When do you track calories?

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Leebett
Leebett Posts: 238 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm still working on week 1 so really new to all of this and looking for advice. Do you post food as you eat throughout the day, pre-plan all of your meals in the morning or wait and add them all at night? Right now I feel like I am entering throughout the day, but it seems to be consuming my life, and maybe it should until I get my new lifestyle under control. I have a long journey ahead of me.

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  • violetsue
    violetsue Posts: 54 Member
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    In the beginning I tracked as I ate to get a feel for how I was doing. Now I usually do it in the evening. I try to track throughout the if I eat more than usual or if I have spare time.
  • mrsriisky
    mrsriisky Posts: 129 Member
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    I just posted a topic on this today, if you'd like to check it out, some great responses- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1029448-adding-before-eating

    I personally like a big, robust dinner, and love to make it homemade, so I usually put my dinner in early in the day, so that I can fit in other foods around it.

    Preplanning helps me a lot! You can always change what you put down if you have a change of plans, but it makes it easier for me to avoid getting halfway through the day and realizing I don't have enough calories left to eat both the pot roast that's been making in the crockpot all day, AND the avocado salad I spent 30 minutes making.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    I pre-log.. leaving myself some wiggle room and adjust as I go..

    i find when I have a plan i'm much more relaxed and i don't stress so much.. adn I stay on track better.. of course if I want something extra i adjust as I go.. but I didn't do that in the beginning.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    I usually plan my next day every night to make sure I hit all my macros
  • QueenofScott
    QueenofScott Posts: 305 Member
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    I log my food as I eat it, except I sometimes log dinner ahead of time, since I usually have somehting planned to prepare. That way I know what I have to work with the rest of the day.
  • RM10003
    RM10003 Posts: 316 Member
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    Pre-planner here--definitely helps me stay within my calories (well, pretty much) and hit my macros/nutrients. I log the night before since I take lunches to work.
  • TravelDog14
    TravelDog14 Posts: 317 Member
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    I'm a bit of a hybrid calorie tracker.

    Night before I'll log my breakfast and lunch for work days because I pack them the night before.

    Then dinner and snacks (I snack all day long) normally get added as I consume them.

    Throughout the day I'm often times adjusting some stuff I've pre-logged but then not eaten.
  • epicrockstar24
    epicrockstar24 Posts: 86
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    Normally (like when I’m not on my current diet), I am pretty aware of what i’m going to eat at dinner, so I’ll add that in the morning when I add breakfast or something, that way I can figure out what to eat during the rest of the day based on how many calories i have left until I meet my limit. It’s easier than traking after each meal and snack only to get to dinner time and realizing I’m already at my limit and I need to either exercise, skip dinner, or just go over.

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