Reference no: EM133937526

Assignment:

So - the easiest way to track your own intake is to utilize a tracking app or program - many are free. You must track total calories and total grams from fat, protein, and carbohydrates at a minimum. MyFitnessPal is a fairly standard example of one. You may also do this the "old school" way and simply write things down on a piece of paper and look up the calorie and nutrient values later. The hardest part about this exercise is incorporating the planning and time to track foods in to your day. I also ask you to do this exercise to gain a measure of empathy for people that need to or choose to track their food intake for medical or other reasons - it can be a challenge. However - the simple act of tracking and observing a patient is often enough to change behavior. Keep in mind that you will have to measure the foods that you eat so that you can get an accurate count. As you track and after you track - please answer the following questions:

1) If your app or program asked you to enter your demographic information and calculated a calorie or nutrient goal for you - how did your tracked calories/nutrients differ from the goal established by the program?

2) What were the main differences between the individual days? Was each day the same? How did each day compare to the "average" day?

3) Did you adjust your behavior or intake while you were tracking? What things did you notice you did differently? Did you really write down every single thing you ate? If you considered not writing something down - why?

4) Now that you have seen how nutrient numbers for foods are calculated or derived - so you think the numbers you came up with are exactly accurate to the foods you ate? Why or why not?

5) What features of an app or program make doing this easier or harder? What would you change if you could?