One week to a healthier you?

Following the new nutritional guidelines isn't easy, so why should you try it?

Not just because the government says you should. But if you can spend a week paying attention to what you eat and how much-and actually writing it down-you'll be amazed at how much you will learn about your eating habits. Whether or not you're able to follow the guidelines precisely, the attempt may help you make some simple changes that lead to a healthier diet and, ultimately, a healthier you. Check out a few stories from people here at MIT who gave it a try, and see what they learned in just a few days.

Follow these steps to get an individualized MyPyramid eating plan that meets your nutritional and caloric needs, along with a handy meal-tracking worksheet. It takes some planning and organizing at first, but you'll be glad you tried it. And we'd love to hear how you did and what you learned. So, drop us a line at mithealth@mit.edu, and let us know.

 

1. Calculate your BMI and caloric needs. Enter your height, weight, sex, age, and activity level below to calculate your BMI (body mass index) and the daily calories you need to maintain your current weight.

 

Adult BMI and Calorie Calculator*

Sex:   Male Female       Height:   Inches Centimeters Weight:   Pounds kilograms (kg)       Age:  Years          Are you active? Rarely Less than 1 hour/day About 1 hour/day More than 1 hour/day

Your BMI is  and you need about   Calories per day to maintain your current weight How to interpret Your BMI Healthy weight: Under 25    Overweight: 25 to 29.9    Obese: 30 or more *For Individuals 19 Years of Age and Older Age 18 or under? Click here.

If your BMI is in the "overweight" or "obese" range, consider reducing your daily caloric intake from the level needed to maintain your current weight. Eating 500 calories less than you need per day will result in weight loss of one pound per week; reducing your daily food intake by 1000 calories will result in a two-pound-per-week loss.

2) Get your individualized MyPyramid plan. To see and print your individualized diet plan, choose the calorie total closest to your daily limit from the list below:

1000      1800      2600

1200      2000      2800

1400      2200      3000

1600      2400      3200

3) Give it a try! Select your daily calorie level from the list below to see and print an individualized food diary.

• See a filled-in sample food diary
• get instructions

1000   Adobe pdf   Word doc       2200   Adobe pdf   Word doc

1200   Adobe pdf   Word doc       2400   Adobe pdf   Word doc

1400   Adobe pdf   Word doc       2600   Adobe pdf   Word doc

1600   Adobe pdf   Word doc       2800   Adobe pdf   Word doc

1800   Adobe pdf   Word doc       3000   Adobe pdf   Word doc

2000   Adobe pdf   Word doc       3200   Adobe pdf   Word doc