When do you put your food in diary?

nbingham

I generally put all my calories in after I eat them and just keep a running balance in my head. However, if it's something I'm planning to make that I'm not sure about the calories, I'll put it in so I can find out before possibly making a mistake.

fitgirl4life

I am quite obsessed about logging food...I log all my food for the week on Sundays! It's easy with the "Add recent" function. Then I prepare my meals each morning to take to work. The only meal I don't log in advance is dinner, as that can be variable, but I always know how many calories I have left for dinner (or how much exercise I need to do to earn it!).

I do it this way for the following reasons:
1. I know what to put on the grocery list and can ensure I have everything I need in the fridge.
2. I'm not tempted at all during the day to eat something "off plan". I always have meals/snacks with me so am never hungry.
3. It is impossible for me to find food to buy on-the-run that fits my nutrition plan. I need 250-300 calories per meal, with a balance of protein and complex carbs. Everything available near work is way too high in calories, fat, sodium, or is just plain fruit or yogurt (no complex carbs!).

I wrote a blog about this recently:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/fitgirl4life/view/failing-to-plan-is-planning-to-fail-35760


Everyone has their own methods, but for me, this works. I would constantly stray from my eating plan if I didn't have my food with me, I don't have the willpower to make good (healthy, low calorie) decisions when I'm hungry. So I have to be prepared to never be in that situation.

udallmom101

I put my food in my diary before I fix it. Doing it that way makes me feel better as I prepare it, and I know I am doing the best I can for my body.
If I know I am going out to eat somewhere for lunch or dinner, I put that in before I leave. That way I stick to what I put in and I do better when I am out. No appetizer in the Diary, I skip it at the restaurant.
You just have to find what works best for you.

Pinky_Calhoun

When I pre-plan my meals BEFORE....If I haven't pre-planned then DURING (while I'm eating).

foxxybrown

I put all my meals in at the beginning of the day and adjust as I go.

Talljinx

I too have the iPhone app and I like to put my food in as I'm preparing it or whenever I sit down to eat. I have a hard time remembering exactily what I've eaten if I wait until the end of the day.

pfenixa

I do a bit of combination and it kinda depends on each day. For example, last night I made a casserole and planned to take leftovers with me for lunch at work today, so I also went ahead and did my breakfast for today so that I could better balance my carbs for the day. I didn't put in any of my snacks and plan to do that as I go along, though some days I plan it all out advance. Either way I have it all in before I head home from work, that way I know how much I have left for dinner.

mable10

i enter everything at the end of the day but i write down everything i eat/drink throughout the day in a journal. i workout in the evenings too so i log that at the same time.

JustBeckyV

I do mine after I have eaten. I am not a great planner lol

Buppie

I enter it after I eat it. A lot of the time, I don't even eat an entire serving of something. This way, I can be as accurate as possible and only enter exactly what I ate.

fitterpam

I update the morning before I go to work. That way I know what I'm going to eat for the day and then modify throughout the day as I maybe don't eat something or eat something extra. Same with my exercise. I put it in first thing in the morning because it's then double work to remove it at the end of the day, if I don't use it.

I always double check at the end of the day to make sure that it is accurate. I'm definitely not hiding anything

ashtonscoggins

I am quite obsessed about logging food...I log all my food for the week on Sundays! It's easy with the "Add recent" function. Then I prepare my meals each morning to take to work. The only meal I don't log in advance is dinner, as that can be variable, but I always know how many calories I have left for dinner (or how much exercise I need to do to earn it!).

I do it this way for the following reasons:
1. I know what to put on the grocery list and can ensure I have everything I need in the fridge.
2. I'm not tempted at all during the day to eat something "off plan". I always have meals/snacks with me so am never hungry.
3. It is impossible for me to find food to buy on-the-run that fits my nutrition plan. I need 250-300 calories per meal, with a balance of protein and complex carbs. Everything available near work is way too high in calories, fat, sodium, or is just plain fruit or yogurt (no complex carbs!).

I wrote a blog about this recently:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/fitgirl4life/view/failing-to-plan-is-planning-to-fail-35760


Everyone has their own methods, but for me, this works. I would constantly stray from my eating plan if I didn't have my food with me, I don't have the willpower to make good (healthy, low calorie) decisions when I'm hungry. So I have to be prepared to never be in that situation.

I do the same thing!! Its easier for me to put it in days before or even the week before. That way I know what meals I can eat with what and that I dont just randomly eat a high calorie lunch then I put it in then I have to eat a low calorie dinner. i just think its easier and keeps me from eating out. If Thursday comes up and it just doesnt feel like a spaghetti Dinner kind of day then ill change it that morning. If I dont eat some things I had put on there then I just erase them that day.

jennylynn84

I enter in all my meals first thing after breakfast. At that time I've usually already planned dinner and lunch. With all my meals entered in, I know where I stand for snacking throughout the day so I know how much I can have (yogurt, nut trail mix, goldfish crackers, fruit, etc). It makes it much easier to meet my calories every day without going over. It also allows me to plan for eating exercise calories on days I know I'm working out, because I can spread the calories throughout the day.

If I didn't plan, I'd probably get to the end of the day and find I couldn't eat dinner because of my snacking, lol.

rose1617

I plan my food for the day out in the morning so I log all the way through my pm snack first thing in the morning. That way I know what kind of dinner I can have. I eat all home prepared food Monday through Friday so it's easier for me this way. It also keeps me from snacking too much if I know exactly how many calories I am at with my "planned" food.

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Me too.
I'll even put in what I'm planning on having for dinner, then I know if I do snack (healthily) how much I can have. As I snack, I put in the amounts, but everything else is pre-planned. I'll also adjust if I didn't eat it all (like I didn't eat all of my dinner last night, so I adjusted it later).

gnrshelton

I put it in as soon as I can after I eat it. If I put it in before I eat it then somehow it will change and I have to delete and change it. I sometimes put something in to find out the calorie info but then delete it.

Joyjmb

After breakfast, before lunch. Then I can eat lunch with no worries, plan my snack, and know what I have left for dinner. I've become very 'relaxed' now - where I used to panic about menu planning.

aharmeson

I have found that putting foods in before hand that way you don't over eat. I also plan all my meals out and input them first thing in the morning.

suziblues2000

wow! Lots of good idea's here!

I think I may try and do mine different and log all the food first. Then maybe I can stay 'on track' more easily. I have such a hard time with food that is not so good for me (ie: candy, chocolate, cake etc.). For some strange reason it's always around. calling my name...
lol

Thanx so much for the replies.

ivyjbres

When I'm at home, I usually enter in my food as I'm wrapping up making dinner, or as I've made my plate, but before eating. When I'm at work, I just try and remember everything until I get home.