Ms Tay Shan Chuan Janice

Staff Officer (Fitness),

LIFE Secretariat

1. Logging in as a New User
2. Logging in as an Existing User
3. Welcome Screen and Menu Buttons

1. Profile Summary – Main Screen
2. Profile Summary – Help Screen

1. Food – Food Intake
2. Food – Calendar
3. Food – Daily RDA
4. Food – Monthly RDA
5. Food – Food Summary

1. Exercise – Main Screen
2. Exercise – Calendar
3. Exercise – Chart
4. Exercise – Summary
5. Exercise – Submit LIFE Points

Since its inception in 1992, LIFE has undergone many changes over the years. However, the underlying message remains - Exercise or rather, physical activity is an important and beneficial part of a Healthy Lifestyle.

At the same time, for health and indeed weight management, the equation would be skewed if we just concentrate on the "output" (that is, exercise) and neglect the "input" (food intake). Therefore, the new software, LIFE version 2.1, will address the issue of input which was not included in the previous software.

 Fig 1. Energy Balance Equation

In ENERGY BALANCE (Fig 1.), a person’s INPUT will ideally be EQUAL to his OUTPUT. For many of us, this is an idea that is very hard to quantify. How many calories does a particular type of food contain, and how much exercise will yield a certain number of calories? This is where the extensive lists of food (over 1000 types) and physical activity (more than 160) in this software is a great source of information. It helps you keep track of the calories from your daily food intake and physical activities.

This software also uses profile information – like your weight, height, age, frame size and job nature to calculate your metabolic rate, and desirable weight for height. The information you give will be used to plot charts that show you your current and desirable weights, recommended dietary allowances and energy balance. In short, it gives you the full account of your daily energy requirements. With this knowledge, you can then make the necessary lifestyle choices to take charge of your health.

This User Guide will take you step by step on how to install, and also how to use the software.

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Following the latest recommendations by the US Department of Health, American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), US Surgeon General’s Report, World Health Organisation and the International Federation of Sports Medicine,

Ministry of Health (Singapore) and Singapore Sports Council agreed on the following as recommendations for Singapore:

The quantity and quality of exercise needed to attain general health-related benefits differ from what is recommended for cardio-respiratory fitness benefits.

The rationale for the Health Recommendations are:

INSTALLATION GUIDE

Minimum System Requirements

Before installation of the LIFE Software, please make sure that you have the following minimum system requirements:

• Pentium-class processor
• Memory 32 MB RAM
• 20 MB free hard disk space
• Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT
• Microsoft Internet Explorer v4.0 or higher
• Screen resolution of 800x600 or higher
• 4X CD-ROM Drive (if installation done from CD)
• Internet Connection (for installation from Internet, and submitting LIFE Points)
• 2-button mouse

Step By Step Installation Procedure

Prior Installation Steps

1. Set the security settings for MSIE to LOW or NONE, to allow for installation of ActiveX components. To do this, go to your MSIE Options…, under the Security tab, select the LOW setting.

A. Installation from CDROM

1. After inserting the LIFE CDROM into the CDROM Drive, click on the Start button on the taskbar and select Run...
2. Type X:\setup.exe substituting X for the letter of your CDROM.
3. Follow the installation instructions given by the setup program to complete installation.
4. To start the LIFE Version 2.1 application, click on the Start button, then Programs, and select Life21.

B. Installation from Internet

1. Connect to the Internet.
2. Start up Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE).
3. Go to http://www.mindef.gov.sg/life/index.html by typing it in the Address box.
4. Click on the LIFE Version 2.1 button.
5. A warning message might appear on your screen at this point if you did not set the security settings to LOW. Anyway, just click on Yes to continue.
6. The various components needed for installation will now be downloaded.
7. Just follow the setup instructions to complete the installation.
8. For future visits, no further downloads will be necessary.

C. Installation from Intranet

1. Logon to your OA computer.
2. Start up Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE)
3. Go http://hqmedsvc.army.mindef/hqmedsvc/life/index.html by typing it in the Address box.
4. Click on the LIFE Version 2.1 button.
5. A warning message might appear on your screen at this point if you did not set the security settings to LOW. Anyway, just click on Yes to continue.
6. The various components needed for installation will now be downloaded.
7. Just follow the setup instructions to complete the installation.
8. For future visits, no further downloads will be necessary.

Please note that after installation, the computer will have to be restarted to complete the installation process.

 Technicalities

• If application has NOT been installed previously (either through diskettes, CD, Internet/Intranet or any other media)
• Installation process will commence upon activation of the page serving the LIFE 2.1 application.
• User’s machine must configure the browser such that it allows ActiveX download (Can be done by setting the security to LOW or NONE).
• Installation process requires a Re-boot of the user’s machine.
• 2 Steps to the installation process:
• Installation of MS Data Access components.
  This is the database access layer that the application uses to "talk" to the local database.
• LIFE 2.1 software.
  The Application component itself.
• For Intranet users with 2MB line to the WEB server, installation takes about 10-15 minutes *.
• For Internet users using 56K dialup line, about 45 minutes to 1 hour *.
  

* Figures are estimates and will vary according to the network traffic at time of installation.

• If application has been previously installed, the opening screen will be displayed upon activation of the page serving LIFE 2.1 application.

 N/B:

Application is an ActiveX control. In order to "run" the application, it requires a container to reside in. In this case, the container used is the WEB browser. ActiveX is a Microsoft technology and hence only Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) is able to recognize the "existence" of the application that is "embedded" on the WEB page.

USING LIFE VERSION 2.1

To begin session with LIFE Version 2.1, open the LIFE Version 2.1 group window and then double-click on the LIFE Version 2.1 icon.

Double-click on the LIFE Version 2.1 icon.

1.1 LOGGING IN AS A NEW USER

• At the splash screen ( shown below ) , click the "New User" button to select your type of user.

  Click the "New User" button.

1.2 LOGGING IN AS AN EXISTING USER

• At the splash screen ( shown below ) , click the "Existing User" button to select your type of user.

  Click the "Existing User" button.

• The Personal Database (DB) file screen will be shown.

• Locate your personal database file (highlight your file name) and open it by clicking OK.

Figure 2 : Choose Personal Database File

The buttons on the Menu (on the left side of the screen) will lead you to the respective Screens :

"Profile" button ---- Profile Summary Screen

"Food" button ---- Food Intake Screen

"Exercise" button ---- Exercise Screen

• Update all the relevant fields as needed. You should update your weight monthly.

  Click on the "Update" button for confirmation of update.

• The Profile Summary screen will appear where you will enter all personal information.
• Enter your NRIC
• Enter your Name
• Choose your Gender Type
• Enter your Birth Date in DD/MM/YYYY format
• Enter your Weight in kg
• Enter your Height in cm

Click on the "Help" button for the Job Nature and Physical Frame Help screen.

This screen will help you determine your Job Nature based on the classification listed.

• Choose the Activity level according to your Job Nature (nature of work or occupation) from a selected list. This list is not exhaustive, so you may have to choose one that best describes the level of physical activity your job require.

There are three tiers of physical activity level which relates to the nature of your Job for you to choose from - Sedentary, Moderate and Vigorous.

Frame size is most commonly determined by measuring the width of the elbow.

Right elbow extended perpendicular (90 degree-angle), palms facing inward – as if you are doing a biceps curl. Feel for the widest bony width of the elbow. Measure against a ruler placed on the table if you do not have access to a sliding caliper. Key in your Elbow breadth (in cm) and your frame size can be determined.

Most Singaporeans have Small frames, few have Medium frames. Large frames are rare.

Click on the "Back " button to return to the Profile Summary screen and make your selection for the Job Nature and Frame Size categories.

• The Default date will be the current date set for the computer and the selectable tabs for that particular week are made available.

• Follow the steps to input your food intakes.

• Step 1: Select your Food Category.

• Step 2: Select your Specific Food Dish. The description of the dish is displayed on the Description field.

• Step 3: Click on the "Add" button, or double-click to add your selection in to the Daily intake list.

The Total Calories for the Day will be computed and displayed in the bottom field in kCal.

( * NOTE : The portions reflected in the list are estimates of the average serving.)

• To Choose another date for food intake update :

Click on the "View Calendar" button to show the LIFE Calendar screen.

You will be able to select a particular day for Viewing / Input in the Food Intake screens.

Select desired Month and Year from the displayed lists respectively.

Double-click on the desired Day

     Click on "Back" button to return to the previous Screen.

• To view the Recommended Dietary Allowance Chart for the selected date on the current day tab.

Click on the "Daily RDA" button

The Recommended Dietary Allowance Chart will be shown.

This screen displays a chart plotting the Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates breakdown from your food intake of the date selected.

The Actual Food Intake will be displayed in red, while the recommended dietary allowance will be displayed in green. The recommended dietary allowance is based on gender and age.

• To view the Recommended Dietary Allowance for desired month.

Click on "Monthly RDA" button to show the Recommended Dietary Allowance for Month Chart Screen for the current month of selected date.

 This screen displays a chart plotting the Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates breakdown from your food intake of current / selected month and year from the lists provided.

  Click on the pull-down menu and choose Proteins, Carbohydrates or Fats to view the desired dietary allowance chart for the month respectively.

The Actual Proteins / Carbohydrates / Fats are shown in red with the recommended dietary allowance shown as a Green line.

• To show the Food Summary for the desired month

Click on "Food Summary" button to show the Food Summary Screen for the selected month.

This screen displays the total calories, total carbohydrates, total proteins and total fats of each day of the current / selected month and year from the lists provided.

Beside each nutrient column, the percentage of how many calories that nutrient has contributed to the total calories is shown. For instance, on 16^th May 2000, the total energy intake is 3544 kCals, of which, Carbohydrates is responsible for 43% of that day’s diet.

In essence, 1g of Fat is equivalent to                         9 kCal

    1g of Protein is equivalent to                     4 kCal

    1g of Carbohydrate is equivalent to            4 kCal

  Click on "Back" button to return to the Food Intake Screen.

• The Default date will be the current date on set on the computer and the selectable tabs for that particular week are made available.

• Follow the steps to input your daily exercise.

• Step 1: Select your Exercise Category. There are 5 main categories (General Exercise, Sports, Outdoor Pursuits, Hobbies/Recreation, and Home Activities).
• Step 2: Select your Exercise Sub Category.
• Step 3: Select your Specific Exercise. The description of the exercise is displayed on the Description field.
• Step 4: Enter duration of the Exercise in minutes. The distance field is an optional one.
• Step 5: Click on the "Add" button to add your selection in to the Daily Exercise list.

The Total Calories Expanded for the Day will be computed and displayed in the bottom left field in kilocalories (kCals) or commonly referred to as Calories.

The Total LIFE points achieved will be computed and displayed in the bottom right field.

• To Choose another date for Daily Exercise update :

• To view the daily breakdown of total Calories and total LIFE points

Click on "Exercise Chart" button to show the Daily Exercise Screen for the current month of selected date.

This screen displays a chart plotting the Total Calories and Total LIFE Points breakdown from your Exercise Records of current / selected month and year from the lists provided.

• To show the Exercise Summary for the desired month

Click on "Exercise Summary" button to show the Exercise Summary screen for the current month of selected date.

This screen displays the total energy output and total LIFE points of each day of the current / selected month and year from the lists provided.

  Click on "Back" button to return to the Exercise Screen.

The exercise that you select should be the one that you do deliberately, beyond the scope of your work. Physical activity that occurs due to your work nature has been taken into account in the Daily Energy Expenditure (DEE).

4.5 EXERCISE – SUBMIT LIFE POINTS

• To submit the LIFE Points

Submission of LIFE Points for the LIFE Incentive Awards given by the LIFE Secretariat is only available for Ministry of Defence (Singapore) personnel through the MINDEF INTRANET.

(* NOTE : The "Submit your LIFE Points" button is available on all Exercise screens. The following guidelines apply to all of them.)

Click on "Submit your LIFE Points" button to show the Submit LIFE Points screen for confirmation of timeframe of LIFE Points to submit.

This screen allows you to submit your LIFE Points through the MINDEF Intranet server.

  Click on radio buttons "April to September" or "October to March" to indicate which half-yearly duration of LIFE Points you are submitting.

• The LIFE Points and Awards achieved during that selected duration would be displayed.

• Input your current unit in the bottom field.

• This screen allows you to do body weight management and tracking in terms of energy management and weight management.

Energy Management :

Your Calculated Daily Energy Expenditure (DEE) is displayed in kCal. It is calculated using the revised Harris-Benedict equation (for Resting Metabolic Rate – the number of calories your body uses each day just to be alive), using information that you have provided, like height, weight, age and gender. It is further calculated using the Job Nature you have indicated to show the extra energy required daily for your job.

Your Exercise Energy Output for the current day is displayed in kCal, based on the deliberate exercise and physical activity (outside of work) that you engage in that day. You should not include the physical activity that is related to your job nature as this has been taken into account in the DEE calculations.

Your Total Energy Output and Input for the current day is the total of your Daily Energy
Expenditure and your Exercise component.

• To show the Energy Balance Chart for the desired month.

Click on "Energy Balance Chart" button to show the Energy Balance Chart Screen for the current month of selected date.

This screen displays the Daily Energy Balance of each day of the current / selected month and year. It is simply the balance from your output minus your input.

  Click on "Back" button to return to the Body Weight Management Screen.

Energy Balance is the key to weight gain / loss. If we are interested in maintaining our body weight, we should try to balance what we need each day (Daily Energy Expenditure, also known as DEE) and the exercise output with what we eat (Food Intake).

As our DEE does not fluctuate much, the only other components that we can alter are our food intake and exercise output. Therefore, if we are on a weight loss program, we can :

a) Decrease food intake and maintain physical activity habits.

Weight Management :

Your Current Weight is displayed in kilograms (kg).

Your Recommended Weight is displayed in kilograms, based on recommended weight for your height.

Your Body Mass Index is computed using your body weight and height.

Advice on body weight management is also displayed.

Figure 18: Weight Management

5.4 BODY WEIGHT MANAGEMENT – WEIGHT SUMMARY CHART

• To show the Weight Summary for the desired year.

Click on "Weight Summary" button to show the Monthly Weight Summary Screen for the current year of the selected date.

This screen displays the weight history of the current / selected year from the list provided.

  Click on "Back" button to return to the Body Weight Management screen.

Most of us are aware that being overweight (with fat) poses health risks. It is the purpose of this software to help us monitor our health status, in part, through our weight gain / loss over a period of time. The recommended weight is a guide and being able to chart your weight and its fluctuations will allow you to be more aware of your weight management. If you are above the recommended weight for your height, you may want to consider increasing your exercise output and / or decrease your food intake.