Recently the USDA has decided to topple the one-size-fits-all Food Guide Pyramid and create what would be a more personalized means to balance one’s diet. The result is MyPyramid, which takes your age and weight and activity level and brings up what it thinks you should eat each day.

So I tried it. What it recommends for a 32-year-old male, who exercises for 30-60 minutes most days of the week, is the following 2600 calorie diet:

• 9 ounces of grains (4.5 of them whole grain)
• 3.5 cups of vegetables
• 2 cups of fruit
• 3 cups of milk products
• 6.5 ounces of meat/beans
• No more than 8 teaspoons of oil
• No more than 410 extra calories a day

I try to be conscious of what I eat, but it definitely is hard sometimes. I have a weakness for sweets and salty snacks too…that’s probably why my weight has started creeping up on me. Not that I’ve ever been overweight; in fact when I graduated from college I was merely 115 pounds. I’m about 30 pounds heavier now…part of it is more muscle, but a lot of it is also more fat.

So, if I’m now at the “ideal” weight, why would I want to lose weight? Well, I’m not seeking to lose weight per se. I’m trying to get back into the swing of running again, and trying to keep my weight under control, as I should be in any case. Plus, my chosen way to keep active puts lightness and fleet-footedness at a premium, so the lighter I am, the better. To a point.

In any case, this is a good guide to what you should eat and how much…lots of good information.

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