diary. You can do this entirely on paper or use online tools, but it helps to at least keep a small pad of paper with you at all times so you don't miss anything. Whenever you eat or drink something, write it down as soon as possible. If the food comes with nutritional information, be sure to include the calorie total. If not, you can look it up later at a website like CalorieLab (http://calorielab.com). Also keep track of the date and the time you eat the foods. If you notice you eat more calories during certain parts of the day, it might be easier to make cuts at those times.

A food diary can also double as an exercise diary. Even if you don't keep track of all the calories you burn, it is helpful to look up the caloric costs of your favorite activities. Often exercise burns a lot less than you might think, so a night at the gym doesn't necessarily make up for that extra cookie you took earlier in the day.

The key to a successful food diary is vigilance. Don't leave out a single item. If you're eating out, don't just include the main ingredients, but also take into account any oil that might have been used to cook the food in. Just a tablespoon of olive oil can add 120 calories to a dish! You may eventually find it easier just to cook your own meals from scratch, but if you don't have time, you'll need to keep an especially sharp watch on what you eat. Don't be afraid to ask your server how your food was prepared.

After a few weeks of keeping a food diary, you'll begin to notice which foods are more caloric and which are less. However, also important is how foods make you feel. Keep track of which foods make you feel fuller. For most people, fresh fruits, raw vegetables, and foods high in protein and/or fiber are the most filling. Fatty or sugary foods may be initially satisfying, but leave you craving more soon after. Incidentally, foods which are more filling for the calories they contain are often the healthiest by other measures. By improving your diet overall, and not just in terms of calories, you'll not only look better but feel better, reducing your need to splurge on junk food.

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