Logging Food in Advance - Who does it? How?

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  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I log on Sundays all meals including snacks to meet my goal of 1500 knowing I will be adding to it as my adjustments come through up to Friday at dinner....that is typically up in the air, as is Saturday in general.

    It's easy to ensure I have hit my macros that way and I can play with it a bit if I didn't. And it makes knowing what to take out of the freezer in the morning easy.

    I do change if I want/need to...it's not set in stone...

    Yes I do stick to it.

  • AlisonH729
    AlisonH729 Posts: 558 Member
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    I kind of do this. I work in a laid back office and eat breakfast at my desk & bring lunch, so I like to keep them balanced. I usually bring a lot of the same stuff which makes it easier. But for example, if I have a sandwich for lunch I'll bring yogurt w/ berries or fruit & cottage cheese for breakfast. If I have a salad for lunch maybe I'll bring an english muffin with PB&J for breakfast. Then I also have an afternoon snack, which varies. I log everything I brought with me when I first login in the morning. Then I can see generally where I stand for dinner and can sort of brainstorm options for the rest of the day.

    Case in point- planning ahead to any degree is a good idea.
  • qpdoll75
    qpdoll75 Posts: 3 Member
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    I think most of us have some kind of daily schedule to keep, so logging in advance is pretty easy and effective.
    I always have my breakfast and lunch pre-made so I can grab and go to work. I log those either the night before or while eating breakfast at my desk. Either way, now I know how many calories I have left for the day and can plan my dinner and snacks more easily. I also think most of us have "go to" breakfast choices and we tend to know how many calories we start our day with... it sets you up for the rest of your day. I have one breakfast option that is lower cal that I use when I know I'm having a heavier dinner and one breakfast that is very healthy but also higher cal and eat this when I know I'll have a lighter dinner or lunch. Planning ahead makes a world of difference in staying on track, logging in advance is just another form of planning that gives you a visual. The only condition of this method is that you must go back and make adjustments to your log if you ate more or less.
    I even log exercise in advance. It keeps me motivated and says.... YES, I will do THIS activity today for at least this amount of time! I don't want to have to change the goal I set in advance, so for me, this helps. But, you must have the ability to be honest with yourself. I guess this is true of logging in general. We should never be scared of logging honestly anyway. We are accountable only to ourselves here. :)
  • dalem48
    dalem48 Posts: 86 Member
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    shell1005 wrote: »
    Every single day. It helps me plan better and stay accountable.

    Same here.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    edited June 2015
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    A few weeks ago when I used to track my food I always tracked my food for the next day the night before. That said, I don't think it actually helped one way or the other.
  • besee_2000
    besee_2000 Posts: 365 Member
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    When I used to be good at counting, anytime I entered in early something would come up and I would change it. Like Murphy's Law when I try to be good it ends up being a waste of time. Now I'm trying to get back on the wagon but its not as easy as I remember it being.
  • EmmaFitzwilliam
    EmmaFitzwilliam Posts: 482 Member
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    If I want a calorie dense food like a cookie or a pastry during the day, I pre-log what I expect to have for dinner and see how the cookie impacts my bottom line. If it's worth the consequences, I go ahead. Or I decide I don't want to "spend" that many calories that way, and don't. Or I decide to have something else for dinner.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    LolBroScience wrote: »
    I do on some days. I just prep the food before hand, by meal and weigh it out.

    Same. Prepping in advance is a time-saver too. I generally have an idea of approximate calorie counts of my main meals on days where I'm sort of winging it as I go along. I have two meals every day that pretty much stay the same from day to day with only minor variations.

  • Gska17
    Gska17 Posts: 752 Member
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    I log my lunch, breakfast, and snacks as I prepare them the night before.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    Weekdays: pack breakfast and lunch the night before, enter a generous allowance for the unknown dinner that the lovely and talented Mrs Jruzer provides, and enter in what snacks I want to have. Then I get some idea of how much exercise I have to do for what I want to eat.

    Weekends: More freeform; as I'm near goal I eat at maintenance on weekends.
  • lizzocat
    lizzocat Posts: 356 Member
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    i usually log ahead the night before since I prep my food for work and consume most of my calories by 5, and just have a protein shake or the like at night.
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
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    I love logging in advance! Because every once and awhile I'll forget to eat something.... so at night when I'm reviewing my diary and I find I have extra calories.... Omg i feel like I'm a child on Christmas morning... except instead of presents... I get booze...
  • mattyc772014
    mattyc772014 Posts: 3,543 Member
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    50/50 I would have a good amount of your staple foods that you like at home and at work. That really does help me.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    Asher_Ethan wrote: »
    I love logging in advance! Because every once and awhile I'll forget to eat something.... so at night when I'm reviewing my diary and I find I have extra calories.... Omg i feel like I'm a child on Christmas morning... except instead of presents... I get booze...

    That took an unexpected and highly pleasing turn!
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    edited June 2015
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    I tried this briefly, and it stressed me out. I felt like I failed if I didn't eat what I planned. Also, I have no idea what I'm going to feel like eating until 1 hour beforehand (if that), and I want to eat what the me of that moment wants to eat, not what last-night me thought present me might want.

    But I usually tend to do ok anyway, because I more or less rotate the same 5-10, reliable meals (with some exceptions).
  • lowriderjim
    lowriderjim Posts: 18 Member
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    I sometimes pre-log for the day and change if necessary. I read in an earlier thread that a member thought of her eating like a budget. You have your calories to spend each day and planning helps.
  • peachyfuzzle
    peachyfuzzle Posts: 1,122 Member
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    I usually do it when I know I'm going out to eat somewhere like tonight. I'm going to a restaurant, so I looked at the menu, added up the calories, and chose the food I'll order later.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    I usually prelog my day the night before as I'm packing my lunch.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I pre-log my whole day the night before or in the morning. I like seeing how my choices fit together. Beyond calories it helps me makes sure I get enough protein and such.
    I start with logging dinner because I always have that planned and it is usually the largest calorie entry. Then I put in lunch, breakfast and snacks last.
    It doesn't mean you can't change anything if your mood changes or what you planned didn't work out. Sometimes I go back and change things and choose something else with about the same calories.
    Today I had a bad day and by afternoon dumped my dinner idea and chose something else. I knew how many calories it could be and still fit my day. I logged it an hour before having it to make sure it fit okay.

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