If you’re going somewhere new, do you HAVE to use a map? No – but it helps. The same applies with calorie tracking. You can probably get to where you want to be without it, but it is undoubtedly the best and most efficient way of getting you there.

Before we delve into why you should track your calories, let’s begin with a quick definition of what we actually mean by the term “calorie”. In a nutrition setting, it’s an abbreviation for kilocalories, the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. When referring to food, it measures the amount of energy contained in the food and drink we consume. Everything we do relies on the energy that we consume in the form of calories. Ever heard of the saying, “food is fuel”? It is exactly that.

If we eat exactly the amount of calories we need to fuel our body’s metabolism, digestion and movement throughout the day, then we will maintain our weight. Once our body’s immediate energy needs are met, any excess is stored for future use – some as glycogen in our muscles, but some as body fat. Conversely, if we consume too few calories, then our body will lose weight as it turns to other sources of energy, including fat. However, to know what is “too much” or “too little” requires us to actually monitor our intake.

Disclaimer – if you have a history of disordered eating and the prospect of tracking your calories is something you know is a trigger for unhealthy behaviour and anxiety, calorie tracking may not be for you right now. At the very least, please make sure that your coach is aware and can support you in the process. 

Calorie tracking is most commonly associated with weight loss, however it can help with a wide variety of goals, including weight gain and body recomposition. In this blog, we will be focusing mainly on calorie tracking from a weight loss perspective – a process that people tend to overcomplicate. There is a mind-boggling number of different diets, each with its own tribe of loyal supporters fiercely proclaiming it to be the best way to lose weight. Keto, paleo, 5:2, IF, raw, high carb, low carb… However, if you look closely at the food diaries of people who have successfully lost weight by adhering to these diets, you’ll see that despite being vastly different, they have one crucial thing in common: they help the dieter to achieve a calorie deficit.

Which brings us to reason number 1 to track your calorie intake…

1. To understand what your current intake is and give you a baseline to work from

Understanding where you’re at is key to getting where you want to be. As a general rule, most of us tend to underestimate the amount of calories we consume and overestimate the amount of activity that we do. Without a baseline, you have no idea what target to set yourself.

For example. You plug in your height, weight, activity level and so on into a calorie-tracking app. It suggests that you should aim for 1,500 calories per day. Sounds reasonable. However, if you have inadvertently been consuming in excess of 2,500 calories every day, then this diet will feel very restrictive and hard to stick to from the beginning. Instead, work out your current daily average, then start slow with a deficit that is more easily manageable. Once you have adjusted, you can bring your calorie intake down again. It’s all about steady, sustainable progress.

P.S. We recommend this site for working out your calorie goals 

2. To understand what eating behaviours you have that you need to modify in order to lose weight 

Tracking your calories can highlight some habits that you might not realise are hindering your progress. Grabbing a coffee in the morning, for example – you might not think this would have a big impact on your calorie intake for the day. However, depending on what you go for, this could actually make a huge difference. Some lattes pack upwards of 350 calories per serving, whereas an Americano has just 15 calories.

You may unconsciously reach for biscuits at work, thinking “Ah, one or two won’t hurt”. Two chocolate digestives, however, can add 200 calories to your day – without offering you many nutrients in return. And sometimes, the healthy options can be deceptively high in calories. Having a salad for dinner may seem like a great choice, for example, but if you’re liberally drizzling olive oil all over it, you may unwittingly be eating far more calories than you intend to. Just one tablespoon contains about 120 calories, but it’s easy to accidentally double this if you’re not using a measuring spoon. Similarly, nuts are often touted as a great healthy snack (and they are!) but be wary that they are high in fat, and not sticking to the prescribed portion sizes can cost you hundreds of calories.

“Eyeballing” your calories can often lead to you unwittingly adding on 200-300 unnoticed calories throughout the day, especially when it comes to calorie dense foods like peanut butter, oils and nuts.

For sustainable weight loss, we’re looking to create a moderate deficit of no more than 20% of your daily intake, often considerably less than this – so you can see how adopting just small changes like swapping the coffee you have in the morning and opting for a healthier snack option in the office can make a huge difference.

3. To understand your daily versus weekly calorie balance

It is very, very common for people to stick to a calorie deficit during the week and then land themselves in a surplus at the weekend – the net result being that across the week, they average out at maintenance and therefore do not see any progress.

Why does this happen? Well, there may be a wide range of causes, but there are two situations that we see quite a lot as trainers.

Scenario 1 – moderate weekly calorie deficit undone by mild overindulgence at the weekend

Throughout the week, you adhere to a fairly moderate deficit of 200 calories per day. Despite being a small deficit, this would still generate weight loss if committed to for the whole week, seven days. However, at the weekend, the deficit of 1,000 calories (200 daily for 5 days) is almost immediately undone with a few untracked treats that tip the balance of the scale back to “maintenance” when you average out calories across the week.

A few drinks and handfuls of bar snacks may be enough to land you in maintenance or an overall surplus. And actually, it is incredibly easy to accidentally land yourself in a massive calorie surplus when you go out for dinner and don’t track your meal. Many high street restaurant chains have main meals on their menu that add up to 800, 900 even in excess of 1,000 calories. This isn’t always obvious, as portions might not look unreasonably huge, but the sauces and oils are rich and can really stack up the calories. And that’s before you take into account the bread you eat before your meal, the wine you drink alongside it, or the dessert you may decide to treat yourself too (another easy 600 calories).

A great illustration of this is shown in the below infographic from @cartergood

Scenario 2 – extremely restrictive calories in the week leads to binge-eating at the weekend

You plug in your height, weight and activity level into your calorie tracker. Next it asks you what your desired speed of weight loss is. Well, duh… ASAP, right? That’s what you click and, ouch – it gives you a startlingly low figure of 1,200 calories. Never mind, it is Monday and you are 100% motivated and committed to your weight loss target so you resolve to stick to it.

Monday to Friday crawl by and you’ve managed to stick to your stingy calorie target. Same breakfast, lunch and dinner, no thank you to the office cookies and you skipped work drinks on Friday. The problem is, you are now craving all your favourite foods that you have told yourself are “forbidden”. And now that it’s the weekend… An “all-or-nothing” mentality is triggered, causing you to binge out and savour your treats “while you can” in anticipation of another miserable, restrictive week ahead. Not only is the calorie deficit wiped out, you’re also cementing yourself in a vicious restrict-binge cycle that is detrimental to not only your physical health but also your mental well-being.

The bingeing at the weekend is not the real problem. This overeating at the weekend is a response to drastic undereating for the previous five days. So, the restrictive food habits taking place during the week that need addressing as a priority – this will then prevent you from overeating at the weekend. A good trainer will help you to put together a sustainable food plan that keeps you in a moderate, manageable calorie deficit, while still allowing you the flexibility and freedom to include your favourite treats, in reasonable amounts. Calorie-tracking will be key to achieving this.

Eating more during the week will leave you feeling more energised, which will have a direct impact on the quality of your training, your stress levels and your relationship with food. It will also prevent overeating at the weekend, helping you to create a more balanced calorie intake throughout the week – staying in a calorie deficit without depriving yourself and feeling unbearably hungry.

4. To help monitor your behaviour and keep you accountable

So, you’ve looked at your current intake and addressed where you need to improve. The next step is simply to implement the changes, for the long-term. Tracking your calories and sending the screenshots to your trainer is a fantastic way to help you stay on top of your plan. You’re less likely to reach for an extra cookie if you’re committed to tracking your calories and know that this will tip you over and impact your progress for the week. And you’re less likely still to give in to temptation if you’re sharing every bite with your trainer!

Key takeaways: our top tips for tracking your calorie intake

• Understand where you are before making any drastic changes to your diet
• Set a realistic calorie target – nothing too restrictive. If you’re looking to lose 5kg or more, then you’re in this for at least 6-10 weeks. So it has to be sustainable! Prioritise realistic changes that you can maintain for life
• Create your calorie deficit by reducing your intake of the least filling and least nutritious foods (alcohol, sweet treats, fancy coffees, etc)
• Make room for your favourite foods instead of banning certain things from your diet. It’s all about moderation

For a variety of reasons, more and more people are adopting a plant-based diet. Arguably the most popular question (apart from, “But don’t you miss cheese?!”) that vegans get asked is, “Where do you get your protein from?”.

In this blog, we will answer that question, sharing top plant-based sources of protein, as well as some tips for incorporating them into your diet.

Sidenote! If you’re looking for some fantastic healthy vegan places to eat that are close to Fitness Lab, who not check out our list of The Best Places For Healthy Eating in Soho (and Nearby!)

Complete vs. incomplete protein

Before we delve into it, first a quick word on the two different types of protein. Animal protein is often referred to as being a “complete” protein, because it contains all nine essential amino acids that our body needs. Plant-based proteins, conversely, are labelled “incomplete”, as they rarely contain all of these protein building blocks. This can lead to the misconception that vegan protein is in some way inferior, or that a vegan diet is by default lacking in nutrients, but this is definitely not the case!

You can very easily get all the amino acids you need from a vegan diet by simply eating a variety of plant-based proteins. For example, including legumes and wholegrains into your daily diet will ensure that your body has all the amino acids it needs. What’s more, you don’t need to combine these incomplete proteins together in one meal – as long as you incorporate these different proteins throughout the day, you will get everything you need.

So – where do you get protein on a vegan diet?

Plants

Yep, veggies contain protein! This is commonly overlooked, but important to understand. People often equate protein with meat, and can be surprised to learn that plants have protein in them, too. 100g of spinach contains about 7 grams of protein, for example. 1 cup of green peas offers about 9 grams. Other veggies to include for a little extra protein include broccoli, kale and corn. Even the humble potato offers a little bit of protein.

Grains

Quinoa is one of the best grains you can opt for in terms of protein, providing 14 grams per cup as well as all nine essential amino acids that our body needs. Wild or brown rice provides about 7 grams of protein per cup. Bulgur, barley, aramanth, buckwheat, kamut and millet are also great ones to try that offer around the same amount.

Beans and pulses

Beans and pulses are a cheap way of adding lots of protein to your diet, alongside fibre (which most of us are severely lacking in) and a whole host of other nutrients. Lentils are a particularly great source of protein, offering 26g of protein per 100g. They’re super versatile – try making lentil dhals, mashing them to form the base for veggie burgers or using them to thicken soups and sauces.

Some other great high protein options include chickpeas, edamame, black beans, kidney beans and butter beans. Tip: these are considered an incomplete protein. But, by combining any of these with a grain like brown or wild rice, you’ll get all nine essential amino acids in one meal.

Nuts and seeds

Although they are also high in fat, nuts and seeds (and the spreads made from them) pack a great protein punch too. Peanuts, for example, are one quarter protein. Try adding a tablespoon of peanut butter to a smoothie – this is a great way to incorporate some healthy fats as well as protein. Similarly, almonds are made up of over a fifth protein – try adding flaked almonds to salad or a spoonful of almond butter with some apple slices.

Adding seeds to salads is a good way to up your protein intake – sunflower seeds, for example, have 21g of protein per 100g. However, like nuts, they are also high in fat, too, so eat them in moderation.

Non-dairy milk

One cup of soy or almond milk can pack about 9 grams of protein, as well as a whole range of other nutrients. There are a ton of different plant-based milks out there to try – soy, almond, coconut, oat, hazelnut, rice, hemp… Different brands and varieties have different nutritional properties and flavours. Just be aware that there are some sweetened varieties that contain lots of sugar – try to avoid these.

Soy products

You can pick up cheap soy mince, either frozen or dried, in every supermarket nowadays. Low in fat but high in protein, it’s a perfect alternative to meat for your spag bol or chilli. Add some beans or lentils for some extra protein and texture (check out the chili in our sample day of vegan meals if you need recipe ideas).

Tofu, which is made from soy milk in a similar way that cheese is made from animal milk, is considered a complete source of protein as it contains all the essential amino acids required by the body. A small 100g serving contains just 70 calories, broken down into 2 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat. It has a number of health benefits – for example, it has been shown to boost heart health and reduce the risk of some cancers as well as diabetes.

Tip: tofu tends to be pretty overpriced in supermarkets. Instead of picking it up at your local Tesco, head to an oriental supermarket where it will be a fraction of the price. Plus, you can pick up some cheap soba noodles and edamame at the same time, to cook up a protein-packed stir fry. Bonus.

Tip 2: opting for firm tofu means you get more soya bean and less water, and therefore a higher protein content. Softer versions are great for making tofu desserts, but for acting as a meat substitute, it’s the extra firm variety you want.

Like tofu, tempeh is also made from soybeans, but is fermented into a firmer and denser food than tofu. As well as undergoing less processing, it has more protein, fibre and vitamins and less fat than tofu, so it is slightly healthier – but it tends to be harder to find and more expensive.

Other veggie “meats”

The last 12 months have seen veganism explode in the UK, with 7% of the population now following a plant-based diet (up from just 1% in 2016). Brands have been forced to respond, causing not only a steep rise in the availability of soy-based products, but also the appearance of some more creative options, like seitan. Made from wheat gluten, it’s 75% protein which is pretty impressive.

Hemp

The seeds of the hemp plant (not the leaves) can be used to create protein powder, with one scoop providing about 10 grams of veggie protein. It has a somewhat earthy flavour, so one of the best ways to use it is in baking – try adding to healthy brownies or protein balls for a post-workout treat.

You can also buy hemp hearts (hemp in seed form), three tablespoons of which contain 10 grams of protein with all essential amino acids.

Protein powders

While you can easily get sufficient protein on a vegan diet without using protein powder, depending on your goals it may be useful to incorporate some into your diet. There are loads of options to choose from when it comes to vegan protein powder – we’d recommend one that uses a blend of different sources as it’s more easily digestible (e.g. a blend of pea, rice and hemp protein).

Fitness Lab recommends:

Protein Works: Extreme Vegan

A mixture of soy, hemp, pea, rice and sunflower seed proteins, this protein is available in a wide variety of flavours and packs in a powerful 24g protein punch per serving.

My Protein: Vegan Blend

Made up of pea, rice and hemp protein, this is good if you’d rather avoid soy. It blends well and offers 22g of protein – and thanks to My Protein’s near-constant promotions, is one of the cheapest options available.

Vega: Clean Protein

This is a little pricier, but if you’re looking for the most natural, organic vegan protein powder, then this is the one for you. Available in chocolate or vanilla, each serving provides an impressive 25g of protein.

Protein requirements

In line with government guidelines, the NHS recommends an intake of 50g of protein per day for the average person eating 2,000 calories. This is incredibly easy to achieve on a plant-based diet – as you can hopefully see from the blog! If you do regular exercise, are trying to build muscle, or want to drop some body fat without losing hard-earned muscle, then you may need some more protein – depending on your goal, this could range from 0.8 to 2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight.

Sample day of meals

We’ve put together an example day of plant-based meals and snacks, to show you how easy it is to get adequate protein on a vegan diet. As mentioned above, your macro targets will vary depending on what your goals are – it’s a good idea to chat to a trainer about this.

Breakfast: Porridge

Oats 50g

1 medium banana

Almond milk 250ml

Ground flaxseed 1 tbsp

Chia seeds 1 tbsp

Calories: 423, Carbohydrates 60g, Fat 14g, Protein 12g

Snack: sliced apple with 2 tbsp almond butter

Calories: 272, Carbohydrates 24g, Fat 19g, Protein 5g

Lunch: chickpea and quinoa salad

½ cup cooked quinoa

½ tin cooked chickpeas (try gently roasting them in a pan with a dash of oil and spices like cumin, paprika and chili powder)

A handful of spinach or kale if you prefer

½ cup chopped cucumber

Small handful of cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters

Olives and sun dried tomatoes, plus your favourite fresh herbs chopped up

Humous 50g

Calories: 456, Carbohydrates 55g, Fat 17g, Protein 20g

Snack: energy ball

Recipe for 10 balls

90g smooth peanut butter

80g rolled oats

3 scoops of vegan protein powder – we like Protein Works Vegan Vanilla

40gt maple syrup

20g raisins

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tbsp chia seeds

Calories per ball: 144, Carbohydrates 11g, Fat 6g, Protein 12g

Dinner: chili

This should make about 5 servings

Red lentils 100g

Soy mince 400g

Kidney beans 400g

800g tinned tomatoes

Veggies: onion, garlic, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 2 red peppers and a handful of kale to serve

To serve: handful of kale (steamed), ¼ avocado, ½ cup brown rice

Calories per serving: 461, Carbohydrates: 70g, Fat 7g, Protein 29g

Snack: yoghurt with blueberries

200g Alpro coconut yogurt

80g blueberries

Calories: 135, Carbohydrates 10g, Fat 6g, Protein 8g

Daily totals

Calories: 1,891, Carbohydrates 230g, Fat 69g, Protein 86g

Macros: Carbs 49%, Fat 33%, Protein 18%