Is it better to track as you go/eat or plan ahead?

jesss5885

i like planning out my meals for the week and then making tweaks and changes as i go. it definitely helps me stay on track, and also helps with making my grocery list

AliciaStaton

Hi welcome back, I tend to plan my meals in front. I think the key to losing weight is to plan your meals in advance, you can log in advance and if things change you can amend the log. Planning your meals in advance helps to keep you on track and if you go off, you get back on track the following day: Its what ever works for you

LavenderChamomile

Ideally, I find it's better to plan.
However, life is unpredictable and so am I. I'm not always sure where I'll be, what I'll be doing, what will be available etc. and also, I enjoy being spontaneous and not knowing exactly what to expect from each day. If you have time and an accurate schedule I would sit down and plan out your day and leave some wiggle room.
One thing I always do is if I'm about to make a bad decision, I log it first and then assess my diary. Usually I decide it's not worth it.

LeenaRuns

Everyone is going to have their own thoughts on this but for me, I fill out my day in the morning when I'm eating breakfast (except for today cause I was busy at work and not able to) but it's easier for me to figure out what I can have at dinner time/snack times an if I feel like a splurge on something I'm craving, I know if I'll go over or not.

This is me exactly. I plan my entire day (leaving wiggle room for the unexpected) while I eat breakfast!

Vansy

I plan my meals the week before so that I know what I'll be eating all week -- makes it easier when I need to hit the grocery store and when I need to prepare meals the day before (for work). I also do better with eating healthy when I have a general plan of what I'll be eating all week.

zitandemanu

I plan what I'll be eating in the mornings because then I know exactly how much calories I will be eating so that I don't go over. Hope this helps!

pittskaa

i personally find it easier to track the day before. it helps me plan and then i stick to it better.

CandeesLand

I usually plan the first half of my day in the morning while I'm making breakfast, and then I go home for lunch and then plan the second half. There are days when I know I won't get home for lunch and then I just plan the whole day either the night before or in the morning. It's nice to know early in the day that if I don't feel like working out that night, that I'll still be in my calories, and if I know I'm going to work out, that I'll get to have something extra.

geordiegirl27

I plan ahead, I normally do my food shop on a Saturday so therefore know what meals I'm having I then upload all plans into my MFP and it lets me see what I've got to work around - esp if there is nights/meals out. If anything changes then I just amend at the time.

At the very least I fill it in on a morning even plan my snacks. I find if I do it at the end of the day its harder to remember everything so my worse case scenario is fill in as I go. That said when I was on holiday I wrote everything down as I had it, I didnt back track everything but at least I was keeping track what I had.

Ultimately its finding what works for you. good luck

mcedes02

I plan my day out the night b4. It's actually less stressful for me. I have 2 small kids so it takes less time to get meals ready. Entries can always be changed as u go if needed. I find it's a lot easier to balace out the nmbrs for each meal. I usually find that I don't have enough cals at the end of the day if I don't. I rarely plan more than a couple days in advance so I don't have to do a lot of changes when different things pop up.

runlaugheatpie

planning ahead works way better for me than winging it. after years of doing this it makes the most sense for my life.

tameko2

Its better to do what works for you. I track as I go with only enough planning ahead to think "look if you eat 1200 calories now that doesn't leave you much for dinner" and that works great for me, other people don't do well with it.

puffidredz

i track and then eat. i used to eat and then track but then got upset that i ate more sodium or more calories than i thought

Mistyblu08

here is a good website to check ...maybe help you decide whats best for you

http://thefitgirls.com/menu-planning.aspx

alisiaendris

I simply cannot plan out my whole day. I hate doing it. So, instead I aim for a certian amt. of calories at each meal. If one meal is less, then I have some spare for the next. If one meal is a bit more, then I eat as bit less at the next. It is a lot of math in your head, but it works well for me. Having knowledge of how many calories are in things helps too. My smart phone helps with this.

Cgrnlaw

I think planning is better, but I log as I go

teamtommo6

I always input what I'm going to eat the day before, and then edit it later if something changes.

QueenOfShiba

bump

souperficial

If I"m going to be eating something I can't avoid (like a family dinner or some event), I'll plan my day ahead of time. If not, I'll usually just make healthy choices throughout the day and figure it out as I go.

Capt_Apollo

i lost a lot of weight in the beginning because every night i sat down and logged my food for the next day. every meal, snack, drink, glass of wine, etc etc.

i usually went over my calories in the log book, but didn't mind, because i'd be able to take something off the list if i didn't feel as hungry or whatever.

postrockandcats

If I plan too much, I feel stifled. But, not everyone is the same way. The only things I'll plan for are parties and gym.

irisheyez718

it helps me a lot when I'm able to plan ahead. Sometimes, I have to make small changes here and there, but for the most part, planning works for me.

kac_1120

I find it easier to plan it out and adjust as the day goes on...it works better for me b/c otherwise I feel like I am constantly going back and forth all day

Michele7091

I plan ahead. Its just easier that way. And if know that I am going to the gym, I know I can afford to eat a little bit more so I try and save evening goodies for those days. It also helps so that I can plan my workouts accordingly to help offset the days when I know I'll be eating more.

iLoveMyPitbull1225

I plan, but thats the kind of person I am and the lifestyle and job I have allows me for easy planning, so it really helps a lot. Most mornings I eat the same thing everyday any way ( oatmeal) and lunch I always plan. Dinner is the only thing that sometimes does not get planned ahead.

rmartin72

i plan my meals out every week before grocery shopping

here is what the first half of this week looks like:

Wow That Is Really Great Way To Plan Out Your Meals in advance:):) Your Doing Great job!! I want to do that may self!! Thank you for sharing

amymichelle1226

I plan ahead, usually in the morning for that day, sometimes for the next day too. When I get to work in the morning, I log everything I brought with me that day, breakfast, snacks, lunch. It helps me plan the rest of my day, mostly dinner. It also helps with my self control! I know how many calories I have left and if anyone offers me anything at work, I have even more of a reason to say no. I feel like if I just logged as I went, I would be saying 'oops' a lot.

gracemaymills

Hiya- i tend to plan ahead as I eat my breakfast and if I know I am going out for dinner I check out the menu and try to plan the calories i might eat (and the cheeky glasses of wine I might drink). If I think I will not meet my daily target I try to do more exercise!

Planning is definitely the way forward!

Let us know how it goes

ashlafer

Try to find a happy medium. Planning may help you get to your goals faster in the long-run, but if it stresses you out too much, it may be counterproductive and actually hinder your progress (especially if you stress about it so much that you end up giving up).

I planned everything down to the tee for a week or two in the beginning of the summer. But it took a really, really long time, as I'd have to plan, count, and pack everything the night before going to work. I actually lost sleep over it, which is obviously not good!

What works best for me is visualizing how many calories I have to spend on each meal. My breakfast is almost always the same 300-calorie meal (cereal, milk, banana...creature of habit :P), about 100 for a morning snack, then I have about 400 calories to spend on lunch, 200 for 3 o'clock snack, and 400 for dinner. It's kind of a happy medium.

I recommend figuring out calorie counts for the foods and meals you eat most. When you're preparing your food, just jot down the calories of whatever you use on a sticky note, and estimate how much that sums up to. That way, it's easier to tell if you can have another piece of food or if you should skip desert. ("Meatballs: 150, Whole wheat spaghetti: 200...I think I can throw in a tomato or two and two Hershey kisses!")

By the way, if you're ever at the point that you realize you only have x-amount of calories for your last meal, don't beat yourself up to hit that amount exactly. Especially if it's less than 300 calories, or whatever you need to feel satisfied (by "satisfied," I mean "I am full and no longer hungry," not "YUM THOSE FIVE PIECES OF CAKE WERE SO SATISFYING" or "snickers satisfies"). I find that sometimes it's OK to go over by 100 calories than to try to hit my mark exactly, since it makes me less prone to late-night snacks and emotional eating.

Best of luck! You've got this! If you slip up today, make tomorrow better

fit4lyfeLisa

I always plan ahead. I log my meals the night before.