My CRON Zone

Thank you to all who responded to my previous post. It seems pretty clear that I haven’t been eating enough. I never thought that this would be something I would have to work on with CRON. It almost seems like the calorie restriction aspect is so much easier to manage than getting the nutrition right.

So after doing some number crunching I have come up with a range of around 1200-1500 which puts me in 20-30% CR as long as I keep up with my moderately active lifestyle. This should certainly make it easier to manage my RDA’s and hopefully increase my energy levels as well. And once I start to get a solid routine going maybe I can cut back a little and still maintain the optimal nutrition.

Deborah asked where is my comfort zone - and in terms of food intake I really do feel most comfortable with digestion and satiety at around 900 but more energetic with 1200. But what I have realized is that I can more easily get to the higher end of the calorie zone if I include more yogurt and fruits rather than trying to force the higher fat intake with extra oils and nuts. And I think I do quite well with a relatively high carbohydrate intake - around 55% - as long as I choose mostly low glycemic carbs. (The refined carbs are a different matter entirely - these make increasing the calories ridiculously easy).

It is a little difficult for me to measure my progress at the moment because I don’t have any scales, so it is not exactly objective, but I can see some changes in the last couple of weeks and I have definitely lost weight. I estimate my BMI to be around 19.5 at the moment so in accordance with the recommendations of the Calorie Restriction Society it is also probably best to take things a little slower.

In terms of my goals, based on my past experiences I feel healthiest and most energetic when my BMI is around 18, although there are other benefits in terms of my awareness and perception when I reach a lower weight. I think it comes down to quality of life and finding the balance between all of these factors.

Here is last week’s average intake: Things I need to work on are increasing protein, iron and vitamin E especially. I have started supplementing calcium this week and it is making it so much easier to reach my targets. A girl can only eat so much cottage cheese!

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Nutrition Summary
30 April 2007 to 6 May 2007
Daily Averages over 7 days
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General (60%)
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Energy 1087.5 kcal 61%
Protein 49.3 g 44%
Carbs 111.1 g 44%
Fiber 16.2 g 65%
Fat 40.6 g 81%
Water 1728.1 g 64%

Vitamins (85%)
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Vitamin A 18849.6 IU 808%
Folate 360.1 µg 90%
B1 (Thiamine) 0.7 mg 64%
B2 (Riboflavin) 1.3 mg 117%
B3 (Niacin) 11.8 mg 84%
B5 (Pantothenic Acid) 3.5 mg 71%
B6 (Pyridoxine) 1.3 mg 97%
B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 2.3 µg 98%
Vitamin C 385.8 mg 514%
Vitamin D 129.5 IU 65%
Vitamin E 8.5 mg 56%
Vitamin K 552.5 µg 614%

Minerals (85%)
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Calcium 754.0 mg 75%
Copper 1.4 mg 154%
Iron 11.5 mg 64%
Magnesium 330.2 mg 103%
Manganese 3.7 mg 208%
Phosphorus 736.6 mg 105%
Potassium 2609.4 mg 56%
Selenium 47.5 µg 86%
Sodium 1471.4 mg 98%
Zinc 5.4 mg 67%

Lipids (70%)
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Saturated 12.1 g 61%
Omega-3 1.8 g 162%
Omega-6 9.3 g 78%
Cholesterol 131.4 mg 44%