This from Suicide by Sugar by Nancy Appleton, PhD

The two most important things to remember when choosing wisely are to eat whole foods and choose the carbohydrates which have the least amount of sugar.

Nothing can keep you quite as honest and out of denial in losing weight as tracking your food daily.  Writing down what you ate, the quantity and the relevant information like calories, fat content and protein grams to name a few paints a very clear picture of your eating day.  Especially when we are trying to get a handle on how we have been eating so we will know where to make changes once we decide to lose weight.  If you are resistant to this; ask your self how committed are you to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.  Everything important requires an investment on your part.  Are you willing to make the time to become educated on what you are eating???

While the number of calories you take in each day is not the only determining factor of your success, it is one of the most important.  To lose one pound of fat, you need to burn 3500 calories and that is the math.  While not all calories are created equally, knowing what and how much you are eating is a must for long term success, at least until you learn what a healthy meal is and what are considered “normal portion” sizes.  Your calories consumed each day are individual to you based on your weight, activity level, amount of body fat versus lean muscle etc.  Invest the time to determine what is right for you and make that you calorie target each day.  And yes, things eaten while standing and on holidays do count!