When you begin a weight loss program it is important to know how many calories you are consuming. It is worth the extra effort to write down how many calories you consume and you will find as the process goes along you will develop a sense of how much to eat. It will take a few minutes to write down the calories from the food container but you will provide yourself with the information you need to be successful at weight loss.
Now is the time to get really serious about what you eat. Look at every meal, what is on the table, do you see breads, rolls, high fat salad dressing, and creamy sauces.
You need to understand what you can eat, how much you can eat, and how much exercise it will take to burn off what you eat. You now have to take control over food so monitor each meal and make sure that what you put on your plate allows you to reach your daily calorie goal.
As a general rule of thumb, figure that each meal will have between 500 - 1000
calories. Using this as your guide you can plan your meals for the day and know, with confidence, that you will reach but not exceed your goals.