Completing Food Diary in advance

Rozz77

I've been trialling a new 'trick' - filling in my diary in the mornings, in advance. I usually have a rough idea of what I'm going to eat or ideally would like to eat. Then I sit back and think 'that looks really healthy' and it motivates me to stick with my diary food.

So far finding it quite helpful to keep me on track and avoid 'mishaps' !

If there's any variation then I make the change at the end of the day along with any exercise I've done.

So just 'putting it out there' and curious to see if anyone else does it that way

Lesa_Sass

I do this too! It helps me plan my meals as well as lets me know how many calories I have left to play with that day or how many I need to burn off.

AureliaCotta

I will do that when I'm going out and know what I'll be having, or when I'm at work and I won't have the time/opportunity to update.

Poetic_

I usually do mine the night before, I find it easier for me to follow if the whole day is already planned out. I can also make sure everything fits within my numbers. Works for me.

trixirn

I do this on days I work since I work 3 pm to 3 am. It helps me not visit the vending machine.

Ang5669

I usually do it this way as well, sometimes I even do one or two days in advance. That way I can add different things to get totals and see what my options can be instead of waiting until Im hungry and dont want to take the time.

Gwenski

Our suppers are usually pre-planned, so I do enter the basic ingredients in the morning when I log my breakfast. Like you, I find it really helpful to judge what to have for lunch. I make any required adjustments as I log my water intake and exercise.

lucybell333

I log around a week ahead - this helps with my online shop, packing food for work etc. Obviously, things come up and I juggle things around as they do, but I definitely advocate doing this!

FionaAnne22

I also pre-log in most of my days as most of my meals are planned head of time anyway, and sometimes Im not sure if I'll have the time later on to do it. Also, it does help me stick to it as I know how much I can have with my main meals, and how much is left early on if I'm still a little hungry

MyeongHi

I sometimes do this before dinner since I usually have a couple of options to choose from and I can see which option fits in best with my goals for the day. It works well for me!

Bexx435

I do it every now and then. If you're the type that plans your meals in advance, it's a great tool to help figure your daily goals. I'd probably do it more often if I were more pro-active about planning!

Chagama

I also find it helpful. I bring breakfast and lunch to work, and enter it all at once. It helps keep me away from extra snacking by knowing I will be making dinner very difficult.

Rozz77

I do this too! It helps me plan my meals as well as lets me know how many calories I have left to play with that day or how many I need to burn off.

Yes that's another bonus - knowing 'where you're at' and how many calories left to play with, as you put it

Rozz77

Wow quite a few people are doing it, here I was thinking it's retentive

lewandt

I do this the night before. it really helps so i know if i have to have something better or if i am ok. I work out every day so i know about how much i should burn as well.

MaximalLife

I can not do this.
I enjoy the notion of food selection that's flexible depending on my mood or what I might be craving among my list of semi-healthy foods.

rockerbabyy

i try to do it every day right now, i have dinners logged for almost the next week, since i plan those a couple weeks in advance anyway. then each night i sit and plan my breakfast, lunch and snacks for the next day.

Rozz77

I can not do this.
I enjoy the notion of food selection that's flexible depending on my mood or what I might be craving among my list of semi-healthy foods.

I can certainly appreciate that.

Gargwin82

That is one of the main principals of Jenny Craig actually. Plan your diet a week in advance and stick to it. Doing it yourself with REAL FOOD is much easier though

Jenncoc86

I do it before I eat my food it helps with portion control and guilt, lol.

Rozz77

Thanks to everyone so far..it is so motivating knowing others are doing the same sort of thing and getting results

Machdude

I do this as well. For me it helps me plan my meals, I can see there are time when an item is a little high in a category and doing this helps me adjust the day. I also find that it motivates me to work out if I find I am hungrier than usual on a given day.

Rozz77

That is one of the main principals of Jenny Craig actually. Plan your diet a week in advance and stick to it. Doing it yourself with REAL FOOD is much easier though

I agree!

mem50

I do it for the week. That way I know what to pick up at the store. I find it helps control the vending machine urge when at work plus not stopping on the way home for some FF that I really don't need.

Tina180130

I also do mine the night before and tweak if I need to throughout.

pspetralia

I pre-log my food during the work week, so I stay on track even when I get behind or busy. During the weekends I like to be more flexible.

ShellyMacchi

i've been doing the same thing for a year... it's a great system for me, i like planning.. helps me feel in control

Amy911Gray

I've done it this way since I started back in august. It makes choices and the occasional out to lunch so much easier. Now that my husband is on board and losing weight, he keeps dinner between 400-600 calories so it is super easy for me to plan breakfast and lunch.

I started doing 4 meals between 7 am-4 pm and that is really going well. Instant Oatmeal, Instant Cream of Wheat, Cup of Soup, salad...by the time I get home at 6:30, I'm ready for dinner....

Good luck!!!

ahealthy4u

I have done this as well if I know what I am having before hand and it dose work really well. I also have been adding in my workouts after as well. Do what works best for you. Good Luck

PinkEarthMama

I often log part of my day in advance.... Usually dinner / after dinner snack .

It helps me to figure out where to put my calories for biggest impact ( ie, I don't want to be starving at 3 oclock but can't eat because I need all of my calories for dinner... or I already ate them for lunch! )

And, to be honest... After I work out, I eat a Harvest Bar ( Powerbar chocolate crisp... It's practically candy ). Sometimes pre- logging it makes me work harder at the gym. I simply will NOT GIVE UP until I've earned that bar!

KateB1982

I do the same. I pre-plan in the morning, so that I can easily pack my lunch, prepare for dinner, etc. It also gives me an opportunity to evaluate what I'm planning on putting into my body, so that I can decide if there is a healthier and/or yummier option.