Do you plan your eating a day or two ahead?

CaffeinatedConfectionist

Yup, I always pre-log my food and snacks. I usually end up modifying my meals or snacks as the day goes on, but I prefer to pre-log because it gives me a general idea of what I will be eating and how much wiggle room I have for extra snacks, etc. It also helps me ensure that I meet my macros. Also, I tend to cook all of my meals, unless I'm going out, so I usually already know what I'll be eating. I usually do almost all of my cooking on one or two days that I have off, freeze the food in single portion sizes, and eat off that for a week or two.

Rilke

I tried that, but I ended up feeling entirely too restricted and my anxiety was through the roof. I enjoy food too much to get all anxious over it. I may log a meal ahead of time once in awhile, but rarely even that.

I do weigh my food, but I'm going to try moving away from that as well. Too close to obsessive.

bwnorton

If I'm going to travel, I carefully plan what types of foods I'm looking for. I also check the calorie content of what I'm about to cook before I prepare it. When I'm going to a store, I now read the labels. If nutritionally, the food doesn't measure up, then I rethink it. So far, it's worked for me.

Sqeekyjojo

I have trouble planning meals ten minutes in advance, never mind days or weeks.

If I buy something in Advance, chances are I just won't want it once it's time to eat.

SteelySunshine

I do most my planning in the grocery store. If it's a trigger food I don't buy it. If it's a food that looks interesting I might buy it, if it turns into a trigger I never buy it again. I fill my cart with food that I can/have to eat to make my calorie goals. I bought a dark chocolate bar yesterday and to my shock and surprise it's tastes very good, but isn't a trigger and I can have two squares a day without even breaking a sweat on what it will do to my macros. I don't panic when my sugar goes a titch high. And I don't mind a little extra exercise to keep my calorie goals intact.

Yeah, but other than that it's hard for me to plan a whole meal ahead of time let alone a whole day.

castelluzzo99

I find that when I make food ahead, and also put it in my diary ahead of time, I make my goals more consistently. That doesn't make me do it more often, though... But when I do plan ahead, I leave a bit of wiggle room in there for snacks. That way it's not inflexible.

^^This.

I have a family of 5 and a budget, so I plan my meals every week, around weekly sales, if possible, and then cook accordingly. So I can enter recipes ahead of time and then figure out how much is a reasonable amount. I do try to leave wiggle room, because normally I don't eat supper, but if I'm hungry, it's better to eat a bit, even to go a bit over my goal, than to not eat, because then I tend to binge later (not always the same day). Doing this helps me think twice about exactly how much I'm going to eat, and that really helps the overall scheme of things for me, so far.

All in all, I think everyone is different. I never used to plan my meals. But then, I was single and didn't need to budget as carefully. Plus cooking for myself was boring. If planning is working for you, go for it. If it stops working, then just log as you go.

oldandhealthier

Yes, we make our menus out 2 weeks before we go to the store. That really helps the budget. The actual meals are decided the night before by whoever turn it is to cook. That way I log the night before so I can see if I have to adjust. This way in the over 90 days I have logged I have only gone over once.

dunnodunno

Hello

I was wondering do you plan what you are eating for the next day or so and add it to your food diary or do you just add as you go?

I have been adding as I go but then seem to be going over all the time, :-(

So I have planned everything for tomorrow and I am hoping for a better result!

I always plan ahead my Breakfast, Lunch, and snacks the night before.