NS220: Nutrition Planning and Management Assignment 1

1) I did list down what I had for the last 24 hours and I found I had something from each of the five major food groups which are correct per MyPlate.com. I exceeded the number of servings for vegetables because I take romaine lettuce and add a little bit of seasoning (Mrs. Dash) to it and eat it like I would eat chips. This helps me to get the crunch I like and also keep my caloric intake at a minimum.
2) Per Table 1-3, I should be consuming 2000 calories per day but luckily I came in at 1,764 for today. I did eat the correct number of servings in every food group except for dairy. I am lactose intolerant and actually do not like milk, so I have a hard time meeting the requirements for that food group. I do take a calcium, vitamin D supplement to make up for what I am missing.
3) I looked at the Dietary Guidelines and found that I do need to reduce my sugars a little bit more. I tend to have a sweet tooth and sometimes fall prisoner to my craving for chocolate. I have improved tremendously over the past 2 months but still have a bit to go in overcoming my weakness.
4) I am currently 46 and will be 47 next week. On my mom’s side of the family, heart disease is a huge factor and that is something that brings great concern to me. I try to stay on a heart healthy diet and keep active as much as possible. I recently purchased a FitBit and it helps to track your steps, calories, how many flights of stairs you do per day and how many calories you burn. It has helped me become more aware every day to try and reach my goal of 10,000 steps per day or more. It’s definitely not an easy number to achieve but it’s also not hard if you just put in a little extra effort. I also have teamed up with 4 of my friends and we are doing a 21 day challenge to see who can lose the most weight by committing to working out every day and clean eating. This starts next Monday so I’m hoping to sweep this right up with a big win. What better way to get ready for beach season.