If you know your approximate daily calorie intake then you already have a solid starting point. However, not everybody is aware of this variable therefore, you have to determine your average daily calorie intake!

Make a list of your breakfast-lunch-dinner food from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed. Make sure to include everything; add them all up and you will get a calorie count of your average daily intake!

Although the total amount of your average daily calorie intake may surprise you, do not make radical changes all at once. Radical calorie changes often cause diet relapses because most people can not cope with the diet change. When you have finished your calorie calculations, determine your optimal calorie level.

If your current caloric intake is significantly higher or lower than your optimal calorie level, make the adjustment slowly. An immediate increase or decrease induces fat gain or triggers the starvation response.

If your optimal calorie level is greater than your current calorie intake then make a gradual increase over a period of weeks to allow the body to make the necessary adjustments; if it is the opposite, make the necessary reductions over the same period of time.

It is not necessary to write down the amount of calorie that you eat every day; however, it is vital that you develop an understanding of calorie balance and acquire an estimate of your current daily intake. Do not settle for guesswork, the lack of progress can also be the result of guesstimates!

To be on the safe side, make a list of your calorie intake for at least 30 days in order to have an idea of your actual daily calorie intake.

Success can only be achieved if you do what is necessary, even if it is hard!