Planning vs Logging

Guinivere

Just wondered what your thoughts were on the success of planning your food for each day in advance vs just logging what you have eaten.

I ask because when I just log - sometimes I haven't made balanced choices over the whole day to give my body the best chance at operating at 100% and I'm just starting to plan this week and I've suddenly lost four pounds in three days!

CaliforniaBarbie

my meals are planned for the whole week based on our payday food shopping. i plan out meals before we shop to insure we get everything we need and nothing we dont, and this way we are sure to have plenty to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, for a full 2 week time frame.. i also feel that planning out my meals before hand will insure healthier choices throughout the week because if i plan healthy i only buy healthy therefor can only EAT HEALTHY.
and it helps to not eat out very much.
also if im in town or getting off work and want an unhealthy snack i sit in my car for 10 minutes listening to the radio and if the craving has passed i pass it up. i dont just get it on a whim when i want it.

2aycocks

I think planning is a great idea. I think about it, but then never do it. I think it's that lazy streak that comes out in me. :blushing:

In looking at your food diary, you are doing great! Just a suggestion here. Think you could cut out some of the alcohol while your trying to lose? Those calories add up and it usually winds up around the middle.

Congratulations on the weight loss!

MoreBean13

It's a great idea.

I never seem to adhere to my plans when I make them though. :grumble:

I sort of on-the-fly plan as my day goes on. I try to get as much of my protein as I can early in the day so that I'm left with more flexibility at dinner.....for pizza and burritos and the like.

AmyRhubarb

I always do better if I pre-log the day as much as possible, and make adjustments as needed throughout the day. My breakfast is almost always the same (either oatmeal, yogurt, fruit & walnuts or eggs, toast & fruit), so once that's done I will plan and log dinner. This helps me make better choices for lunch and snacks, getting more protein if needed, etc. Sometimes this means fewer snacks, sometimes it means I have room for wine with dinner.

I've also found that if I pre-log restaurant food I do better at sticking to the plan (as in NOT eating 4 but rather just one of the piping hot dinner rolls they bring before I even order). :bigsmile:

darrensurrey

Planning the day before makes it easier to get the macros right, I find. I used to log as I went through the day but I was only focusing on calories.

SailorKnightWing

My family plans dinners two weeks in advance, so that really helps. Eat breakfast however I want, pre-log dinner, adjust lunch accordingly. Works great for my situation.

teamiconic

I am a Planner, I plan in out the night before so all I have to do is wake up and eat. It frees up my brain to focus on other things.

newfette81

We plan a supper schedule and base our grocery shopping on that. I generally eat the same thing for breakfast during the week so I will pre log breakfast and supper so have a better idea of how many calories I have left for lunch. I hated just logging as I went because I would get to the end of the day and have only 300-400 calories sometimes less and thats not enough for me to feel full

EmilyEmpowered

my meals are planned for the whole week based on our payday food shopping. i plan out meals before we shop to insure we get everything we need and nothing we dont, and this way we are sure to have plenty to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, for a full 2 week time frame.. i also feel that planning out my meals before hand will insure healthier choices throughout the week because if i plan healthy i only buy healthy therefor can only EAT HEALTHY.
and it helps to not eat out very much.
also if im in town or getting off work and want an unhealthy snack i sit in my car for 10 minutes listening to the radio and if the craving has passed i pass it up. i dont just get it on a whim when i want it.

This! I plan everything, basically two weeks in advance, based on what I buy when I go grocery shopping. I make up a menu for dinners and my lunches, then the rest of my family can pick from the snacks and lunches that I buy and they know ahead of time whats on the menu for dinner that night. I dont always put it in my diary until the day before, but I at least log one day ahead. Sometimes I do actually enter the whole week on MFP, too, but not always.

HacheraTsarine

I plan my week on Sunday morning, grocery shop, and then cook meals for the week ahead.
I log to make myself accountable and also because it's an easy way to see where to tweak (whether I'm not in my calorie/macro range).

PetulantOne

I plan a day ahead. I don't always stick with it exactly, but it does help me make better choices as far as my macros are concerned.

It also really helped me avoid surprises in the beginning, when I wasn't as good at estimating calories in certain foods.

happieharpie

I've done planning since I've started here, then I update if necessary after finishing my eating for the day. Works great for me!

moni_tb_192

I don't plan my meals at all, but I kind of do the math in my head. After logging so much I've become very familiar with calories/carbs/protein in my food and I can calculate how much I have to eat. This has worked wonders for me

lilbearzmom

I'm a psycho-planner in other aspects of my life (drives me nuts- what I want is a crystal ball) so I plan meals ahead by at least one day. The only time I had to log on the fly was for two weeks in June during vacation. I don't know, I kind of get off on planning my meals ahead of time- like I get a high. Told you I was psycho. Needless to say, my diaries are 100% accurate.

Crochetluvr

Planning really helps to keep me on track. I tend to screw up if I don't plan my food for the day.

babyscorpion

Since i work outside the house and carpool with my husband i need to plan my meals everyday. That seems to work for me. I always add some extra healthy snacks in case he picks me up a little later than usual and in case i get hungrier. Not having a car a work, actually is helping with my weight loss journey

ldrosophila

Planning works very well

Pamm8577

I Plan One Day In Advance, Its just 2 of us. I Like Meat & Produce as Fresh as Possible, So I can't buy in advance they go bad to fast. Especially Produce. So I end up going to the store at least 3 times a week. I don't mind I get to see all the deals & use my coupons. However I do stock up on other things that are not perishable. I do keep sweets out of my house so I am not tempted. I am still learning how to eat so I am trying something new every week. I do need to plan out my meals better, I will admit that. I usually log my meals as I go. I have actually seen where my Calories are too much at Dinner & not enough during the day. Not balanced out, so my sugar ends up dropping ( I have hypoglycemia) & I noticed its because I am not eating enough during the day. I end up way under my calorie goal at the end of the day. So My fitness pal has really helped me open my eyes & I am in process of changing this. I have been doing this for a little over a month, so I am still learning, now that I see what I am doing wrong, I am going to attempt to start planning everything out much more so I am balanced throughout the day. That is great you lost the weight like that! How much Protein are we suppose to aim for during the day? I get in about 60 to 70 a day..

nelinelineli

While I can't always get around to it, I love planning for 2 reasons:

1. Makes shopping easy and minimizes my time in a temptation-filled supermarket.
2. Takes out the stress of finding something suitable to eat (which often seems to send me into a vortex of despair).

If at the end of a day I feel I've enjoyed my meals, I mark the diary page and use it as my grocery shopping list.

PippiNe

I don't pre-plan my meals. I do eat about the same breakfast everyday, so lunch and supper are really the only meals I think about at all. I usually just eat a 3-4 oz portion of whatever meat or dish I make with a half cup veggies and half-one cup fruit. Usually that keeps me in the right range of calories per meal without stressing over it. If I overeat, I just exercise a bit longer to compensate (I workout at night).

nxd10

I have worked out a pretty steady breakfast and lunch that I now takes me to around 500 calories if I eat both meals home and 600 if I go out to lunch. That gives me 620 for the rest of the day (plus exercise).

Almost everything I eat for breakfast and lunch fits in that calorie range. Because of that I can eat almost anything I normally eat for dinner and will hit my calorie goal with room for a snack or dessert.

If I know I'm going out for dinner with the girls or to a party I'll be lighter on lunch or the day before or exercise extra beforehand so I have a few extra hundred calories to spare.

I like flexibility in my eating. However, with enough experience you can be both planful AND spontaneous.

Joehenny

Prelogging for the past few months, LOVE IT

snazzyjazzy21

I only prelog on my working days. Days off I just go with the flow.

sun_fish

I find if I pre-log the night before or in the morning, I almost always stay within my calorie goal. Otherwise, if I log as I go, or worse at the end of the day, I am usually over and haven't had enough protein.

Guinivere

Thank you all so much for replying. I will keep on planning.
It sounds like the key to success to me.
I will try to cut back on the dancing juice (but it is my only vice!)

The planning really is freeing up my mind and taking the stress out of fuelling my body with balanced meals.

I'ves lost 12lbs of fat and put on 7lbs of muscle too (in 4 weeks) so I'm a very happy girl.