We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Does anyone input their food ahead of time?

13

Replies

  • Sam3622
    Sam3622 Posts: 172 Member
    I always plan ahead, especially if i know i wont be at home and have to take food where i go. I set out my breakfast, lunch and dinner and then pack everything i need. Then if i have carbs/fat leftover i can allow myself a treat that still fits in with my macros :)
  • deadgirl81
    deadgirl81 Posts: 412 Member
    I do occasionally, say if I'm going out and I know I'm not going to be able to get to the PC until the next day
  • kathyms13
    kathyms13 Posts: 497 Member
    i do it most days, then i shave off what i can do without.
  • cazzamartinek
    cazzamartinek Posts: 123 Member
    I do this sometimes especially if i feel like im going to go over that day !! :wink: It helps me to stay on target as once its written i wont delete it xx:flowerforyou:
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
    I do, on work days I always do my lunch the night before and input it. It is so much easier.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    oh yeah...all the time! that way I can plan ahead what to eat to stay in my cals :)
  • Traeyek
    Traeyek Posts: 9 Member
    Yes I am doing that now it works great for me
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    Sometimes I do but a lot of the time I change my mind lol
    I think it would be Ok if you had a planed meals to follow
  • rolycola
    rolycola Posts: 1
    I have just put my dinner in so I can see what I have got left for Friday night tea and booze!
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    Yep I input mine - maybe not all of them. Like say if I've made dinner the previous night and know I'll be having the same for lunch/dinner then I'll add it (saves messing about) and also breakfast is usually pretty standard for me, so I whack that in there whilst I'm on. The rest I just fill in ad hoc really :)
  • Donners185
    Donners185 Posts: 329 Member
    I do this every day. It really helps me stay focused (not always but most of the time). It means i can plan ahead and work in treats and snacks depending on my plans that day. Doesn't work for everyone but i'm a bit OCD and the prospect of not knowing what i'm going to eat and just picking what i want as i go along would give me a nervous breakdown incase i went over or ruined my macros. See......OCD. :laugh:
  • lenya_maria4516
    lenya_maria4516 Posts: 40 Member
    Well done!

    I absolutely input everything! I do it in the morning and then adjust accordingly. It really helps to avoid unnecessary snacking and allows me to keep comfortably within my calorie limit. When I first started out I found I only had about 300 cals left for dinner and really struggled. This way dinner (usually the largest calorie intake meal) goes in first and the rest is worked around it.

    I have no idea if this is the 'correct' way to go about things, but it has worked well for me.
  • BabyGrl726
    BabyGrl726 Posts: 102 Member
    I do only if I absolutely have my meals pre-planned. If not then I input afterwards.
  • kenlad64
    kenlad64 Posts: 377 Member
    Excellent work, pre-planning is a great tool, so yes I often try to pre-plan my day. I get the best results then.
  • llsand
    llsand Posts: 87
    Because i’m in the process of loosing weigh, i have to plan everything in advance so i know what i’m going to eat ( i also bring my lunch to work). I also eat the same breakfast everyday so, yes, I input most of my meal ahead of time. :)
  • herownkindofwonderfull
    herownkindofwonderfull Posts: 307 Member
    I do this sometimes as well. I plan my meals ahead and look at my calorie consumption, as well as sodium intake, protein, fiber, etc. Ultimately, it does help! I allow myself usually 300-500 calories extra in snacks, and if I change my mind throughout the day I can always change my log. But most of the time, I'll stick to my log and make better choices. :)
  • Autry403
    Autry403 Posts: 82 Member
    I've become obsessed with logging. So I spend every hour of the night logging foods I want the next day and almost always stick to that diet.
  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
    I do that for snacks I am taking to work or dinner I want to have. I also sometimes put in exercise ahead of time for things like my gym class or my walk to and from university.
  • NelehY
    NelehY Posts: 52 Member
    I do - mainly for workday breakfast/lunch as it helps me to plan out how many calories I'll have left for my dinner/tea in the evening.
    Which in turn helps work out what we end up having.

    Also when I know we'll be going out for 'social eating' I will work out a slightly adjusted/reduced breakfast/lunch so as to 'save up' for going out.
    When we went out to a restaurant recently I even looked up their menu online to calculate what I could/couldn't have before hand.
    Which took some of the pressure off when time came to order at the restaurant.
  • dawson555
    dawson555 Posts: 26
    Yea i do it when im working:)
  • kpnuts23
    kpnuts23 Posts: 960 Member
    pretty much everyday!!!
  • MonkeyBars
    MonkeyBars Posts: 266 Member
    I do for restaurants and if I'm going to a cold buffet, otherwise peeps think I'm mad or guess I'm doing MFP!

    I also put things in if I'm going camping, or somewhere without a phone signal!

    Nothing worse then logging just kcals when I won't to understand the nutritional content!
  • Emmabulliemum
    Emmabulliemum Posts: 294 Member
    I try to plan ahead so that I can avoid those 'what shall I eat' moments and make bad choices. I input the day before and some times will try to do a whole week in advance so I know what I'm eating. the only meal I somethimes leave open is dinner but i plan my breakfast and lunches in advance all the time.
  • MrsWilsoncroft
    MrsWilsoncroft Posts: 968 Member
    Hi there

    Most of the time I try to plan my meals ahead so tend to log in my breakfast and the lunch the night before as I tend to prepare them before going to bed.
    I like to do this so i can then see what calories i have left to play with for snacks and my evening meal :)

    Stacey x
  • Ralphrabbit
    Ralphrabbit Posts: 351 Member
    I find that I am more organised & less stressed if I track in advance. I can make sure I have taken the right thing out of the freezer to go with the veggies in the fridge & then I can see how much I have left over to snack on..........
  • fatgirlslim32
    fatgirlslim32 Posts: 31 Member
    I do it every night for the next day. Means that if there are cakes (eg) brought in to work, I can either say yes knowing I have the calories spare or no..because I don't! Rather than just eating it and THEN thinking 'S**t!! I need to do 4 hours of cardio now to burn that bad boy off!'.

    I am right at the start of losing weight (again :sigh: ) but it works for me.
  • faborina
    faborina Posts: 2
    Logging ahead of time helps me see how the day might pan out calorically speaking. Sometimes when I see it ahead of time I am motivated to change my original plan to switch to lower calorie foods, or to balance out my nutritional intake for the day.
  • LiliWray
    LiliWray Posts: 101 Member
    When I'm packing my lunch for work, I log it in ahead of time.
    I find it helpful because I get an idea of what I can allow myself for breakfast and dinner that day.
    Also, if I'm cooking something with lots of ingredients, it's easiest to log it in before I get into cooking and throw the packaging away. I can also see how many servings I'm cooking that way.
  • birdieaz
    birdieaz Posts: 448 Member
    When I have work days I do, it helps me see where my calories will be at for dinner and can plan accordingly.
  • SamanthaAnnM
    SamanthaAnnM Posts: 143 Member
    Yeah, I usually decide what I'm going to eat a day in advance and log it. It keeps me motivated to stay on track, and if plans change or I decide to eat something different it's simple to switch it. It's very effective for me!
This discussion has been closed.