7 best food diaries: counting calories with pleasure!

When voicing the idea of ​​keeping a food diary to their patients at the first appointment, nutritionists often encounter resistance. “Do I have nothing else to do?”, “Am I a mathematician, or what?”, “Do I really have to be tied to scales and a calculator now?” and even “Should I count calories right in front of the children?” - what kind of counterarguments are not used by those who are dissatisfied with this prospect and losing weight.

However, first of all, it is definitely worth it! Well, secondly, technological progress has advanced far enough to save you from using a calculator when doing calculations. What's more: you'll love counting calories!

Three main reasons to keep a weight loss diary

The inexorable laws of physics say that there is only one way to lose weight - “energy”. In order for “energy depots” in the form of fat reserves to disintegrate, the body’s energy consumption must exceed its intake. It is this fundamental connection that helps you clearly track your food diary.

As you know, energy is measured in kilocalories, or more simply put, calories. This means that the main task of losing weight is to reduce the amount of calories coming from food. Therefore, at the start of weight loss, experts set a “calorie threshold”, which should not be crossed until the extra pounds are completely defeated.

Typically, this limit is from 1000 to 1500 kcal. Determining how many calories we “eat” during the day (and sometimes at night) is possible only through a food diary, where everything we drink and eat is strictly recorded, including the weight of foods and, most importantly, their calorie content.

Those losing weight who at first try to shy away from keeping a diary ask the question: “Why don’t we eat exclusively healthy food?” It seems that the answer is obvious: everyone probably has friends who claim that they live on cabbage alone, deny themselves all gastronomic joys, almost starve - and for some reason their weight increases.

And only when they begin to scrupulously write down everything that they put into their mouths, the scales fall from their eyes: it turns out that in between eating cabbage they will either drink tea with cookies and sweets, or snack on cakes in a coffee shop, or be treated to dumplings...

And only when a person begins to keep a diary does he realize that each such “edible little thing” costs a good half of the daily calorie intake. And, as extensive practice shows, those who have “seen the light” immediately begin to successfully lose weight!

The second typical question from “dissenters”: “Isn’t it possible to determine the number of calories by eye?” Numerous experiments in which thousands of people took part show that it is possible, it is, of course, possible, but with a large degree of error - and always in the direction of a subjective reduction in the calorie content of the food eaten.

The “mistake” in the “by eye” assessment is from 30 to 50% underestimation of calories eaten! This applies to absolutely everyone, including nutrition professionals - be it a waiter, a chef, or even a doctor specializing in weight loss. Therefore, nutritionists recommend that in cases where there is no way to count the calories in a dish, double the estimated number that comes to mind. And keeping a calorie diary saves you from the need to wander in captivity of your arithmetic fantasies.

And finally, the diary will help you constantly make sure that you are on the right path: that is, you are eating what you need, and in the quantities that you need. In addition, the diary comes with a weight loss chart - in it you will triumphantly set milestones of your victories over fat. And even if there are few reasons for joy, you can always present your diary to a nutritionist, who will help you figure out what you are doing wrong and correctly adjust your diet.

Let's figure out how to properly keep a food diary.

You can fill out the diary either on paper or electronically. Of course, the second method is much more convenient than the manual one, because... Now there are a variety of applications and programs that already have ready-made nutrition signs. You will only be required to fill them out. In addition to regular tables, the applications are equipped with automatic analysis of the information received from you.

But in the busy environment of modern people, it is not always possible to enter data in electronic format. Therefore, you can use two methods at once. Let's say during the day you write down all the information in a notebook, and before going to bed, transfer all the entries to a spreadsheet.

It's up to you to choose which method of keeping a diary. Below are the pros and cons of each tool.

How to choose your ideal calorie diary?

Gone are the days when the “pioneers” of training and weight loss courses scribbled their paper diaries literally on their knees, surrounded by scales and calculators. The era of digital technology has opened up the possibility of unlimited access to gigantic amounts of information, including that necessary for keeping weight loss diaries.

Any Internet user can find literally everything about what he has eaten or intends to eat in a matter of seconds. To do this, you just need to have a computer, tablet, smartphone or any similar device at hand. The only “traditional” device that you won’t be able to give up yet is the scale. All you have to do is enter the weight and name of the dish or products it consists of and - voila, everything is calculated automatically!

It is not surprising that sites focused on helping people lose weight are enthusiastically including “calorie counters” in their services. Perhaps the most important criterion for evaluating them can rightfully be considered ease of use and functionality. Well, the absence of intrusive advertising, which makes it difficult to view content, slows down the operating system, eats up traffic and, finally, is simply annoying - an important plus.

It is gratifying that the matter itself, as a rule, is not limited to counting calories: the best sites concentrate a lot of virtual “chips” for the benefit of those who have embarked on the path leading to slimness.

Here are the main ones:

• availability of a mobile version suitable for portable devices;
• the opportunity to consult with specialists;
• additional help - topical articles, video tutorials, etc.;
• support of like-minded people through a forum with the possibility of communication;
• reviews from grateful users who share their experience of losing weight using a food diary;
• rich “product” database, which is regularly updated.

Next, we will test the seven most popular virtual food diaries for losing weight for the presence of the listed “digital amenities”, assign ratings to each diary, summarize them in a single table and find out which of these resources deserves the title of ideal.

How to determine why you are gaining weight?

Let's find out what reasons lead to the gain of excess kilograms in your case.

After all, only after determining the source of excess weight can you begin to choose a method of losing weight (adjusting your diet, balanced diet, necessary physical activity, etc.).

If you don't identify the source of excess weight, after any diet or month of gym training, you will return to your comfortable lifestyle. And the kilograms that you worked so hard on will come back to you again, taking with you a couple more extra friends.

In order to determine why you are gaining weight, it is enough to perform 3 sequential steps:

1. Be patient 2. Make observations and record them in a food diary (aka food diary) 3. Analyze the information received

Now let's look at each point in detail.

Be patient

This point is very important in any business. Your success depends on its implementation.

Most of the time, people fail to achieve their weight loss goals. They begin to lose weight, lose 3-5 kg, rejoice at the first result and relax. Then they gain weight again. At the first difficulties they give up and everything returns to normal.

Our task is to act wisely and not be like everyone else. Therefore, even before you start losing weight, you need to patiently analyze your actions, find mistakes and correct them.

Those who lack patience go looking for “magic pills and miracle cures,” buy them at three times, and shift all responsibility for their lives onto them.

Make observations and record them in your food diary

For the first time, a food diary will replace your nutritionist; you will look at your nutrition from the outside and perhaps immediately find your mistakes.

In any case, it is the food diary that will open your eyes to the source of your extra pounds. Teaches discipline and self-analysis.

Analyze the information received

After you fill out the food diary template, move on to the next step - analyzing the information.

After all, proper nutrition is too comprehensive a concept. For one, this means not eating after 6 pm, for another, not eating at McDonald's and KFS, for a third, not eating foods containing flour/sugar/salt, etc.

Bormental.ru

This is a professional online resource for those losing weight from the No. 1 weight loss center in Russia “Doctor Bormenthal”. The site was developed and supervised by the famous Russian scientist Andrei Bobrovsky, a nutritionist and psychotherapist, candidate of medical sciences, author of the “Doctor Bormental” method, scientific director of a network of clinics of the same name.

• Convenience and functionality: 5 points

At first glance, the site is attracted by its noble design and complete absence of annoying advertising. In the footer of the main page, only significant projects of the Dr. Bormental weight loss center are tactfully announced. The interface is built clearly and harmoniously, at the same time it is simple and intuitive even for those who visited the resource for the first time.

The “Bormenthal” food diary itself is very flexible and detailed: here you can create a daily diet from both individual products and ready-made dishes, which are available in a wide range, including many delicious dietary recipes. The number of calories, their density (which cannot be found on other sites), as well as the content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates is taken into account - both in each meal and for the day (or any other time interval) as a whole.

Another “highlight” of the diary is the notes - you eat according to hunger, time or appetite, which allows you to track the relationship between food and emotional state. Not only food is taken into account, but also water drunk and physical activity. There is also a statistics section in which the calorie content of food and its fractionality are assessed, the “relationships” between products are analyzed, body parameters are determined, a weight loss and volume reduction chart is maintained, etc.

Everything on this site is impeccably subordinated to a single goal - to make the weight loss process as easy, effective and safe as possible. It remains to add that all the information on the site is scientifically substantiated and based on the most modern medical principles.

• Availability of a mobile version: 5 points

You can easily access the “Bormenthal calorie counter” not only from a PC, but also from mobile and tablet devices - that is, the diary is actually available at any time and anywhere where the global network operates.

• Possibility of consultations: 4 points

Consultations here are available only to VIP program participants. True, the fee for it is purely symbolic, although online appointments are conducted by well-known Russian nutritionists and psychotherapists.

• Additional help: 5 points

The arsenal of help for losing weight on the “Calorie Counter” is very wide: there are trances, webinars, video tutorials, articles, quizzes, slimming recipes and instructions to help beginners.

• Support of like-minded people: 5 points

There is a thematic forum on “Schitalka”, where people united by the goal of losing weight actively discuss any pressing issues, share successes and experiences, and exchange recipes for delicious and healthy dishes.

• Reviews: 5 points

https://youtu.be/-GMLsHvCdJ4

The “Bormenthal counting machine” has many loyal fans who have personally attested to its indispensability in weight loss in the “Book of Reviews” on the local forum, in success stories on the “Doctor Bormenthal” website and in videos on the YouTube video hosting site.

• Database: 5 points

The food diary is synchronized with the largest database in Russia - the online food catalog "GoodsMatrix". Therefore, the information about products and dishes in this diary is the most relevant and varied that you can imagine.

How to do it?

So, if you are determined to lose weight, control the caloric content of your diet. To do this, you need to learn how to accurately calculate them. You need to understand what your diet consists of and how to translate a delicious lunch into its numerical expression. In this newsletter, you'll learn how to accurately calculate your calorie intake and use it to keep your personal calorie diary.

Calorie tracking can be useful not only for people losing weight, but also for those involved in sports or fitness, for better control over their body. And also for any health problems that require you to strictly monitor your diet.

But before you start limiting your diet, remember that in this, as in any other health-related matter, you need to be extremely careful and take moderation. And it is best to first consult a doctor, a nutritionist.

Photo: Depositphotos

Diets.ru

This is a specialized social network that offers those who are losing weight to achieve their desired weight through various diets.

• Convenience and functionality: 3 points a

Once you open the site, it immediately becomes clear that advertising and marketing function well here. Right in the header of the site there is a call to join the gardening project, under the header - to ride reindeer, and in the left sidebar - to buy cats, shoes, jewelry, etc. It is not clear what all this has to do with weight loss. When navigating through the pages of the site, the user every now and then stumbles upon the ubiquitous Yandex Direct.

However - to the food diary! On the website, its menu is modestly located between gardeners and deer. Here, thank God, there is a calculation of the calorie content of ready-made dishes and products, and accounting for calorie consumption during a particular physical activity, and weight control statistics. But the direct functions of the weight loss diary are rather weak and are lost against the background of the general diversity.

For example, the fields for filling out the diary are initially designed for only one meal - users will have to “conjure” adding meals. But along the way - the name of the site obliges you to “comply” - there is a large number of unbalanced diets that are potentially dangerous, and besides, they are not needed for weight loss in principle: all that is needed is a balanced diet within the calorie range.

• Availability of mobile version : 5 points

There is a mobile application.

• Possibility of consultations: 4 points

The site has a column of free consultants, but among them there are no nutritionists - only psychologists.

• Additional help: 3 points

In addition to the already mentioned diets and psychological consultations, you can only find thematic articles here. Well, and “joint purchases,” as usual.

• Support of like-minded people: 5 points

But here you can’t argue: this is a social network with all the necessary “accessories” - vigorous communication in groups and through personal correspondence, competitions, photo galleries, the opportunity to speak out and receive comments in the “Diaries” section. Although in essence these are blogs, not food diaries, and the fact that different sections are called the same is somewhat confusing.

• Reviews: 4 points

On the review site Irecommend.ru there are entirely laudatory reviews, although in style they are more reminiscent of professional journalistic articles. But the website has a photo gallery of the participants, clearly demonstrating their figures before and after losing weight.

• Database: 2 points

The base is very meager: there is only food, and there are only 12 ready-made main courses, and their list includes mainly boiled vegetables. If we are guided by the saying “cabbage soup and porridge are our food,” then when searching for the calorie content of porridges, only ready-made porridges from McDonalds and Nestle “helpfully” pop up, and there is no trace of cabbage soup in the database.

Calculation of calorie content of a simple dish

Let's figure out how to calculate the calorie content of a simple dish consisting of several ingredients. It will be called simple because it does not contain products that change weight during cooking. More on this in the next chapter.

So, let's prepare, for example, a vegetable salad. List of products included:

• Tomatoes.
• Cucumbers.
• Sunflower oil.
• Salt.

Let's write down the calorie content of each product from the table.

• Tomatoes - 17. Cucumbers - 13. Sunflower oil - 899. Salt - 0.

Now let's weigh each product separately and add a third column to our table.

• Tomatoes - 17 - 230. Cucumbers - 13 - 190. Sunflower oil - 899 - 9. Salt - 0 - 0.

Photo: Depositphotos
As you can see, salt has zero calorie content, and it is almost impossible to weigh it, so we will simply remove it from the table.

Now let’s calculate the calorie content for each row of the table as it is done for one serving (I will write formulas in parentheses for checking, you don’t need to write them):

• Tomatoes 17 230 39.1 (17*230/100).
• Cucumbers 13 190 24.7 (13*190/100).
• Sunflower oil 899 9 80.91 (899*9/100).

Let's calculate the sums of the numbers in the 2nd and 3rd columns, that is, the total weight of our salad and its total calorie content. But remember - this is the calorie content of the WHOLE salad. And if you do not consume it all at once, but in portions, then this is not the final figure!

• Tomatoes 17 230 39.1
• Cucumbers 13 190 24.7
• Sunflower oil 899 9 80.91
• 429 144.71

And finally, the most important thing! Total calorie content in 100 grams of salad:

Total Calories * 100 / total Weight = Calories per 100 grams

In our case - 144.71 * 100/429 = 33.73 kilocalories in 100 grams of salad.

We have obtained the caloric value that we can use when calculating one serving of salad.

Beregifiguru.ru

This Internet project is presented to users as “a site for calculating figure indicators, weight, proportions, ideals and consumption.”

• Convenience and functionality: 4 points

The site is quite simple - a typical set of online calculators. And this is good, since the service is not “cluttered” with an abundance of varied information. Everything is clear: a fairly convenient and detailed food diary, calorie consumption tracking, statistics of weighings and measurements of body volumes, keeping graphs for clarity, etc. True, advertisements for foreign language courses hang over the header, advertising screensavers intrusively flash in the left sidebar, and Yandex Direct is spread out freely in the basement.

• Availability of a mobile version : 3 points

There is no mobile application, since, judging by the administration’s assurances, “the site is optimized to work on mobile devices.”

• Possibility of consultations: 3 points

Consultations are provided, however, only with trainers, and not with doctors. However, the website honestly states that it is “intended for informational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice.”

• Additional help: 1 point

Not observed - as they say, “the situation is strict, nothing superfluous.”

• Support of like-minded people: 5 points

There is a thematic forum where, by the way, everyone can publish their personal weight loss diary for public viewing and discussion.

• Reviews: 4 points

On the forum you can find that a number of users liked this resource, and their sincerity is beyond doubt.

• Database: 5 points

The product base pleases with its breadth: for each product and dish there are dozens of varieties, including the same “cabbage soup and porridge”.

Calculation of calorie content of a complex dish

Photo: Depositphotos
First, I’ll say a little about the water added to most dishes. It would seem that if it has zero calorie content, then why take it into account. But you remember that when calculating the calorie content of 100 grams of a finished dish, we use the total weight! To determine it, you need to know the mass of added water.

In all the variety of products from which we prepare various dishes, there are several categories that change their mass during the cooking process. The changes are associated with interaction with water. Here are these products with a description of the changes.

Cereals, pasta - they “boil”, that is, they increase their weight, which means that by weighing a portion of 100 grams of boiled cereal, you will receive extra grams of water and calculate it at the “price” of the cereal, and this is incorrect, only mass of “dry” product.

Meat, poultry, and sausages are “boiled,” reducing weight by releasing some of it into water, turning it into broth.

Now, attention, a very important moment! These weight changes should NOT always concern you! But only when you change the composition of the dish during the cooking process.

• For example, if you cook any cereal or pasta, and at the end of cooking, drain the water. In this case, part of the water remains in the cereal.
• Or if you cook meat (chicken) broth, but take the meat out of it to use it in a separate dish. Then some of the meat remains in the broth.
• Or you remove the bones from the meat, reducing its mass.

For these cases, the calculation will differ from the “simple dish”.

Let's look at the example of pasta. Weigh 200 grams of pasta and cook until done. Now let’s add excess water and weigh it again (and don’t forget to subtract the weight of the saucepan). You get, for example, 385 grams. The “uncooking” coefficient will be 385/200 = 2.825, that is, the pasta increases the mass by almost 3 times. Moreover, for different types and even different shelf life of pasta and cereals, this value will be different.

Photo: Depositphotos

How to use it?

Two ways. The first is when you consume the “boiled” product directly, and the second is when you use it to prepare another dish, for example, “Navy pasta with minced meat.”

So, if you want to eat a portion of boiled pasta , then divide the weighed mass by the resulting coefficient and then calculate the calorie content for the resulting new mass, as usual. For example, the pasta “cooked” above, with a serving weight weighing 230 g, will actually give only 81.4 g.

The second option - using the boiled product to prepare another dish - is more difficult because you do not know what the mass of the same pasta is in a serving, since it is mixed with other ingredients. You can calculate the calorie content of 100 grams of a dish (we know the weight of dry pasta), but you won’t be able to calculate a portion.

Therefore, in this case, it would be correct to recalculate, taking into account the obtained coefficient, not the mass of the boiled product, but its calorie content in 100 grams. That is, in the final dish the calorie content of pasta is taken not according to the table - 321 kcal, but 321/2.825 = 113.63.

For a better understanding, let’s look at a specific example of calculating the “Navy Pasta” dish.

Here is the full list of ingredients: pasta, water, minced meat, onion, butter.

First, cook the pasta. We weigh them dry and get, for example, 120 g. Cook them until the doneness we need and drain the water through a colander. We weigh it again (and again don’t forget about the weight of the saucepan) and we get 375 g. Let’s calculate the boiling coefficient:

Final Mass / Initial Mass = Cooking Coefficient

In our case it will be equal to: 375 / 120 = 3.125

Now let's prepare the minced meat. The calculation of its calorie content is exactly the same as we studied earlier.

Minced beef 148 kcal/100 g 850 g 1258 kcal Onion 30 47 14.1 Sunflower oil. 899 12 107.88 Water 0 160 0

1069 g 1379.98 Total : 129.09 kcal per 100 grams.

Now we need to mix the cooked pasta and cooked minced meat. But you and I remember that our pasta was swollen with water. And to take this into account, in the final dish we will use, firstly, a lot of dry pasta, and secondly, we will divide their calorie content by our magic coefficient. Here's what happens:

Pasta 321 kcal / 3.125=102.72 120 gr. 123.26 Minced meat 129.09 kcal 1069 g 1379.98

1189 g 1503.24 Total : 126.43 kcal per 100 grams.

Please note that the calorie content of 100 grams of cooked minced meat could not be calculated, but the general figures for the weight and calorie content of the finished minced meat could be added to the last table.

Photo: Depositphotos

dietadiary.com

The goal of this site, as stated on the home page, is “to provide a simple, easy-to-use tool for managing your weight.”

• Convenience and functionality: 3 points

The site is an example of a typical calorie counter with all the tools to automate the counting: food diary, calorie tables, calorie calculator, graphs and rulers. It’s a pity that the diary is “tailored” to only one product—you have to add the rest of the data about products and meals yourself. In addition, the service does not pay attention to movement, and, consequently, energy costs.

Among the most annoying disadvantages: in the header, the “carousel” of banners flickers so much that it dazzles your eyes, and when you navigate through the pages, advertisements for “cash loans” and other things that are inappropriate here pop up here and there. In general, the site gives the impression of overload, being essentially a simple calculator with an attached forum.

• Availability of mobile version : 5 points

Diet diaries, as the site rightly claims, are “accessible to anyone, from anywhere.”

• Possibility of consultations: 1 point

Not provided.

• Additional help: 2 points

Featured articles only.

• Reviews: 4 points

Some users do not skimp on publishing their words of gratitude on the site. There are also reviews on Irecommend.ru, but they are clearly custom-made.

• Support of like-minded people: 5 points

Well, the friendly mutual assistance and communication here is at its best: there is a dietary forum with many topics, and you can also exchange messages, keep blog diaries and read recipes, blogs and food diaries of users.

• Database: 3 points

The table of calorie content of foods, as the website assures, “contains more than 1000 items.” True, there are no basic cabbage soup on this list, and there are only five types of porridges, as well as soups. It is proposed to add “culinary” information, which is clearly in short supply here, on your own.

Why is FatSecret needed?

As you know, in order to lose weight, you need to move more or eat less. This is a law of nature: if you spend more energy than you consume, you will lose subcutaneous fat, if on the contrary, you will store it.

But how do you know how much energy enters the body and how much is spent? Scientists came up with calories - units of energy measurement, and also developed formulas with the help of which any person can determine for themselves the daily norm at which energy intake is equal to its expenditure. This norm is called RDA - recommended daily calorie intake .

Then everything is simple. If you want to lose weight, eat less than RSK; if you want to gain weight, eat more. Active pastime also affects RBC, however, calorie expenditure during movements is usually much less than their intake from food, so you will be more effective in losing weight or gaining weight with the help of diets rather than training.

You can learn more about what RSC is, how it is calculated, and also calculate your daily requirement using an online calculator on the page RSC in nutrition and diet - what is it?

The FatSecret service allows you to calculate RBC and keep a food diary. You enter into FatSecret what you eat during the day and see how many calories you have already received, and how many calories you have left until your daily RBC or lower value, thanks to which you will lose weight.

Takzdorovo.ru

This is a very respectable representative of our review - the official resource of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, embodying the state program “Healthy Russia”. There is also a section with food diaries.

• Convenience and functionality: 5 points

At first glance, the “official” food diary serves as an excellent illustration of the aphorism “Everything ingenious is simple”: the section menu is in plain sight, no diversity, confusion or annoying advertising (the Ministry of Health, of course, does not need advertising).

But upon closer examination, it turns out that initially the diary is designed for only one product or recipe, and the remaining products are added independently. But this is more than compensated for by many other interesting and useful options: a movement diary with a database of types of activity and energy expenditure, training planning, a weight chart, as well as tests, surveys and personal recommendations.

• Availability of a mobile version : 3 points

We were able to find a mobile version only for those who want to quit smoking, and not for those losing weight. But on the website you can download a health diary to monitor your diet and exercise.

• Possibility of consultations: 5 points

This service is at the highest level - doctors with academic degrees, researchers, and heads of federal medical centers provide free consultations via online conferences. You can also get feedback via a toll-free hotline or email.

• Additional help: 5 points

In addition to the already mentioned tests, recommendations and online conferences, you can find many articles, news and expert columns on the site. They cover the topics of weight loss, proper nutrition, movement, healthy cooking, etc. And what is especially gratifying is that all this information can be confidently trusted, since it comes directly from the Ministry of Health.

• Reviews: 4 points

There are few comments on the well-known review site Irecommend.ru, but they are all positive.

• Support of like-minded people: 4 points

No forums, no chats, no blogs with comments can be found on this site. Here is an exclusive luxury - to receive online advice approved by the Ministry of Health itself!

• Database: 3 points

But the product catalog let us down: there are not so many ready-made dishes. If we talk about porridges, there are only four types of them, as well as three types of cabbage soup and four types of soup. The only meat is rabbit and turkey. Apparently, knowing this flaw, the administration added a note: “If the required entries are not found on the site, enter the products yourself or write to us.” Or it is simply suggested to read the labels on food packages.

Where can I get the caloric content of foods?

In order to calculate the calorie content of your diet, you need to know the calorie content of 100 grams for all products. The calorie content of foods is taken from tables, of which there are many on the Internet and in bookstores. But they may not contain exactly the product you need at the moment, so always read the calorie content indicated on the product packaging.

It is best to write down these numbers somewhere in a separate place and accumulate your own table of caloric content of the foods that you most often consume. When you buy a product in a store that does not have packaging, for example, sausage or frankfurters, then do not hesitate to ask the seller to read for you the calorie content on the large, bulk packaging from which he took the product out.

Tvoytrainer.com

This is a resource with a sports focus, presented as a “site that trains.” In addition to sections about training, there is a food diary and a calorie consumption counter.

• Convenience and functionality: 4 points

The interface of the local food diary is noticeably different from its counterparts on other sites. The main inconvenience is that initially only breakfast is included in the diary, and you have to add the rest of the meals yourself. But the control zone here includes not only calories and dietary fats, but also micronutrients, and fats are sorted by type. You can keep charts for weight loss and volume reduction.

An undoubted advantage is the presence of a detailed training diary, which contains many thoroughly described exercises for various muscle groups. There are practically no advertisements here, and this is encouraging!

• Possibility of consultations: 4 points

When paying for a VIP subscription, consultations with fitness trainers and a nutritionist are provided.

• Availability of mobile version : 5 points

There is a calorie counter application for Android and mobile operating systems.

• Additional help: 3 points

Among the free services to help those losing weight, the website contains instructions on nutrition, training, journaling, etc.

• Reviews: 4 points

Success stories confirm the presence of a grateful audience for this site. They are published by real users in the appropriate section and illustrated with photographs of them in the process of losing weight.

• Support of like-minded people: 5 points

The site has blogs, communication in the feed, a competition for the best diets, and a database of dietary recipes for users, equipped with photographs of dishes.

• Database: 5 points

The catalog of ready-made dishes amazes with its diversity: there are a couple of dozen types of notorious porridges alone, and even more cabbage soup! Plus, you can check the calorie content of foods, their chemical composition and nutrients with two reference books at once - Skurikhin and USDA.

What can the FatSecret calorie tracker do?

In short, in FatSecret you select the foods you eat from a huge list, and it does all the calculations for you and visually presents the results. The daily work time with the service is 5 minutes. The main thing is to write down what you eat during the day, or have a good memory.

As an option, it’s very convenient to use the FatSecret apps for Android and iOS.

For smartphones based on iOS and Android, FatSecret has mobile Russian versions that make the process of counting calories even easier.

Now let's take a closer look at the service. What FatSecret Russia offers us:

1. A database of Russian products with the ability to add your own products or correct existing ones.
2. Keeping a food diary dividing meals into three main meals and snacks.
3. Keeping an activity diary indicating the “energy intensity” of exercises - running, strength training, and so on.
4. The ability to calculate your daily calorie intake and your “ideal” weight , as well as track your current weight and progress in losing weight.
5. Community is an opportunity to see not only your progress, but also to observe other participants in the service.

The only noticeable drawback is the not very correct Russification of the service, which was originally English-language. However, this does not interfere with work in the tracker.

Calorizator.ru

This portal is dedicated to healthy eating. The closest attention is paid to calorie counting here.

• Convenience and functionality : 5 points

The site presents a whole range of calculators-analyzers: individual products, recipes, dietary supplements, calorie consumption, etc. The recipe analyzer is especially convenient: in its field you can enter with one click all the products included in the dish being prepared, and adjust their specific gravity in the dish to the appropriate one calorie level.

As for the food diary, it is accompanied by statistics on BJU, a chart of weight loss and volume reduction, a nutrition calendar that shows the entered data for the week and month, and reports on all parameters regarding weight loss. Therefore, despite the dominance of Yandex Direct and other advertising, the diary as a whole deserves praise.

• Possibility of consultations: 1 point

Unfortunately, consultations with specialists are not provided on the portal.

• Availability of mobile version : 5 points

There is a mobile application.

• Additional help: 5 points

The portal has a lot of information to help those losing weight: articles, videos, diets, illustrated recipes, etc.

• Reviews: 4 points

On the review site Irecommend.ru there is an abundance of admiring comments, and not all of them are custom-made.

• Support of like-minded people: 5 points

In addition to the forum, where a lot of pressing topics are discussed, there are blogs of participants about losing weight, exchange of recipes, a lottery, gifts and awards, competitions, surveys - in general, a lot of interesting things.

• Database: 5 points

The grocery list is very rich - this applies to both individual products and ready-made dishes.

Frequently asked questions and problems regarding the FatSecret tracker

Here I have compiled a selection of frequently asked questions that I receive from readers. I don’t work for FatSecret technical support and am an ordinary user, so if you haven’t found the answer to your question here, it would be best to write to the service’s technical support.

I give answers to questions using the online version, since the “edit” or “delete” applications have reduced functionality.

• Is it possible to change the weight and other initial parameters? - Can. In the top menu, select “Reports” (“Weigh in now”). On the reports page, a new “My Diet” section will appear in the right menu, where you can click the “Reload My Diet” button to re-enter all the original data.
• In what form does FatSecret calculate the weight of the product - raw or cooked? - Cooked.
• Does FatSecret count the amount of liquid you drink? - No, he doesn’t, although such a function would not harm him.
• Can I delete a published food diary entry? - No you can not. But you can delete all products by making the entry "empty". Next to each product there is a small cross on the right for deletion.
• Is it possible to delete a published journal/feed entry? — On the desktop version it is possible. Go to the “My Journal” menu, a list of entries will appear. If it was a diary or text entry, it can be deleted using a cross. If this was a report from a food diary, then see the point above. On the mobile version I did not find the option to delete a diary entry.
• How to delete an exercise in the exercise diary? — On the desktop version, an exercise can be deleted in the same way as an entry in a food diary, using the small cross on the right.
• Is it possible to delete your dish if you entered it incorrectly? — If you add a product to your database, but not to the general one, you can edit or delete it. Select a product (on the “Products” menu tab), click the “Edit” button, scroll through the product adding form to the end and click on the green “Delete” button. If you add a branded product from a manufacturer to the general database, you will not be able to remove it.
• Is it possible to add an additional meal besides breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks? — No, unfortunately, the service does not have such an option. I advise you to add everything extra to your “snacks”.
• Can I download FatSecret to my computer so I can use it without having to go to the website? — No, FatSecret is only available as an online version on the website and mobile applications.
• Can I delete my FatSecret account? — By default, FatSecret does not provide this option. Try writing to technical support.

Results

And now, as promised, we will summarize all the ratings of the most popular online food diaries for all significant parameters into a single rating table.

professional Bormental.ru and Takzdorovo are deservedly in the lead in this list . ru , however, the “amateur” Calorizator.ru also has something to be proud of. There are no obvious outsiders in this rating - other similar portals also have certain advantages, and you are free to choose the virtual diary that suits your taste as a companion to your slimness.

We hope that the diary you love will support your enthusiasm, make the weight loss process easy and fun, help you find new like-minded friends - in general, it will mean much more to you than just a calorie calculator!

Add it to the wall!

Sample

An example of how to fill out a food diary for weight loss will help you organize your own notes:

• date – 05/13/2018;
• personal details - 24 years old, height 176 centimeters, weight 81 kilograms, hips, waist;
• target – 65 kg;
• period – 2.5 months;
• The diet is low-calorie, 2000 calories were eaten today.

Notes: you need to reduce your daily intake to 1500 kcal, then the weight loss process will go faster. I have a huge desire to eat sweets, but I overcome it with drinking water, rosehip decoction, and tea. The physical activity is small, so I added moderate intensity exercises. Total: no more than 1500 kcal per day, sports - at least 10 minutes of jogging every day. Make it a rule to go for an evening or morning jog.

Data must be entered daily. The next day's entry might look something like this:

• date – 05/14/2018;
• personal data - weight 80.7 kilograms, hip circumference 103 centimeters, waist 75 cm;
• result – +0.3 kg;
• daily diet - oatmeal, boiled chicken breast, vegetable soup, cottage cheese, lean cookies, ate 1478 calories in total;
• drinking regimen – 1.5 liters of clean water, green tea.

Notes: It’s very difficult to hold on, so in the evening I allowed myself to eat 2 sweet apples. I tried to work out everything with physical activity: twirling a hula hoop, jogging.

Don’t be upset if you don’t immediately see big dynamics. For the desired weight loss process to begin, time must pass and the body must react. The third day:

• date – 05.15.2018;
• personal data – weight 80 kilograms, hip circumference 102 centimeters, waist 74 cm;
• result – minus 1 kg;
• menu for the day - on an empty stomach I drank water, buckwheat porridge, chicken breast, cottage cheese casserole, light cookies, I ate a total of 1498 calories;
• Drinking regimen: 2 liters of water, green tea.

Notes: I’m glad that there has been a positive trend, my stomach has shrunk a little, I’ve refrained from unnecessary snacks, I continue to hula hoop, but I haven’t run due to weakness.

Sample filling

The most convenient way is to enter all the data about the foods eaten per day in a table . In the first column you should write down the time of the meal and the dishes themselves, in the following columns - all the necessary parameters. Usually this is the number of calories, nutritional value, portion size.

All this is relevant for food diaries that are filled out by hand. As for programs and applications, they already have a built-in table, most of the columns of which are filled in automatically.

Therefore, below we will present a sample of filling out a food diary for weight loss in the form of a notebook or notepad.

General information

Those who want to lose extra pounds usually try to learn about different methods that stimulate this process. People practice various diets, use weight loss products, perform “miraculous” exercises... But they often miss the opportunity to take advantage of very simple, but at the same time quite effective methods for losing weight. One such method is keeping a food diary or food diary. According to many nutritionists, it is precisely the clear recording of all the foods that a person eats throughout the day that helps to gradually understand what errors there are in the diet and how they can be corrected in order to make the diet healthy and achieve the desired forms. How exactly to keep a proper nutrition diary, what an example looks like, can be found in this article.

Online diary

Nowadays, it is simple and convenient to use a diary that is kept online. Thanks to it, you don’t have to carry a diary with you everywhere and write down information yourself in different situations when this is not entirely convenient. You can just launch the application on your mobile phone.

Having such a diary, in a restaurant or any catering establishment, it becomes possible to determine the number of calories in any ordered product and control your diet.

A diary can be a great helper, because you can write down information about your well-being, new recipes and important tips. The most common types of diaries:

• for slimming mothers: contains menu options for reducing body weight after childbirth, includes a list of healthy and harmful foods, provides recommendations for developing your own menu that will not negatively affect milk, and also has special blogs and forums;
• ABC of diet: includes various diet options, can count calories, is equipped with special information, sums up results automatically, other recommendations, as well as blogs and forums;

Calorie tracking "Desired weight":

• Choosing a suitable diet.
• Calorie counting.
• Activity control and required calorie intake.
• Regular marks with automatic summing up.
• Tips for using cosmetics.
• Maintenance of nutrients and microelements. List of vitamin supplements.
• Physical activity.
• Recommendations for athletes.
• Forums, blogs, feature articles.
• Includes personalized information and is updated regularly.
• Fixes daily diet , workouts, controls water balance.
• A special section contains your favorite recipes.
• The calorie content of the products and the used/f/u ratio are calculated
• stores data on changes in body weight and duration of training.
• Allows you to find friends pursuing the same goals and communicate with new people.
• The application can be installed on a mobile device and access the diary to reflect your health and emotional state.

conclusions

Thus, keeping any of the diary options described above will help you take control of your diet and effectively lose extra pounds. By monitoring your eating habits with the help of notes, you can gradually get rid of the tendency to overeat and learn to plan your menu.

The most important thing when maintaining such records is maximum honesty. You need to write down everything, not missing even small “inconspicuous” snacks or soda drinks. This will help you adequately evaluate your diet in general, change it for the better, and realize that a beautiful figure and a food diary are interrelated concepts.