Logging before you eat?

coliema

I find that logging before I eat, helps me to stay on track and only eat what I log, instead of eating more.

aakaakaak

By at least partially pre-logging your day you prevent yourself from getting pigeonholed into eating a bad dinner (like a tuna and peanut butter sandwich so you can hit your macronutrients), or not having any calories left for dinner.

TracyJo93

I log before I eat and change if need be. It keeps me on track.

MelsAuntie

I sometimes do log in advance for dinner, if I know I won't be able to get on the computer after dinner becasue my hubby wil be playing online poker, as he does for hours every day, and I know what exactly I will be eating..

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

I do this because it helps keep me in check with my macros and prevents me from eating crap just because it fits my calories. If I only looked at calories my diary would be like 90% carbs.

LeenaRuns

I do it to see if something fits within my marcos, if so thats what im gonna eat. Nothing wrong with plannin your meals out.

This is exactly what I do. Why eat extra carbs if I'm still low on protein? I need to know what fits into my day before I shovel it into my mouth. I have very specific goals and if I don't log first I'd bedoing myself a disservice.

HikeThatMountain

Yep, I often log before I eat, especially when getting close to dinner time or adding snacks I want to eat, but haven't yet, just to see it I can fit it in without going over.

mrsbishop2010

I always log before I eat. I play around with my food diary days in advance so I can get the maximum nutrition along with a variety each day. Sometimes unexpected situations may arise so I usually give myself 300 cal that isn't planned for in case I'm out or have an impulsive craving which is usually during TOM. But for the most part I don't put anything in my mouth until it's logged. I plan my meals and snacks at least 3 days in advance. This helps me stay on track and ensures that I only buy accordingly at the store which saves on the grocery bill. This has worked very well for me!

NaomiJFoster

I sometimes do, sometimes don't. If I know that I'm going to be having a specific thing for dinner (maybe we're going to a restaurant and I already know what I'm going to order) I'll pre-log that. That way, I can see where it puts my numbers and I can better plan my lunch so it fits those numbers. Or sometimes if I don't quite know what I want for dinner, I'll log different things into the dinner slot and see where that puts me and that helps me decide so I just leave it there even before I actually eat it. I also know that I'll always have yogurt as an evening snack, so often I'll just put that in as well.

I don't think it really matters one way or the other. It's not like MFP is actually checking the contents of your stomach and calling you a liar, lol. If pre-logging helps you plan ahead or helps you feel accountable and honest...then by all means, do it. If pre-logging makes you feel locked-in and guilty about changing your mind...then don't bother. It's all about what works best for you.

sullycc

I log a day in advance so I can figure out what to make for an evening meal for the whole family and work round that to fit my macros. It just becomes normal after a while. I always have a few cals to play with so if I eat something unexpectd during the day I can take something out planned for later etc. You can just amend as you need to.

wibutterflymagic

Just another thumbs up for pre-logging. It keeps me on track and I can see where I can add a treat or two. I even go out as far as 2 days sometimes if I don't have anything special happening. I usually end up tweaking it a little but at least it gives me an idea of my calories for the day. I'm much less likely to eat something different if I've already logged it.

GeekAmour

Absolutely! Logging before eating was some of the best advice I've ever received from a dietitian. Logging before you consume anything and sometimes just glancing at your food log forces you to stop, think, and chose! I've lost track of the number of times it has saved me from making a poor decision. I'm a big proponent of this kind of skill power.

This.

Sometimes I log, look at it, delete & move on.

Shaynaelise

I do this a lot. Not always the entire day but usually up until dinner will be logged by the time I eat breakfast, it helps me decide how good I need to be for dinner and I don't have to worry about jumping back online or on my phone app to log each time I eat, I have my meals and snacks planned for the time I am at work so I can focus on work instead of tracking during that time.

Colleen118

I do this for the breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Unfortunately, dinners are harder. I never know what we are having until we eat. I don't worry too much about not "completeing" my logs t this stage though, as my meals are pretty much a settled mix of what I know has worked. It is rare that I will go into splurging on sweets or other foods. Right now my only issue is bringing my portions down again and this will hopefully crush my plateau and get me to goal.

ThickNTiredOfIt

Since all my meals are pre-planned I pre-log everything also. I also pre-log my planned exercise for the day. Then before I go to bed I check and make any necessary adjustments before completing the entry! Helps me stay focused!

marygee1951

I alwaystry to log the night before. My first entry is Miscellaneous 250 calories - then I enter my dinner and go from there. It definitely keeps me on track. If I'm making something new it gives me time to look everything up.

Colleen118

I always log before I eat. I play around with my food diary days in advance so I can get the maximum nutrition along with a variety each day. Sometimes unexpected situations may arise so I usually give myself 300 cal that isn't planned for in case I'm out or have an impulsive craving which is usually during TOM. But for the most part I don't put anything in my mouth until it's logged. I plan my meals and snacks at least 3 days in advance. This helps me stay on track and ensures that I only buy accordingly at the store which saves on the grocery bill. This has worked very well for me!

WOW What an awesome transformation you have made! Congratulations on your success!

onwarddownward

Keeping up with my weight loss requires me to plan my meals. I've started logging parts of my day before I've eaten just because I know that's what I'm going to eat. Does anyone else do this? Would there be any reasons that this wouldn't be a good idea?

I always update if something changes, but generally, it doesn't.

Yes, I do this too. Logging is the ultimate mathematical "word problem". "If Jan ate three cheeseburgers and fries for lunch, how many laps will she have to do in the pool to still fit into her suit?"

I always write it out if I know what I am facing.

It's warfare out there with all the crap so accessible and me, sometimes, so hungry. Just going shopping is like walking through a minefield.

I like to know what I have planned so that I can say, yes, I am going to go home and have such and such and I can make it home without stopping for fast food.

Geojerm

I always log first.. plan out my whole day... and usually have leftovers or something for the next day or two, and log that too.

logging afterwards .... would probably make it harder to stay on track.

lazra79

I definitely log before I eat. Generally because I want to see how many calories I will have left after a meal, but most of the time it just keeps me focused. How ever you decide to do it isn't wrong. Good luck!

EmilyBullough

Yes, I log meals in advance. Personally, I don't feel that it does me much good to eat and then log because I'll likely go over my calorie limit that way. If I plan ahead, then I can make sure I stay at the right level for calories. If I stray from my meal plan then I make adjustments. I usually plan my meals the night before, but sometimes I'll plan a couple days in advance. This is much harder to do on the weekends or if I'm eating at someone's home or at a party.

jmessina205

I almost always do this. Helps me especially if i plan my main meals in advance then i can plan snacks that help me stay within my goals!

tekwriter

I log ahead. It tells me how many extra calories I may or may not have. If anything changes then I go back and change. I just don't complete my diary till the end of the day.

GdeVries

I don't see a down side to pre logging either. I do it all the time. As long as you adjust if things change, then it's an accurate reflection of what you are eating.

If I don't log ahead of time I don't always get around to it at all.

cookiealbright

I plan my meals for the day & log it. I even log excercise if I'm sure I'm going to do it, like I have a Yoga class tonight and it's already logged. I don't know what I'm going to eat for dinner tonight so it's still blank. I may log it after I eat or tomorrow morning (which is usually when I check in) what ever is easier for me.

janfish2

I do this for particularly tough days - tonight - movie popcorn. :happy: can't go without it when at the movies - so I plan the day around those calories, that way it is no surprise when I log after the fact.

On a normal day I am usually pretty good, I log just after eating, or just before. I know most foods but if I am eating something I am not sure of I do the figuring first.

sunnmuun

I almost always log before I eat. If I can, I plan out the whole day. It keeps me accountable, and then I can eat everything in my diary without even worrying that I'm going to go over. I'm one of those people that just worries about anything, and worrying that I might go way over tends to ruin the meal a bit for me when I'm trying to lose.

This...when I have eaten everything I planned then I know I am done eating for the day.

mandi108

I log well before I eat if I'm going out to dinner or if I'm going over to my mom's house for dinner. It helps me plan the rest of my day out, like whether or not I can have that extra snack or I need to do some extra cardio. I also log my meals immediately before I eat, every time I eat, so that I know if I'm staying within my calorie parameters for each meal before I eat it. It makes it easier to cut something out if my calorie intake for a particular meal will end up being more than I need it to be. Just makes everything so much simpler. In the past, I would log after I eat and I think most of us have concluded that that is a recipe for disaster! Lol. Which is probably what sabotaged me every other time I've tried to do this and caused me to give up. Not this time!! Lol

Dlacenere

I log all of my food the night before in the next day's diary ie: tonight I will put everything I plan to eat tomorrow in Wednesdays diary - then I just make any changes and cut and paste my meals over as I eat them and then delete everything out from Wednesday when I am done. Sounds confusing but I am a creature of habit and watch my macros closely, so it takes a lot of guesswork and time out of the equation for me.

tattygun

I try to set everything out in the morning before I eat, can swap and change until the macros are right that way. It's the days when I can't pre-plan where mistakes happen!