How I got in shape by tracking my calories (+ Calorie Counting Sheet)

Among all the confusing and contradictory information about fitness and nutrition, only one concept has remained invariant all these years. I call it "The Bank Analogy" because that's how my doctor explained it to me when I was 13 years old.

It was my first visit after the pediatrician era—too many things going on in my body and many more inside my head. But there was something clear to me. I was feeling fat. My father warned me that he started gaining weight at my age and could never revert it.

So that was my only question to the doctor: What can I do to be in shape?

His answer was simple:

Our body is like a Bank. Money flows in and out. If more goes in, the Bank is full, but if more money goes out, the Bank gets empty.

He didn't tell me to count calories, but he made it clear that I needed to either eat less or do more activity.

Many years and plenty of theories later, that concept remains the same. Counting calories is the starting point for any weight control strategy.

Challenges of counting calories

If it is so simple, why do we still struggle so much?

Because it's not easy. There are some difficulties there:

1. We don't believe it will work
2. We don't know how many calories we should take
3. We don't know whether we are eating the right amount

Let's discuss them.

As you are reading this, I assume you already believe it may work if you do it seriously.

I hope you also know your target amount of calories by this time. Your doctor or trainer probably told you, or your favorite influencer or the plumber who worked at your place last week.

Suppose you still don't have that number. In that case, you can estimate it using the "Harris-Benedict Equation" (DISCLAIMER: This is only an estimation method, and I strongly recommend you consult your doctor about it).

But today's main point is item 3: Helping you determine whether you are hitting the target. Let me share an Excel Sheet I created some time ago that has given me great results multiple times.

Tools

There are many tracking tools, mostly mobile apps and web pages. Although they are helpful, I always preferred the DIY approach for these reasons:

• It's more flexible. You can customize it to fit your habits by loading the products/foods you consume most frequently.
• It's more likely for you to use a tool that you created.
• You practice your Excel skills.

Download for free the one I created.

After gaining experience and awareness, you won't need it anymore, but you may come back to it occasionally.

This is how to use it in 3 simple steps:

1. Configure your Target calories in the Objective tab. Also, the distribution among macros (Carbohydrates, Protein, and Fats) and how you would like to distribute those calories throughout your day (your meals).

2. Add the foods you consume most frequently in the Foods tab. The sheet has some records as examples.

3. Start tracking. Select the food from the drop-down list and the quantity you ate. You will see how many calories you consume at each meal and throughout the day, helping you stay on track.

If you would like to create similar sheets, stay tuned. In future posts, I'll show you how to do it yourself.

Conclusion

Counting calories is the only invariant principle about fitness and nutrition.

The concept is simple, but we need a tool to help us to track the calories we consume.

You can download my spreadsheet for free.

I'll show you how to build your own sheet in future posts.

Thanks for reading.