Science Fiction author Nick Sagan (yes, son of THAT Sagan), talks about how tracking the caloric content of the food he ate drastically changed his habits, as well as what he thought was healthy:

Once I started counting calories, I found that I’d been making some ridiculously bad food choices. Take the caesar salad. Six weeks ago, I would have said that it’s just a salad. It’s probably a little better without the dressing, but the bulk of what you’re eating is lettuce, right? How bad can it be? Well, depending on who’s making it, you might be better off with fast food. A bean burrito from Taco Bell isn’t a great choice, but it typically has fewer calories, less fat, and more fiber than a caesar. And if you’re looking at, say, the chicken caesar salad from Chili’s, you’d actually be better off eating three slices of pizza.

Congratulations Nick!

We’d also recommend Nick check his bodyfat index, though, because if you cut your calories too much your body starts losing muscle mass, which is heavier than fat. You may look like you are losing weight on the scale fast, but you may be also setting yourself up for a wicked bounce later on, as muscle burns the bigger portion of calories.