Does Counting Calories Really Work?

I have made a pledge to myself recently to start being more health conscious and watching what I eat. I joined on of those calorie counting websites and have been faithfully documenting everything I eat for weeks now. However it’s making me wonder; do these things really work if you cook for yourself?

I mean honestly, I bring my lunch to work almost every day and cook dinner just about every night. I just wonder how accurate they can really be if we are talking about home cooked foods. Can they really know my turkey sandwich has 350 calories and 34 grams of protein? I mean that doesn’t take into account the specific type of bead I used, the lettuce and onions or the sweet and spicy mustard I love?

So if the calorie count is so variable for something as simple as a turkey sandwich how can it be even close to right for more complex items? I mean the variations on pasta alone are mind boggling! I am simply skeptical of the accuracy of this when it comes to things you cook yourself. If I’m not getting true calorie/fat counts how does it really help my eating habits?

I think it would be helpful to really know how many calories I’m consuming and want to find a way to count calorie that works. Have any Fossil Creek-ers tried a calorie counter? What did you think? Was it accurate enough to be helpful?