“Pre-logging” as a planning tool?

Wakey618

How many of you log your food in your diary ahead of time as a way of staying on track? I generally wing it, with knowing that I have the right foods available for me to stay in line. But yesterday I had to plan out the night’s food so I just logged it as if I had eaten it already, and then realized that this could be a good way to plan out each day ahead of time.

dawnemjh

Every day! And if something happens and I don't eat what I log, I go back in fix it later...

perkymommy

I will go in sometimes and log in my dinner meal just to see ahead of time how much I am consuming and make sure I stay on track for the day. But I don't complete my diary early in the day and set it because I change it a lot of times.

oocdc2

All the time, especially when I'm running low on calories and haven't met my macros (e.g., need more protein, have the yogurt).

Lounmoun

Wakey618 wrote: »

How many of you log your food in your diary ahead of time as a way of staying on track? I generally wing it, with knowing that I have the right foods available for me to stay in line. But yesterday I had to plan out the night’s food so I just logged it as if I had eaten it already, and then realized that this could be a good way to plan out each day ahead of time.

I log my whole day every morning before breakfast.
It helps me make better decisions, I know what the portion size needs to be and I can eat a greater variety of things.

King_Spicy

If its the weekend, I log while I go since I have no plans. However, my weekdays are so repetitive that I prelog them with the basics of what I share day to day, and leave a small amount of available calories and carbs in case I want to add something to my day when I get home.

MikeAV8s

Not always, but quite a lot.

lizziexboredom

Nearly every day. It's 9am and my lunch is logged lol. Sometimes I'll even plan the next day, too. I think it's fun. I don't always stick to what I logged and might make changes, but I love knowing my numbers ahead of time. Sometimes I'll plan on a meal and after logging, it's too high in a micro I don't want to increase or not high enough. If I've already eaten it, I'm kind of out of luck. But with pre logging, I can tweak and adjust as needed.

SezxyStef

I used to prelog my week Sunday through Friday at lunch...I have not been as on the ball lately but will get back to it.

I find it easier to know where I have wiggle room and if I am slightly under all week and maintain that (about 50 calories a day) it gives me that cushion for the weekend when I do sort of wing it.

MelaniaTrump

I do it on paper on my kitchen counter. On the side of my to-do list.
Pre logging made me spend too much time changing things.
Family sometimes changes things.

Machka9

Wakey618 wrote: »

How many of you log your food in your diary ahead of time as a way of staying on track? I generally wing it, with knowing that I have the right foods available for me to stay in line. But yesterday I had to plan out the night’s food so I just logged it as if I had eaten it already, and then realized that this could be a good way to plan out each day ahead of time.

I do something like this most days.

At some point around lunchtime, I log my lunch and just about all my snacks for the day, even the ones I haven't eaten yet. That lets me know what I've got available for dinner. My husband makes dinner but I can drop hints ("I need something light", or "yeah, I can have a slightly higher calorie choice"). And then right around dinner time, I log dinner and any additional evening snacks.

I'll often finish/close my diary at maybe 8 pm, but I'm still eating after that ... eating the last few items I prelogged.

And if I'm going out for dinner, I'll log it based on what I can find on a website before I go so I know how much exercise I need to do, or what I might have to skip earlier in the day.

Machka9

perkymommy wrote: »

I will go in sometimes and log in my dinner meal just to see ahead of time how much I am consuming and make sure I stay on track for the day. But I don't complete my diary early in the day and set it because I change it a lot of times.

You can change it after you complete it.

jsecret

I do breakfast and lunch meal prep on Sundays and log those meals for the whole week that way I can plan dinner the night before knowing how many calories I'll have left.

Wakey618

Thanks for the responses – some variety here of how people do things. I think I’ll start doing this to a degree. Not plan everything, but at least the main meals. My planning so far consists of planning about 300-350 calories for each meal, with about 300 calories left for snacks (I’m a grazer). It gets tiring and sometimes overwhelming, so I think pre-planning will help a lot.

vherrere123

I do and it's worked out great. Since my husband makes dinner it helps him plan what we can we eat together. Sometimes I even get a dessert in.

ForeverSunshine09

I prelog 2 weeks at a time which helps with grocery budget and staying on task. Things change every once in awhile but, I have general idea of what I can eat through the day. I am a huge planner though.

brb_2013

I log it every morning, but I have a written plan for the whole week (helps with grocery planning). But I log the whole day, it's very helpful.

ehrenlynae7

Weekdays for sure. I pre log every morning. Weekends Im a little more flexible with my eating (stay within calories but indulge in less healthy foods) so no pre login the.

RAinWA

I plan out a week at a time for both me and my husband. I do all the cooking and food prep at our house so I need to be organized. I'm flexible though - if something changes I can adjust as needed. But it's easier for me to just think about it once a week, make sure we have everything we need grocery wise and then pretty much follow what I set up.

nikkituck56

I log a week at a time, and sometimes work on the next week. This helps me meal plan breakfast and suppers and what to buy for them. I eat at work for lunch since it is free and we cook it. Things do change sometimes, like if I don't want corn on the cob and I would rather have something else. Then I change it and move on. Sometimes, a co-worker will bring cake to work, and I will try to fit that in even though it wasn't planned. I try to enjoy life by not restricting myself to a certain "diet". I have tried everything and this is the only way for me.

RhiannonBecks

xSPICYx wrote: »

If its the weekend, I log while I go since I have no plans. However, my weekdays are so repetitive that I prelog them with the basics of what I share day to day, and leave a small amount of available calories and carbs in case I want to add something to my day when I get home.

same here, I eat pretty much the same thing for breakfast, lunch, 2snacks at work so I log those meals/snacks the night before after I pack my lunch. If I know for sure what i'll be making for dinner I'll go ahead and log that too, then I know what I can adjust for during the day if something were to come up. For me it has really helped me get my calories "in control" and makes me really conscious of what I am eating.

SezxyStef

Wakey618 wrote: »

Thanks for the responses – some variety here of how people do things. I think I’ll start doing this to a degree. Not plan everything, but at least the main meals. My planning so far consists of planning about 300-350 calories for each meal, with about 300 calories left for snacks (I’m a grazer). It gets tiring and sometimes overwhelming, so I think pre-planning will help a lot.

makes it easy to know what to take out of the freezer for dinner that night for sure...

puffbrat

xSPICYx wrote: »

If its the weekend, I log while I go since I have no plans. However, my weekdays are so repetitive that I prelog them with the basics of what I share day to day, and leave a small amount of available calories and carbs in case I want to add something to my day when I get home.

This. My breakfast, lunch, and snacks are so repetitive during the work week or at least pre-planned so that is easy. I also pre-log either what I know will be dinner that night or the highest calorie dinner planned for the week (my husband and I typically make 2-3 dinners each week and eat leftovers the other nights). Our dinners and their respective calories vary so much week to week that pre-logging lets me know if I will have extra room for a treat that day or need to make more room by either cutting out a snack or exercising.

The weekends are a free-for-all so I just log as I go.

jandsstevenson887

I've just started pre-logging and I love it. It keeps me on track.

not_a_runner

I usually log the night before, sometimes a day or two in advance. I plan a treat for after supper, and a lot of my earlier meals are the same most days. I do make changes if I find something else I would rather eat or something comes up, but I have a higher protein goal I like to hit, and I am usually a carbaholic when left to my own devices

quiksylver296

xSPICYx wrote: »

If its the weekend, I log while I go since I have no plans. However, my weekdays are so repetitive that I prelog them with the basics of what I share day to day, and leave a small amount of available calories and carbs in case I want to add something to my day when I get home.

Pretty much this.

willworkoutforwine

I pre-log a lot and it helps me stay on track. If I have some calories to spare and get hungry in the afternoon, I know I can have a small snack without going over for the day since I already know what I'm eating calorie-wise for dinner. I find pre-logging especially helpful if I'm going out to eat - I do my research beforehand!

lauraesh0384

I pre-log when I have to work the next day although I typically eat the same breakfast and lunch with a few slight variations. During the weekend and my day off during the week I log as I go and plan my dinner around that. I'm pretty much a creature of habit for lunch and breakfast, though.

heatherheyns

I prelog some things. Usually, I'll prelog dinner and my evening snack, and then I'll know how many calories I have for lunch. It helps me plan so I don't end up at the end of the day with no calories left, but still hungry. Also, having a planned treat for the night helps me stay on target because I know I get my apples and hazlenut butter or ice cream.

peaceout_aly

Wakey618 wrote: »

How many of you log your food in your diary ahead of time as a way of staying on track? I generally wing it, with knowing that I have the right foods available for me to stay in line. But yesterday I had to plan out the night’s food so I just logged it as if I had eaten it already, and then realized that this could be a good way to plan out each day ahead of time.

This is my daily routine! I log 3-4 days in advance to help keep me on track!

cwolfman13

I always pre-logged when I was logging. Good to have a plan and I always new exactly where I stood with things.