A Comprehensive Summary of My Dietary Intake: Tracking Progress Paper Example

Introduction

One should have a proper and systematic program or method of tracking data for a dietary assessment. This helps one to determine whether the targeted progress has been achieved. Without such a system, one would not know what areas need more effort and those that are satisfactory, getting back on track or even knowing whether one is on track is quite difficult. After tracking my dietary intake inclusive of all supplements over a one week, the following is a comprehensive summary of the same.

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Summary of Energy Intake

The energy intake throughout the week is relatively consistent. From Sunday through to Saturday, I was able to meet my set targets for energy intake or miss by a thread. Changes in my diet caused slight differences in the values. Changing the foods, I ate from day-to-day caused a slight variation in the values energy intake because the different foods had differing energy compositions. Ensuring that the foods I eat are of the same nutritional value, even though of various types, is one adjustment I could make to keep the energy intake on a reasonable level.

Summary of Vitamin Intake

According to the weekly analysis of my dietary tracking information indicates significant gaps within the percentages of the individual vitamins consumed. Overall, however, the vitamin intake throughout the week is satisfactory as most of the targets are reached and are average and above average. An adjustment in the system would be to ensure equal distribution of the vitamins consumed. For instance, reduce slightly the amount of foods containing vitamin C and then increase the intake of foods containing vitamin D &E.

Summary of Carbohydrate Intake

The amount of carbohydrate intake throughout the week is very impressive because it is either half, equal, or above the set target. The fluctuations are not much, and target achievement is progressive throughout the week which can be seen from the weekly summary. I don't think I need to make adjustments in the carbohydrate intake only sticking to the system and continue aiming for more progress. Also, almost every type of food has some amount of carbs in it.

Summary of Lipid Intake

Significant attention is paid to fats, Omega-3, and Omega-6 in lipids intake as they play very vital roles in the body. For the most part of the week, the components as mentioned above are used to calculate the progress of lipid intake. They are used to compute the values for determining whether I reached my reached target for lipid intake. According to the progress recorded in the weekly analysis, lipid intake progress is more than impressive; hence, no need for making adjustments here.

Summary of Mineral Intake

Minerals are vital components of a diet and the diet thereof could lead to some severe health conditions. Essential minerals such as iron, calcium, sodium, and potassium that are required for the daily bodily functions need not lack in a diet. Even though the targets set for their intake are met throughout the week, a balance needs to be created so that all the minerals are taken in almost equal proportions. For instance, I consumed a lot of foods rich in sodium but minimal foods containing potassium. These minerals work hand-in-hand in the body during ion exchange in the blood and therefore need to be consumed in closely related amounts.

Summary of Protein Intake

Proteins are obtained from a variety of food including pork and eggs. I consumed a considerable amount of foods rich in proteins throughout the week. However, throughout the week, protein intake targets were poorly achieved. A variation in protein content of the meals on different days could be the cause of this performance. To change this, I could ensure that the protein content of the different food I eat is closely related if not the same.

Summary of Calories Burned

The amount of calories burned throughout the week is hardly consistent. However, a common observation every day of the week is the fact the amount of calories burned is more than those consumed. Some days have a higher value in deficiency than others. This difference can be attributed to the inconsistencies in my workout program. I worked out more times on some days as compared to others; three times a day on some and one time on others. However, it is usually healthy to burn more calories than you consume other than consuming more and burning less. A recommendation to address the extreme deficiencies, however, would be to ensure that my workout program is consistent. I have to decide whether I want to be working out three times a day or just once and then stick that decision for consistent results.

As can be deduced from the information on the weekly analysis and the above summary, it is evident that I need to increase the intake of some foods and make slight reductions in others. For instance, I need to increase the consumption of foods rich in potassium, vitamins D & E, and energy. On the other hand, I need to reduce the intake of foods rich in vitamin C and carbohydrates to cut excesses.