It is crucial for your success that you assess what foods you eat on a regular basis
To calculate your current calorie intake, make a list of all the foods items you consume from morning to night everyday. You want to consider a normal day and the list all the foods you consume in that particular day.
If your diet changes frequently, then you need to make a list of the foods you regularly eat. Go to a site such as the ones listed below and find out the caloric values of all the foods you have on your list.
Ideally you want to list all the food items you in 2 columns. In the first column write down all the foods you eat on a daily basis. In the second column list out all the foods you are likely to eat when you are out or hanging out with your friends or staying at your friend’s relative’s place.
After you have made a complete list, go to one of the websites listed below to count the calories present in the foods.
http://caloriecount.about.com/
http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/
http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/
You may also want to pick up some books that will serve as a reference guide while counting calories. These books can be bought from Amazon.com for as low as $8 and they can serve as a handy companion throughout your life.
Recommended books
The Ultimate Calorie, Carb, and Fat Gram Counter by Lea Ann Holzmeister
Updated with nearly 1,000 more menu and food items, includes complete nutrition information on everything from fruits and vegetables to fast food and prepackaged/frozen meals and gluten-free foods.
The Complete Calorie, Fat & Carb Counter by Alex Lluch
This book provides nutritional information for thousands of food items .It is amazing at the detail of restaurants at different locations & every food they serve. It exposes the calorie content in even the Low Fat and shows how healthy or unhealthy they are. You could use this book anywhere in the US and find the fast food or restaurant listed.
The Complete Book of Food Counts, 8th Edition by Corinne T. Netzer
The Complete Book of Food Counts provides accurate information on the largest possible variety of foods features thousands of new listings—provides all the essential counts for generic and brand-name foods PLUS the latest gourmet and health foods and hundreds of ethnic foods.