I am horrible at calorie counting!!! I have tried Weight Watchers three times now and I always end up quitting. I find that after a while I just get tired of trying to find out the points value of everything. I start only eating things I know the points value of (frozen dinners, canned soups, etc). I get so tired of eating the same thing over and over again that I just quit! I throw the points value mentality out the window and dive into a cheeseburger. I am wondering if any of you have come up with easier ways of calorie counting. What are the best ways to keep track? How can I know for sure how many calories I am eating? What are the best foods to eat to get full with less calories? I have seen the progress you ladies and gentlemen have made and frankly I am jealous. I want to get on track (I would say again but honestly I have NEVER been on track). Any knowledge you have acquired or tricks of the trade would be greatly appreciated!

I have a lot of salads with lean proteins, and they will generally be the same calorie range because I've learned what portions to stick with.

Most o us stay on track because we work HARD at it, resolving not to quit. Sorry there's no easy answer

Calorie counting at first seems very tedious but eventually you get a better idea of portion control and sizes so it really becomes 2nd nature.

I use an app on my iPhone called LoseIt! and it remembers all the foods I've eaten before so it's a quick click and I can also save whole recipes to go back to when I am making something. I can also add custom foods that aren't in the list like Kimchi. It also allows me to record my activity and progress. It also has a quick list of restaurants and supermarket foods when you need to make a fast decision.

Breakfast is mostly the same things so it's a no brainer. I always have expresso with skim milk. I either have cereal with skim milk, yogurt with wheat germ and fruit, egg beaters with cheese or onions/green peppers... It's a rotation of the same things. (Approx 300 calories)

Lunch is normally the biggest meal of my day (450-550 calories). I try to add high volume foods that are low cal like vegetables. I love large salads to start off my lunch so by the time I get to my protein/carb plate.. I'm feeling content and satisfied.

I have 1-2 snacks a day right before exercise normally around (100-150 calories each). Fruit, nuts, laughing cow cheese, dark chocolate square, whole grain crackers, vegetables, yogurt, popcorn

Dinner is around 250-300 calories. I try to go light on carbs for dinner when it comes to rice/pasta/bread. I focus on vegetables and protein.

I drink lots of water and green tea during the day.

I really think the first few weeks are the hardest but eventually it'll become easier because you are just rotating the same recipes.

You can have a cheeseburger ! Make it at home and the ingredients will be healthier and lower in calories/fat/salt! Serve it with a side of oven baked sweet potato fries.

I eat a lot more vegetables now than I ever did. I love broccoli, bean sprouts, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, eggplant, baby spinach, baby peas, corn...

Best of luck on your journey!

Edit: There are many online sites that people use to track their calories to or use for reference. Sparkpeople.com, fitday.com, dailyplate.com, calorieking.com. Make yourself a priority and realize that YOU are worth it. Nothing we can say can really make you stick with it though.

It's ultimately up to you to weigh the pros and cons of going on this journey. Not everyone is ready to make that full commitment. I know I yo-yo'ed and gave up for years before 10/2009 when I was fed up of being fat and did something about it. I knew I would hate myself years down the road when I could have been young and thin... and I choose to waste my youth feeling horrible and disgusted with myself. I wanted to get married.. I wanted healthy babies... I want beautiful pictures of me... I wanted my friends and family to be proud of me.. I wanted to PROVE I could do this and empower myself so I took control of my situation... I was DONE blaming everyone and making excuses for myself.

Thank you so much for the advice. Just seeing so many people that have met or have almost met their goals makes me more optimistic than I have been in a long time. I too want healthy babies. Honestly that is one of my biggest drives. You are right. One day I am going to wake up and kick myself for not letting me be young and fit. I really WANT to do this. That in itself makes this time different.

I also use LoseIt on my iPhone. It's amazing!! Just as InControl2Day said, it keeps track of what you eat, you can enter in your own foods, you can search thousands of foods, and you can change the servings so you know the exact amount of calories you ate. It gives you a caloric budget for the day which is based off of your weight, height, and how much you'd like to lose per week. You can also log the exercise you've done.

For breakfast, I'm usually around 200 calories. Yogurt with a cup of cereal, or cereal, skim milk, and a banana, or oatmeal with fruit.

Lunch, it really depends on my day. Sometimes I'll have a turkey, lettuce, laughing cow cheese, and hot sauce wrap with fruit (apple, cherries, grapes), pudding and tortilla chips. Or I'll have a diced chicken, romaine, grape tomato, onion with fat free lime vinaigrette salad. Or I'll just have soup. It depends on my appetite.

Dinner is usually my biggest meal, so my calories range at around 500, give or take.

What and how much you eat per meal depends on your own appetite. And try some of the online counters that InControl2Day posted. They work the same way, the only difference is that you need to write down everything so you don't forget how much or what you ate. I love counting calories. I've done fat camp and weight watchers, and I've always gained it back. For the first time with counting calories, I feel that I've done this on my own and if I splurge and have a cheeseburger, I don't feel guilty about it because I planned for it!

With knowing for each food how many calories you eat, it's all about measurements and judgement. When I'm at my boyfriend's house, a lot of the things are home made, so I have to break down every single ingredient that is in a meatball or a spaghetti sauce (they're Italian, pasta is my enemy.) It's a challenge, but it's definitely worth it!

I use LoseIt! for iTouch - it's true, it has definitely helped. If you don't have an iPhone or iPod touch though, one of the best things to do is write down EVERYTHING you eat. It will help you keep track of what you eat, even if you don't know the exact calorie count. Plus, if you have to write it down where it's "visible", you will probably be a little more hesitant to eat something you know is bad... it at least helps make you think a bit more about whether or not you really want to have that in your food diary.

These ladies have given great advice. I'll throw in that it does get easier. I count calories it by hand and write everything down, and at first I had to look up EVERYTHING (I use calorieking.com). It was obnoxious. Now, I pretty much have the basics memorized and I know how big a serving is for whatever I'm eating and how many calories are in it and I can pretty much keep track in my head throughout the day. BUT it's taken months of doing it for me to get good at it.

I will also say that I've learned a TON by calorie counting; I never really used to pay attention to exactly what I was putting into my body. Now, even if I'm out and about, I can estimate the calories I'm consuming and stay on plan. It has also been helpful to have a record to look back on. Being diligent about it has really paid off for me. You'll be able to do it too. Be patient with yourself and like everything, know that it's a learning process !

Everyone is right on!
I am the same way, it becomes such a pain sometimes you want to just say forget it. But if you keep track of your cals during the day, when that late night craving hits you- you can always go back and see what you ate and how many (if any) cals you have left.

i just got thedailyplate for my blackberry and its really good too. plus you can log in online