Originally Posted by margoC

I've counted calories on and off in the past. Every now and then I find one of the little spiral notebooks I used to jot this down, it was interesting reading it.

I'm older now and it's been harder to maintain my weight so I decided to do this again. I have a scale and notebook on my counter, I made a chart of my most eaten foods. It's actually a calories/gram factor for most of it, I weigh the item, and multiply it by the factor.

It's been really helpful, and not as much trouble as it sounds. I have made it kind of a fun thing, and something I can look at over time. I now also jot my exercise and activity, and also my weight, it's like a health journal.

There are times I guestimate the calories but for the most part I think it's pretty close. I consume a healthy diet, but it's not necessarily low calorie. For instance, the nuts, olive oil, and flaxseed I put in my salads adds up, so measuring is important.