The First Step In Losing Weight Is Easier Than You Think

Spring is right around the corner, and you know what that means: FOOD TRUCK SEASON! It also means that millions of people around the world are planning to start losing weight, this includes food truck vendors. You spend all day surrounded by delicious food, why wouldn’t you gain weight over the winter months?

If you are like just about everyone else, you’ve dieted and your weight has yo-yo’d up and down. There are diet plans that work, and many more that don’t. The key is getting started, but how do you do it right?

Basic physiology states that your body needs a food for energy. We get this, but how much food is enough? The simple fact is that the easiest way to lose weight is to use basic math. If your caloric intake is greater than your caloric needs, you will gain weight. If your caloric intake is less than your caloric needs, you will lose weight.

The First Step In Losing Weight Is Easier Than You Think

Just like running your food truck, when you want to improve on something, you need to track your progress, and the behavior that causes or hinders that progress. We’ve preached about self-monitoring for your businesses, and now we’ll extend that for those of you looking at losing weight.

“What gets measured, gets managed.” – Peter Drucker

The process of tracking and analyzing your calorie intake will make you more aware of how those calories impact your weight loss, weight gains and overall health.

Top Fitness Apps For Tracking Food Intake

Weight loss apps are incredibly useful for tracking caloric intake. Here are five of the best weight loss apps (listed alphabetically) that can help you start the process of losing weight.

Cron-o-meter

Cron-o-meter lets you track of your diet, exercises and body weight. It offers exact serving sizes and a strong exercise database. If you are following a specific diet, you can tell Cron-o-meter and it will change the macronutrient recommendations.

MORE INFO: Website

FatSecret

FatSecret is a free calorie counter. It includes a food diary, nutrition database, healthy recipes, exercise log, weight chart and a barcode scanner helps track packaged foods. The homepage shows total calorie intake, as well as the breakdown of carbs, protein and fat — displayed both for the day and for each meal.

MORE INFO: Website

Lose It!

Lose It! is another health tracker that includes a food diary and exercise log. You can also connect a pedometer or other fitness device. Based on your weight, height, age and goals, Lose It! provides a personalized recommendation for calorie intake.

MORE INFO: Website

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal is one of the most popular calorie counters right now and the one I use most often. It tracks your weight and calculates a recommended daily calorie intake. It also contains a well-designed food diary and an exercise log.

MORE INFO: Website

SparkPeople

SparkPeople is a calorie counter that tracks nutrition, activities, goals and progress. If you tend to eat something often, you can paste that entry into multiple days. Recipes are very easy to add, and the app is equipped with a barcode scanner so you can register packaged foods.

MORE INFO: Website

Remember

We know that you lead a busy life, so there is no need to track your calorie intake constantly. Try it occasionally for a few days or weeks to get a better view of your current diet. This way, you’ll know exactly where to make adjustments in order to achieve your goals for losing weight.

The Bottom Line

You spend all day cooking, thinking about, and tasting food, yet still wanted to stay in shape. Food truck vendors do it every day. The first step in losing weight is understanding your daily caloric intake. Just like pricing your menu, you need to know exactly what is going into your body before you can work on a strategy to get your weight and health under control.

How do you track your caloric intake when losing weight? Share your thoughts on this topic in the comment section, our food truck forum or social media. Facebook | Twitter