Logging what you plan to eat rather than what you eat ?

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Just_Bethy
Just_Bethy Posts: 272
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone log their planned intake for the day when they start their day ..I usually log as I eat but yesterday I logged everything I was going to eat and pretty much just ate that...I don't know if this is a good idea or a bad idea..after all til you complete that the end of the day you can add or delete...So anyone try doing this??..does it help you?? Pro's & cons?
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Replies

  • LMorrison1009
    LMorrison1009 Posts: 114 Member
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    I log my breakfast lunch and snacks the night before as I pack my food for work. It's good for me because I tend to "over pack". So say I plan on yogurt and a banana for breakfast, but only eat the banana, I can have the yogurt with my lunch and know it is already counted. Then if lunch time comes and I only eat half of my veggie or something I can finish it later because those calories are already counted. I sometimes get hungry as I drive home from work so if there is anything left in the bag I eat it guilt free knowing I planned for it. I log my dinner as I cook and my water and exercise as it happens.
  • ClareOneill
    ClareOneill Posts: 3
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    Yeah I do this Bethy and it's ok, I rarely eat more than i've logged. Sometimes I eat less and i just change it!
  • nikkicarter13
    nikkicarter13 Posts: 231 Member
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    I usually always log breakfast, lunch and snacks in the AM. Since I don't usually plan ahead for dinner, I know how many calories I have left for it and can stay in range when I get home from work.
  • amhadlock
    amhadlock Posts: 9
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    i do that too, and it seems to work because i hate adding food to my online diary. I try to stick with my original meal plan for the day and it has been working :)
  • bigredhearts
    bigredhearts Posts: 428
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    i try to plan ahead every day, i find that when i dont, im prone to make more haste decisions to fill the hunger void and those decisions are not always good... im all for pre-planning! :D
  • HollyMcCaw
    HollyMcCaw Posts: 154 Member
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    I always plan my diary at the beginning of the day. Especially if there is something particular that I want for dinner, that way I can work the rest of the day around it. Sometimes I adjust it as the day goes on if I feel like changing something. For me personally this is the best way to do it :)
  • yeahfatty
    yeahfatty Posts: 228 Member
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    if i know what i'm having for dinner the next day .. i log in advance.

    it's nice because you know exactly what you'll be eating the following day & it's easier to plan snacks in my opinion.

    it also gives me a boost to do a bit of exercise because i can already see the total amount of calories i'll be eating.

    wouldn't do it every day though .. as i get a little panicky if everything is TOO on schedule for like a whole week but i think that's just me being odd.
  • cjasins
    cjasins Posts: 93
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    I log what I plan to eat at the beginning of the day. I find that it helps keep me on track and takes the stress out of trying to figure it out as I go. I do go back at night or the next morning and make adjustments if necessary. I find it much easier to make healthy choices when I plan ahead.
  • RobertaG
    RobertaG Posts: 205 Member
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    I pre-log the night before and leave some wiggle room just in case I need a snack or my plans end up changing.. I think it really helps to stay on track.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,220 Member
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    I log before I eat. It usually starts the day before, I plan out my meals and look for better options when I realize my carbs or sodium etc are high. When I wake up I check over what I have planned, make adjustments if I'm not feeling like eating something specific that day. I think it's easier because I know what I am going to eat, when I am going to eat it and if I am looking around for a snack at 1:30 (usually out of boredom not hunger) I remind myself that my mouth isn't "open" for snack until 2:30. It helps me.
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
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    wrong way to use the site i would have to say. It is so easy to forget everything you eat during the course of a day. If I can;t log it i write it down so I can log it correctly later.
  • UpToAnyCool
    UpToAnyCool Posts: 1,673
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    :laugh: I have to log ahead of time, otherwise I will for sure go over!

    I stopped announcing my diary on the News Feed b/c what happens is that the 'Rough Draft' in the morning looks pretty okay, but then I often make poor choices towards the end of the day. Oh and I also eat late at night, so I used to feel guilty about 'announcing' that I closed out my diary and then would have to add stuff after people took the time to look at it :blushing: :noway: .
    My friends can always look, but I did stop announcing - I don't want to waste anyone's time...

    I would say that I would go over by a lot more if I did not at least try out the 'Rough Draft' in the morning.

    I really hope that someday I will have a more intuitive understanding of how many calories are in the foods I eat, but until then...
  • Stephanie08
    Stephanie08 Posts: 1,023 Member
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    I say it can't hurt to log ahead, subliminally I think it works out better than logging as you go. I like to mix it up, if I know I'm going to go out to dinner I'll usually check a restaurant's menu ahead, pick what I want, log it, and gosh darn it I usually stick with the plan!
  • alisons7598
    alisons7598 Posts: 162 Member
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    I almost always log my food in the morning or even the night before. Yes at times I change things around (say it sounded good when I planned it and not when it's time to eat or say if I'm unexpectedly out somewhere at meal time) but overall I stick with what I have logged and it helps me keep things under control that way.
  • bmmadden
    bmmadden Posts: 499 Member
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    i usually log my breakfast lunch and snacks and if I know whats for dinner Ill add that too however in case something changes I won't click the submit button for the day to complete that days entry until I know for sure nothing will be changed according to my plans
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
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    I usually always log breakfast, lunch and snacks in the AM. Since I don't usually plan ahead for dinner, I know how many calories I have left for it and can stay in range when I get home from work.

    THIS is what I do too. I pack my lunch for work, so I know what I'm planning for lunch & snacks. I do occasionally need to make adjustments during the day, but it helps me to space out my calories. I also work out first thing in the morning, so I have that factored in as well.
  • TenLaws
    TenLaws Posts: 273
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    I'm pretty focused on my carb to protein ratio, so it helps to plan my meals in advance so I can see if I'm eating too many carbs, not enough protein, etc. I also worry about my calcium intake. The con of doing this is I force myself to eat food that I don't want. Not that I force myself to eat when I'm not hungry, I just force myself to eat turkey when I want salmon or something.

    However, there are days when I just don't have time so I log as I go. The con of doing it this way is that I may eat too much early on in the day, then I have to put an extra workout in just to earn some extra calories.
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
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    I don't click the submit button to complete that days entry until the end of the day when I truly am DONE for the day.
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
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    i do this! i always eat what I log and i've never strayed. but i'm a little OCD....
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
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    I tend to log as I go. But very often after lunch I add the rest of the day. I never stray from what I put.

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