Prefilling MFP?

MrsJennaKwasniewski

Does anyone prefill your food into MFP on a daily basis? Sort of like mapping out your caloric intake and trying to stick to it? I find myself doing this and then if something changes I just update it. I was wondeirng if anyone has any comments/concerns/advice on this?

asciiqwerty

sure

i do this if I pack my lunch bag for the office the night before - i log as i weigh and prep

the key is to remember to log back in and make appropriate changes

Branstin

I track for several days at a time and sometimes I do it for a week. I print and take to supermarket with me.

cnl91_W

I do this almost every day! It helps me turn down unplanned treats because I've already mapped my calories out for the day. So when a coworker asks if I want to grab a cookie in the kitchen, it's much easier for me to realize I can't fit it in rather than saying yes and trying not to consume many calories later on in the day. It's been working well for me

kmorgan221

Yes, usually it's one of the first things I do at work. I log what I had for breakfast that morning and whatever I brought for lunch or snacks for that day.

handyrunner

I track for several days at a time and sometimes I do it for a week. I print and take to supermarket with me.

Do the same thing...definitly helps with the planning and shopping

janicelo1971

YUP! I do it for 3-4 days in a row and then update as needed..works well for me as I try to stay within my calories and macro's on a weekly basis....I think sometimes it CAN be harmful though...for me, living alone...I could go all day one day and only eat carbs, next day only do fat, next day only protein....as long as the weekly average is what my goals are....not so sure that is too healthy...

lavendy17

Yeah I have to pre-fill. I have some foods that I know that I will eat, and some that I don't. I put everything in there including exercise if applicable to see what is left for unknowns. Otherwise I will find myself at dinner with too few or too many calories, or drag a hunger because I'm afraid to eat.

Robin_Brown72

I pre-log almost all of my food and just edit if something changes. I find helps me "plan" my meals better and for me the key to success is definitely planning.

BarbieAS

Yep! As often as possible. Typically, weekdays, I'm able to fill in the entire day either the night before or that morning. I try to leave myself a couple hundred extra calories to account for nibbles during the day and/or an evening snack (which I could pre-log but I'll never know if I feel like sweet or salty before bed, haha). Weekends are quite a bit more variable, but I still do try to fill in as much as I can ahead of time. The more I know about what I plan to eat, the better choices I can make at the times where I hadn't already decided and logged it. And it goes both ways - sometimes I know not to make the over-caloric choice because I don't have a lot of wiggle room, and sometimes I can see that I DO have room for a treat and I can go ahead and take it without feeling guilty or like I need to restrict later.

iTStaRTsN0W

from time to time I do - and I have to say when I do I tend to stay on track better - it is a good habit to build

SezxyStef

sure do..makes it easy to hit my macro goals because I can tweak as necessary.

Allows me to prelog my treats and ensure they fit in my calorie and macro goals

reminds me to take meat out of the freezer...

Never thought about using it for grocery shopping as I usually do it after based on what we bought that was on sale.

WaterBunnie

Yes. Planning ahead is one of the best ways to establish good habits - and stops stuff going off in the fridge I find.

cggrlsteph

Yeah I do this all the time... lets me know what I need to add (protein/carbs/fat) before the day is over too

bradXdale

Yes, usually it's one of the first things I do at work. I log what I had for breakfast that morning and whatever I brought for lunch or snacks for that day.

Yep. This ^

Timelordlady85

I plan my meals out for the week and then daily on here and go back and edit where needed. I feel it keeps me within my calorie ranges and I can map out my food and make sure I burn enough calories off each day.

crunchergirl

I will prefill for dinner so I have an idea of what I can do for lunch.

UsedToBeHusky

Every day where possible.

I find it to be a little more difficult on the weekends.

Kargicq

Yeah I have to pre-fill. I have some foods that I know that I will eat, and some that I don't. I put everything in there including exercise if applicable to see what is left for unknowns. Otherwise I will find myself at dinner with too few or too many calories, or drag a hunger because I'm afraid to eat.

Exactly this! Everyone's different, but what works for me is to pre-log a treat (a nice dessert, or some beer/wine) with my dinner. Then if I'm hungry during the day, I tell myself -- "well, you COULD have that extra unplanned snack... or you could have the treat." Otherwise I'm far too likely to snack and not leave myself enough for a decent-sized dinner!

KaelaLee88

Yes, yes and yes again!

Without Pre-logging, I could guarantee you that I would overeat on all Macros without even realising it.

I was told at the beginning of our weight loss journey that it takes 12 weeks minimum to form a new habit and I would totally agree that this is definitely a new habit.

I personally live by the Motto, "Fail to prepare, prepare to Fail" - which in regards to Pre-logging is definitely applicable :-)

Fit_Fox88

Depends... today I did. I had gotten into a habit of eating my snacks that I brought to work even though I realized I wasn't hungry- I just ate them b/c the reminder popped up on my calendar. Now if I log it and look at it throughout the day, I seem to be less hungry knowing that if I don't eat that yogurt or banana with nutella, I can have dessert that night :bigsmile:

It also helps me plan my dinner if I know how many calories I'm going to be eating throughout the day.