Pre-Logging

thatfitgeek

Does anyone log the food they know for a fact they will eat the next day? Like if you pack your lunch, go head and log it for that day, even if you haven't eaten it yet but will later that day (does that make sense, I think I may be over-explaining) Has it helped or hurt your weight loss efforts or with binging?

Thanks in advance
~Houston

rockmama72

If I know what I'm eating, I log it. It's nice to know exactly what my dinner costs so I can decide if I can have a glass of wine while I'm cooking it.

cwolfman13

That's pretty much what I did when I was losing...sometimes dinner was not planned out, but the rest of my day was. I always knew exactly where I stood...not guessing...no logging on to MFP to see if I could have something. Everything was pretty much planned into my day in advance. A lot of successful people are successful because they are good planners...when everything is mapped out and you follow that map, it's pretty hard to go wrong.

liftingandlipstick

I do that in the mornings on work days. While I'm drinking and logging my coffee, I'll log my lunch, too. I already brought it to work with my, so it won't change. Unless I don't eat all of it (which rarely happens) in which case it's easy enough to delete. I also have the same thing or slight variations of, so it's simply to just log it from my recent foods. (Tuna or chicken salad with crackers, if you're interested.)

I don't do it for dinner or on weekends, though, because I usually don't know what I'll be having that far in advance. I keep several easy to fix healthy options around so I can just mix and match whatever sounds good at the time,

motivatedmartha

I do it because it helps me make sensible choices - I plan my main meals when I 'm not hungry Sometimes you have to delete or add bits and pieces but if I know more or less what I'm going to be eating I know how much I have in hand for extras or how much extra exercise I have to do. You can always amend it if dinner didn't end up as planned. Works for me anyway.

ravenribbs

I do log in advance, but just for the day ahead. . Most work days I eat the same things for breakfast. Lunches are usually one of several options, so it's quick to log. Since I generally have no idea what I'm making for dinner (at least in the AM), that gets logged after the fact. I find that pre-logging is very helpful in staying under my calorie allowance.

silverraiyne

I do that in the mornings on work days. While I'm drinking and logging my coffee, I'll log my lunch, too. I already brought it to work with my, so it won't change. Unless I don't eat all of it (which rarely happens) in which case it's easy enough to delete. I also have the same thing or slight variations of, so it's simply to just log it from my recent foods. (Tuna or chicken salad with crackers, if you're interested.)

I don't do it for dinner or on weekends, though, because I usually don't know what I'll be having that far in advance. I keep several easy to fix healthy options around so I can just mix and match whatever sounds good at the time,

What she said ^^^ Fits me to a T

knra_grl

Does anyone log the food they know for a fact they will eat the next day? Like if you pack your lunch, go head and log it for that day, even if you haven't eaten it yet but will later that day (does that make sense, I think I may be over-explaining) Has it helped or hurt your weight loss efforts or with binging?

Thanks in advance
~Houston

I log the lunches I take to work - If I don't eat it all I can always remove it from my diary when I get home. I kind of like to know what I am working with calorie wise for dinner.

ScottH_200

Does anyone log the food they know for a fact they will eat the next day? Like if you pack your lunch, go head and log it for that day, even if you haven't eaten it yet but will later that day (does that make sense, I think I may be over-explaining) Has it helped or hurt your weight loss efforts or with binging?

Thanks in advance
~Houston

No, I log as I go...

There would be no benefit to me doing otherwise. Sometimes I log as I'm eating as it tends to slow me down and keeps me from inhaling my food instead of enjoying it.

To each their own...

FIT_Goat

During the week, I tend to log my coffee/lunch for the next day before I go to bed. That's because I know what I am going to have for the coffee and I've just finished packing the lunch. This means I can roll out of bed, start my espresso, and worry about more important things than weighing, logging, and thinking. I don't like to think too hard in the mornings. LOL

I rarely log dinners in advance. But, the coffee/lunch is almost always logged the day before during the week.

xdinmammasMFPx

I usually log maybe three or four days ahead. Most of the time I stick to the numbers; sometimes I eat more, sometimes less and add or subtract meals. I need to know at least the day before what next day will look like, mostly because of OCD.

BikerGirlElaine

I loosely log my day in the morning, not the day before -- that'd be too far in advance!! But taking some time in the morning to think about what's going on, when I'm going to work out, and planning to get enough protein and fats has been really helpful for me.

However, I adjust the day as I go. I usually leave some calories unplanned so I can have a treat if one comes my way. If I don't feel like having something, I'll delete it and sub something else in at the next meal. I check MFP to make sure I'm still on track with my protein and fats.

To me this is the essence of If It Fits Your Macros -- being flexible, while making sure that you meet your minimum macro and micro targets.

ClementineGeorg

Pre-logging it's just natural for me.
I pre-log my lunch if a pack one for work. I pre-log my breakfast and snacks when I prepare them in the evening. Why wait to actually eat the food to log it, when I make the serving / weight the evening before? It would be strange. What would I do? Remember that I put 300 grams of rice and a 237 g chicken breast and log them after I eat not when I pack?

cheripugh1

Does anyone log the food they know for a fact they will eat the next day? Like if you pack your lunch, go head and log it for that day, even if you haven't eaten it yet but will later that day (does that make sense, I think I may be over-explaining) Has it helped or hurt your weight loss efforts or with binging?

Thanks in advance
~Houston

I log it, or pre-log my dinner generally and when I do that I find it much easier to stay on target! I know what I can have for breakfast and lunch. I seriously do much better when I am doing it this way! If you pre-log your breakfast and lunch then that too I'd think would help a lot so you know what is left for dinner and you can control that intake easier.

ruqayyahsmum

I log as I go mainly because my stomach chucks hissy fits and randomly refuses to tolerate foods so I often have to wait and then try something else

F00LofaT00K

I prelog as much of my day as possible during the week and usually end up making a few changes around breakfast and/or lunch. By the time dinner comes around, I'm finished logging on most days. Weekends are pretty hit and miss for prelogging. I'm home all day so I don't always have to plan my meals ahead of time. During the week, I work from about 8-4 then go to school from about 5-11. I don't have time to change what I've planned OR time to decide what to have for lunch during my lunch break.

lolalament

I will pre-log so that I can see if what I plan to eat actually fits. It's easier to change one thing if it's too high in cals (or fat etc) before you've eaten it, rather than having to adjust everything else afterwards.

qpmomma1

I pre-log so I know where I stand. It helps me to not over eat. The only thing I don't pre-log are my workouts and dinner. My husband is overweight too, but doesn't want to change. He also cooks so I eat with him but try to keep my portions small. Pre-logging helps me determine what I can eat at night.

zeal26

Every morning I prelog my breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I also tend to log the snacks I'm bringing with me to work. I find it helps SO much as I always have enough calories left over to have a big dinner- since they're already accounted for.

Athijade

Another pre logger here!

For example, I logged my lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and evening tea already for today (though not my evening snack for some flexibility). I have also already logged my lunch and dinner for tomorrow and my dinner for Tuesday (leftovers from tomorrow so that was really easy). Honestly, I COULD log all my dinners for the week today if I wanted to as I plan my dinners a week in advance (saves me a LOT of money at the store).

ndj1979

yup, I petty much do this everyday ..

like today I am doing a carb reefed, so I had everything logged on Saturday so I could play around with the numbers…but I always pre-log so I know what my macros look like …it is also a grew tool if you know that you are going to be eating out or indulging, so that you can build your day around what you are indulging on and then fill in from there...