FitCiIn this article
Why count, and for how long?
Counting is a diagnostic tool, not a life sentence. The aim is to learn, within 2–4 weeks, which meals carry the calories, what your real portion weighs and where the day leaks. Then you switch to estimates and do a one-week "calibration count" once a month. Counting without a target is pointless; find your daily number first.
Rule 1: Weigh for two weeks, don't measure
"One tablespoon of olive oil" can be 5 g or 15 g, a 90 kcal difference. "A handful of almonds" ranges from 15 to 40 g. A kitchen scale is the only real tool; spoons, cups and hands come after week two. Weigh especially: oils, nuts, cheese, rice and pasta, bread, granola. They produce most of the error.
Rule 2: Know cooked from raw
100 g of raw rice is ~350 kcal; 100 g of cooked rice ~130. It absorbed water; the calories did not change, the weight did. Labels usually give raw values; databases can be either. Rule: use the value for the state you weighed. FitCi's library says so in the name ("cooked", "raw"); dishes in the calorie table are as served.
Rule 3: Read the label properly
Labels give values per 100 g; a 40 g pack means multiply by 0.4. The "serving" line is the manufacturer's choice, not what you ate. Judge sugar and salt per 100 g: over 15 g sugar is high, over 1.5 g salt is high. Scanning a barcode is faster than typing and does not make mistakes; barcode scanning is free in FitCi.
Rule 4: Catch the invisible calories
- Cooking oil: the oil in the pan never gets logged but does get eaten; 1–2 tablespoons per sauté is 90–180 kcal.
- Sauces and spreads: mayonnaise ~100 kcal a tablespoon, ketchup ~15, hummus ~70 for two, peanut butter ~95 for one.
- Drinks: a glass of orange juice ~90 kcal, a latte ~150, a soft drink ~140, 500 ml of beer ~215.
- Tasting and finishing: three fries from a child's plate, two spoons from the pot: 100–200 kcal a day, never logged.
Rule 5: Estimate out, correct at home
Restaurants do not tell you grams; assume "1.5× what I make at home": portions are larger and fatter. Chains publish menu calories; the table covers Turkish foods and two chains. In a local restaurant pick the dish from the library and mark the portion "large". Precision is impossible; consistency is enough.
Rule 6: Log as you eat
Evening recall forgets 2–3 items a day, mostly snacks. Make logging part of the meal: food arrives, you take a photo or type two words, then you eat. Photo logging brings the step down to five seconds; FitCi recognises the plate, estimates grams, you confirm. Voice works too: "two eggs, a slice of bread, a glass of milk".
Rule 7: Weekly total, not daily
If a 1,700 kcal day became 2,400 on Saturday, the week is not over: take 100 kcal off the other days or accept it as is. If the weekly average hits the target, the program is working. This view ends weekend guilt and the "today is ruined anyway" spiral.
Rule 8: Don't let counting run you
If counting produces stress or obsession, pause it: eat by the protein-and-vegetables rule for two weeks, then return. With a history of disordered eating, calorie counting is not the right tool; a portion- and meal-structure approach with professional support is. Counting is a tool; the goal is a habit, not a number.
Frequently asked questions
Where do people go wrong counting calories?
Oils, sauces and nuts; cooked-versus-raw confusion; under-estimating restaurant portions; logging from memory at night. Total error is usually 200–400 kcal a day.
Do I need a kitchen scale?
For the first two weeks, yes; after that estimates are fine. Weigh for one week a month to check drift.
How accurate is photo calorie counting?
Recognition is good; gram estimates swing ±20–30 points. Mixed plates need corrections; single-item plates (grilled meat, salad) are accurate. The speed gain outweighs the error.
When can I stop counting?
Once you know your portions and typical days, usually after 3–4 weeks. If your weight is moving toward the goal, switch to estimates and count for one week a month.
Related tools and pages
Let FitCi do the counting
Photograph, say it or scan a barcode; calories and macros are computed and what is left for the day is shown.