Michael Dowd
Diet Analysis
Part 1
3/11/13
My family doesn’t have too many diseases that have directly or indirectly affected my nutrition. I am aware that my Dad’s father died of colon cancer, which can be a genetic trait in our family. I also know on my Mom’s side that heart conditions are common. My aunt that died on the surgery table when she was a baby, had heart problems, my grandmother also required heart surgery in her life, and I myself had heart surgery when I was first born. These things do affect my nutrition. I should focus on proper amount of fiber intake to keep a healthy colon. Also to keep a healthy heart I should minimize my caffeine intake as well as saturated fatty acid intake.
My nutrition and lifestyle habits I feel are pretty good. I get a decent amount of sleep every day. On average I would get seven hours of sleep a day. I casually drink; about once a week, on the weekend. I don’t smoke, and I exercise regularly. I workout four times a week, doing a lot of strength training. Lately I have been incorporating more cardiovascular training into my workouts as well. I would like to lessen my intake of fats and eat more whole grains. Usually I eat fast-food once a week. This isn’t terrible, but I would still like to limit that. Also adding more vegetables would be good for my diet. The only time I really eat vegetables is in a wrap I get from the Rec. Center or when I am at the cafeteria and get a salad. My protein and carbohydrate intake are fine, if anything I have more then needed, but I workout so it should be okay.
Monday
8:30am
3 eggs, slice of cheese, 2 pieces of toast (lightly buttered), 8oz orange juice, 8oz whole milk, ¾ cup of Captain Crunch
Total calories= 870 calories
Mood- tired Hunger rating- 2 Doing- Watching TV
12:30pm
2 Tbsp peanut butter on 2 slices of bread, 2 chocolate doughnuts, 8oz whole milk
Total calories= 990 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
1:15pm
10oz Gatorade
Total calories= 65 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 1 Doing- walking to class
5:00pm
8oz whole milk, 1 prepackaged Mac and cheese meal
Total calories= 400 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
5:20pm
1 scoop of pre-workout supplement for energy
Total calories= 80 calories
Mood- Kind of tired Hunger rating- 1 Doing- Leaving for gym
7:45pm
2 scoops of vanilla protein shake with whole milk, banana
Total calories= 503 calories
Mood- energized Hunger rating- 1 Doing- watching TV
8:20pm
7oz chicken breast, ½ cup whole wheat pasta, ¼ cup sauce
Total calories= 487 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
11:30pm
6 Oreos, 4oz whole milk
Total calories= 395 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 1 Doing watching TV
Tuesday
7:20am
8oz whole milk, 2 packets of oatmeal with water
Total calories= 470 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing-watching TV
11:05am
8oz Gatorade, 4oz whole milk, 2Tbsp peanut butter on 2 slices of bread, 1 crumb doughnut
Total calories= 735 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
11:45am
1 scoop of pre-workout supplement
Total calories= 80 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
2:00pm
2 scoops of vanilla protein shake with whole milk
Total calories= 468 calories
Mood- energized Hunger rating- 2 Doing- nothing
4:15pm
5 inches of Garlic bread, 7oz chicken breast, 8oz Gatorade
Total calories= 800 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
7:00pm
2 McChickens, 2 McDoubles, small French fries, 6oz Coca-Cola
Total calories= 1805
Mood- relaxed/bored Hunger rating- 3 Doing- watching TV
Wednesday
8:30am
3 eggs, slice of cheese, 2 pieces of toast (lightly buttered), 8oz orange juice
Total calories- 570 calories
Mood- tired Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
12:30pm
2 bowls of pasta with 4 pieces of bread, chicken patty with ketchup, 16oz of light lemonade, salad with ranch
Total calories= 2080 calories
Mood- hungry/relaxed Hunger rating- 3 Doing- With friends
at cafeteria
7:45pm
2 hotdogs on 2 slices of bread, 4oz Gatorade, ½ serving of chips, 8oz whole milk, 4 Oreos
Total calories= 655 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
Thursday
10:00am
3 eggs, slice of cheese, 2 pieces of toast (lightly buttered), 8oz orange juice, 3 granola bars, 8oz whole milk
Total calories= 990 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 3 Doing- watching TV
11:00am
1 scoop of pre-workout supplement
Total calories= 80 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 1 Doing- Leaving for gym
1:15pm
2 scoops of vanilla protein shake with milk, chicken Caesar wrap, 1 bag of Sun Chips, banana
Total calories= 1140 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 3 Doing- watching TV
3:00pm
2 packets of oatmeal
Total calories= 320 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
7:15pm
12” ham and cheese sub with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo; 8oz PowerAde, 1 bag of Sun Chips
Total calories= 500 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing- at Prof’s Place
9:45pm
2 ¾ cup bowls of cereal with whole milk
Total calories= 340 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 1 Doing- watching TV
Friday
9:45am
3 eggs, slice of cheese, 2 pieces of toast (lightly buttered), 8oz orange juice, 2 granola bars
Total calories= 760 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 3 Doing- watching TV
2:15pm
12” ham and cheese sub with lettuce, cheese, tomato, and mayo; 8oz Gatorade, 1 bag of Cool Ranch chips
Total calories= 610 calories
Mood- tired Hunger rating- 3 Doing- watching TV
2:40pm
1 scoop of pre-workout supplement
Total calories= 80 calories
Mood- tired Hunger rating- 1 Doing- watching TV
4:45pm
2 scoops of vanilla protein shake with milk, 7oz chicken breast, ¼ cup red sauce, ¼ cup whole wheat pasta
Total calories= 1000 calories
Mood- energized Hunger rating- 3 Doing- watching TV
8:45pm
1 can of Chunky beef soup with vegetables, 3 buttered slices of bread, 4oz Gatorade
Total calories= 570 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 3 Doing- watching TV
9:45-2:00am
6 beers (3 Bud lights, 1 Bud Light lime, 2 Miller), 5 shots of Jaeger with 12oz Redbull, 5 shots of Fireball whiskey
Total calories= 1947 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 1 Doing- party
Saturday
8:00am
2 packets of oatmeal, 8oz whole milk
Total calories= 470 calories
Mood- tired Hunger rating- 3 Doing- watching TV
12:00pm
2 Tbsp peanut butter with 2 slices of bread, 20oz Gatorade, 2 granola bars
Total calories= 650 calories
Mood- tired Hunger rating- 2 Doing- working
4:30pm
Chicken Penne vodka sauce dinner, side salad with balsamic dressing, 8oz whole milk
Total calories= 880 calories
Mood- tired Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
10:00pm
¾ cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch, 8oz whole milk
Total calories= 320 calories
Mood- 2 Hunger rating- 2 Doing- watching TV
Sunday
8:00am
3 eggs, slice of cheese, 2 pieces of toast (lightly buttered), 8oz orange juice, 2 granola bars, 8oz whole milk
Total calories= 900 calories
Mood- tired Hunger rating- 3 Doing- watching TV
12:00pm
2 Tbsp peanut butter with 2 slices of bread, 20oz Gatorade
Total calorie= 470 calories
Mood- relaxed Hunger rating- 2 Doing- working
4:30pm
1 chocolate doughnut
Total calories= 230 calories
Mood- tired Hunger rating- 1 Doing- unpacking groceries
6:30pm
5 soft shell tacos with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and beef; 8oz milk
Total calories= 1300 calories
Mood- tired Hunger rating- 3 Doing- watching TV
Overall I feel my diet is pretty decent. Also that fact that I exercise four times a week allows me to eat a little more then my target daily caloric intake. My recommended caloric intake was 3200 daily; I averaged 3439 daily. I averaged more than 800 calories burned in one workout. My target for grains is only one ounce over the limit, but most of my grains come from refined grains. I should switch to more whole grain food like bread, because the only bread I eat is white bread. Since I have done this analysis I have changed my diet a little. I have bought whole grain rice to add to my whole grain intake.
The worst part of my diet would have to be my vegetable intake. It is recommended for me to eat four cups daily of vegetables while I am eating, on average, only ¾ of a cup. The only time I really eat vegetables would be when I go to the cafeteria where I would eat a salad or a plate of celery sticks and carrots. Lately I have been getting better with my vegetable intake. I have bought broccoli that I eat about 3 times a week.
I would say that my best part of my diet is protein intake. I eat about 10 ounces of protein foods daily, mainly on the days I workout though. The recommendation is only 7 ounces. I get most of my protein from chicken, eggs, and peanut butter. I also take a protein supplement right after I workout.
My vitamins and minerals are all good except for a few. Potassium, Vitamin C, D, and E are below the recommendation. My sodium level is way too high. It is over twice the amount recommended for my age. I knew that this would be a little high, but I didn’t think it would be more then double what is recommended for me.
Everything like water, protein, fat, and carbohydrates are all good, except my dietary fiber consumption. I only consume a little under half of what is recommended. I need to improve this, especially because I believe my family is at risk of colon cancer.
I have a balanced diet I feel. I obviously need to add more greens and fruits into my diet, but for a college student I think my diet is fine. I usually eat a lot during a meal, as you can see in my breakfasts. It’s not like I get extremely full during any of my meals though so I don’t think I am over-eating by any means. I will admit I eat a lot when I have fast food though.
I have learned a few things about my diet that I didn’t know before this analysis. For one, my empty calories are through the roof. It is recommended that I have less than or equal to 596 empty calories. My average intake of empty calories is 1290; mainly coming from solid fats. Looking at my diet I can see that I should look for low-fat peanut butter, because the brand I get is high in saturated fat. A couple other things I should change is to low-fat milk and ice cream.
Another nutrient I found surprising was my cholesterol intake. I intake a little more then double my recommendation. Looking back on it, I found that my cholesterol is too high do to my intake of saturated fat. I need to look into more foods that contain mono and poly-unsaturated fats.
My dairy is on point exactly. I knew diary wouldn’t be any where under the recommended amount, because I am a big milk drinker. My fruits are low; I need to add another 1 ¾ cup of fruits in order to reach the recommended amount. My oils are low; I consume a little under half the amount recommended for me, but I feel that is actually a good thing considering my fat levels are on target.
Mood is always a factor for anyone when it comes to eating. I want to maintain a certain weight so I always try to eat a good amount of calories throughout the day, even though I may not be hungry; my hunger rating really doesn’t play into whether or not I eat as much as other people’s would probably. So most of the time, when I am bored and have nothing to do, I will go into the kitchen and check out what there is to eat. I don’t snack that much, I usually have a solid meal, maybe with a small snack on the side.
As I said earlier in this paper, I need to make some changes, and some changes I have already made. I have incorporated more greens and whole grain foods into my diet. I have increased my cardio training as well. These will make up for the fiber being low, as well as the empty caloric intake, in which I have too much of. Also I have switched to low-fat milk instead of whole milk.I have some goals that I would like to do to limit my empty calories and saturated fat levels.
Usually I have McDonald’s once a week. I would like to limit that to once a month. Also I would like to make the times that I do go to eat fast-food, smaller meals; maybe cut what I eat now in half for fast-food. As you can see in my food diary, I eat a lot when it comes to fast-food. Another way to limit my saturated fat content would be to switch my current peanut butter brand to a low-fat brand. I feel these goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.