Does anyone input their food ahead of time?

My trainer suggested I do this (although I have not yet) so that I can "play" with the macros and get them where I want for the day. It would definitely take out the guesswork.

I do it the night before because I need to eat several times a day because of low blood sugar. Wasting a lot of calories at one meal will be bad for me. I also want to make sure I get enough protein and carbs.

Every night before I go to bed i pre enter all of the food that I am going to have the next day. I start by inputting all of my protein, because that is the most important to me. From there I add in the side dishes for example if I am having a chicken breast at lunch I add in a side salad, with some nuts. If at dinner I entered ground turkey, I add spagetti sauce and noodles. If i have calories left and my macro's are in line, I add in a treat or 2.

This really really helps me meet my calories and macro goal. Before, when I use to just eat and then enter it, I found myself eating the majority of my calories throughout the day, and I never had enough for a filling dinner. I ended up spending the evening starving, which led to binging. I think some might find me obbsessive or something, but for me it is just mentally easier to know all of my bases are covered.

Good luck, and congrats so far on all you have accomplished!

I do! Maybe not an entire day, but most of it. It gives me a healthy option / idea when the time comes to eat, and it helps me pack my lunch and snacks for the day. Being single, I save energy by cooking for more than one meal, leaving me to plan when I'll eat what portions. I may or may not eat what I've logged, so I can make the change on MFP. It is more likely that I'll stick with what I originally logged though.

Learning how to set myself up for success.