Diet Evaluation Logs

Diet Evaluation Logs

2014

These logs are continued from Diet Evaluation - June 16 to July 15, 2014. In that previous evaluation I mention that I might continue to keep track of my diet, and I have been doing so. Since I now have all of my “Favorites” picked out and any needed “User added foods” or “User added recipes” imputed into my DietPower software program, it really only takes a few minutes a day to enter each day’s foods.

That previous evaluation provides the background information to these logs. Here I will be posting my monthly diet evaluations since I started keeping track of my diet with DietPower in mid-June 2014. I will be including each month's macronutrients, fiber, cholesterol, sodium, and potassium. I will also include vitamins D and E and folate, since my intake tends to be borderline on these vitamins. For other vitamins and minerals my intakes are usually well above 100% of DietPower's PDAs (see below), but I will include them if my intake falls below 100%. The first month is only for two weeks since I just started keeping track of my food intake with DietPower in the middle of June.

Personal Daily Allowances

The Personal Daily Allowances (PDAs) are DietPower's version of the USDA's RDAs (Recommended Dietary Allowances). These are based on my gender and age (male, 53). But I adjusted some of them to levels I believe are better for me.

DietPower's default values are as follows:

Calories – 2197 (current budget + 30 day exercise average)

Macronutrient – Grams – % of Calories:
Fat – 61 g – 25%
Carb – 330 g – 60%
Protein – 82 g – 15%

Type of Fat – Grams – % of Total Fat:
Saturated Fat – 24 g – 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat – 18 g – 30%
Monounsaturated Fat – 18 g – 30%
Trans Fat – 0 g – 0%

Sugar – Grams – % of Total Carbs:
Sugars – 66 g – 20%

Nutrient – Amount:
Cholesterol – 300 mg
Sodium – 1,300 mg
Potassium – 4,700 mg
Dietary Fiber – 30 g

Vitamin D – 400 IU
Vitamin E – 22 IU
Folate – 400 mcg

My adjusted values are:

Macronutrient – Grams – % of Calories:
Fat – 79 g – 32%
Carb – 238 g – 43%
Protein – 135 g – 25%

Type of Fat – Grams – % of Total Fat:
Saturated Fat – 20 g – 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat – 20 g – 25%
Monounsaturated Fat – 40 g – 50%
Trans Fat – 0 g – 0%

Sugar – Grams – % of Total Carbs:
Sugars – 71 g – 30%

Nutrient – Amount:
Cholesterol – 600 mg
Sodium – 2,300 mg
Potassium – 4,700 mg
Dietary Fiber – 30 g

Vitamin D – 400 IU
Vitamin E – 22 IU
Folate – 400 mcg

Comments on Adjusted PDAs

DietPower's recommended caloric levels change over time, as the program automatically adjusts a person's budgeted calories based on their bodyweight changes over time as compared to their caloric intake. It also adds in calories burned in exercise and a person's bodyweight goals. For me, the latter is basically maintenance. I weighed 120.4 pounds when I started recording my diet on June 16, 2014 and have my weight goal set to weigh 121.0 on December 31. I feel best if I stay above 120, but I don't want to get above 122 as, God-willing, I hope to compete again, so I want to stay within striking distance of the class limit of 114.5 pounds.

That said, the indicated calorie allowance and percentages of allotted calories are based on DietPower's allotted calories for me when I wrote this article and posted the values for June through October on November 16, 2014, weighing 120.2 pounds. But the allotment would have been different if I had posted each month at the end of the month and will change over time. But it gives perspective to the percentages for the macronutrients.

The adjusted macronutrient levels are because I am shooting for the following levels:
Fat: 30–35% (~0.67g/ pound of bodyweight)
Carb: 40–45% (~2.0g/ pound of bodyweight)
Protein: ~25% (1.0-1.25g/ pound of bodyweight)

I discuss the reasons for these levels in the previous evaluation and in my God-given Foods Eating Plan book. That book provides many further details on my dietary philosophy and the Biblical and scientific evidence behind it.

I put an emphasis on monounsaturated fats as I believe they are the healthiest type of fat, increasing both HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels and testosterone levels, as discussed in my book. I have verified these effects on myself via blood tests. My intake of trans fat is always zero, as I never consume foods with hydrogenated oils, so I am not including trans fat in the logs.

I doubled the cholesterol levels, for the reasons discussed in the "Doctor's Appointment" update at the end of the previous evaluation.

Almost all of the sugars in my diet are from naturally occurring sugars, especially from fruit and yogurt. The only foods I regularly consume with added sugars are my Natural Whey and Natural Casein protein powders and pre-workout cold cereal (which are also the only highly processed foods I eat regularly. Follow the links for why I do so). But DietPower does not make a distinction between naturally occurring sugars and added sugars, but it should. Naturally occurring sugars like in fruit come with a wealth of nutrients, while added sugars are empty calories. Moreover, by reducing the percent of calories from carbs from 60% to 43%, if I left the default of 20% of carbs from sugars, then the gram allotment would be significantly reduced. So to counter these problems, I increased the percentage of carbs from sugar to 30%.

I adjusted the sodium level to the Upper Tolerable Limit, as I know it is beneficial for me to consume more than the RDA, since I had chronically low blood sodium levels, until I increased my sodium intake at the advise of my doctor.

I kept the default value for potassium, even thought it seems a little high to me. I consume a lot of fruits and vegetables (the best sources of potassium) and mostly unrefined foods (which all contain at least some potassium), but my levels still tend to be borderline. But this could be because food labels do not always include potassium, so when I add a food to DietPower, I am not able to include its potassium levels, unless I can find the value someplace else. The same goes for the three vitamins I tend to be low in.

I kept the default value for fiber, as it seems about right.

I also decreased the PDA for water from 124 ounces to 86 ounces, for the reasons discussed in the preceding evaluation. But I am not including water intake in these logs as I really do not keep track of it. I just automatically add 36 ounces of water each day. I then get another 50+ ounces from the water naturally contained in foods, plus the water I use to mix up my protein powders and to make my morning oatmeal. That puts me over the adjusted PDA and keeps DietPower from penalizing me for a low water intake.

The Nutrient Quotient (NQ) is is DietPower’s “grade” for my diet. I have included both the NQ if using the default values and when using my adjusted values.

June 2014
(June 16 to June 30)

Bodyweight:
6/15 – 120.4
7/1 – 120.2

Calories – 2169 – 99%

Macronutrient – Grams – % of Calories – % of PDA:
Fat – 77.5 g – 31% – 99%
Carb – 250 g – 44% – 105%
Protein – 142 g – 25% –105%

Nutrient – Amount – % of PDA:
Saturated Fat – 17.4 g – 88%
Polyunsaturated Fat – 19.3 g – 98%
Monounsaturated Fat – 33.4 g – 86%
Sugars – 74.5 g – 105%

Cholesterol – 316 mg – 53%
Sodium – 1782 – 78%
Potassium – 4,099 – 87%
Dietary Fiber – 38.7 g – 129%

Vitamin D – 192 IU – 48%
Vitamin E – 21.4 IU – 97%
Folate – 403 – 101%

Nutrition Quotient:
Default Values: 111, A+
Adjusted Values: 148, Genius

July 2014

Bodyweight:
7/1 – 120.2
8/1 – 121.6

Calories – 2135 – 97%

Macronutrient – Grams – % of Calories – % of PDA:
Fat – 77.4 g – 32% – 99%
Carb – 233 g – 42% – 98%
Protein – 146 g – 26% – 108%

Nutrient – Amount – % of PDA:
Saturated Fat – 17.9 g – 91%
Polyunsaturated Fat – 18.9 g – 96%
Monounsaturated Fat – 33 g – 84%
Sugars – 68.6 g – 97%

Cholesterol – 359 mg – 60%
Sodium – 1,792 – 78%
Potassium – 3,928 – 84%
Dietary Fiber – 35.7 g – 119%

Vitamin D – 256 IU – 54%
Vitamin E – 21.6 IU – 98%
Folate – 372 – 93%

Nutrition Quotient:
Default Values: 100, A+
Adjusted Values: 134, A++

August 2014

Bodyweight:
8/1 – 121.6
9/1 – 120.6

Calories – 2090 – 95%

Macronutrient – Grams – % of Calories – % of PDA:
Fat – 77.1 g – 32% – 98%
Carb – 226 g – 41% – 95%
Protein – 144 g – 27% – 107%

Nutrient – Amount – % of PDA:
Saturated Fat – 16.7 g – 85%
Polyunsaturated Fat – 17.6 g – 89%
Monounsaturated Fat – 34.7 g – 89%
Sugars – 74.5 g – 96%

Cholesterol – 344 mg – 57%
Sodium – 1,672 – 73%
Potassium – 4,006 – 85%
Dietary Fiber – 36.1 g – 120%

Vitamin D – 275 IU – 69%
Vitamin E – 24 IU – 109%
Folate – 347 – 87%

Nutrition Quotient:
Default Values: 106, A+
Adjusted Values: 140, Genius

September 2014

Bodyweight::
9/1 – 120.6
10/1 – 119.8

Calories – 2202 – 100%

Macronutrient – Grams – % of Calories – % of PDA:
Fat – 88 g – 35% – 112%
Carbs – 231 g – 40% – 97%
Protein – 144 g – 25% – 107%

Nutrient – Amount – % of PDA:
Saturated Fat – 19.8 g – 100%
Polyunsaturated Fat – 17.9 g – 91%
Monounsaturated Fat – 40.4 g – 104%
Sugars – 61.7 g – 87%

Cholesterol – 357 mg – 59%
Sodium – 1,706 – 74%
Potassium – 3,970 – 84%
Dietary Fiber – 38.6 g – 129%

Vitamin D – 287 IU – 72%
Vitamin E – 26.6 IU – 121%
Folate – 353 – 88%

Nutrition Quotient:
Default Values: 106, A+
Adjusted Values: 137, A++

October 2014

Bodyweight:
10/1 – 119.8
11/1 – 120.2

Calories – 2208 – 101%

Macronutrient – Grams – % of Calories – % of PDA:
Fat – 86 g – 34% – 110%
Carb – 245 g – 42% – 103%
Protein – 138 g – 24% – 102%

Nutrient – Amount – % of PDA:
Saturated Fat – 18.2 g – 92%
Polyunsaturated Fat – 19.1 g – 97%
Monounsaturated Fat – 39.6 g – 101%
Sugars – 64.1 g – 90%

Cholesterol – 351 mg – 59%
Sodium – 1,751 – 76%
Potassium – 4,286 – 91%
Dietary Fiber – 40.6 g – 135%

Vitamin D – 367 IU – 92%
Vitamin E – 26.9 IU – 122%
Folate – 387 – 97%

Nutrition Quotient:
Default Values: 115, A+
Adjusted Values: 149, Genius

Note:
For two weeks during this month, I experimented with using milk instead of protein powders. That decreased my protein intake, but increased my vitamin D and folate intake. That experiment did not work, so I went back to the protein powders. For details, see the "Experiment" update at the end of Natural Whey and Natural Casein.

November 2014

Bodyweight:
11/1 – 119.8
12/1 – 119.4

Calories – 2275 – 94%

Macronutrient – Grams – % of Calories – % of PDA:
Fat – 86 g – 32% – 99%
Carb – 250 g – 42% – 96%
Protein – 153 g – 26% – 100%

Nutrient – Amount – % of PDA:
Saturated Fat – 19.1 g – 88%
Polyunsaturated Fat – 18.5 g – 85%
Monounsaturated Fat – 39.3 g – 91%
Sugars – 64.4 g – 82%

Cholesterol – 368 mg – 61%
Sodium – 2,126 – 92%
Potassium – 4,558 – 97%
Dietary Fiber – 39.2 g – 131%

Vitamin D – 276 IU – 69%
Vitamin E – 25 IU – 114%
Folate – 453 – 113%

Nutrition Quotient:
Default Values: 112, A+
Adjusted Values: 154, Genius

December 2014

Bodyweight:
12/3 – 120.0
12/31 – 120.0

Calories – 2212 – 96%

Macronutrient – Grams – % of Calories – % of PDA:
Fat – 85.7 g – 33% – 104%
Carb – 252 g – 43% – 102%
Protein – 140 g – 24% – 99%

Nutrient – Amount – % of PDA:
Saturated Fat – 21 g – 102%
Polyunsaturated Fat – 17.4 g – 86%
Monounsaturated Fat – 37.8 g – 102%
Sugars – 70.5 g – 95%

Cholesterol – 397 mg – 66%
Sodium – 1,867 – 81%
Potassium – 4,264 – 91%
Dietary Fiber – 39.5 g – 132%

Vitamin D – 357 IU – 89%
Vitamin E – 25.9 IU – 118%
Folate – 388 – 107%

Nutrition Quotient:
Default Values: 110, A+
Adjusted Values: 138, A++

This month got messed on three counts. First, for a couple of weeks I once again tried substituting milk for the protein powders, first low fat milk then whole, raw milk. But once again, it did not work out. See the above link for details. Second, I took a week off of working out at the beginning of the month due to being overtrained, and when I'm not working out I tend to lose my appetite. Third, there was Christmas. I did not eat any junk food, but it did change my eating plan on a few days.

June 16 - December 31, 2014

This final log is for all of the time during 2014 when I was keeping track of my diet. I will include all nutrients DietPower keeps track of for a full record. Averaging such a long time period shows what my diet is really like.

Bodyweight:
6/15 – 120.4
12/31 – 120.0

Calories – 2186 – 95%

Macronutrient – Grams – % of Calories – % of PDA:
Carb – 240 g – 42% – 97%
Protein – 144 g – 25% – 102%
Fat – 83 g – 33% – 101%

Nutrient – Grams – % of Calories – % of PDA:
Saturated Fat – 18.7 g – 7.6% – 90%
Polyunsaturated Fat – 18.3 g – 7.5% – 91%
Monounsaturated Fat – 37.2 g – 15.3% – 91%
Trans Fat – 0g – 0 %– 0%
Sugars – 66.9 g – 12.2% – 90%

Nutrient – Amount – % of PDA:
Cholesterol – 359 mg – 60%
Sodium – 1816 – 79%
Potassium – 4,169 – 89%
Dietary Fiber – 38.4 g – 128%

Vitamin A – 1088 mcg – 121%
Vitamin C – 186 mg – 207%
Calcium – 1204 mg – 100%
Iron – 17.7 mg – 221%

Vitamin D – 296 IU – 74%
Vitamin E – 24.8 IU – 113%
Thiamin – 1,736 mcg – 135%
Riboflavin – 2,147 mcg – 165%
Niacin – 24.1 mg – 151%
Vitamin B6 – 2,.579 mcg – 152%
Folate – 385 mcg – 96%
Vitamin B12 – 7.44 mcg – 310%

Phosphorus – 1,797 mg – 257%
Magnesium – 544 mg – 129%
Zinc – 14.0 mg – 127%
Copper – 2,083 mcg – 232%
Manganese – 5.58 mg – 242%
Selenium – 146 mcg – 265%

Water – 99.3 fl. oz. – 115%
Alcohol – 0 – 0%

Nutrition Quotient:
Default Values: 110, A+
Adjusted Values: 141, Genius

I'm very pleased with these numbers. Even with DietPower's default values, I still have an A+ diet. My adjusted values have me at Genius level. That means I'm hitting my desired calories and macronutrients just right. My bodyweight did not change during this time period, but my body fat percentage probably did. Unfortunately, I only started measuring it in mid-November, but since that time I lost a couple of pounds of fat and and gained a couple of pounds of muscle, so I probably lost fat and gained muscle from mid-June to mid-November. I also consumed more than enough of almost all of vitamins and minerals. The couple I'm low on are probably due to not being able to include those values when adding a food to DietPower. My plan is to continue tracking my diet, as it rather easy to do now that I've got everything set up in DietPower. But I won't bother with the NQ based on DietPower's default values any more, as it's too much hassle changing the numbers back and forth just to get the default NQ.

These logs are continued at: Diet Evaluation Logs - 2015.

The logs for June through October were posted on this site November 15, 2014.
The months after that were added after each month.

Powerlifting and Strength Training
Powerlifting and Strength Training: My Diet/ Eating Plan

Nutrition
Nutrition: My Diet Evaluations

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