Saturday, March 20, 2010

tracking my food intake, again..

A few days ago I started tracking my food again in the CRON-o-meter program. I'm trying to curb my overeating and the extra effort of measuring and logging my food seems to work. It also makes you realize when you are not overeating on calories but are just eating too much volume, so you need more high calorie food. And today it helped me gauge what to have for dinner after eating more than usual for lunch. I'd rather not have to do this, as it seems obsessive. But eating differently from everyone else in society has psychological effects and is I think the root cause of my overeating (e.g., wanting to have my own treats when I see other people eating their treats), so I need a tool to balance it.

Anyway, since I'm monitoring my food intake, I might start blogging it daily again like I used to, if I have time. I always thought this was the unique and possibly useful thing about my blog, to demonstrate by example what a "nutritarian" eats on a daily basis. Is it? Can you let me know? If so, I'll make an effort. Thanks!

6 comments:

Darryl said...

Hi Barb,

We just recently started using Cron-o-meter and are really enjoying it. I found out I was getting plenty of calcium and magnesium already, so I don't need to supplement these. Also I found my protein-carbohydrate-fat ratio runs around 15-65-20 every day, without any effort to eat a lot of beans, which is right about where I want it (actually I wouldn't mind having the protein content a little lower, but I couldn't get that without increasing the starches significantly). Most of all, Cron-o-meter helps me keep from overeating--- it gives me that extra motivation to go easy on the sauces and nuts.

A really nice feature of it is the ability to define your own foods and recipes. I added bok choy, hempseed, and goji berries, getting the nutritional analyses off the internet. And now when we make recipes, we just log what we put in and we have a fairly accurate nutritional summary for future use.

No doubt the nutrient breakdown of the produce one buys varies quite a bit from the averages that are built into the program, but with a nutritarian diet, plus the modest Fuhrman supplement, we are far over the minimum requirements anyway.

kneecap said...

Hi Darryl, yesterday was a more low-protein day for me. A few days ago was a more high protein day where I exercised a lot and ate a good serving of beans. That day my protein-carb-fat ratio was 13:66:21. Usually, my protein ranges from 8-13%, fat is around 20%, the rest carbs. I wonder how you get up to 15% protein. more beans I guess? You probably take in more calories than me so have more room for the beans and seeds. 1500 seems right for me which doesn't leave much wiggle room after getting in the recommended greens, veggies, beans, and nuts and seeds.

Unknown said...

Hey Barb
I'm very happy about you blogging more frequently again...I'm one of your biggest fans! Did you see the movie,Misery :-)

kneecap said...

Thanks Sally, you are so sweet! No, I didn't see the movie misery. Oh, I just read a summary of it. I get it. Very funny! I'm not too worried. I think. :)

-barb

Darryl said...

Hi Barb,

I tend to overeat (not gaining weight, but just processing more food than I need to), and I've been trying to stay in the range of 2000-2200 calories a day. Cronometer really helps me with this. Here are a some highlights of what it has been showing:

---My protein percentage runs between 13 and 15 percent, and lipids between 18 and 20 percent. I'm sure the lipids were higher before, because that's where I'm cutting down the most on calories.

---Most of the protein just comes from vegetables. I eat huge salads and huge pots of steamed vegetables, and every day I have either a blended salad or a green smoothie. About 2 cups of beans a day, which contribute a significant portion, but are not the main source. Of course some protein comes from the seeds and nuts, too. They just seem to all add up to get to 90-100 gm every day. The essential aminos are all far more than the WHO-recommended minimums, most of them are three or four times the minimum.

---Around 30 mg of iron a day, far above the standard requirements and more than enough to make up for any decreased absorption of plant source iron.

---More than 100 g of fiber a day.

---Vitamin C around 1000 mg a day, folate in the 1500-2000 mg range.

---Potassium typically above 10,000 mg a day, sodium 800-1000 (no added salt in any of my foods)

---Omega-3 runs around 6 g a day. Much of it comes from the vegetables, also I eat 7 g flaxseed and 1/2 tsp fish oil. I take the fish oil not because I think there is not enough Omega-3, but to make sure there is ample avaliable DHA and EPA. Omega-6 usually runs around twice the Omega-3 level, although Dr. Furhman says the ratio doesn't really matter, as the body will just take what it needs as long as the essential fatty acids are available.

One thing that has come home to me from using cronometer is just how nice it is to use grams on an everyday basis! Instead of adding 2 1/8 oz to 3 3/4 oz, I'm adding 60 grams to 100 grams. I remember when I was a boy and there was a big push to change the US over to the metric system--- I think it was during the Eisenhower administration. I was science-oriented and just assumed everyone would be for the change, since the metric system is so much more sensible. I was shocked when it was rejected. Not only did I start to suspect that this might not be the best of all possible worlds, but also that the US might not be the greatest country in every single way. It was quite an eye-opener.

kneecap said...

Hi Darryl!

Cronometer does wonders for my overeating too. I also don't tend to gain weight when I overeat, but it's a waste of my body's effort and my money! Today I amazed myself by exercising restraint and eating only a small milkshake. I treated it like a normal person should, as a treat.

I too really like thinking in grams now and just weighing everything. It's easy that way.

Wow you get a lot of protein. I get about half as much as you. My average calorie intake is about 1400, and my protein about 40-50 gm. My fat percentage seems a little higher than yours, about 20-25%. I think with the fewer calories, even a 1 oz portion of nuts & seeds is a relatively high percentage. I love seeing how the vitamins are off the scale in daily percentages. Fun!

I liked your story about the metric system. I lived in Germany as a child (dad in the Air Force) in the late 60s, and we kept hearing how the US was going to convert to the metric system, and I was looking forward to it, and then was so disappointed when they didn't. However, I didn't conclude yet that the US wasn't the greatest country in the world. I guess I am more gullible than you. :)

-barb