This manual is part of the computer program MyCalorieCoach. You can print this manual and use it with the software.
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This manual is part of the computer program MyCalorieCoach. You can print this manual and use it with the software.
When you launch the software for the first time, there are various wizards to help you through initialising the program . You can change the settings later by clicking on the settings button in the main screen.
After you have gone through the wizards, the software will start with an empty screen. The empty file shows your basic profile and the first day has been created for you, allowing you to start entering information immediately.
The profile panel is positioned a the top left in software, and by clicking on the link in the profile panel you can modify your profile. To the left of the profile panel you see your profile image and to the right you see your Body Mass Index. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the ratio between your height and weight, and it should be between 18.5 and 25. If your BMI is too high or too low, the software will indicate this with red lines.
With the MyCalorieCoach software you can monitor your blood pressure every day. When you enter your blood pressure with the daily settings, it will appear on the bottom right in the profile panel.
To the bottom left in the software is the foods and activities panel. In this panel you can look for foods and activities to add to the day you have selected.
Enter the first letters of the food product in the text bar and press the Enter key, and all the currently-stored results beginning with the letters you have entered will appear. When you press Enter, the program will search for anything containing the letters you have entered. Click on the foods and activities switch (the red and green arrows) to switch from foods to activities and vice versa.
Select the result from the list that you wish to add to the day you have selected and click on the green Add button. The result will be moved to the day you have selected. Repeat these steps until you have added all the food and activities of that day.
With the food and activity switch you determine what the MyCalorieCoach software will look for. When you start up the software, the switch is automatically reset to foods (green arrow). If you want to look for sporting activities, click on the red arrow (activities) of the switch.
Take care toadd the finer details of foods and activities of each day. For instance, when you put butter on your bread, make sure you add that as well. Pay attention to the weight of the food and the duration of the activity. Only add activities to a day when you have been engaged in them for more than 30 minutes.
When you add a new day, that day will be selected automatically. MyCalorieCoach always sorts the days according to date, making sure the most recent day is at the top. On the left of the daily panel, you see the day and the date in question. When your mouse hovers over the date, a summary of all the nutritional values is shown. On the right of the daily panel, a brief summary is shown. This summary includes your weight and the number of calories you have taken (green) and used (red).
Your weight is presented in italics on a day on which you have not weighed yourself. When the energy indicator is pointing up, you have eaten more calories than you have used. There is always a value at the used number of calories (RED). This value represents your daily energy requirement in calories. This energy is the number of calories your body needs to be able to function. MyCalorieCoach calculates your energy requirement using the Harris Benedict equation. When you have exercised, the energy you have used (KCal) while exercising will be added.
After you have added your food and activities, you can and should adjust the content. It is best to first enter all the lines and then to adjust the number, weight or time when all the lines of the day have been entered. You can change the number of a line by selecting the line with your mouse and striking the + or - keys on your keyboard. You can change the time by clicking with your mouse on a selected line and selecting Change time in the menu. By pressing the CTRL button on your keyboard you can select several lines.
When you double click a food (line), a window will appear with the characteristics of the food. In this window you can alter the time, weight and number (for both food and activities). You can delete a food or activity (line) by pressing the delete button on your keyboard.
Depending on the edition you are using, MyCalorieCoach can create 70 graphs. All the graphics are refreshed every time you change either food or activity. The red line represents the maximum (100%) value of the recommended nutritional value. The idea is to stay below the red line, and you can change the recommended nutritional values in your profile.
Above each bar the absolute value of the bar is shown (for instance number of proteins in grams). To the left of each bar the name of the nutrient is shown (vertically) and below there are a number of speed buttons. The coloured speed buttons provide a quick access to the graphics on the basis of nutritional values, vitamins and minerals. By clicking on these buttons you can see exactly what the nutritional value, fat level and calorie content of a specific product are.
By clicking on the graphic you activate an additional menu with more graphics at the bottom of the program. You can also click on the graphic with your right mouse button to gain access to a menu with all possible graphics for food and sport.