Nutrition Self Analysis

BMI & Hamwi:

My weight is 172 lbs. and my height is 5’0”. The formula that I will be utilizing to achieve my BMI is (Weight in Kilograms / (Height in Meters x Height in Meters)). When I converted my information to the appropriate units, my weight in kilograms is (172 lbs)/(2.2 lbs) = 78 kg and for my height I converted feet into inches then to meters (60 in)/(39 in) = 1.54 m. My BMI calculation comes out to (78 kg / 1.54 m x 1.54 m) = 33 kg/m2. According to the required textbook, I am considered “obese class 1” (Dudek, 2014). Although the BMI is highly recognized as an appropriate screening tool, it does not take into account body composition and genetic differences in individuals. I do agree with the conclusion that I am obese. The Hamwi method is a fast approach to calculate the “ideal” body weight by using the individual’s gender and height. For women, the equation allows 100 lbs. for the first 5 ft. of height, then adds 5 lbs. for each additional inch (Dudek, 2014). My calculated weight for the Hamwi method is (100 lbs. + 0) = 100 lbs. For this method, I do not agree that my ideal weight should be 100 lbs. If I have reflected this ideal weight, I would look malnourished.

Overall, I do agree that I am obese. I would like to lose overall about 50 lbs. but still maintain my muscle tone. The Hamwi method does not make any sense to me, it only considers the individual’s gender and height. The BMI’s formula is a better screening tool in identifying individuals’ ideal body weight.

Food Diary

November 12, 2018

FOODS Calories Carbs Fat Protein Cholest Sodium Sugars Fiber

Meal 1

Premier Protein Chocolate high protein shake 160 5g 3g 30g 0mg 0mg 1g 3g

Bigelow Green Tea, bag (1) 0 0g 0g 0g 0mg 0mg 0g 0g

Meal 2

Steam white rice, 1 cup 243 53g 0.5g 5.1g 0mg 1mg 0.1g 0.7g

Orange glaze chicken, 1 serving

190 11g 9g 16g 40mg 330mg 0g 0g

Vegetable egg roll 153 25g 3.6g 5.2g 0mg 437.6mg 5.3g 2.2g

Total: 746 94g 16.1g 56.3 40mg 768.6 6.4 5.9g

Food Notes

Breakfast - woke up, had a cup of green tea then the protein shake. I was satisfied.

Lunch – Since I was at my clinical site all day, I had the white rice with orange glaze chicken and an egg roll. I was not very hungry, so after eating my lunch I was satisfied.

Dinner – After getting out of clinical, went to go pick up my son at cub scouts. Once I arrived home, I was still hungry from lunch, I felt satisfied. Didn’t eat anything.

November 13, 2018

FOODS

Calories Carbs Fat Protein Cholest Sodium Sugars Fiber

Meal 1

Bigelow Green Tea bag, 1bag 0 0g 0g 0g 0mg 0mg 0g 0g

Premier protein Chocolate high protein shake 160 5g 3g 30g 0mg 0mg 1g 3g

Meal 2

Hot dog, beef, 1 147 1.1g 13.6g 5.1g 25.2mg 461.2mg 0.7g 0g

Bun, Hot dog, 1 120 21.3g 1.9g 4.1g 0mg 206mg 2.7g 0.9g

Total: 427 27.4g 18.5 39.2g 25.2 667.2mg 4.4g 3.9g

Food Notes

Breakfast – Had my routine green tea then the protein shake. I was satisfied.

Lunch – Had one hot dog at home, not too hungry still full from breakfast.

Dinner – I was busy studying and getting my kids ready for bed, I was not hungry.

November 14, 2018

FOODS Calories Carbs Fat Protein Cholest Sodium Sugars Fiber

Meal 1

Bigelow Green Tea bag, 1 bag 0 0g 0g 0g 0mg 0mg 0g 0g

Premier Protein Chocolate High Protein shake 160 5g 3g 30g 0mg 0mg 1g 3g

Meal 2

Ready Pac Bristo salad, chicken Caesar 230 8g 16g 16g 20mg 400mg 3g 1g

FOODS Calories Carbs Fat Protein Cholest Sodium Sugars Fiber

TOTAL: 390 13g 19g 46g 20mg 400mg 4g 4g

Food Notes

Breakfast – Had the green tea and then the protein shake as usual.

Lunch – I was at home, so I had a Bristo ready salad, I was satisfied.

Dinner – I was unable to eat dinner, I was at the hospital with my husband.

Analysis

Based on 1200 calorie diet with nutritional goal of 55% carbohydrates, 20% protein, and 25% fat (Your Fitness Goals, 2016)).

Carbohydrates:

For my first day, I was under 63g for my carbohydrates. On the second day, I was 134g under, and on the third day I was 144g under. According to my fitness pal, I should be in taking 157 grams per day for my 1,260 calorie meal plan. Most of my carbohydrates came from my lunch. The foods that I ate that were high in carbohydrates were steam rice, vegetable egg roll, and hot dog bun. I need to incorporate more selection of foods that are high in carbohydrates, such as legumes (Mayoclinic.org, 2018). Carbohydrates are the main source of energy (Dudek, 2014). This is important, because I am going to school 2 days out of the week and I’m very active with my two young kids. I need foods that are enrich in carbohydrates for energy.

Fat:

According to my recommended dietary allowance, I should only be in taking 42 grams of fats. Analyzing these three days of food diary, I am pretty pleased on how I did, I thought I was consuming more fats than I really was. The meal that had the greatest amount of fat was my lunch. By eating similar foods for breakfast and lunch has helped me control the fat intake.

Protein:

Protein is the key structural and functional component of every living cell (Dudek, 2014). According to my fitness pal, my recommended dietary allowance for protein is 64 grams. From the foods that I was in taking, like chicken and protein shake, I thought I would have met the recommended amount. My highest protein came from breakfast. The protein shake was high in protein, which is where I got most of my protein. Even though I tried to eat chicken for lunch, I still did not reach my protein goal. Fiber (g):

Overall, the total amount of fiber intake was low from the past three days. According to the required text, total fiber is set at 14g/1,000 or for women it is approximately 25g/day (Dudek, 2014). My recommended dietary allowance from my fitness pal is 25g/day. My consumption for fiber ranged from 4-6 grams in my food diary. I received the most amount of fiber from the protein shake. Fiber is not an essential nutrient, but it is important to consume the recommended amount to decrease GI disturbances (Dudek, 2014). I plan to eat more vegetables and fruits that are enriched in fiber. I would eat 1 medium banana that yields 3.1 grams of fiber for snack (Mayoclinic.org, 2018).

Sugar:

My recommended amount of sugar intake is 48 grams on my fitness pal. I was actually surprised at my sugar levels, they were lower than the recommended. Like my intake of fat, I do have a problem controlling my sugar intake per day, which I have been trying to decrease. To my surprise, I have been successful in decreasing my sugar.

Saturated:

My recommended amount of saturated fat on my fitness pal is 14 grams. On all three days, I did not met the required amount. Saturated fat is known as the “bad” fat and is also referred to as the solid fats (Dudek, 2018). I was quite surprised that I stayed in the range of the recommended amount. A lot of the foods that I enjoy eating are high in saturated fats. Overall, I would not make any changes and I would still continue to stay away from foods that are high in saturated fats.

Polyunsaturated:

Polyunsaturated fats are considered the “good fats”. Evidence has showed that by replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats such polyunsaturated, LDL cholesterol would decrease therefore the risk of cardiovascular diseases will follow (Dudek, 2014). My recommended amount on my fitness pal was 0 grams, but I consumed 2 grams on my first day. I will continue to consume foods with 0 polyunsaturated foods.

Monounsaturated:

Like polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated also holds the same benefits (Dudek, 2014). My recommended amount on my fitness pal was 0 grams. Again, I consumed only 1 gram on the first day and did not consume any on the other days. I will continue to consume foods with no monounsaturated just like polyunsaturated.

Trans (g):

High intake of trans fat increases LDL cholesterol and lowers HDL cholesterol (Dudek, 2014). My recommended dietary allowance is 0 grams. To my surprise, I did not consume trans fat at all during my food diary. I will continue the same type of foods, and avoid trans fat.

Cholesterol (mg):

My recommended dietary allowance for cholesterol is 300 mg. Throughout the three days, I was below my allowance. The descriptions of good or bad cholesterol refer only to the lipoproteins that moves the cholesterol through the blood, there are no such thing for cholesterol itself (Dudek, 2014). I would change my foods to incorporate a little more cholesterol in my diet.

Sodium (mg):

Sodium is largely responsible for regulating fluid balance, when an individual had a salty meal thirst will be triggered (Dudek, 2014). According to my fitness pal, my recommended dietary allowance is 2,300 mg. My sodium intake on day 1 and 2 of my food diary stayed under 830mg and on the third day I had 1,190mg. I could incorporate more sodium in my diet.

Potassium (mg):

According to my fitness pal, my recommended dietary allowance is 3,500 mg of potassium. In my food diary, I stayed in the range of 400 mg to 710 mg. The adjustment that I would do is to increase my potassium intake by at least 2,000 mg per day. I would add eating more leafy green vegetables like spinach and Brussel sprouts into my diet. 1 cup of cooked spinach is 838 mg of potassium and 1 cup of cooked Brussel sprouts is 494 mg (Mayoclinic.com, 2018).

Vitamin A %:

My recommended dietary amount for vitamin A is 100 %DV. Vitamin A is important for immune function and development of bones, but with excess amount it can cause headaches, vomiting, and double vision (Dudek, 2014). On my second day, I was very below (only had 25%DV. On day one and three, I was still under, however, I was closer to the 100%DV. I consumed 75%DV. I would continue consuming similar foods, however, I would try to keep my intake of vitamin A closer to the 100%.

Vitamin C %:

According to the required text, vitamin C is needed for antibody formation, wound healing, and collagen formation. If an individual has an influx of vitamin A they can experience diarrhea and mild GI upset (Dudek, 2014). My recommended dietary amount is 100 %DV. Throughout my food diary, I was well above the recommended amount by at least 70-76 %DV. The consumed foods that consisted of the highest amount of vitamin C are the strawberries and broccoli (Dudek, 2014). My adjustment is to eat 0.5 cup of strawberries instead of 1 cup of strawberries. This will lessen both my sugar and vitamin C intake.

Calcium %:

Calcium is responsible for bone structure and muscle contraction, deficiency can lead to osteoporosis (Dudek, 2018). My recommended dietary amount for calcium is 100% DV per day. My daily intake ranged from 40-60% DV. To increase my intake, I will drink more milk or dairy products.

Iron %:

Iron is responsible for oxygen transport and is an essential part of enzyme systems. Iron deficiency can cause impaired immune function, lethargy, fatigue, and impaired wound healing (Dudek, 2014). My recommended dietary amount is 100 %DV and my range was only between 31-48 %DV. The adjustment that I will take to increase my intake is to eat fish (Dudek, 2018).

Drug/Medication Interactions:

Currently, I am not taking any prescribed or over the counter medication.

Physical & Emotional Analysis:

Day 1:

Having the green tea gives me energy and the protein shake actually filled me up. I did not feel hungry until lunch time came around. For lunch, since I was at my clinical site, I did not have much options to chose from, so my carbohydrates were higher. Since I was running around til late at night, I did not hungry later on and I did not want to eat so late.

Day 2:

Again, the green tea and the protein shake filled me up til lunch time. At first, I thought one hot dog was not going to fill me, however, after I finished the first hot dog I was full. For dinner, I was getting hungry, but I was busy with the kids then with my homework that I suddenly forgot to eat. I was so busy that night, that I didn’t even noticed that I was hungry anymore.

Day 3:

On this day, I did wake up hungry. I was stressed because I have class on Wednesday mornings, I had a quiz that day, and I didn’t eat the night before. I had the green tea and the protein shake and I was satisfied again. I only had a ready to eat chicken Caesars salad because I was going to go out to dinner with my family, I didn’t want to over eat that day. But, unexpected things happened, and I ended up at the hospital with my husband and due to the stress of being there and worrying, I forgot to eat. I was tired by the end of the night and I felt weak and dizzy.

Medical Conditions:

I have no medical conditions. There are no medical conditions in my family that I am aware of. I do, however, need to exercise. Since I’m in nursing school, I have had a bad diet and don’t exercise anymore. I even forget to eat due to the stress and the work load. I am aware though, that I do have to start to exercise and change my eating habits to a healthier diet and exercise.

Culture:

As a Mexican, my culture truly did reflect my food choices. Before I started implementing weight loss ideals in what I eat, on the majority days I would eat foods that were fried, high in carbs, fats, and sugars. My parents were strong on their cultural roots. My parents always taught us that a good and real meal, we always had to have rice, beans, and tortillas. Every dish that my parents cooked were fried. So, as I got older, that was my diet. Until recently when I realized that my diet was horrible and that I needed to change. I do try to bake, incorporate more vegetables, and a variety of foods, but now I see that clinicals, school, and everyday stressors can alter my diet.

Diet Plan

Looking back at my BMI of 33, I would like to start by losing 40 pounds. According to this BMI, I am obese class 1. My water intake, the recommended amount of water for women is 2.7 L per day (Dudek, 2014). My water intake that was documented on the food diary ranged around 2.4-2.9 L. In regard to weight loss, it is important to consume the recommended daily amount of water because it will help you feel full, speed up the metabolism, and flush out fats/toxins (Publichealth.lacounty.gov, 2018).

According to my fitness pal, on some days I ate excessive amounts of sodium, sugar, fat, and carbohydrates. To decrease these levels, I will reduce the portion size of food items that yielded the most of value.

In regards to making any changes into my activity level, I will start to exercise 5 days out of my week. I will use my membership to the gym to get my exercise time in. To achieve my goal of weight loss, I plan on counting the calories I have taken in versus the calories I have burned off. According to Mayoclinic.org, replacing high-calorie foods with lower calorie replacements and decreasing portion size can improve weight control. I will utilize this method and as well incorporate physical activity.

Goals/Implementation/Obstacles

By December 12, 2018, I will be eating 6 small meals, with different types of foods. I will implement this by using different tools, such as my plate, to help me decide what kind of foods I need to consume and how much. An obstacle that I can run into is that I have so many errands to do that I forget to eat and cause more harm to myself. By December 12, 2018, I will increase my carbohydrates to 140-160 g daily. I will implement this by consuming milk and milk products, whole grain products, bananas, and legumes. An obstacle would be that I usually don’t wat breads, bananas, or milk or milk products.

Reflection

I have always struggled with my weight. I had taken control of my weight for a while, but then I started nursing school and I lost control. Looking at my BMI and breaking down my food intake has shown me that I need to start taking some action and changing my diet. Putting food on the side and not eating the appropriate amount of times, I am not getting enough nutrients in my diet. Now, I have a better understanding that not getting the appropriate amount of nutrients can be bad.

References

Dudek, Susan, G. (2014). Nutrition essentials for nursing practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Your fitness goals (2016). Retrieved from https://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/my

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