I used to have a classmate way back in my University days who was a model and a beauty queen. I envied her because aside from having good looks and a good personality, she also had a great body. As a model, she was expected to maintain her weight and figure; I can say that she did a really great job doing it. When I asked about her secret in achieving her weight loss goals, she just said that she had been keeping track of her daily calorie intake. And since I really want to have a great body like her, I started living my life in numbers, and after a while, I was able to say that indeed, there are so many benefits of tracking your calorie intake.
It keeps you mindful of what you’re eating
One of the benefits is that it makes you more attentive to what kind of food you’re eating, whether or not it’s nutritious, or if your everyday food-intake is just enough or already excessive for your body. You might be shocked to know that the Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino that you’re drinking has 500 calories, or the chocolate cake that you’re eating has almost 600 calories. Understanding the amount and kinds of food that you’re eating is important because your health and weight rest on it.
It helps you plan your meals
Another benefit is helping you plan your meals more efficiently. By tracking your calorie intake, you’ll become more acquainted with which food can give you more nutrients but with lesser calories. You’ll then be able to plan your meals consisting of these low-calorie foods, as well as plan how many calories you’ll allot for each meal. 
It tells you how many calories you’ve to burn
Another benefit is giving you a better understanding of the balance and interplay of calorie input and output in your body. Knowing how many calories you consume is important in order for you to know how many calories you should burn. Any excess calories are stored by the body as fat, so in order to lose weight, you’ve to burn more calories than what you’ve consumed. By tracking your calorie intake, you also know the right exercises and programs that you’ve to undergo in order for you to burn the calories that you’ve consumed.
It helps you achieve your weight loss goals
Helping you get your ideal body weight is also one of the benefits. Whether you’re having a 1800, 1500, or 1200 calorie meal plan, or you’re undergoing a diet, keeping track of your calories will help you stay within your meal plan because you’ll know how many calories you’ve already consumed and how many more you’ll need before the day ends. Keeping track is just like making a budget plan. Isn’t it easier to stick to our budget if we write a grocery list instead of just grabbing any items in the grocery store?
It keeps you motivated
Keeping you motivated to continue your healthy lifestyle is another benefit. Some people might say that living in numbers is hard and strenuous, but if you’re able to see for yourself the progress that you’re making, you’ll be more motivated to continue with your 1200 calorie meal plan or your food diet. Isn’t it more fulfilling and more encouraging if you see the progress that you’re making for yourself? And isn’t it more real if you see the numbers for yourself rather than just thinking and daydreaming about it?
Indeed, we need to keep track of our calorie intake in order for us to stay on track toward finally having that ideal body weight that we have been dreaming of. The benefits not only affect our bodies and weight, but they can also leave an imprint on our health and lifestyle. This is all the more reason for us to keep track of our calories.
