Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the fastest way to enter foods on the main site?
MyNetDiary is designed from the ground up to make food entry as fast and easy as possible. None of other websites, free or paid is even close.
Here is one tip for really fast food entry: MyNetDiary searches while you type food name, once you see the food you need in the dropdown, you can use Up and Down arrow keys to select it, then hit Tab to move to the amount cell, enter amount and similarly select a serving with the arrow keys, then hit Tab again, which will take you to the next food row. This way, you don't even need to use mouse or take you hands from the keyboard, it works really well.
What is the fastest way to enter foods on the iPhone?
Go to the meal (e.g. Breakfast), tap the "+" button in the top right corner, which will take you to the Breakfast Entry screen. There, type several words from the food name. As you type, found foods are displayed in the list to the right. Once you see the one you need, tap it. The food's full name is displayed below the "food name search" box, and you will be taken to the "amount" box. Type a number (e.g. 2) and tap on a serving in the right list (e.g. "oz"). You'll see calories and weight calculated below the "amount" box. Next, tap Save button, and you'll be taken back to the Meal screen (breakfast in this example), where you should see the food name typed and calories. If you want to enter another food, repeat the process starting from tapping the "+" button.
How can I get MyNetDiary on my iPhone?
On the iPhone: tap the App Store icon, find MyNetDiary in the Healthcare & Fitness category, and install it for free.
On the computer: click iTunes link to open iTunes, click "Get App". After the download is completed, connect and sync your iPhone or iPod Touch. MyNetDiary icon will appear on the iPhone Home screen.
How can I synchronize my iPhone with the main site?
No synchronization is needed! The main site and iPhone work with the same data - your diary is stored on MyNetDiary.com servers. Anything you enter on iPhone is immediately visible on the main site and vice versa. To see updates on the web site you need to refresh the Daily page. To see updates on the iPhone you need to go to another day and then return back, or open and close MyNetDiary.
Does MyNetDiary work on the iPhone if there is no Internet connection?
Without Internet connection MyNetDiary only allows to view last few days read-only, but not entering or modifying foods. All food searches are done by our server, and everything is stored online in your personal diary. This gives you access to a huge food database that is always up to date and eliminates the need to sync or backup your MyNetDiary data, protecting you from data loss.
How can I change my initial weight shown on the Plan page?
Click on the date link, which will take you to the Daily page for the day you entered your weight. Then, update the weight on that day.
Can I use metric units and European date format?
On the main site, open the Account page. You can customize many international settings, such as units, date format, timezone, etc. The changes will be applied to both the main site and the iPhone app. You still can enter information in any units, regardless of your defaults.
How do I delete a custom food?
Deleting custom foods is not supported yet, but it is coming with the next version. As a workaround, you can simply reuse the old custom food (that is rename it and modify all fields). When you change Custom food definition daily entries referring to this food change accordingly.
I hid a some items on a main site page. How can I unhide them?
Please click on 'Show' link at the top-right corner of the page. Then choose what page components should be displayed.
What are % in the food grid on the main site (e.g. for sodium)?
Sodium, vitamins and some other nutrients are displayed as percentages of your daily target for more convenient, uniform cross-nutrient analysis. You can enter and adjust your personal daily targets in My Daily Nutrition Plan section on the Plan page.
How can I set target calories?
You can modify your planned value for Calories on the Plan page on the main site, in 'My daily consumption' row of 'My Daily Nutrition Plan'. Adjust Fats, Carbs, and Proteins targets, which will automatically recalculate calories. Each gram of fat is 9 calories, protein and carbs - 4 calories. Some people prefer to reduce fats, some prefer less carbs, some reduce fats and carbs proportionally.
How does MyNetDiary calculate recommended "weight maintenance" calories? The recommendation seems high for me.
MyNetDiary uses the official formulas provided by Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine, National Academies. Here is the formula for an adult man:
662 - 9.53 x age (y) + PA x (15.91 x wt [kg] + 539.6 x ht [m])
The Institute of Medicine provides detailed tables and formulas for nutrients and energy. You can see the formula on page 5, as well as the table that lists Estimated Energy Requirements calculated using this formula for 30-years olds. For example, for 30 years old male, 1.80m height, "low active", with BMI 24.99 (178 pounds) it lists 2,884 calories, and for "active" - 3,200. We recommend selecting activity level in MyNetDiary as "low active" and accurately accounting for any extra energy burning activities and exercises that are outside of typical "low active" lifestyle. This will be much more accurate than the generic "active" activity level, which is of course very rough.
The analysis tells me I need to consume X calories less, I need to adjust fats, carbs, and proteins. What is the ideal ratio?
MyNetDiary support any diet preferences and does not prohibit anything, the nutrient balance is entirely your choice. Some people prefer to reduce fats, some prefer less carbs, some reduce fats and carbs proportionally. Some advocate for 40% carbs, 30% fats, and 30% proteins.
Can I plan my weekly nutrition in MyNetDiary?
You can plan your week in advance - just enter your foods for future days, and as your day progresses, update your diary if you ate something else or in a different quantity.
Can I select which nutrients I want to track?
You can select nutrients on the Plan page on the main site. Use "Select Nutrients" link in the My Daily Nutrition Plan section. We recommend selecting only the most important for you nutrients to fit into screen width on the Daily page. MyNetDiary tracks all nutrients, selected or not, and you can see all of them in the Reports.
Can I use MyNetDiary to maintain weight?
Yes, you can! If you want to maintain your weight, please go to the Plan page on the main site, enter your current weight as the target weight, and some date in the future, and click Analyze. My Daily Nutrition Plan will be updated, and the first row will contain recommended daily intakes to maintain your weight, and the second row (plan) will initially have the same values. If you expect to do some extra energy burning activities and exercises that our beyond typical desk job (like running or swimming), you should include them into your Weekly Activity Plan. Finally, if you have planned such activities and exercises, you need to allocate extra carbs, fats, and proteins (which will automatically recalculate planned calories) in My Daily Nutrition Plan, so that the total energy balance at the bottom of the Plan page is about zero.
MyNetDiary allows to track all kinds of stuff like "bone weight" or "lean body mass". How can I measure them?
You can read them from a special scale. For example, Tanita scale provides Weight, Body Fat %, Muscle Mass, Physique Rating, and Bone Mass.
Can I create a "recipe" from several foods?
Yes, we have it on the iPhone, and will be added to the main site in the next update, due in less than two weeks as of 8/27/08. In the mean time, if you happen to have the iPhone, please enter all ingredients in any meal (e.g. Breakfast or Snack). Once you have all the ingredients entered, tap the "Recipe" button at the bottom (this is an icon that consists of two rectangles), enter recipe name, and tap Save - a new custom food will be created based on the ingredients, and will replace the ingredients. Next time you eat it, you only need to start typing your new custom food name.
How do I delete a custom item?
Sorry, this is still in the works, but will be available in the next web site update, in less than two weeks as of 8/27/08. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Measurements are not saved on the MyNetDiary iPhone Download!
This is a defect, we have it fixed already, and will be submitting the new version of MyNetDiary to the iTunes store soon. Once approved by Apple, it will be available as an update in the App Store. In the mean time, please use the main site for tracking measurements. We apologize for the inconvenience.