Using MFP as a meal planner?

leesehm
leesehm Posts: 117
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone. I'm pretty new to MFP. But I was thinking I should start planning my meals a bit better rather than eating them, then adding them here then realising they aren't very healthy as by then it is too late.
I was going to google food diary that I could add food to in advance... then i was thinking, are we able to use our food diaries in advance to plan and then delete/edit to what we actually eat?
Any suggestions would be helpful =)

Replies

  • Kari089
    Kari089 Posts: 109 Member
    Well you could fill up your diary at the start of your day and then follow it. There is also a choice to make some of your food items into a meal. You could add your own recipes. So theoretically you could I suppose. We tend to eat pretty much the same things throughout the week. At least I do.
    So if, ahead of time, you input some of your 'meals' and just that morning you plan for your day it could work.
  • kairisika
    kairisika Posts: 131 Member
    you could always try and find out...

    but the answer is yes. I often schedule in for a day so I know what I'm budgeting rather than trying to catch up after.
    I've filled in a whole week at a time before. It was motivation to stick to a plan.
  • Aperture_Science
    Aperture_Science Posts: 840 Member
    Good = Logging what you ate
    Better = Logging what you are about to eat
    Best = Pre-logging your whole day to ensure you hit target and have food available at your "danger" times
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
    Good = Logging what you ate
    Better = Logging what you are about to eat
    Best = Pre-logging your whole day to ensure you hit target and have food available at your "danger" times
    ^ Absolutely this.

    I log at the start of the day (if I can... yesterday was on the road very early a.m. for a seminar and no control over what we were going to be presented with in terms of food during the day).

    tonight I know I am out at a PR thing, so planning a lot in advance...
  • frando
    frando Posts: 583 Member
    When I know what I'm going to have then yeah I try to pre-log that way I know how many calories I have to 'play with' as it were. True I have to tweak it sometimes but at least I know roughly what I have calorie wise.

    I find pre-logging, both food and exercise, means that I'm less likely to go off track. It's like 'I've put down twenty five minutes on the tread mill so I'm going to do it!', 'well I know I've got about 150 calories left, so I can have xyz' etc.

    As I'm from a military family my parents are obsessed with planning ahead all our meals (generally just dinners, though) so I know roughly what I'm eating days ahead of time. It helps with this and also budgeting food expenses.
  • p0kers0ph
    p0kers0ph Posts: 250 Member
    I usually plan out the next days food the night before, or first thing in the morning, that way I know exactly what I am having, how many cals I may or may not have left if I do decide to have a treat or something.
  • Elisabeth2506
    Elisabeth2506 Posts: 25
    I try to plan a week in advance. I managed this last week and didn't fail, this week I forgot and its been such a challenge to stay within. I find its a bit of a game once I've logged my week, wake up on a morning, and have to eat whatever is on that list - by my last meal/snack I feel like I've succeeded at completing something :)

    Good luck! :)
  • zealousmissjj_wechange
    zealousmissjj_wechange Posts: 445
    It's 10:15AM here and I've logged everything today before I even had a bite to eat. Planning my meals helps me make better choices and reaching my goals more easily.

    Besides, when I'm having a 'cheat-meal' I log it in advance and figure out a way to have my treats and still stay under or around my goal for the day. It works for me!!
  • hausofnichele
    hausofnichele Posts: 531 Member
    Good = Logging what you ate
    Better = Logging what you are about to eat
    Best = Pre-logging your whole day to ensure you hit target and have food available at your "danger" times

    I've been pre-logging each night before since the 5th when I restarted here. It is great. So much better than just eating and trying to deal with the math all throughout the day. Instead I take the time each night to plan and play around with my food until I've come up with the best way to reach my daily goals. Then I stick to it. I think it's much easier to stick to a carefully crafted plan for each day when it's pre-logged.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    I usually plan at least a day in advance, this week I sat down on Monday and planned up to Sunday. It helped me use up what ingredients I have in, plan my shopping and most of all stay on track. Some things will inevitably get slightly edited and I never plan breakfast or snacks as they very much depend on what I fancy.

    I'll be weekly planning from now on.
  • thisisaimee91
    thisisaimee91 Posts: 18
    If I'm going out for meals I plan ahead my whole day so that I can be sure that I'm still within my calorie goals. But yeah, its definitely a good idea :)
  • leesehm
    leesehm Posts: 117
    Hahaha so I've been doing it wrong!! Glad I asked now. I'm usually a eat-when-bored person so definitely working hard to keep calories down. This will be good I think.

    Thanks everyone
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    Iv been logging just before i eat but im trying to get into the habbit of logging in the morning before I put anything in my gob! Lots of people seem to think that way is best
  • humidex8
    humidex8 Posts: 24 Member
    I only really pre-log if I know I'm going to have a high calorie meal.. but I do think it's a good idea. Personally I end up not wanting to food I've planned if I log too far ahead! Each to their own :)

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