I've just started a really good calorie counting “man” diet, I calculated how many calories I needed to maintain my weight as it is now, then subtracted 700 giving me 2300  a day (I’m 21 and a half stones, 300 pounds, wow!.. well I’m very tall). I’m recording my calories on a daily basis, with a little help from Google for calorie counts.

It’s a really good system because I’m remembering what I’m eating and using calories almost like a currency. Yesterday I was shocked to find my favourite work lunch (of fried spicy pork ribs) came to a massive 1100 calories on its own thanks to Google.

I've made daily calorie tracker sheets, each sheet has a month’s worth of space to write what I eat, and total calories, and I have 8 of those sheets printed. I also have a big wall display with a 32 week plan to get me down to a respectable 16 stones (240ish pounds).

The other nice bit built into my system is a sort of counterbalance. I’ve calculated that 3000 calories will maintain my weight, a day (This is how many I’m using without any exercise), that on 2300 I will gradually lose weight over the 32 week period, and if I do exercise then I’m able to consume that amount of calories, less the metabolic base rate of 125 calories an hour. So for example an hour walking will use about 350 calories, less the 125 and that’s 225 extra calories I can eat, or burn off if I had already eaten.

An hour swimming will burn 600 calories, less the 125 and that’s 475 extra calories.

This mechanism means I can always stick to the 2300 limit or less, and writing everything down makes you conscious of what, and how much you’re eating.

Also... don’t blend raw leeks in a juicer, lethal!