$9/mo is kind of steep. The Fitday website is free and their software is a one-time purchase of maybe $25 (I forget).

Speaking of sunflower seeds, I need to refill my bird's food bowl.

550-700 kcal/hour is pretty much correct for an average-weight semi-upright male rider at 15-17 mph. I've set up a spreadsheet to calculate forces involved, and put in normal values for everything, plus a 21% body efficiency factor (one I've seen reported online). It's highly unlikely a rider will have a significantly higher efficiency (the variation I've seen stated is a couple of percentage points up or down), and only a very aero position, and very low total bike+rider mass, would bring the number down significantly. We're talking small female time trial-kitted rider, on a smooth track at 5000 ft... THEN, you're down to 500-600 over the two hours (assuming 16 mph)...

Oh, another thing, my calculations don't include the constant minor accelerations and decelerations that use up energy. So, if anything, my estimate is biased towards a too low figure.

Get a food scale in the Kitchen and weight everything and count calories off the weights. There are scales that will do this for you. Portion size is controlled by what you put on your plate. 8oz and thats it or whatever you need to get to. Also fill up on high fiber grains and vegetables. They have little to no calories and fill you up so your portion dense with calories can be smaller with you feeling less hungry.

Slow down when you eat. Give your body time to signal that it is full.

I'm with Roody on this. Everyone makes this so complex. Eat less of the clean food, keep active all day long, not just 1-2 hrs/day, and don't overdo the workouts - just be consistent. Works for me. Oh, and I like Hohum's point about eating slower - it really makes a difference for those of us who, uh, scarf...

Since your question was regarding HOW to eat less, here's some easy suggestions that are purely psychological, but work if you do them.

1. Use a smaller plate or bowl. (sounds easy, but plates and bowls these days are HUGE).
2. Use a smaller fork/spoon. Again, it sounds easy, but how big is your fork?
3. Don't let any of your different foods touch each other on the plate. If you have meat and potatoes and salad, leave room between them, and that's less food on your plate.
4. Chew your food longer. Actually count the chews. Chew a piece of meat 25 times before your swallow it. A steak will last a good 1/2 hour. This does a number of things: It breaks down the food with your teeth rather than your stomach, it adds saliva and enzymes to the food before it hits the stomach...reducing heartburn/indigestion, and it gets you physically tired and bored of eating...allowing you to put the fork down. Drawing out the chewing process is a great way of limiting the portions.
5. Don't do anything else while you're eating. Don't watch TV, don't read, don't play games. Make eating a chore. Smaller portions allow you to get to what you really want to do.
6. If you're eating with someone else (girl, friends, family) watch what the smallest person puts on their plate and put less on yours....then still be the last one eating.

Anyway, I hope this helps. I've been there.

Lots of good advice here.
I especially agree with:
- smaller dishes & utensils (I eat sugar free ice cream in small custard dishes)
- don't eat after 8 or 9 pm (clear liquids only--sugar free jello)
- eat more often so that you don't get too hungry and overdo it
- drink lots of water...fills you up with no calories
- eat high fiber fruits and veggies to give you that full feeling

Remember you can cut the calories in any food in half--just eat half of it!

More of my tricks and mind games: aka. "Rules to LIVE by" at www.HowILost100Pounds.com

Good luck!

i can attest to the smaller utensils! when i was in Argentina for two weeks in October I'd walk to the same coffee shop every morning for coffee, fruit cup, and yogurt.

the yogurt cup was exactly like my dannon's at home (only glass), but the spoon was the size of a tiny sugar spoon for coffee. it took me about 5 minutes to eat it (unless i wanted to look silly shoveling it into my mouth). at home i have a yogurt cup every morning and down it in about 5-6 big bites before heading out.

appearance is everything. if you have cheese and crackers at night, put the crackers and cheese you're going to eat on a plate, and take it to the tv. NOT the box of crackers and brick of cheese.

and as a type 1 diabetic i also advocate eating several small meals throughout the day. don't eat three huge meals. it's not much different than eating one giant vegas buffet meal. it just slows and shuts your body down. my diet is:

6am yogurt/granola
9:30 HB eggs or toast or banana
12 chicken/meat/chicken salad or moderate lunch
3 gronala bar or protein shake
6 dinner of my choice, moderate portion
9pm crackers, cheese, or other light snack

oh my other diet tip for eating out. "hold the sauce diet" (can i copyright that). whever i order a chicken salad, or some sort of lunch or dinner plate at a restaurant, i ask them to put "all sauce on the side" then i just have dry chicken with veggies, or potato or whatever comes with it, and can add however much sauce i want.

it's amazing how much "sauce" can ruin the health of a good salad, etc. oh and of course cut your portions in half at restaurants...