When you first adopt a medical weight loss plan, you might feel dismayed at all the math you’ll have to do. Actually, it’s not all that bad, especially once you get the hang of it. But at first, our clients sometimes feel frustrated by the task of tracking calories consumed (through food) versus calories burned (through exercise).

Using more calories than you consume is the foundation for basically any weight loss plan.  Over time, you will intuitively understand your food and activity choices better., but until you get comfortable with estimating calories, one of these four methods can help you get organized.

Focus on a range, rather than strict limits. Aim to stick within 100 calories of your target allotment. Some days you will feel hungrier than other days, so expect some minor fluctuations. Attempting to stay right at a particular limit will probably just frustrate you.

Set realistic goals. If you cut calories too low, you can actually damage your metabolism in the long run. You don’t want to frustrate yourself with such a low limit that none of your favorite foods fit into your medical weight loss plan.

Allow for educated guesses. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you get too nitpicky about exact numbers of calories. Plus, many foods don’t come with labels, and you won’t exactly carry a scale everywhere you go. Just try to stay within the lower end of your target calorie range for the day, if you find yourself having to guess too often.

Experiment with calorie counting apps. Unless an app feels utterly confusing from the start, give yourself time to get used to it.  Don’t be afraid to move along and try a different one if an app just doesn’t feel easy to use. It should feel like a helpful tool, but not a dreaded chore.

For more information on your daily calorie allotment, nutrition, or helpful tools, call us to set a medical weight loss appointment. We can explain what you need to do, and help you learn easy strategies to make your plan successful.