Pre-adding food to my food diary.

3foldchord

That is how I do it. I usually leave my snacks unplanned (with calories to be used there) and I don't hit "Complete entry" until the evening, after I have eaten, exercised, and adjust my log

If it works for you then it isn't bad. If it doesn't work, go back to adding each thing as it is done.

cbenno97

Pre-planning is vital to keeping me on track. I love doing the math (OK--so MFP does all the calculations) ahead of time and amending as necessary as most people have said. I will sometimes add food items a day ahead, so again, I have an idea of what I am supposed to eating (and can adjust accordingly)--this is also particularly helpful with monitoring my macros.

InPieces3

I have done both pre-planning and NOT planning and I find that I stay on track better with the pre-planning. I suppose it just depends on YOU and what YOU like, but for me it helps me stay on track. You can always edit if you find something you would rather substitute something with.

KabbyGU

Pre logging food is great! I highly recommend it...just don't beat yourself up if you need to change something (or a lot of things sometimes). Every day brings unexpected events and feelings that sometimes affect our eating plans. So plan ahead but keep in mind that it's okay to make changes.

MissSusieQ

I like to plan out my day ahead of time. I find it stops me from indulging in other things, because I know what I'm going to eat for the day and I know whether there's wiggle room. if I don't plan ahead I tend to fall into the trap of eating extra things while I'm at work and telling myself I'll make up for it at dinner, which never works because my dinners are all premade and frozen so can't really be altered!