Logging Food in Advance - Who does it? How?

Jruzer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I usually prelog my day the night before as I'm packing my lunch.

Lounmoun

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.

barbecuesauce

I do sometimes, especially if I'm doing something high-calorie for dinner. I always leave out snacks, though, even though I know as I'm prelogging if it will be whatever fruit I just bought or a higher-calorie splurge like ice cream or chips.

tomatoey

Lounmoun wrote: »

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.

I know, but I still find it stressful. Like I've laid out an expectation for myself and there I am not fulfilling it. Too to-do-listy for me

arditarose

I log the night before, at least for half of the next day. I mean I pack my lunch so I have to at least get that done anyway. Breakfast is always the same, dinner is often the same. I leave a few hundred calories for dessert and a couple hundred to play with during the day. Every Monday I quick add well over my maintenance calories to Saturday, so I can watch my weekly deficit without doing maths, and be sure I can eat a decent amount on the weekends. Sometimes I quick add "x" amount of calories to certain days of the week if I know I'll want to eat more that day because of a work out or date planned.

cjcool88

I always try to do it on a daily basis, most of the time I wake up and log my breakfast and meal (if I prepared lunch and already know what I will eat) and mostly leave dinner without info, because most times I change what I want to eat for dinner...Breakfast and lunch, doens't changes a lot! This gives you the advantage to manage the calories and nutrients!

PShizle

I like logging during the morning time before the day begins then adjusting throughout the day to hit my macros... I may not be the one who logs a week in advance; although, I do see the positives for shopping purposes.

fishcat123

I do if I'm planning to go out or eat anything unusual, to figure out what is best to have during that meal or that day to stay under my calorie goal, or at least how much I'll go over. Sometimes I'll choose to deviate from my plan, but love having the control and knowing the calories in the food choices I make. Even when I eat more than I planned ahead this helps me stay in control - for example, I'll know that having that piece of cake will put me 300 calories above my goal for the day, so ok (for me) once in a while but it had better be delicious, and I will know not to have a second!

Carol_

@slong4u There is a left pointing and a right pointing arrow at the top of your food journal in the blue 'tab' with today's date on it. And yes, I pre-log, then adjust and switch around some things during the day.

airangel59

Pretty much every single day, since I started. Sometimes I'll plan out a few days in advance. I *always* make sure I have a sizeable amount of calories etc listed for snacks, so I can adjust as the day goes on. I found it keeps me on track and my calories at/under goal when I know where I stand ahead of time.

PopeyeCT

I like to do it if I'm going out to eat. I try to look up the menu online and pre-select things that will be within my calorie budget.

livingleanlivingclean

When I'm not following my coaches diet I plan and prep a week at a time. Same food everyday during the week. Weekends are more flexible but even they are planned a few days in advance!

ejbronte

Also a daily logger - I find it helpful in keeping things in balance.

nataliebordeauxx

On Sunday aka Prep Day, I plan and enter all my breakfasts, snacks, and lunches for the week.

Then every morning, I plan and enter my dinner for the night! It makes it completely effortless to nail all my macros. Then I just come home and E A T!

With NO stress and MUCH success, I have to say this is the way to go (for me, at least!)

mistikal13

I pre log some items the night before.

daphykiwi

I do that too. It helps me to stay on track. And it leaves no room for extra and it saves time! I don't think that it is a compulsive disorder. It's just like planning your schedule. It is a way of being organized and having somenthing to look forward to( like "Yeah high carb day tomorrow ^_^).
Also, by pre-logging my food I can readjust my meals if something doesn't fit my macro rather than discovering it at the end of the day when I already ate all the food ^_^