Do you plan you're meals for the day?

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cassmsta
cassmsta Posts: 75
in Food and Nutrition
So, Im still new at this, and I was wondering : Do you plan your meals or do you wing it?

If you plan them: do you plan all of them or just some?

How often do you detour away from said meal plan?
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Replies

  • cupcakecarnivore
    cupcakecarnivore Posts: 267
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    Yes I definitely plan my meals during the week:) Im at work, so I need to bring most of it with me, and then when I get home, its sort of nice to know exactly what Im going to make for supper....plus that way, I know I will fuel my body properly and have enough energy during the day:)

    Weekends are a lot tougher, since Im usually out and about, so not really sure where I will be eating. Then, I will just log when I get home and so not really stick to a plan, although I wish I could!
  • P90XCertifiedCoach
    P90XCertifiedCoach Posts: 369
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    I dont, but I know a lot of folks do, I did start taking my lunch though so I guess I kinda do
  • JellyJaks
    JellyJaks Posts: 589 Member
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    The only time I plan my meals is if I know I'm going to need to save calories (like for a party or going out to dinner) Most of the time I just wing it. When I first decided to lose weight, I went through and got rid of most of our junk food. If it's not in the house, I can't destroy my caloric intake by snacking on it. Since there are (usually) only low calorie snacks in the house, I can afford to wing it.
  • Shannmfp11
    Shannmfp11 Posts: 339 Member
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    I do plan my meals. It just makes things easier for me. I know alot of people don't and it works for them. I have to plan!
  • DKev
    DKev Posts: 266 Member
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    I plan out a week's worth of dinners and buy at the grocery and pick something from the list for each night. For breakfast I generally always have the same thing all the time and for lunch I tend to make up a pot of some sort of low calorie soup on the weekend and portion into servings for each day and then pair something with it such as a sandwich or wrap of some sort.
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
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    If I don't plan my meals at LEAST one day ahead of time, I end up spending 30+ minutes (sometimes well over an hour!!!) before each meal, trying to decide what to eat while keeping everything balanced. :( This is really bad when you've just finished your workout and are STARVING.

    So yeah, I have the entire day's menu planned at least one day ahead of time. I actually shoot for 2-3 days ahead.

    Adjustments are not uncommon; I often swap menu items that are of same caloric and protein/fiber value. But I still have to have everything planned.
  • Luvlee85
    Luvlee85 Posts: 120 Member
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    I'm really bad at planning meals, but I always think about what I'm going to have the day ahead. I only plan when I know that I am cooking.
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    I don't usually plan out my whole day, but I have a lot of go-to foods that I have to fill in missing nutrients.

    I do plan meals (more like snacks) for work though. Tomorrow I'm having yogurt for breakfast and bringing a tupperware of almonds, peapods, veggie straws, and string cheese for my morning shift.
  • girlwapp
    girlwapp Posts: 136 Member
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    I only plan if it needs things I don't already have... or if, like JellyJaks, I know I want to drink later in the night or that I'm going out to eat with friends. Otherwise I mostly just try to control portion sizes and eat whatever I have round the house. Admittedly I'm not much of a cook.
  • Sarahmeridith
    Sarahmeridith Posts: 298 Member
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    I don't because I am a stay at home mom, so I usually wing it with breakfast and lunch. And I plan dinners in the morning so I have to defrost things. On the weekends though I need to start planning and bring food with me when we go out because my husband likes to eat fast tfood/pizza ect on the weekends when we are out so Im going to start bring food with me so I don't end up eating what he eats!
  • Nomomush
    Nomomush Posts: 582 Member
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    I plan EVERY meal EVERYDAY. Even on my indulge days, I plan it out to allot for the extra carb/vcalories/fat that I will intake. I also pack my food the night before...all 6 meals to make sure I am prepared. When I run errands, I take my food in a lunch box cooler to make sure I do not make bad choices while I am out. My motto is ...If you FAIL to plan, then you PLAN to fail.
  • dcladydi
    dcladydi Posts: 95
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    Yes, I do.... I usually plan my meals the day before
  • bmw4deb
    bmw4deb Posts: 1,325 Member
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    Yes i plan meals, pack brfst and lunch to take to work.
    If I didsnt i would really be in trouble lol
  • natersmama
    natersmama Posts: 157
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    i plan. i have a cheat sheet with meals and snacks with calorie count listed. i dont typically eat high carb or fat foods, so i dont worry too much about that. but i plan my meals the day ahead. if i try to wing it, i overeat without knowing until the day is over. i dont always stick to the plan, but i keep close. and stay within 50 calories.
  • KatieCuth
    KatieCuth Posts: 569 Member
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    Yes always well in advance, I know what I have in the fridge and pantry... I find being organised you then make better choices.
  • watermelonstarfish
    watermelonstarfish Posts: 195 Member
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    I do when i cook because its just me and well, can you say leftovers?
    In a perfect world, I would plan my meals 24-7.
  • lizzys
    lizzys Posts: 841 Member
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    most times i try to but some times it just last minute stuff
  • Cheermamasita
    Cheermamasita Posts: 40 Member
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    Hi, Im new at this too, I am planning the day ahead; I log my food diary in today for tomorrow, then I pack my breakfast and lunch & snack for work, then I try to have what I "planned" for dinner. If it needs to be adjusted later, I adjust the diary according to what I actually did have. But, for the most part; planning 1 day ahead helps me feel "in-control" of my choices the next day. It has already been thought about, logged and packed, so really it simplifies it. Tomorrow is day 13, I am going to weigh in on day 14, but I do feel like I am moving in the right direction.
  • jujubean1992
    jujubean1992 Posts: 462 Member
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    i rarely plan meals... like almost never. i just make sure i keep healthy things i like in the house. and make sure i know what i can and can not eat.
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
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    I eat breakfast and lunch at work - I have a long commute and it's nice to get breakfast at the end of it! Then I spend my whole trip home working out what I'm going to eat for dinner... so I suppose I pretty much plan what I'm eating for the day. I don't often deviate from that plan because my weekends are not so structured and I like to be able to be a bit more flexible on weekends. I always have snacks in the car too - so I don't pull over and get a chocolate bar or chips (like I always WANT to).

    Saves me ridiculous amounts of money too - I can have my whole week's worth of breakfast and lunch for the cost of two lunches at the cafe across the road from work.

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