FAQ
My Nutrition11 Questions
-
Why is fruit also listed under the grain category?
ANSWER:
Fruit can be found in the food items as a 'fruit' and a 'grain’, as they still help us meet some of our carbohydrate needs in the day. In the Create My Own Meal Plan setting, users can choose both grain and fruit at a meal, or two fruits, with one fruit counting as a grain.
-
Do my recommendations in my Daily Nutrition Summary meet my needs for pregnancy?
ANSWER:
Not necessarily. My Viva Plan does meet all the nutritional requirements for healthy individuals. However, in pregnancy nutritional requirements change depending on the trimester of pregnancy, the activity level, and any dietary restrictions present. If you are currently pregnant, please ensure you are taking a prenatal multivitamin or folate supplement. For more specific information, get in touch with one of Registered Nutritionists to recieve pregnancy recommendations specific to you!
-
Can I count my calories on this program?
ANSWER:
No, My Viva Plan is not a calorie counting or food tracking program. Tracking what happened in the past does not necessarily allow you to look forward. What My Viva Plan does help you to do is to develop a plan to be able to achieve balance in your daily life. The reflection section under "My Mind" will ask you if you followed your plan for the day, in terms of nutrition, fitness, and mindfulness. This will help you reflect on what you did, and support you to make the changes and move forward with your goals, instead of delving into the past.
-
Why won’t it let me choose just cheese or nuts for my protein?
ANSWER:
Every protein contains a different level of fat. While the fat content of these proteins are not necessarily bad, they can affect your overall calorie intake. Because of this, you are free to choose two high fat protein choices per day. High fat protein choices include: cheeses (except cottage cheese), nuts, seeds, nut or seed butter, or hummus. If you try to choose all of your protein choices at lunch from pecans for example, an error message will appear asking you to choose alternative proteins. You must reset the meal and choose alternative proteins before saving. Feel free to mix and match lean and higher-fat proteins throughout the day to consume a variety of nutrient-rich foods.
-
Where can I find beans?
ANSWER:
Beans are under the Grains category. Beans usually contain enough carbohydrate to count towards a grain portion. You may notice that once you select a bean option, one or more of your protein options will be reduced. This is because beans are also an excellent source of protein, so they can count towards both grains and protein. If you are following a vegan or vegetarian style diet, choose a good variety of both grains and beans to ensure you are hitting your amino acid requirements.
-
Are my servings of vegetables supposed to be raw or cooked?
ANSWER:
The majority of the vegetables included at meals are going to be cooked. If you are using a metric setting, you will see your food displayed in gram weight. Weigh your vegetable content at each meal using the cooked weight if your meal contains 3 individual components like chicken, couscous, and vegetables. If the vegetables are ingredients in your meal (ie. Beef fajitas with steak, mushrooms, and peppers), weigh the vegetables before cooking. We are trying to achieve a certain volume of vegetables at each meal to help with meeting nutrient needs and ensuring you feel full and satisfied. Aim for making half of your plate vegetables, regardless of whether they are cooked or raw. You can always consult the meal tip (the ‘i’ icon beside your meal’s name) to see what we suggest!
-
Can I choose more than one food from each category?
ANSWER:
Absolutely! All you have to do is select your food (for example, broccoli) and then click on the arrow in the serving size box. Then, select how many servings of that food item you would like to eat. A new line for the same food category should appear underneath your last choice. Continue choosing a variety of foods until all of your portion sizes are used up. Remember to hit save when finished!
-
I don’t eat snacks. Can I opt out of them in my meal plan?
ANSWER:
Yes, if your daily calorie requirement is under a certain level and you are choosing to use Create My Own Meal Plan setting. If you choose to not have snacks, these portion sizes will be added to your next meal. The morning snack portion will get added to lunch, and the afternoon snack portion will get added to dinner. Again, this is only an option up to a certain calorie level; anything beyond that level will make snacks mandatory. This is to ensure that you properly absorb the nutrients needed throughout the day, as well as reduce the volume of food at each meal.
-
What style of vegetarian does My Viva Plan provide?
ANSWER:
My Viva Plan provides a lacto-ovo vegetarian meal plan, meaning the protein choices will come from dairy products and eggs. Try mixing and matching the various dietary restrictions if you would like to see a different style of meal pattern. For example, if you are pesco-ovo vegetarian (eat fish and eggs, but not beef, pork, chicken, or dairy), choose only 'dairy-free' in your dietary restrictions and choose your meals from the fish or vegetarian categories using the ‘Substitute My Meal’ feature on your meal plan by clicking the pencil icon beside the meal.
-
Why does my grain option get filled in if I choose a mixed dish (ex. casserole)?
ANSWER:
Mixed dishes will usually count towards a grain and a protein. For example, lasagna usually contains both pasta and a meat sauce. Depending on your serving size, these mixed dishes can count towards both your grain and your protein choices for that meal, meaning all you need to do is add the vegetables to create the balance!
-
I like to repeat meals. Why do I see a different option every day for my meals?
ANSWER:
My Viva Plan is built to give you variety and to generate new ideas. We all get stuck in a meal rut every now and then! The meal plan is programmed to repeat meals only so often, so that you do not see the same meal multiple days in a row. We do recognize that cooking a new meal every day is not always practical, so feel free to change your meals using the ‘Substitute My Meal’ feature (the pencil icon beside your meal) in order to utilize leftovers. If you had lentil soup for supper one night, feel free to choose it again the next night!
My Fitness4 Questions
-
Can I sync my activity tracker to My Viva Plan?
ANSWER:
While it doesn’t directly sync, you can manually enter some of the information from your activity tracker in the reflections section to keep track of it.
-
Is My Viva Plan designed for athletes?
ANSWER:
Performance and sport nutrition is very specific and individualized to each person and their sport of choice. While My Viva Plan will meet baseline needs for your health and weight goals, the meal plan in particular is not tailored to individual sports and corresponding requirements. Reach out to one of our Registered Nutritionists to get more information about tailored performance nutrition plans.
-
I already have a fitness routine. How does that work with My Viva Plan?
ANSWER:
If you repeat certain exercises either daily or weekly you can set up your fitness schedule to repeat these events so you only enter them once. In the main navigation bar, click on "My Fitness". Select "Fitness Routine" from the drop-down menu. This is where you will be able to add exercises or activities which are part of your daily or weekly routine.
-
I have never exercised before. Where do I begin?
ANSWER:
We recommend starting small with focus on making it a routine at the beginning. Once you get comfortable and your confidence increases, you can gradually add on time, change the exercise or change the frequency. If you would like some ideas check out our beginner personal fitness challenge in the fitness section of our library under "Printables".
My Mind2 Questions
-
Why am I limited to 28 characters to write about one thing I did well, one thing I struggled with and one thing I am grateful for?
ANSWER:
The progress graphs are set up to show your results for the current week which is 7 days. There are only 7 lines on the graph and each line can only fit 28 characters for each day.
-
If I answer "no" in my reflections, is that bad?
ANSWER:
Not necessarily! If you are finding yourself answering "no" often, try to think of why that is the case. If you are answering "no" often to your goal(s), it may be because your goals are not realistic at this time. You may want to change them to ensure they are achievable. Using the "SMART" acronym can help you; this helps you ensure your goals are: Simple, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Timely.
General3 Questions
-
Why won't the "Remember Me" function work on my iPhone or iPad?
ANSWER:
If you have selected the "Remember Me" box when logging in and My Viva Plan is not remembering you, it is likely associated with your security settings. For an iPhone or an iPad, go to Settings and then go to Safari. Select "AutoFill" and ensure "Names and Passwords" is turned on. Power down your device off, turn it back on and log into My Viva Plan. Check the "Remember Me" box. My Viva Plan should remember you from now on!
-
Where can I download the My Viva Plan app?
ANSWER:
My Viva Plan is not available in the App Store or Google Play Store. However, it is mobile responsive and functions like an app. To use My Viva Plan like an app, you will need to add it to the home screen on your phone or tablet. WATCH TUTORIAL VIDEO
-
Can I count my calories on this program?
ANSWER:
No, My Viva Plan is not a calorie counting or food tracking program. Tracking what happened in the past does not necessarily allow you to look forward. What My Viva Plan does help you to do is to develop a plan to be able to achieve balance in your daily life. The reflection section under "My Mind" will ask you if you followed your plan for the day, in terms of nutrition, fitness, and mindfulness. This will help you reflect on what you did, and support you to make the changes and move forward with your goals, instead of delving into the past.