MerrinDonahue.com

So now we’re 7 days post heart attack, and there are some big changes going on over here at Chez Donahue. Gone are the bad habits. Yes, I’ve given up all my vices, too, since I can’t let Kevin do this all on his own. To that end, I downloaded a program called DietController so I can track every little thing about our lifestyle. It works an awful lot like MacGourmet, which is a big plus. You can choose from a number of predetermined diet settings or you can customize your own. We, of course, chose the American Heart Association’s diet recommendations, and I have to say, it’s not very far off from what we were doing before. The really cool thing is how it analyzes *every* *little* nutrient which is pretty important to me (I like to know just how much folate I’m getting, and from where). There are thousands of brand-named foods already on file, but it does allow you to add new ones and customize them based on serving size, fat grams, etc.

Also, from a meal-planning perspective, this is a breeze. For example, I’ve already entered in what we’re having for lunch, and after lunch, I’ll plug in dinner. Since I’m a planner, I can easily take 20 minutes every Sunday and plug in what we’re having for dinner each night of the week; that way, all I have to enter each day is breakfast and lunch. The interface is exceptionally easy and quick, and I think it’s really going to help us track EXACTLY what we’re eating, and what we need to change. You can track your exercise, your measurements, and there’s even a journal. I’m really in love with the pie charts, though. There are pie charts for EVERYTHING: meals, individual portions, each and every food….They break down fat, protein, and carbs based on the AMHA diet so you can stay on track at a glance. No group meetings, no judging, just results.

I’m not a big believer in diets, and I will never subscribe to the theory of deprivation. But as long as you can track each thing you pop in your mouth, and you can get an idea of where your empty calories are coming from, it’s easy to adapt. Bottom line: Even if you’re not trying to change your lifestyle, DietController is a really good idea.