Practical calorie counting tips, nutrition advice, and meal planning strategies to help you reach your goals.
A medium banana has 105 calories, but bananas range from 72 to 135 calories by size. Here's the full size chart with carbs, fiber and protein, plus what logging the wrong size adds up to over a month.
A large egg holds about 6.3 g of protein for 74 calories, and roughly 41% of it is in the yolk. See protein by egg size, for 2 and 3 eggs, boiled versus fried, and what each gram costs.
A fun size Snickers has 80 calories, so three bars nearly match a full-size one. See Halloween candy calories for Twix, Kit Kat, Reese's and candy corn, plus what a week of leftovers adds up to.
Cooked shrimp brings about 20 grams of protein for only 84 calories a serving, one of the leanest proteins you can buy. Here is what the numbers look like by size and cooking method, and where shrimp fits a weight loss plan.
Brewed black coffee has about 2 calories a cup, but latte calories can top 200 once milk and syrup go in. Here is where every calorie hides, with real numbers for lattes, cappuccinos and flavored coffeehouse drinks, plus easy swaps.
Alcohol packs about 7 calories a gram and slips past your fullness signals, so drinks quietly stall weight loss. Here is what beer, wine, vodka, and cocktails really cost, and how to keep the empty calories in check.
A tablespoon of olive oil is 120 calories and butter about 100, all of it invisible once dinner is cooked. Here are the real numbers for common oils and fats, plus simple ways to log the calories you pour into every pan.
A calorie deficit is the only thing that drives weight loss, but the tidy 3500 calories per pound rule is an estimate that overshoots. Here is how the math really works and how to set a deficit you can live with.
A mile of walking burns roughly 74 to 113 calories for a 150 pound adult, and the number shifts with your weight and pace. Here is what the calories burned walking really add up to, by the mile and by 10,000 steps.
Most metabolism hacks are noise. Here's what actually speeds up your daily burn, from the thermic effect of protein to the muscle you build, plus why coffee, green tea, and chili barely count.
Sushi calories swing from about 135 for a cucumber roll to more than 500 for a shrimp tempura roll. See how the popular rolls, nigiri, and sashimi compare, plus the leanest ways to order and keep soy sauce sodium in check.
A cup of cooked pasta runs about 210 calories, but the bowl you actually eat often holds two or three. Here is what pasta calories really depend on, by type, portion and sauce, with numbers you can log.
A plain cheese slice runs about 285 calories, but thin crust drops near 150 and deep dish climbs past 500. Here is the calorie and protein count for every common pizza style, plus easy ways to enjoy a slice and still hit your numbers.
A level tablespoon of peanut butter is about 94 calories, but the label serving of two tablespoons is closer to 188. Here's how to log peanut butter calories right, plus lower calorie swaps and how it fits weight loss.
Your TDEE is the calories you burn in a day, and eating that many holds your weight steady. Here is how to find your maintenance calories with a simple formula, official ranges, and worked examples you can copy.
Only about 5 percent of adults eat enough fiber, and that gap makes weight loss harder than it needs to be. Here is how much fiber you need per day, plus the high fiber foods that keep you full on fewer calories.
Your hand is a portion scale you always carry. Learn the palm, fist, and cupped hand cues, what each serving costs in calories, and how to use them for steady portion control without a food scale.
Most adults eat about 77 grams of added sugar a day, roughly double the limit. Here is what the recommended daily sugar intake really is, where hidden sugar sneaks in, and how many grams of sugar per day the guidelines allow.
Chinese takeout can run from about 150 calories to over 1,500, and the gap is all in what you order. Here are the real calorie and sodium numbers for orange chicken, General Tso's, fried rice and the lighter dishes, plus how to build a plate that fits your day.
A cooked steak brings about 8 grams of protein per ounce, so 3 ounces gives roughly 24 grams. See how much protein in steak by cut, how ribeye and sirloin calories compare, and how to log your portion from a photo.
A protein rich snack can carry 15 grams of protein for under 150 calories, enough to quiet the 3pm slump without denting your deficit. Here are the calorie and protein numbers, quick prep ideas, and combos that keep you full.
Eggs are not the only way to hit 30 grams of protein before lunch. These egg free high protein breakfast recipes come with real calorie and protein counts, plus a simple formula to build your own filling plate.
A cooked chicken breast holds about 54 grams of protein for roughly 285 calories. Here is the protein and calorie math per ounce, per 4 oz serving and per whole breast, plus how grilling, baking and frying change the numbers.
One five ounce can of tuna in water carries about 30 grams of protein for roughly 120 calories. Oil packing nearly triples the fat and the calories. Here is what changes by cut, pack size, and serving.
A loaded Chipotle bowl can run past 950 calories, but the same line builds a lean order with 40 plus grams of protein. Here are the real Chipotle calories by ingredient and how to order light without missing out.
A whole avocado runs about 240 calories, far more than most fruit, and nearly all of it is healthy fat. Here is how avocado calories break down by serving, half versus whole, and how to fit them into a weight loss day.
Alcohol calories land on top of dinner, not instead of it. Here is how many calories are in beer, wine, vodka and cocktails, the low calorie alcoholic drinks worth ordering, and how to fit a night out into your day.
Macros are just protein, carbs and fat in grams. Here is how to count them, set a weight loss split, and hit your protein without turning dinner into math.
A lean bulk works best on a small calorie surplus, roughly 250 to 500 extra calories a day, plus enough protein. Here is how to set your numbers, pick the best bulking foods, and add muscle without the fat.
Cook once on a quiet afternoon and the calories mostly take care of themselves. These meal prep ideas cover your daily calorie target, high protein portions, cheap chicken and beef recipes, and lunches that actually survive the fridge.
A cup of low fat cottage cheese packs about 28 grams of protein for roughly 163 calories, and that ratio is why it keeps hunger quiet. Here is the nutrition, the macros and the easy ways to work it into a lighter day.
A Big Mac is 580 calories and the full meal hits 1170. Here is the McDonald's nutrition menu with calories and protein for burgers, chicken and breakfast, plus the lighter orders that keep a drive-thru stop inside your day.
A large egg is about 72 calories and 6 grams of protein, but the way you cook it moves the total. Here is how boiled, fried, and scrambled eggs compare, plus what the white and the yolk each add.
Wild salmon runs about 182 calories and 25 grams of protein per 3.5 ounces, farmed a little richer at 206. Here is how much protein in salmon you really get, plus macros, omega-3 and calorie counts for fresh, smoked and full fillets.
Intermittent fasting for weight loss works by shrinking your eating window to 8 hours, which quietly cuts calories. Here is how the 16:8 schedule works, what to eat, what to drink, and what the research says you can realistically lose.
A practical Mediterranean plate method for weight loss, with simple calorie ranges per meal and macro targets you can actually hit. Includes high-protein, low-calorie swaps, meal-prep ideas, and an easy way to track Mediterranean diet macros with a calorie counter.
A nutrition facts label shows far more than calories once you know the order to read it in. Here is how to use serving size, the 5 and 20 percent daily value rule, and the fiber and protein lines to eat for steady weight loss.
Butter chicken can top 485 calories a cup, but not every curry is heavy. Here are real calorie counts for tikka masala, naan, samosa and biryani, plus the healthiest Indian dishes to order when you're watching your numbers.
Cut about 500 calories a day and you can lose close to a pound a week. Here is how to find your maintenance calories, set a 500 calorie deficit, and keep the scale moving when it stalls.
Your hands are a portion tool you never leave at home. See how the palm, fist, cupped hand and thumb set healthy portion sizes, what portion control saves you each month, and a simple chart for chicken, rice and steak.
A grande at Starbucks can run 5 calories or 440. Here is the full menu sorted lightest to richest, the exact grande numbers, and the milk and syrup swaps that keep your coffee light without giving it up.
A cup of fried rice runs about 333 calories, but a takeout container holds four. Here are the real calories in Chinese takeout, from orange chicken to egg rolls, plus the healthy Chinese food options that keep a full meal near 500.
Ranked by protein per calorie, these high protein foods for weight loss keep you full on fewer calories. See the exact grams, calories and daily targets, plus the cheapest lean picks that fit any budget.
One cup of diced watermelon has about 46 calories, 12 grams of carbs and 9 grams of natural sugar. See the full nutrition chart by serving, the glycemic index, and whether watermelon really helps with weight loss.
A cup of plain nonfat Greek yogurt packs about 23 grams of protein for 134 calories. See how much protein in Greek yogurt you get across nonfat, 2 percent, and whole milk, plus how to log it for weight loss.
See exactly how white rice calories stack up against brown rice per cup, per 100 grams, and per serving, with real USDA numbers, fiber facts, and simple tips for logging rice in a calorie deficit.
Chicken breast calories shift with cooking. See cooked, raw and grilled numbers per 100g, protein and macros, how the breast compares with thigh, wing and drumstick, and how to log every piece right.
A plain cheese slice is about 261 calories, but the number swings with crust, cheese, and toppings. See real per slice counts for cheese, pepperoni, thin crust, and deep dish, plus Pizza Hut, Domino's, and Little Caesars.
A whole medium avocado has about 240 calories, mostly heart-healthy fat. See avocado calories by serving, the full fat, carb and protein macros, and how to log every half without guessing your daily total.
One large egg has about 70 calories and 6 grams of protein. See egg calories for boiled, fried, and scrambled eggs, plus egg white calories and yolk numbers, and how to log them without guessing.