Log before or after you eat?

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MissGamerGirl
MissGamerGirl Posts: 187 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Do you log your food after you eat it or before?

Sometimes I do it before but many times I log after the fact. :( I still weigh/measure everything and make sensible choices, but sometimes I will go over in a category somewhere and don't know it until I log it (after I've eaten), which in a way kind of hurts the intent of tracking in a sense.

What do you do?
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Replies

  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
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    before, usually while I'm cooking I'll enter the values I plan to eat because my intent is to not go over (obviously) and that's the easiest way for me to make sure.
  • Rachelc1992
    Rachelc1992 Posts: 246 Member
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    After, but I will check if I'm unsure of rough idea of calories!
  • AtLeastOnceMore
    AtLeastOnceMore Posts: 304 Member
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    I'm becoming a huge fan of pre-logging - especially after my moment of calorie stupidity this morning coming from introducing a new food and falling into an old eating pattern (baked beans and melted cheese - OMG!). Suddenly, about half my daily calories were gone in a single meal! Prelogging means that I know exactly how much I should eat to stay within my boundaries, and it answers questions about what you can eat without guesswork.
  • prosperkat
    prosperkat Posts: 59 Member
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    Both. I make a plan for the day then adjust or change as the day goes by.
  • smileymaxine
    smileymaxine Posts: 275 Member
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    normally before unless incredibly busy, I normally have a plan of what I will have for each meal that day and leave room for snacks.
    I always log any extras I eat afterwards.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
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    I plan my meals/days on the weekend and follow my meal plan. I eat nearly the same thing everyday (carb amounts change depending on training schedule but not the type of carbs). it makes planning and prep easier and means I can buy in bulk, cook in bulk and generally have less waste.

    I eat what I plan, no more, no less, nothing changes!
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
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    If I already know the values, say if I've prepared my lunch for work, then I pre-log. Usually, I log as I'm cooking, while I'm weighing everything out. Sometimes I'll pre-log things to see how they look in my diary and help me decide what to have.
  • jigsaw_me
    jigsaw_me Posts: 616 Member
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    Both. I make a plan for the day then adjust or change as the day goes by.

    ^^^ this, but I also never plan 100% of my calories - I leave a few hundred so I can make choices as I go
  • EmmyW1984
    EmmyW1984 Posts: 4 Member
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    I do a bit of both

    I'll set up a plan for the day on my food diary, but then add or subtract things as and where necessary as I have the app on my phone so find it really easy to keep on top of it
  • starrylioness
    starrylioness Posts: 543 Member
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    Before, while cooking/preparing it, that way I don't forget anything.
  • svsl0928
    svsl0928 Posts: 205 Member
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    Log before for most meals. It helps me stay on track.
  • garry2614
    garry2614 Posts: 4 Member
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    I find logging before helps me to keep to my calorie intake but just lately I've been slipping and logging after. I can tell the difference as I've put a bit of weight back on.
  • mungowungo
    mungowungo Posts: 327 Member
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    Before, while cooking/preparing it, that way I don't forget anything.

    ^^^^^^ This - that way I can weigh as I go too.
  • Carla_Quick
    Carla_Quick Posts: 3
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    I log dinner usually before as that s my highest calorie intake meal and it's to make sure I can plan around it. I have the app on my phone which is really handy so usually I just then log as I go :)
  • nicoleisback
    nicoleisback Posts: 184
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    I usually log after because A)I tend to have the same or similar things for brekkie and lunch, so I know approximately how many calories I am having and B) I generally don't cook dinner, so sometimes don't know what I am having until it is in front of me. That being said, my partner knows to keep it mostly healthy :).

    I wish I was organised enough to pre log.
  • bumblebeez86
    bumblebeez86 Posts: 208 Member
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    I do both normally log breakfast just after eating - as I have just done. Then log my 'packed lunch/work lunch' with the breakfast log. (If this changes I + or - when I get home. Tea I usually do when I am cooking. Then add snacks as I go. I don't have the app on my phone so can only log at home so at work I write it on paper :)
  • gypsyone96
    gypsyone96 Posts: 62
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    I log all my meals and snacks for the next day the night before. It lets me know how much I'm eating, how healthy I'm eating, and if I have any leftover calories!
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
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    Both. I pre-log meals but I log snacks on the fly and/or make meal adjustments as needed.
  • Joannesmith2818
    Joannesmith2818 Posts: 438 Member
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    At the beginning I always logged beforehand, but now I have a much better idea of what I should eat in a day, so I'm not so organised!
  • keeptehpeace
    keeptehpeace Posts: 189 Member
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    Before, normally in the mornigng but I allow myself a few hundred calories to play around with during the day

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