Committing to prelogging?

cicichirinos

Ok, this might seem crazy, but it is seriously my biggest problem right now.

Staying within my calorie limit is so hard for me. Social situations are tough, and so is being hungry all the time. I've read through the community and seen that prelogging is the most common advice. I've been following that, but I find it so hard to commit to what I've prelogged! It's like it's so hard for me to say no to being super hungry even though I know it won't fit in with what I've prelogged.

Do you guys have any advice as to how you say committed to your prelogging/calorie goal?

usercm

I've been prelogging some days, and some I have to totally change it all! Try setting a goal to stick to the prelog, and if you succeed leave room for extra cals for a snack!

bmalone62

Prelogging is what really works best for me. I don't plan all of my calories. I leave at least 100 available in case I do want something unplanned for. If what I'm wanting is over my allotted calories, then I have to want it bad enough to exchange it for something.

pebble4321

I pre-log but then I adjust as the day goes on. Prelogging is a useful tool for me, but I don't see the point of forcing myself to stick to that if things in my day change.

For example, today someone in my office offered to go out for a good coffee.
So, that's about 90 cals for a small skinny latte vs almost 0 for an instant black coffee (yes there are a few cals in black coffee, but I don't log them).

I added that in to my diary, and as I'd done some exercise this morning, I had some cals to spare so I didn't have to make any changes. If my cals were looking tight, then I would look at the rest of the day to see if I could drop a snack or reduce the serving size of something later in the day.

AlyssaPetsDogs

It works well for me to pre-log as I pack my lunch for the next day. I bring all my food with me to school and know what I'll be eating - that way I won't be as tempted to go get something bad or to hit up the vending machines. I also leave room for a snack or something later - it is super easy to change if I decide not to eat something or to add something.

RoseTheWarrior

At some point it comes down to how bad you want it. You either decide the food and calories are worth more than progress or vice versa. Making the commitment is YOUR choice. I have no issues with my calorie goal and I pre-log all the time. It works because I make it work. I'm not being judgmental, just honest. Once you really decide to make changes, that's when changes happen. Good luck!

MsBuzzkillington

Well, I mean, how many calories are you taking in every day? Are you sure you're eating enough? Sometimes it's okay to bump up the calories a little bit. If you're THAT hungry, you need to eat more usually. But I don't know what your diary looks like.

85Cardinals

I'm not fully committed to prelogging, we go out on a couple dates a week and it seems to be working ok. But sometimes I write down a meal ahead of time, start feeling trapped, and eat something completely different!

kcn2bluesky

Pre-logging works for me and goes a long way toward keeping me on track. It sounds to me like you might want to focus on why you are so hungry all the time.

Evaluate what types of food you are eating and what helps hold you over throughout the day. It's a process! There are lots of different things you can try, too, as far as how many actual meals, the timing of your snacks, etc. I can tell you that I don't go through every day hungry all day long, feeling like I want to gnaw my own arm off lol

SandraMGP

I Pre-log, especially when I'm going out to eat. I meal plan for the week. I pre-log each day and if I have around 100 calories left, then I leave them in case I need a snack. If I've pretty much used my calories allowance I complete my food diary, which in my mind means I can't eat anymore - and I don't. This really keeps me on the straight and narrow as I really need to lose weight for my health (as well as my self confidence) so I wont cheat, because I'd only be cheating myself. It does involve in a certain amount of discipline and if you are eating and just logging it without thinking then you are unlikely to lose. Meal Planning helps, plan in lots of veg.

capaul42

I'll prelog breakfast and lunch since I usually eat the same most days. Dinner I may prelog but most times I end up changing it because I decide I want to make something else.

Seffell

I prelog the bulk but leave around 100-300 for unexpected wishes. I don't want to torture myself (...more than I already do lol )

kommodevaran

You are not supposed to feel hungry all the time. How large is your estimated calorie deficit, is it appropriate for your height, weight, what have you set your weekly loss goal to? Maybe you are eating too little. Are you hitting your macros? Logging accurately? Do you eat your fruit and vegs? Have you experimented with meal timing?

Is prelogging difficult because you change your mind, or do social (eating) situations come up unexpectedly? If you know in advance when you will be eating out, you can plan around that; log the other meals and leave some calories for whatever you think you will be eating. Prelogging is a great way to create predictability and accountability, but it has to be flexible - nobody can predict the future and things tend to happen that demands that we can change our plan without throwing it completely away.

This is a learning process, and it can be exciting.

SezxyStef

cicichirinos wrote: »

Ok, this might seem crazy, but it is seriously my biggest problem right now.

Staying within my calorie limit is so hard for me. Social situations are tough, and so is being hungry all the time. I've read through the community and seen that prelogging is the most common advice. I've been following that, but I find it so hard to commit to what I've prelogged! It's like it's so hard for me to say no to being super hungry even though I know it won't fit in with what I've prelogged.

Do you guys have any advice as to how you say committed to your prelogging/calorie goal?

why are you hungry all the time?

as for sticking to it...I wanted to not be fat...I made the decision and stuck to it....

But I wasn't hungry all the time either as I set a reasonable goal for myself and ate filling foods like protein.

perkymommy

A lot of my friends on here pre-log. I think it's awesome that some people can be so goal oriented and stick to it! I don't do it but only because I know I will fail miserably if I try to be that strict with myself. If I go over on any particular day then sobeit. It's life. I am in this for the lifestyle change so I have to keep it realistic and realistic for me is logging in what I DO eat after the fact.

Lounmoun

cicichirinos wrote: »

Ok, this might seem crazy, but it is seriously my biggest problem right now.

Staying within my calorie limit is so hard for me. Social situations are tough, and so is being hungry all the time. I've read through the community and seen that prelogging is the most common advice. I've been following that, but I find it so hard to commit to what I've prelogged! It's like it's so hard for me to say no to being super hungry even though I know it won't fit in with what I've prelogged.

Do you guys have any advice as to how you say committed to your prelogging/calorie goal?

You shouldn't be super hungry all the time.
Is your calorie goal reasonable? If you have less than 50 lbs to lose 1 lb per week is better than an aggressive goal of 2 lb per week.
Is your activity level setting correct? Are you logging exercise and eating some of those calories?
Are you planning out a day where you eat enough calories and protein, fats, fiber? If not, try getting more of those things.
When you plan your day are you putting the calories where you get hungriest? I get hungriest between noon and 9PM so I eat the most then. I eat a small breakfast and bigger dinners and plan for 1-2 afternoon/evening snacks. I do not eat an equal 300 calories at every single meal.
Do you try drinking water or chewing gum and waiting 20 minutes to see if the feeling passes? Sometimes hunger cues are not reliable. You may need to drink more water.
Do you plan and pre-log food you really like to eat or just things you think you should eat? Plan to eat foods you like.
Do you tend to eat when you are stressed, upset, bored, etc? Develop different coping tools.
Are you getting enough sleep? I always want to overeat when I am missing sleep.
Do you have a routine or set schedule in your life or do you tend to do things whenever? I am a person with a pretty consistant routine. I prefer to plan rather than react to situations. If I wasn't that sort of person then I think it would be harder to pre-log.
My food options are usually limited to what I have in my house so it isn't really a surprise what is available for lunch. I don't eat food I haven't prepared at home myself more than once a week. It isn't so much a diet rule as my lifestyle. If I change my mind about a food I logged then I alter my log. Usually I can replace a logged item with something pretty close to the same calorie count.
Pay attention to foods when you log, weigh or measure so if you need to guess somewhere you can do so more easily.

RobD520

cicichirinos wrote: »

Ok, this might seem crazy, but it is seriously my biggest problem right now.

Staying within my calorie limit is so hard for me. Social situations are tough, and so is being hungry all the time. I've read through the community and seen that prelogging is the most common advice. I've been following that, but I find it so hard to commit to what I've prelogged! It's like it's so hard for me to say no to being super hungry even though I know it won't fit in with what I've prelogged.

Do you guys have any advice as to how you say committed to your prelogging/calorie goal?

When I pre-log the evening before, I make sure to leave myself 400 calories to work with for snacks when the between meal hunger gets challenging.

kimny72

Just wanted to repeat the great advice you have gotten:

First, you shouldn't be hungry all the time. You have probably set your goal to aggressively. It's better to allow yourself more time and smaller goals and stick with it, then to rush through with giant goals and burn out before you get anywhere.

Second, is your prelogging realistic? Are you prelogging food you don't really want to eat in the first place? Your best bet is to find a style of eating that you enjoy and can fit in your calorie goals. Cutting out the foods you really like and trying to force yourself to eat foods you don't like because you think they are "healthy" is a recipe for disaster. Taking the time to figure this out is priceless, in my opinion!

ekat120

On top of what others have said, for me it's just taken lots of practice. I never used to be able to stick to what I planned, but the longer I try, the better I get at it.

ASKyle

You don't have to be hungry all the time to lose weight.

Play with your macro ratios and see if more protein/fat/carbs makes you feel more full.

enterdanger

I almost never pre-log, because like you, I just don't stick with it. However, I like to pre-log my treats. If I know that piece of pie in the fridge is calling me, I'll pre-log just my treats/snacks. I find it easier stick with veggies and lean protein during meals but I struggle with making good snack choices when my calories are already limited.