How to start counting calories: a beginner’s guide

Week one: just log

The best first step is to change nothing. For one week, eat as you normally would and simply write down everything you eat and drink.

That week gives you two things. You learn the habit before any pressure to hit a number, and you get an honest picture of where you’re starting from. Most people are surprised by which meals turn out big, and which ones barely register.

Then set a target

Once you have a week of meals, work out roughly how much you need. Our guide to how many calories you should eat walks you through it in two steps.

Compare that target with your week-one average. If they’re close, a few small swaps may be all you need. If there’s a big gap, close it gradually rather than all at once.

Think in weekly averages, not single days. One big dinner doesn’t undo anything. What matters is how your week adds up.

Log quickly, not perfectly

• Log right after eating. Thirty seconds at the table beats trying to remember at bedtime.
• Estimate portions with your hand, a mug or a plate. You don’t need a scale; our guide to counting calories without weighing food shows how.
• Reuse your regulars. Most people eat the same breakfasts and lunches on repeat, so save them once and log them again in a tap.
• Choose consistency over precision. A rough entry every day tells you more than a perfect entry twice a week.

What’s easy to miss

New counters tend to miss the same few things. Catch these and your numbers get much closer:

• Cooking oil and butter. A tablespoon of oil is around 120 calories, and it rarely shows on the plate.
• Drinks. Lattes, juice, soft drinks and alcohol all count.
• Bites and tastes. Finishing the kids’ leftovers or tasting while you cook adds up.
• Sauces and dressings. Mayonnaise, pesto and salad dressing are small in size but rich in calories.
• Meals out. Restaurant portions run large; see how to log restaurant and takeaway meals.

Start in Meali

Counting calories doesn’t have to mean searching a food database for every ingredient. In Meali, you write what you ate the way you’d say it, “two slices of toast with butter and a flat white”, and Meali breaks it into foods and works out the calories, protein, carbs and fat for each.

Save the meals you eat often and log them again in a tap. Set a daily target whenever you’re ready, and your daily summary shows how each day is going. If something looks off, just tell Meali what was different and the numbers update.