Calorie Counter

To develop a program that will help the user in calorie management and determine if the user is balancing their intake with what is being burned by how active they are to help them live a healthier lifestyle. High-Level View of program solution

The overall goal of this program is to determine daily calories consumed, and what is needed to maintain to stay at a healthy weight. This will be achieved by gathering some vital information. First we start with the user’s age which will begin the first step needed to correctly calculate daily calories. Secondly what is needed is the user’s gender. This is important because it will all for the correct type of body structure for how many calories are needed. Thirdly the user’s height is needed to help with what actual weight the user should be at. Fourthly, current weight is needed to correctly determine the intake of calories that should be consumed to reach a healthy weight. And last is the Basal metabolic rate (BMR).

The human body requires a significant amount of energy (i.e. calories) just to function regularly. Each day, your body must breathe, blink, circulate blood, control body temperature, grow new cells, support brain and nerve activity and contract muscles. Staying alive is hard work, people! The amount of energy (in the form of calories) that the body needs to function while resting for 24 hours is known as the BMR. This number of calories reflects how much energy your body requires to support vital body functions if, hypothetically, you were resting in bed for an entire day. In fact, your BMR is the single largest component (upwards of 60 percent) of your total energy burned each day. (Orlov, 2014).

Function and internal structure of each program module
Name: This is where the user enters their name.
Age: This is where the user enters their age.
Gender: This is where the user enters their gender.
Height: This is where the user enters their height.
Weight: This is where the user enters their current weight. BMR: Nothing is associated initially with this module. From the information entered will allow for the BMR to be determined. Activity level: Nothing is associated initially with this module. From the information entered will allow for this to be determined. Intake of Calories: The user will add how many calories they are consuming in a day. Output of Calories: The user will add how many calories they are burning in a day by activity. Daily Calories: This is what will be determined by the user’s activity level and intake of calories. Output of Daily Calories: This will give the user what their remaining calories are for the day.

The definitions of input from the Merriam-Webster dictionary are: Information that is put into a computer, or something (such as power or energy) that is put into a machine or system. To keep the information provided linked to the correct individual we must have the person’s name. In order for the program to calculate the estimated number of calories needed to keep their current weight, the program needs input of the age, height, weight, gender, and the activity level of the person tracking the information. The information provided will produce a number known as the basal metabolic rate (BMR). The definition of BMR is the rate at which heat is given off by an organism at complete rest (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2014).

Once the BMR is determined, the activity level must be determined to calculate the number of calories to maintain the current weight. After determining the calories to maintain the current weight, the person is able to input the number of calories consumed and expended for the time to determine how many calories are left. Processing logic is defined as interrelation or sequence of facts or events when seen as inevitable or predictable, or the arrangement of circuit elements (as in a computer) needed for computation (Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 2014). The processing logic used in this program are for determining the information needed. To calculate the BMR, we need age, height, weight, and gender. The BMR for this program is based on using the Harris Benedict Equation. The BMR for males uses the following equation: BMR=66+(6.23*Weight)+(12.7*Height)-(6.8*Age). The BMR for females uses: BMR=655+(4.35*Weight)+(4.7*Height)-(4.7*Age). Once the BMR is calculated, the activity level needs to be determined.

Activity levels are based on: Sedentary (little or no exercise), lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week), moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week), very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week), and extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training). After the user decides the activity level, the program will calculate the estimated calories required to maintain the current weight. Finally, the user is able to add the calories consumed and expended. After the initial determination of the BMR and activity level, the program will show, or have an output of: Name, Age, Height, Weight, Gender, BMR, Activity Level, and Estimated calories required to maintain the current weight. This presentation allows the user to view what was inputted and the calculated calories for maintenance. The final output shown will be the calculation of the activity level, minus the calories consumed, with the addition of the expended calories. This calculation will be the amount of calories left to be consumed for maintenance, or the amount of calories over the amount to maintain (HealthFIT, 2014).

Developed pseudocode
Input: Name, Age, Height, Weight, and Gender
Gender=Male- BMR=66+(6.23*Weight)+(12.7*Height)-(6.8*Age)
Gender=Female- BMR=655+(4.35*Weight)+(4.7*Height)-(4.7*Age)
Input: Activity Level
Sedentary=1.2
Light=1.375
Moderate=1.55
Very=1.725
Extra=1.9
Calorie Maintenance=BMR*Activity Level
Input: Calories Consumed, Calories Expended
Daily Calories=Activity Level – Intake + Output
End

Task documentation
Alieen Winters: First three Bullets
Kristina Gransen: Status Report and Reviewed Papers

Jesse Patterson: Power Point and But Paper Together

James Grow: Flow Chart, Power Point and Three Bullets

References
HealthFIT. (2014). Harris-Benedict Formula. Retrieved from http://www.healthfitonline.com/resources/harris_benedict.php Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. (2014). Input. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/input Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. (2014). basal metabolic rate. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/basal%20metabolic%20rate Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. (2014). Logic. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/logic Orlov, A. (2014). How to Calculate Your BMR (And Why It Matters). Retrieved from http://dailyburn.com/life/health/how-to-calculate-bmr/