If you don't have access to a computer at all times, buying a simple notebook and a book that lists calorie counts for many types of foods will work. (Simply write your calorie goal at the top and subtract the calorie content of each food or beverage you consume as the day progresses.) You may also want to consider starting a food diary to assess problem areas or emotional eating issues.
Review your daily diet as often as possible to identify ways to cut calories. It will probably be easy to find many "painless" ways to reduce your caloric intake. For example, if you are consistently going over your calorie goal by 100 calories, cutting out just one can of soda will eliminate that overage.
It's important that you identify foods to eliminate (or cut back on) with good nutrition in mind. A healthy diet is comprised of protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and some fat. Simply avoiding high-calorie foods such as sodas, candies, cookies, chips, and fried foods, will help you avoid many extra calories. Before you decide to eliminate or choose a particular food, consider its nutritional value.(In other words, don't cut out a glass of orange juice in favor of using those calories for a cookie!)
To ensure you are eating a healthy diet, you can use the dietary guidelines offered by the U.S. goverment MyPyramid.gov Web site or the American Diabetes Association exchange diet if you are diabetic. You may also find the About.com Nutrition site to be helpful.
