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Do you ever fill out your diary ahead of time?

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Replies

  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    Absolutely! I do it almost every day. I'm really trying to focus not only on calories but on my other nutrients as well. If I log before I eat, I have time to tweak the meal(s) to meet all my nutrient goals. Once I've eaten it, it's kinda too late.


    Me too!
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
    I always plan as far ahead as possible.

    There is no point logging something after I have eaten it?

    Now if I am really craving something I enter it and sometimes just seeing there calories there in black and white is enough to curb the craving LOL!! If I just go ahead and eat something and then enter I have no chance to make a healthier choice / to say no?

    To me the single most important thing about MFP is being able to use my diary to plan ....
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    I am a planner by nature. I filled out all of Monday (today) last night. I start with dinner, my biggest meal that I eat and also has input from my husband, then I work in lunch and breakfast. If I don't plan the night before, I always seem to under- or over-eat.
  • sherrisloan
    sherrisloan Posts: 184 Member
    I always do. My problem is when I write everything down I really limit my calorie intake, so today I'm trying to get them all in. I think I'm not seeing the scale more bacause I eat to few calories in a day. Trying to do at least a 1000 today.
  • msmandyjo
    msmandyjo Posts: 95 Member
    i do it sometimes, like if I know I'm heading out for the day, and I know what I'm having for dinner, I'll plug in dinner, and then play around with lunch options to see what I can eat. If I know what I'm eating for lunch, before i go there I'm less likely to eat something stupid. I just walk in and order, not wasting time looking at the menu and getting tempted with higher calorie options.
  • Riebop
    Riebop Posts: 275
    I usually plan my lunch and snacks after/ during breakfast. I don't take the time to track dinner in advance. Usually when I plan something for dinner, my husband has other ideas. I'd rather not track before since there's the potential of having to delete it all and retrack.
  • DonM46
    DonM46 Posts: 772 Member
    While I don't usually log the food ahead of time, I've done it mentally many times. This serves as a "budget" so I can plan what I anticipate eating for the next meal or snack, especially if we are going to eat a meal at a restaurant instead of at home.
  • Leanne1795
    Leanne1795 Posts: 186
    Yes, it keeps me on track and I don't have to think about food during the day. :)
  • Richard_J
    Richard_J Posts: 1
    Yep. Everyday. But since I work 12 hour shifts it makes it easier to track my intake. Good luck
  • stephyy4632
    stephyy4632 Posts: 947 Member
    yep not everyday but if I know what we are having that night yep I log it in in the morning and its really nice to see what I have left for snack choices :) also if we do go out to dinner I can see where my workout and other meals need to be to keep me in range
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    I usually fill mine out a week in advance and then tweak it as I go. I plan my meals ahead of time anyway, so rather than writing it down I just put it on here! It also helps me know what I need to get from the grocery store. It's also useful if I know that I'm going to have a heavy meal one evening for whatever reason, then I can plan lighter meals around that.
  • Mollywater
    Mollywater Posts: 42 Member
    I log everything I eat, and sometimes log a meal prior to eating, but haven't gone the step further and logged an entire day's meals, the day before. I want to try this as I feel that I am way more on plan if I have it all written down. I am much better at following my own rules or plans, if left open, it leads to spontaneous eating which is NOT good.
  • CraftyGirl4
    CraftyGirl4 Posts: 571 Member
    I fill it out in the morning and then adjust it later if I find I ate some different or added additional beverages or whatever. It's not set in stone, but it's nice to see the plan laid out.
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    :laugh: I almost always plan ahead, but then it almost always changes, so I'm not sure whether or not it does me any good to plan!
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    No, never. I use my food diary to keep track of what I have eaten, not plan what I will eat.
  • wedjul05
    wedjul05 Posts: 472
    God yeah, I always fill it out ahead of time. I will often sit down at like 10pm and fill out my whole day for tomorrow as I make my own food and freeze it. I know exactly what I am having even for snacks.

    I don't have a whole heap of time during the day and am busy when I get home with 2 small kids, gym etc so I need to plan my meals but I love doing it.

    Always pre-populate my food diary.
  • twilightfan20
    twilightfan20 Posts: 113 Member
    I always fill out my diary ahead of time. With work during the day and working out in the afternoons, I never know how my day is going to go. At least if I fill it out before the day starts, I can make changes if I have excerised a little more or if I need to eat a little less because of extra snacking. It's more convenient and I can pack my lunches for work better.
  • deesjourney2fit
    deesjourney2fit Posts: 118
    Bruce,

    I just did this myself. If I can, I try to plan ahead. It does make it easier to know where I stand for the day so I know what I can or can't have later on. Makes tracking and eating much easier in my book!
  • brucedelaney
    brucedelaney Posts: 433 Member
    Wanted to add another note or benefit I've noticed to filling out or planning it ahead.

    The one thing I noticed that I was not able to stay within goal was sodium. Today, through some planning I will most likely be under for the first time ever on my sodium. So planning that through the day seems to make it much easier to manage specific "trouble spots"
  • Monika135
    Monika135 Posts: 66
    I started out filling out as I went, then moved to filling out my lunch in the morning, then today I've filled out my breakfast, lunch, and dinner already since I know what I'm having.

    For some reason I'm finding it cathartic and good for discipline. Coolest thing is it allows me to know that I have x amount of extra calories to work with through the day so when I feel 'snacky' I don't have to worry. My diary is public feel free to check it out.

    So... am I nuts or does anyone else do this?

    Regards,
    Bruce

    PS - Philly cooking creme gets 5 Stars in my book to add flavor to meats and pasta.
  • Monika135
    Monika135 Posts: 66
    I almost always end up logging half my day ahead of time... especially since I have the same thing often for breakfast and snacks...I like it, gives me a quick "overview"....
  • janemartin02
    janemartin02 Posts: 2,653 Member
    HI!I do the same thing.i`m more accountable if it`s already logged.No you`re not crazy.I think it`s a good form of disicpline also.
    good luck on your journey
    jane
  • cclark1203
    cclark1203 Posts: 244 Member
    I started logging my day in the morninsg this week. I am doing it because some days I work out with a trainer (burn more calories), some days I walk/jog on my treadmill and some days I don't do anything. By logging in the morning I can cover my extra calories all day rather than just after I workout when it's usually 7:30pm and I still have 450 calories left or something like that. It helps me alot.
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