Nutrition makeovers: Dietitians offer advice to 4 Deseret Morning News readers

Several weeks ago, the Deseret Morning News offered three interested readers a nutrition makeover.

We actually chose four people to work with dietitians — one of the winners was a couple, so they got a two-for-1 deal. Three registered dietitians — Jacob Schmidt of the Utah Beef Council; Beverly Webber, a foods and nutrition adjunct assistant professor at the University of Utah; and Pauline Williams of the Utah State University Extension in Salt Lake County — donated counseling.

We chose people in a variety of ages and lifestyles. We'll keep you posted on their progress in future articles.

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Michael and Rebecca Smith, Sandy, ages 28 and 30

Concerns: At 5-feet-10 and 152 pounds, Rebecca doesn't need to lose weight but wants to tone up from the birth of a baby in December.

Michael, 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, has gained 70 pounds since the couple married five years ago. They have three children under age 4.

"I just don't want them to grow up with poor eating habits like mine," wrote Rebecca. "My main problem is that I always eat junk food, mostly sweets. It's fast, easy and tastes better than the good foods. In college, I worked out regularly and ate less and felt so much better about life."

Challenges: Dietitian Pauline Williams checked the couple's three-day food intake records and found Rebecca is a "grazer," snacking mainly on sweets throughout the day. "You're at home, so you just grab things — you might not even be hungry. Even though you're at a very good weight, you eat a lot of high-fat foods, high-sugar foods, not the foods that are packed with nutrients."

Rebecca averaged less than one vegetable per day. Michael doesn't eat much during the day but snacks on sweets at night. Meals tend to be heavy with starches, such as rice, pizza and sandwiches.

Using a set of scales called a Tanita Body Composition Analyzer, Williams measured the couples' weight and body fat, and determined the amount of calories needed just to maintain their weight.

Rebecca's body fat percentage is 33 percent, and she needs about 2,200 calories per day because she is breast-feeding, which requires about 750 extra calories. Michael's is 31.2 percent. To maintain his current weight, he needs 3,000 total calories per day.

What they're already doing right: Michael often packs his own lunch to work. The family eats dinner together, and they rarely eat fast food and restaurant meals.

Goals: