Perfect Diet Tracker

© Byoni Ltd, 2004-2008

Table of Contents

Perfect Diet Tracker help file		
Logging In		
Adding a new user		
    To add a new user		
    Step 1		
    Step 2		
    Step 3		
    Step 4		
Using the Perfect Diet Tracker		
    The main diary window		
    Searching for food		
    Adding a new food product		
    Add from favorites		
    Adding exercise / activities		
    Updating your weight		
    Changing your targets		
    Updating your profile		
    Changing the target nutritional profile		
Using the menu bar		
    File menu		
    Edit menu		
    Options menu		
    Help menu		
Frequently asked questions		
    FAQs		
Registering		
    How to register		

Perfect Diet Tracker Help File

PERFECT DIET TRACKER

The Perfect Diet Tracker has been designed to be as easy to use as possible.

It can help you find your perfect diet and control your weight.

The Perfect Diet Tracker is released as shareware.
You may try it out for 7 days (try before you buy),  after which time you need to register the software if you want to continue to use it.
For more information, see our purchase page.

Help file last updated 27 March 2008
Perfect Diet Tracker version 2.0.0

 

Logging In

Logging in

When you start the Perfect Diet Tracker you will be presented with a log in screen.

You can do the following:

Add a new user

If this is the first time you are using the software,  you need to add a new user.

Click on the 'New user' button to start the new user setup wizard.

Delete a user

If you want to delete a user,  you can do so by clicking the 'Delete user' button.

If the user has a password,  you will be asked to confirm the password.  
If you do not know the password you can use the override password 'Perfect Diet'.

Start the diary

Select a user,  then click the 'Login' button to start the diary.

If you have set up a password,  you will be asked to confirm it before the diary loads.  If you use a password, ensure it is memorable as you will not be able to log in without it,  if you forget it you will only be able to delete the user.  This ensures other users cannot access your personal information.

Quit the application

Use the 'red cross' on a Windows PC or 'red circle' on a Mac system,  found at the top of the login window to quit the application.

Adding a new user

To add a new user

To add a new user,  select the 'Add user' button in the login screen.

The new user setup is a four step process.  

Step 1 - Enter your basic details
Step 2 - Add your height,  weight and target weight
Step 3 - Set your activity levels and goals
Step 4 - Summary

Go to step 1

 

Step 1

Add a new user - Step 1

In step 1 you will be presented with the following screen...

You need to enter the following details to continue:

Your name     

Your name will identify you on the login screen,  if you prefer you can enter a nickname.  

Password      

A password is optional,  you can leave this field blank or enter a memorable password.

If you forget your password you will be unable to log into your account,  so if you enter a password,  make it a memorable one!

Country

The software asks for your country to help make the food database searches more relevant.   

Age

Your age directly affects your daily calorific allowance,  so please enter your correct age.   

If you have entered a password,  other users on your computer will be unable to login to your account and view your information.

Gender

Like age,  your gender affects your daily calorific allowance,  so the software needs to know if you are male or female.

Units

The final two fields allow you to select the units you would like to measure your height and weight in.  You should select the units that you are most comfortable with,  you can change them later.

Once you have entered the information click the 'Next' button to move onto step 2

 

Step 2

Add a new user - Step 2

In step 2 you enter your current height and weight,  and your target weight.

Once you have entered your current height and weight,  the blue box at the bottom of the window will let you know your current body mass indicator,  your current weight classification,  and the recommended weight range your height.

You can then select a target weight.

We recommend when selecting a target weight you enter an achievable weight level,  for example 20 or 30 pounds below your current weight.  

This may not be as low as the recommended weight range for your height but gives you a achievable target to work with.  You can adjust your target weight at any time in the future.

If you would like to enter your weight in different units (for example kilograms or stone and pounds,  click back to reselect the units you would like to use.

Once you have entered the information,  click on the 'Next' button to advance to step 3.

 

Step 3

Add a new user - Step 3

In step 3 you set your current activity level and your target weight loss or gain.

When setting an activity level,  be honest.

Do not set it higher than your current activity level on the basis that 'you intend to do more exercise'.  
If you set it honestly you can add additional exercise in later using the daily dairy.

Most users naturally simply select the fastest possible loss or gain,  however you should consider selecting an intermediate setting if you find the daily calorific figure is too low as it will increase your daily allowance.

Once you have selected your activity level and target weight loss or gain,  you can advance to step 4 by clicking the 'Next' button.

 

Step 4

Add a new user - Step 4

Step 4 is the summary stage.

The Perfect Diet Tracker will report (based on the information you have entered) your current basal metabolic rate,  how many calories you are allowed through your current activity level,  how many calories you need to cut out to lose weight (or add to gain weight),  and finally the bottom line,  your current daily allowance.

If this figure is acceptable,  you can either return to the log in screen,  or go straight to the diary by clicking on the 'Start the food diary' button.

If you feel the daily allowance is too low,  click the back button and change your goals.   If you are aiming to lose weight,  changing from 2lb to 1lb weight loss per week will give you another 500 calories a day,  whilst you can still lose 52lbs a year!

If you have set your activity level low and do not have a lot of weight to lose you may find the software displays a red warning message to let you know the calories you would need to eat to lose your weekly target are below the recommended ACSM threshold.   The weekly weight loss will be automatically adjusted.  If you would like to lose weight faster you may need to increase your current exercise level as a sensible diet alone may not be sufficient.

Using the Perfect Diet Tracker

The main diary window

The main diary

Once you have created a user and logged that user in,  you will be presented with the diary.

The diary can been seen as the 'central core' of the software,  this is where most of your time using the software will be spent so it is worth taking a few minutes to go through the available options and learn what each option does.

The top menubar

Starting at the top of the window we have the menubar,  this consists of four main categories,  'File', 'Edit', 'Options' and 'Help'.
These options are covered in the 'using the menu bar section of this document.

On Mac OS-X systems the menu bar is placed at the very top of the screen,  in accordance with Apple guidelines.

The side menubar

To the left of the window you will see five options.

Update weight lets you enter your current weight.   We recommend you update your weight on a weekly basis,  this helps the software calculate the current daily calorie recommendation and keeps the results graphs up to date.

Adjust targets lets you alter the amount of weight you want to lose or gain and increase or decrease your current activity level (for example you may want to increase your activity level if you are going on holiday and will do a lot of walking)  

View results lets you view your progress so far.

Edit profile lets you change your user details after the initial user setup.   You can change your password, age and height, country, even your gender!

Logout closes your current session and returns you to the login screen.

The calendar items

To the bottom right of the window you will see a calendar.  When you first start the Perfect Diet Tracker this will show the current date.   If you select a different date,  the diary will be updated to show food and exercise items for your selected date.

The selected date is shown just above the main diary box...

Clicking the blue circle will return you to the current date,  the two green arrows will change the date by one day either before or after the currently selected day.

You can go back in time as far as you want, and up to 14 days into the future.  

The main food diary

Located in the center of the window,  this is where any food and exercise items you add will be shown.

You can double click this window to edit the currently selected item,  for example if you added a cup of tea and then wanted to add another,  you can simply double click the first entry and change the quantity to 2.

The diary toolbars

There are two toolbars that affect the diary.

The first toolbar

The first is directly below the diary and looks like this...

The buttons are fairly self explanatory,  the 'Add food' button let you search for food to add to the diary,  the 'Edit' button lets you edit the currently selected item.   The 'Delete' button deletes the currently selected item,  whilst the last button 'Duplicate' makes a duplicate of the currently selected item.

The duplicate button is worth an additional mention,  as you may have an entry for a specific quantity of one item,  but want to add the same item but this time using a different quantity.

Instead of using the search, or quick picks you can simple duplicate the first entry,  then use the edit button to edit the new entry and change its quantity.

The last button in this toolbar was added in version 2.2,  and is the group button.    The group button lets you group items together so they can be added quickly in the future.  For example,  you may have a common breakfast menu,  perhaps a cereal, milk and sugar.  You can select these items in the diary,  then click on the group icon to group them together.  The group will then appear in the favorites (you can also access this using ctrl or command and G on the keyboard).   When you add the group all the items in the group will be added to the diary.

The second toolbar

The second toolbar looks like this...

The top box lets you search for food,  the green arrow starts the search.   The box will automatically clear the 'Search for food to add to the diary...' text when you start typing.

The 'Add from favourites' button (in the US this button will say 'favorites' due to spelling differences) will bring up a new window where you can quickly select from a list of food products you have added in the past.  This is also called the 'quick pick' window.

The 'Add exercise' button will bring up a new window letting you select from a range of exercise and act ivies.  Activities can increase your calorie allowance,  but should only be added where they are in addition to your activity level selected during setup.  If you want to change your current activity level please refer to the 'change your goals' section in the options menu.

Nutritional profiles

At the bottom of the window you will see the nutritional profiles.

The default target profile is based on an average of the current recommendations of governments throughout the world,  however if you prefer to work to a different profile you can click on the small spanner to the bottom right of the target profile pie chart,  or the 'edit profile' link and adjust the profile settings.

You should aim to keep your pie chart as close as possible to the target in order to ensure you are eating a balanced diet.

Meal Grouping

If you have selected 'meals' when adding food,  the products will be split into the appropriate meals in the diary window.

If you would prefer not to have the products listed this way,  simply select 'other' for the meal and the Perfect Diet Tracker will not split the foods into meal groups.

Calorie counts

The final item on the diary window is the calorie counter.

The text shows how many calories you have left.    This box will turn red if you exceed your calorie allowance!

In addition at the very bottom of the application window you will see a bar,  this bar fills up as you consume your calorie allowance,  and like the text above turns red if you exceed your calorie allowance.

You should aim to consume all your calories each day.    If you are a little under,  or a little over do not worry.

You should not starve yourself in an attempt to lose weight faster,  if you are falling short of the recommended calorie intact you may find your metabolism slows down,  making it harder to lose weight.

If you find you have gone over the recommended calorie intake,  don't panic or starve yourself the next day to make up!   Simply start again the next day and consume the recommended calorie intake.   

 

Searching for food

Searching for food

You add food items to the main diary window by searching for them.

You can start a search by using the option in the menu bar,  the buttons on the main diary window or using alt-F on your Windows keyboard and Apple-F on a Mac keyboard.

When you perform a search,  if suitable products are found you a new window will pop up so you can view the results of the search and select an item.  If no products are found,  the Perfect Diet Tracker will automatically start the 'Add new food' window so you can add the product.

Selecting a food item

After a successful search you will see a window like this...

The top box displays the items found,  the nutritional profile panel shows the nutritional data for the selected item.

If you hover your mouse pointer over an item,  nutritional information for that item will be shown in a popup box.

Adding an item to your diary

To add an item,  make your selection first,  then enter a quantity.

You can enter a quantity in three ways,  using standard serving sizes,  grams or ounces.

For grams and ounces simply select the option,  enter the weight and then click on the 'Add selected food to diary'.

For serving sizes,  select the 'Enter using standard serving sizes'. option.  The default serving size will then be shown,  you can change this by clicking on the magnifying glass.   Finally,  enter the number of servings and click the 'Add selected food to diary'.

The selection bar color - what does it mean?

On Apple Mac systems the color of the selection bar shows how many calories per 100g there are in an item.  

If the bar is green then the item is low in calories relative to its mass,  so you can usually eat more of products that are green.
If the bar is red then the item is high in calories relative to its mass,  so it may be a food you want to avoid
If the bar is grey then the unit used to measure the item is 'per item' so the software cannot calculate the calorie density.
Finally,  if the bar is blue this indicates the item contains alcohol.

Bear in mind if you are selecting a packet soup etc,  this may still show as a red bar as there are lots of calories per gram of the dried power,  but when made up with water the calorie density will lower.

Changing a products name

You can right click in windows,  or control click on a mac in the product selection window to change its name. 

Adding new products or editing existing product data

If you cannot find the product you want to add to the diary,  simply click on th 'Add new product' link to add it to the database.

Manufacturers occasionally change their serving sizes or alter nutritional information,  for example to reduce salt in their product.

If you find a product that is incorrect click the 'Edit product data' to update it.   If you have internet searching turned on,  the software will also notify Byoni anonymously that the product data may be incorrect so they can check it out,  this ensures the product database is as accurate as possible for all users.

 

Adding a new food product

Adding a new food product

If you can not find a suitable food product using the search tool,  you can add it easily using the product information printed on the products packaging.

Start the 'Add food' window by using the option in the 'File' menu or the button on the search screen.  The 'Add food' window will also start automatically if the search has been unable to find a product.

The window looks like this (regional variations may apply to put the data entry in the correct order for your country).

Brand

Use the magnifying glass to select a brand.  If the brand does not exist,  select 'Add a new brand' and enter the new brand name.

Product description

Enter a description for the product.  The brand will automatically be added to the end of the description so you do not need to enter the brand again into the description.

We recommend you enter the description in the same format as the foods already in the database to keep things consistent and easy to find in the alphabetical search listings.   This format is the food product type first,  then a comma, then the details,  for example 'Soup, Tomato, Packet'. 

Typical values

Most product packaging will quote typical values per 100g or ml,  so you can simply select grams (for a solid) or milliliters (for a liquid).  If you are entering a product such as a fast food item where the information is quoted per item (for example xxx calories per burger) you should select the item option.   Finally,  you can select ounces if your information is quoted in ounces.

Data fields

The order of these fields may be different depending on the country you have selected,  but the information is the same. Enter the information from the product packaging.

Serving size

Enter the suggested serving size,  for example '1 can' and '330 ml'.    If the serving size is quoted as 1 item is xxx calories,  you can select the calories option and the software will calculate the number of grams per serving automatically for you.

 

Add from favorites

Adding from Favorites

The add from favorites (or favourites depending on your location!) option is found on the main diary screen,  in the top right corner.

You can also access it using the keyboard shortcut 'ctrl-G' in Microsoft Windows,  'command-G' in Mac OS-X.

It lets you quickly add products you have used before to your diary.

The tabs

Along the top you will see lots of tabs, 'TOP', 'AB', 'CD' etc.  Selecting the 'TOP' tab will list the products you use the most often.  As you use the software for longer,  this feature because more and more useful as the software is effectively learning your favorite products.

The 'AB', 'CD' etc tabs list the food items you have added by their first letter,  'AB' lists products starting with A or B.

The 'Groups' tab

The groups tab contains a list of the groups you have created in the main diary.

Groups can contain two or more items.

For example if you have a recipe you eat on a regular basis you can select a date in the past with no data and add all the incredients to the diary.   You can then select all the ingredients and use the group button to group them. The name you give to the group will then be listed in this tab,  so you can simply select it and all the recipe parts will be added to your current diary.

Groups are very flexible and used correctly can save you a lot of time,  another example of a common use for the group option would be coffee with milk,  or bread with butter.

Adding multiple items

If you double click on an item in the favorites,  it will be copied to the dark grey box 'quick pick' box at the bottom.  You can also use drag and drop to drag food to the 'quick pick' box.   This allows you to swap between the tabs and add multiple items to the 'quick pick' box without having to return to the diary between each item.

The buttons

The 'Search' button lets you search you favorite items.

The 'New product' button starts the add product window so you can add a new product.

The 'Expand' button will change the listings so every instance of a product is listed,  for example you have an entry for 200ml of milk and one for 30ml.  The expand button will show both listings,  whilst re-clicking the button will just show one entry for milk.

The 'Cancel' button closes the favorites window and returns you to the main diary.

The 'Add food to diary' closes this window and adds the food in the 'Quick Pick' dark grey box to the main diary.  If the 'Quick Pick' box is empty,  this button will add the currently selected item to the diary.  

 

Adding exercise / activities

Adding Exercise

You can add exercise and activities using the 'Add exercise' button found in the top right corner of the main dairy.

Simply select the exercise or activity you would like to add,  then click the 'Add selected exercise to diary' button.

You will then be asked to enter the amount of time you have being doing the activity and an appropriate exercise calorie credit will be added to the food diary.

Alternatively,  if you have an exercise machine that tells you how many calories you have used,  you can use option B,  and simply enter a nae for the exercise,  and the calories you have used.

Important

Do not add exercise that you would normally do as part of your daily routine,  this should be set in the change goals section (set an appropriate 'base' activity level).     

You should only add activities that are 'in addition' to your base activity level.

How are the exercise calorie credits calculated

The credits are calculated from the type of activity,  and your current weight.   You may find one user gets a higher credit as they weight more,  however this is correct as the user with the higher weight will expend more calories doing the activity.

 

Updating your weight

Updating your weight

You can update your weight by click on the 'Update weight' option in the menu bar,  or using the option on the side menu bar.

You will be presented with a screen like this...

The weight will be shown in the units currently specified in your user profile.  Simply enter your current weight and click Ok.

We recommend you update your weight on a weekly basis,  this helps the software calculate the current daily calorie recommendation and keeps the results graphs up to date.

If you have changed the date to a date in the past,  the Perfect Diet Tracker will warn you that you are about to enter a historic weight,  and ask if you want to enter the weight for the date in the past,  or use todays date.

Optional measurements entry

You can entry measurements for chest, waist and hips,  and also add notes.

For example you may have had a vacation and want to make a note so in future reports you can see why you did not maintain your diet that week,   or add measurements so you can see these are changing.

The measurements are optional,  you do not need to enter them.

 

Changing your targets

Changing your targets

You can change your targets by clicking on the 'Adjust targets' option in the side menu,  on in the 'Options' menu in the top menu bar.

You can change the amount of weight you want to lose or gain,  your base activity level and your target weight.

The 'loss or gain' and 'activity level' sliders will have an effect on your daily calorie allowance,  whilst the target weight will change the projected 'finish' date.

 

Updating your profile

Update your profile

You can change your details in the 'User profile' window.

To start this option,  select the option in either the top or side menus.

The username is fixed and cannot be changed.

 

Changing the target nutritional profile

Changing your target nutritional profile

You can change the target nutritional profile to suit your own diet.

To change the profile,  use the option in the 'Options' menu bar,  or click the small spanner to the lower right of the pie chart in the main diary screen.

The default settings are based on current US FDA guidelines for nutritional profiles.

Simply use the slider bars to change the profile to meet your own tracking requirements or choose a diet from the 'quick pick' options shown.

Using the menu bar

File menu

File Menu

Create new user

Selecting this option will log out the current user,  and start the new user wizard so you can add a new user.

Switch user

The switch user menu item will return you to the login screen so you can log in as a different user.

Logout

Logout will return you to the login screen.   If you have a password,  we recommend you log out when not using the software.

Print diary

Print diary lets you print the current diary.   

If you change the date so a different day is selected,  the print diary function will print the diary for that day.

Add a new food product

Add a new food product lets you add your own food products quickly and easily.   

Import new food products

The import new food products lets you import food data files created by other users of the Perfect Diet Tracker.

Quit

Selecting quit will close the Perfect Diet Tracker

 

Edit menu

Edit Menu

Food search

Selecting food search allows you to search for a food product to add to the diary.

Add food from your quick pick list

This option will display a window with foods you have previously entered into your daily diary.

This can be a fast way to select foods you eat on a regular basis.

Add food from a group

This option will show the groups you have previously created,  so you can add them quickly.

Add exercise

Add exercise lets you add activities to the diary.  Activities can increase your calorie allowance,  but should only be added where they are in addition to your activity level selected during setup.

If you want to change your current activity level please refer to the 'change your goals' section in the options menu.

Duplicate selected

Duplicate selected creates a duplicate (copy) of the currently selected item in the diary.

This can be either food or exercise,  and once duplicated you can double click on the item to change the quantity.

Delete selected

Delete selected removes the currently selected item from the diary.  You can also do this by selecting an item and using the delete key.

Cut

Cut removes the currently selected item and places it in the clipboard.   

Copy

Copy places a copy of the currently selected item in the clipboard.

Paste

Paste will paste the contents of the clipboard into the currently selected field.

Clear

Clear removes the current selected item.  Clear does not delete a food item from your diary,  for this use delete instead.

Preferences

If you want to change your user details after the initial user setup,  you can do so by selecting this option.

You can change your password, age and height, country and even your gender!

 

Options menu

Options Menu

Edit your profile

If you want to change your user details after the initial user setup,  you can do so by selecting this option.

You can change your password, age and height, country and even your gender!

Update your weight

The update your weight option lets you enter your current weight.

We recommend you update your weight on a weekly basis,  this helps the software calculate the current daily calorie recommendation and keeps the results graphs up to date.

Change your goals

If you want to alter the amount of weight you want to lose or gain,  or perhaps increase or decrease your current activity level (for example you may want to increase your activity level if you are going on holiday and will do a lot of walking)  you can do so by selecting the 'change your goals' menu item.

View your results

View your results lets you see your progress so far.

Show the BMI chart

Show the BMI chart displays a current BMI chart,  with your current weight highlighted.   

The BMI chart lets you see at a glance your weight classification (underweight, normal, overweight, obese or morbidly obese).

You can also access this option from the results page.

Change target nutritional profile

If you are working on a specific diet that has a different target nutritional profile to the default settings you can alter the target using this option.

You can also access this menu item by using the small 'spanner' icon to the bottom right of the target nutritional profile pie chart.

 

Help menu

Help Menu

Documentation

This option will start your web browser so you can view the latest help file online at byoni.com

Buy a license

This option will start your web browser to visit http://www.perfectdiettracker.com/buy.html to find out how,  and where you can buy a license for this software.

Enter registration key

After purchase,  you can use this menu item to enter your registration key and activate the full version of the Perfect Diet Tracker software.

For more details on how to register the software please refer to the 'Registering' section of this document.

Support

If you need help,  use this menu option to  start your web browser visit byoni.com and view the current support options.

Check for updates

By checking for updates on a regular basis,  you can ensure you have the latest version with all available features and the latest food database.

Visit website

This option will start your web browser so you can visit the byoni.com website.

About

The 'about box' contains information about the Perfect Diet Tracker application,  the current version number and credits the people who have made this application possible.

Frequently asked questions

FAQs

Is the Perfect Diet Tracker suitable for everyone?
It works for the majority of people,  however there are a few important exceptions. 
The software should only be used by adults over the age of 18, and should not be used by pregnant or nursing mothers.
The Harris Benedict Equation is very accurate in all but the most extreme cases. If you are either very muscular, or very fat (morbidly obese) we recommend you consult your doctor before starting any diet, and work with their suggested calorie intake level.
Why does the Perfect Diet Tracker refuse to go below 1200 / 1800 calories?
Research indicates that if you go below a certain calorie intake your body enters a 'starvation mode', your body lowers your metabolic rate and tries to conserve energy. You have less energy, stop losing weight and plateau. Just what you want to avoid when trying to lose weight!
It is a common misconception that eating a lot less will result in a faster weight loss, in many cases eating more may actually help you. You should always aim to eat all of your daily calorie allowance.
If you find the software is limiting your weight loss consider increasing your activity level as this will in turn increase your daily calorie allowance.
Do I need a separate license for the Windows and Mac versions?
No, if you change your computer from a Windows PC to an Apple Mac (or viceversa) you will be able to take your Perfect Diet Tracker with you.

Registering

How to register

Registering the Perfect Diet Tracker is easy.

Step 1.
The first step to registering the Perfect Diet Tracker is to buy a license.
You can obtain a licence online at http://www.perfectdiettracker.com/buy.html
Step 2.
After your purchase you will receive an email with a user name and key code in it.
Start the Perfect Diet Tracker and log in as a user.
Click on 'Help' in the menu bar,  and then select 'Enter registration key'
Step 3.
You will now be presented with a window where you can enter your user name and key code.  
Enter your user name and key code,  then click the 'Register' button to complete registration of the software.