Prelogging and using the scale

TexasJade

Does it do any good to prelog if you are using a food scale? What is the best way to do that? I just recently bought a food scale. Eventhough I have been successful without it, I have limited myself on a few items (like cheese) because I had no idea how many calories were in it and the margin of error is larger, so I just would not eat it. I would always try to over estimate meat and always felt unsure. So I bought it to give me more feedom and confidence to have those foods. I love it it so far and have found that fruits and veggies, I was over estimating calories using cups/visual. I am wondering though, how do you prelog, a day ahead or the beginning of a day, using the scale?

I also like to eat fairly consistant amounts of food. For instance, I would prefer to eat whatever serving size I feel is appropriate, say a cup of strawberries. If I am eating more than what I should be, I would prefer to say cut out a serving of something then alter the amounts of a serving because for one, I don't plan to weigh and measure forever and I feel it better prepares me to make decisions when I am out. Does this mean I still need to use a cup to measure and then also weigh? Or is there a better way to do this?

TexasJade

Any tips on prelogging when using the food scale?

zichab

I prelog based on the last time I used a particular food and then adjust it. For example, I have an apple almost every day. So, under snacks, I prelog "Paula Red 148 grams." Then today, when I eat my apple, I'll weight it and just change the grams and enter the new weight. Some calories go up, some go down, but over the course of the day, they tend to even out. Hope this helps!

Liftng4Lis

I pre-log my days everyday. You place the bowl on the scale and as you log ingredients, log them.

SezxyStef

I prelog and use a food scale.

Prelogging isn't written in stone and it can be adjusted up or down.

For example I've prelogged 147 grams of chicken, 15 grams of cheese and 20 grams of avocado...might end up 125 grams of chicken, 20 grams of cheese and 30 avocado so I adjust it.

Unless you are really go over or under your plan it's not a big issue.

zyxst

I pre-log at the start of the day when I know what I'm going to eat. When I haven't weighed out the foods yet, I go with the full serving (fruit and veg at 100 g). When I get to making the meal and serving it, I weigh out what I'm eating and note down the weights to log. I log the weights after I've made the meal but before I eat it.

Today I've pre-logged lunch and supper, but have no idea if I will actually eat those amounts listed. Diary should be open if you want to look to see what I mean.

CurlyCockney

I don't pre-log that far in advance, I only do it as I'm preparing my meal, but maybe my system will help. I pre-log the amount I think I'm going to eat, or the amount in the packet if it's a one-person portion. I use 'cooked' data per 100g for this. Then I weigh it as I'm putting it on to my plate, taring in between different items, and adjust the weight on MFP. So, for example, last night's steak gave the data for 197g cooked, and I entered that into MFP. When I weighed it after cooking it was 179g, so I adjusted the entry that I'd made earlier.

SingRunTing

If I prelog, I either weigh out exactly what I logged or I'll adjust what I logged to match what it weighs.

For example, if I prelogged ice cream and its 66grams for that serving, I'll weigh out exactly 66 grams.

If I prelogged an apple, I'll just copy the weight from the last apple and then adjust it to the correct weight after I weigh out that particular apple that I'm eating.

Lounmoun

I prelog my whole day usually in the morning but sometimes the night before. I would weigh out the portion size I had logged when it is time to eat that item. If I decide I want more of an item than I had originally logged I just adjust my log with what I actually consumed.
When I weigh something, I pay attention to what that amount looks like so in future I can better choose portions without using a scale. I check myself with the scale to see if I judge the amount right.

janejellyroll

I prelog with weights based on previous meals (example: the last banana I ate was 109 grams, so I "predict" the banana I eat tomorrow will be 109 grams) and then adjust when I'm actually preparing the food. So my pre-logging is more like a placeholder for the actual weight that will be entered at the time of food prep. This rarely causes any issues. Some things will be higher and some will be lower and it usually works out to be roughly even.

Bshmerlie

I prelog my day the night before and I also weigh everything. Now this is going to some weird so please no judging. I'm a baggie and Tupperware kind of person. I cook up a bunch of chicken every other day. I weigh it raw (skinless boneless) and cut it into exact equal portion sizes, cook it and then place it into individual Tupperwares for lunch or dinner. My almonds I weigh out one ounce and place them in baggies for the week. Salmon...I cut off 5 ounces (raw) and the rest goes to the spounce. You'll find a routine on the typical foods you eat. Portion them out the same way every time.

VykkDraygoVPR

I log my breakfast, then I weigh my lunch and snacks, and mark the baggies I put them in. I don't always log it right away. I don't prelog supper.

nyponbell

I prelog - sometimes/often or the whole week (breakfast and lunch, snacks) as I eat the same things -- and then the day off, I will weigh the banana used in my morning oatmeal and adjust the log, and the same for the ingredients in my smoothie. Makes it easier, and although not set in stone (and I can easily make some wrong decisions to derail the plan) it gives me a good estimate of how many calories I have used up on those "set" calories.

Edited: I *love* my food scale. It's one of the best things I've bought. I also use it to make my "snack packs" so that, when I want some nuts, I don't end up eating the whole bag of them, just the one (much smaller) package of nut mix. Although you could do this based on number of nuts too, I find it incredibly easy to do by weight.

Chasity6

I love my food scale I use it all the time. I pre-log everyday. I figure out what we will have for dinner plug all ingredients into the recipe builder in amounts specified then I figure out how many calories per serving. When I am ready to eat I weight the items cooked in grams to figure out how many grams are in one portion and I weight out one portion for me. I also use it to weigh out snacks and single portions of foods I over eat.

JustMissTracy

I only Prelog my last meal...pre as in, as I'm making it...that way, I already know what calories I have left and know what macros I need to concentrate on to meet my goals...in a bowl, onto the scale, into my diary, then into my mouth...if I don't eat as much as I made I adjust the numbers afterwards..good luck! xo

TexasJade

Lots of good info here. Thank you all!
I think I was making it harder than need be. Using a previous entry, especially breakfast, lunch, and snacks since I mostly eat the same things, and suggested servings sizes in the database and adjusting for any differences sounds doable. I think I just had it in my head that prelogging was supposed be for the purposes of sticking to a predetermined eating plan/cals.

I am really enjoying the scale. It makes things so much faster and easier to figure out. I really thought it was going to make it more complicated. I am trying to figure out how to do it without coming off as obsessive, especially to my children because my fear is that kind of focus on precise calories might encourage an eating disorder in children. And then there is weighing everything out and prelogging and then the toddler decides she wants to eat the strawberries from my plate and half my toast

jaga13

I log an entire day ahead of time. I know that I like to about 300 calories for breakfast and i tend to eat the same thing so I just copy from another day. I do the same for the rest of the day. Then when it's actually time to eat I use my scale to ensure it matches the amount I prelogged. Then I edit if needed because no one is perfect.

Francl27

I pre-log and adjust the quantities as I go. Typically it means that dinner doesn't go exactly as planned... I might have one sausage instead of 2, skip the rice or have more veggies etc. But I always log before I eat to make sure I don't end up 100 calories over by mistake.

caci88

I prelim the night before because I pack all my food.. At first I just tried to figure out what fit my macros but found I was hungry a lot because I was undereating during the day. Now I know for me 150g of grilled meat is a serve and 100g of baked carbs is a serve and I aim for 200g of steamed greens.. But u need to play around with what suits u and ur macros/calories... And some days (like last night) I end up with 100g of grilled meat as my dinner and that's it because I ate everything else in the day lol

rankinsect

Well, I admit I prelog and don't always get it exact.

For example, if I log three glasses of milk, I'll just weigh out approximately that much - if it's a tenth of an ounce over or under I don't really care too much. On a lot of foods, I just go with close enough - if I am going to grill a chicken breast filet, I'll just use the average calories for a chicken breast filet, I don't weigh the particular breast I'm going to eat. If I find that acceptable for food I eat at a restaurant, I don't see why I can't do it in my kitchen, too. I figure it all averages out in the long run; I might get a few calories more or less each time but they eventually cancel out.

I use the scale primarily to portion things that don't come in obvious serving sizes - for example, if I were going to make pasta, I'd weigh the dry pasta to get my portion size. I also use it a lot to divide a meal I cooked into the number of servings I intended to make, so if I am refrigerating leftovers, I split them into single portions immediately.

fishshark

I pre log in the morning and just follow the day. Its easier for me.