Thread: Diet/Meal Planing software?

Fitday.com can help, but I don't know if thats exactly what you mean.

Ya fit day is great for tracking what you ate but what I'm looking for is a program that actualy helps you put you meals togather! Or How dose everyone put their meals togather? Do you plan them i advence or do you just sort of wing it?

I use fitday as well.

Here's how I plan the meals. First I figure out how many total calories I want to eat for the day and the % from protein carb and fat. Then I find out the grams of each macro. I divide the totals by the number of meals I plan to eat (5 or 6) so I know the rough amount of protein/carb/fat per meal.

In time you get to know what options will get you 35 grams protein (for instance)

Here is a little toy, an Excel spreadsheet. I haven't used it much, but it sounds like it would do what you're looking for. It is also free. Can't beat free.
http://www.champion-nutrition.com/ch...ealbuilder.php

Thanks nikegurl!

Here's how I plan the meals. First I figure out how many total calories I want to eat for the day and the % from protein carb and fat. Then I find out the grams of each macro. I divide the totals by the number of meals I plan to eat (5 or 6) so I know the rough amount of protein/carb/fat per meal.

In time you get to know what options will get you 35 grams protein (for instance)

When you say you find out the gram of each Macro Are you just talking about the Protein the carbs and the fat on the nutrition label??? What about all the other crap they put on the labels??? I know for instance that if I look at the botom of (as an example) The bottom of my oat bran cereal (slow cook not fast) it lists Calories per gram Protein 4 Carbs4 fat 9 is this what im looking for? and as asked befor what about all the other crap on the label?? Also how do I find out, is there a resource out their (im sure there is) for the nutritional values for fruits and vegies lean meats etc. since most of these foods dont come packaged with a nutrition label.

Akateros Thanks for the spread sheet!! Ill try it out,right now Im trying the 30 day trial for crosstrainer the one that was recomended I think to you on another thread so far im impressed! It is fairly easy to use!!

John, that thing "at the bottom of the label" is not specific to the oat bran -- that's general information. A gram of protein has 4 calories, a gram of carbs 4, a gram of fat 9.

Here's a sample food label (not for oat bran though). http://www.fda.gov/opacom/background.../newlabel.html
At the top, you see serving size (usually a cup size plus a weight, so you can choose how to measure. That may not be YOUR serving size; that's just what the label measures. So if, say, you eat a half-cup of oat bran, and the serving size is a quarter cup, you multiply all the amounts by two. Get it?

Below the serving size, is the calories per serving. Easy enough. Ignore the bit beside it, fat per serving. Then, below that, you'll see the nitty-gritty: grams of carbs, grams of protein, grams of fat per serving. These are the important ones. If you know how many grams of say, carbs you need to eat per meal, then you divide that by the serving size grams of carbs, and then you'll know how many "label size servings" is YOUR personal serving.

Other things to pay attention to, though they are not always listed on all labels:
sodium
grams of sugar (under the grams of carbs). If there seems to be a lot of sugar content, check the ingredients for added sugars, which include corn syrup, glucose, fructose and the like. Naturally occurring sugars aren't such a huge concern, but if you notice added sugars, try and find a similar thing without them.

Ignore all the bit at the bottom about "percent daily values" and "2000 calorie diet". That's just silly and confusing, and I don't know why they bother.

Oh, by the way, I gave up on Crosstrainer; it's a great workout log, but I found way too many mistakes in the food database. You can add your own, it's true, but I wasn't about to check everything and put in correct numbers. Too bad, for the interface was very good.

If you just want to check things online, the USDA Nutrient Database is a great, searchable resource. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ You search a food, then enter the amount you want in cups or grams. The only tricky bit is that you have to spell it exactly right -- which is to say, exactly the way they spell it in the database. It doesn't have anything like a "smart search".

Akateros Thanks for the help that makes a lot more sense! Ya I saw what you ment with cross trainer I was messing with it last night and kept having issues with the diatary % goal I kept puting in the % I wanted but the program kept changing it so I wound up going off the actual %. and everytime I checked my entered amounts they were corect!! Anoying!!!! I think Im just going to use the Spreadsheet! Thanks! Also when you say you should pay attention to the sugars. how much is too much?? for instance to cut with help from jodi I figured out I need to be eating 40g protein 11g fat per meal 6 times a day and 40g carbs broken into 3 meals a day!

Heres what I figured with jodis help I'm trying to figure out is how to turn it into food!!
Ok after several PM to Jodi I think I have it figured out! So here is the diet and the work out what does everyone think? Constructive criticism requested!
Any tweeks appreciated. Thanks John

Ok here goes I'm sending this to you and posting on the main forum. Let me know what you think. Any tweeks would be apreciated. John

2940 Calories for cutting
40% of 2940=1176=294g daily =40g protein x6 meals
40% of 2940=1176=294g daily =40g carbs x3 meals
20% of 2940=588=65g daily =11g fat x6 meals
How are we so far?
Ok now for the work out!
15-20 min of cardio and streching Before each work out
Monday ABS, Legs, Chest
Tuesday ABS , Arms, Back
Wensday ABS, Legs, Chest
Thursday ABS, Arms, Back
Friday ABS, Legs, Chest
Saterday ABS, Arms, Back
Sunday OFF
I did not specify any specific lifts because im still working on specifics there. I would appreciate any advice or tweeks. Thanks John

I wound up printing both the nutrition info and your post Akateros I think I got it Im going to try to put a meal togather and than Ill post it and see what you think or weather I got it figured out!