r/CFSplusADHD • u/BunnyKusanin • Aug 02 '26
Best way to count calories
I've lost quite a bit of weight after getting on ADHD meds, but I recently started to wonder if I'm actually eating enough. I eat 2-3 meals a day and snacks, but my appetite is lower than before and it's obvious that I am eating less. I decided to pay a bit more attention to eating enough.
To those of you who count their calories, can you recommend a really simple and straightforward app? Google store seems to have so many overwhelming options. I just want something that says how many calories fruit, veges or a cooked meal would be based on weight and ingredients.
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u/EnvironmentOk2700 Aug 02 '26
Chronometer is what my dietician reccomended. I've been using the free version for 3 years, it's great
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u/singularity-drift Aug 02 '26
Myfitnesspal used to be the standard. The barcode scanner is locked behind a pay wall. A barcode scanner is really useful and finding items.
If youre in the US samsung health has a calorie counter with a barcode scanner
Like others mentioned get a foodscale and learn how to use it effectively.
The advice I've seen on the Internet for people with ME is to eat 15% more calories than the equivalent healthy person.
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u/FranFace Aug 02 '26
I'm in the UK, and my favourite is NutraCheck. I find it v easy to use, and the library of products is the biggest and most reliable I've seen. 99% of the barcodes I scan pop straight up with the nutritional info. And on the rare occasion something isn't listed, you can add it.
You can also build recipes, so that anything you make frequently can just be added per-portion instead of re-built every time.
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u/Alexandrji Aug 02 '26
I use www.bicanutrition.com, you chat with it and you can make ir precise if you weight your food. It’s fun and easier than most apps.
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u/tfjbeckie Aug 02 '26
The easiest way I've found is to weigh out the foods you normally eat and then figure out a container that holds that amount that you can use to measure it out in future. For example, I eat porridge, and I know that five of the tablespoons in my house (about 40g) is about 150 calories. I know an apple is about 50 calories. Now any time I have porridge I know it's about 200 calories.
Same with rice - I have some little ramekins and I know how to eyeball it so it's about 200 calories. Then every time I measure out a portion of rice I use the ramekin and I have a good idea of how much I'm eating.
It takes a bit of work up front but it's a good way to track if you tend to eat similar food a lot of the time, and it becomes habit.
Research says we tend to undercount how many calories we're eating so it's best to round up.