By Mike Parker
It is not enough for me to just limit my portion sizes and foods. I need a way to keep count of my calorie intake. I noticed others using accountability threads and started to copy. Now I make charts for myself.
The idea is to use little pictures or symbols to indicate calorie values. At the end of the day, I add up the calories and add the corresponding image to the table. So, if I eat 450 calories on a certain day, I would add the symbol that represents that value. The value between 400 and 499 calories is the orange so I would use that image. After I have completed this, I post the chart on the internet so I can be held accountable.
It sometimes becomes a competition of who can go the longest on the lowest amount of calories. Everyone is expected to be truthful about the amount they have eaten. I like to spend a bit of time working out how to decorate the chart. While creating the chart, I like to keep to a theme using something that interests me such as lent or cars or weights.
I use these charts because I find they help me to keep motivated and it is something I can look back on and easily see how much I'm eating through the month.