What We’ll Cover

• How calorie tracking works in practice
• When calorie tracking can be a helpful tool
• Roczen recommendations around calorie counting

How Calorie Tracking Works

Calorie counting involves recording the calories you consume through food and drink and comparing this to your estimated daily calorie needs. At Roczen, we use the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, a well-regarded method to calculate your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is then adjusted for activity levels. This provides an estimate of how many calories your body needs each day.

Tracking calories can give you a clearer picture of both how much and what you eat. However, we don’t recommend calorie counting every day or from the start. Instead, it’s a tool to use occasionally, helping you gain awareness and make informed choices without relying on constant tracking.

When Calorie Tracking Can Be Helpful

Calorie counting isn’t for everyone, and it’s not always necessary. However, there are certain situations where it can be a useful tool:

Building awareness of food and energy intake

• It can help you learn about the energy density of different foods.
• Comparing calorie counts can guide healthier food choices.
• It helps you understand portion sizes and identify areas where you may be eating more than you thought.

Adjusting your plan

• Understanding your calorie needs allows you to adjust your diet to align with your weight goals.
• You can adapt your plan to changes in activity levels or circumstances, making it sustainable over time.

Calibrating your dietary intake

• Occasional calorie tracking helps spot gradual changes, such as portion sizes creeping up over time.
• It provides insights into trends, helping you make adjustments to maintain progress.
• It can highlight the impact of changes, such as adding plant-based foods or reducing sugar intake.

Accountability and motivation

• Keeping a food diary through calorie tracking increases accountability.
• Seeing positive trends, like consistent calorie intake or balanced meals, can be motivating.

Using Calorie Counting Strategically

Calorie tracking is most effective when used occasionally and purposefully, rather than daily. Here’s how to use it wisely:

• Occasional monitoring: Track your intake 1-2 days a month or one day a week to identify patterns and make necessary adjustments.
• Focus on nutritional quality: Look beyond calories. For example, ask whether high-calorie meals are keeping you full or supporting your health goals.
• Educational tool: Use tracking to learn about energy density and the balance of your meals, especially when trying new foods.

How to Use the Roczen Calorie Tracking Tool

1. Access the tool: Find the calorie tracker at the bottom of your Roczen homepage.
2. Set your target: Enter your weight and activity level to generate a calorie target, which includes an energy deficit for weight loss. You can adjust this target if needed.
3. Log your intake: Calculate the calories in your food using labels or online nutritional information. Enter the details and save the entry, selecting options like breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, drink, or other.

Summary

Calorie counting can be a helpful tool to track food intake, understand portion sizes, and align your diet with your health goals. By using it occasionally rather than obsessively, you can identify patterns, adjust your habits, and gain valuable insights into your eating behaviours. At Roczen, we focus on a balanced approach, emphasising the overall nutritional quality of food choices and the sustainability of your health journey.