Pre-adding food to my food diary.

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karmahunger
karmahunger Posts: 373 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I 've been preplanning what I am going to eat in a day, and preplanning workouts. Is this a bad idea?
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Replies

  • mearlie
    mearlie Posts: 224
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    There's no WAY for me to meet my caloric restrictions or meet my exercise goals WITHOUT pre-planning. However, I DO often pre-plan and then I edit said plan, depending on how my day is going!
  • SummerBaby93
    SummerBaby93 Posts: 16
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    Whatever suits you and makes your weight loss easier (within reason of course - y'know, no crash dieting, starving, missing meals, excessive food/exercise) is never a bad idea. :) I usually pre-plan my days, especially if I'm busy. But don't overplan, otherwise the days you go off track you'll probably start punishing yourself, and that's a nasty cycle to get into!
  • cml81450
    cml81450 Posts: 4 Member
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    i like to pre plan breakfast and lunch. especially if im working because i already have my lunch made. for dinner i leave open what i think will be enough calories to have a nice meal and then if we decide to go out i don't feel guilty eating what i like.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    I will often log what I plan to have for dinner so I know what I can eat for the rest of the day. I would never log a workout until it's completed though. I don't want to eat for calories I haven't earned yet.
  • bkesecker
    bkesecker Posts: 163 Member
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    I don't think so. I do it all the time to keep me honest and on track. Do what works for you.
  • ATOLLIT
    ATOLLIT Posts: 149
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    If I know what I'm going to eat in advance, then I log it so I can work out what calories I'm allowed for the rest of the day. Similarly if I KNOW I'm going to walk the 30mins each way to uni and back, I log it all in one go, as it saves time and effort, and I'm more likely to actually keep logging that way. Actual gym workouts rather than walking are much more likely to change though so I probably wouldn't log those beforehand.
  • sarahisme18
    sarahisme18 Posts: 574 Member
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    That's the only way I can stay on track, really---even if I do edit throughout the day!
  • farmwife3815
    farmwife3815 Posts: 326 Member
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    I pre plan for my base calories. If I know I'm going to be working out, I will keep that in the back of my mind but I don't eat the calories until the workout is done. find what works for you and stick to it!!
  • AlissaFL
    AlissaFL Posts: 80 Member
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    I don't pre-add any food or workouts since I am home all day and I never know when something might come up and I would have to change it. For me, it's to remind myself to think about it all day long, but if I worked, then I would have to handle it differently. I do look up meals before I eat if I am trying to decide what to have. As long as it is working for you and you are getting the results you want, then keep doing it...don't fix it if it ain't broke!
  • LovetheNewMe
    LovetheNewMe Posts: 29 Member
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    I pre-plan most of my meals and I also use the recipie builder a lot to build my meals so I know exactly what I am going to eat. It helps me stay focused. I edit if I do not eat what I planned.
  • bonniecarbs
    bonniecarbs Posts: 446 Member
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    I love it that way, it helps me a hella lot.
  • cutekatie
    cutekatie Posts: 10 Member
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    I eat the same thing every day for breakfast so input a few days ahead of time my breakfast. After I make my lunch for the next day I input that into MFP as well.

    I do that so I see how many calories I have left over for dinner and snacks and also because I'm very careful on my high protein, low carb meal plan, I want to know how much more protein I can have.
  • bemott
    bemott Posts: 180
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    I find it super helpful and smart! Hope it works well for you. It helps me especially when I'm having a tough time and wanting to eat eat eat.
  • kwkinter
    kwkinter Posts: 1
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    I don't see why. I think it's a great idea to pre-plan...as far as I know, you can always modify your tracker if you tweek anything.
  • davery1985
    davery1985 Posts: 142 Member
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    I always pre plan my food!! Its the best way to know that you are eating the right amount everyday. I dont log exercise until i actually do it though. xx
  • shelbyarod
    shelbyarod Posts: 34
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    I like to pre-plan my food as well as my workouts because it holds me accountable and keeps me in check! However, make sure that you plan reasonable goals for the day, otherwise it may seem too overwhelming and you may be less likely to accomplish it. Small steps at a time! :happy:
  • kenazfehu
    kenazfehu Posts: 1,188 Member
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    I do a little of both. I'm really more a moment-to-moment type, but if I know something is coming up, I pre-plan. For example, yesterday was my husband's birthday and I knew we would have dinner at a restaurant. I wanted extra calories for that so took the dog for an 82 minute walk (I was trying for 90 minutes) plus kept my daytime meals on the low-calorie side.
  • GCAsMom
    GCAsMom Posts: 120 Member
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    That's the first thing I do before I take my first bite; plan out my entire day, including snacks. I very, very rarely go over my calorie allotment because of this. For me, pre-planning is one of the vital keys to success. :)

    Edit to add: I do go back in and make adjustments as needed during the day when necessary. Gotta be a little flexible. :)
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,041 Member
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    Pre-planning food is fine, but I would never pre-log a workout.
  • djsawruh
    djsawruh Posts: 8
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    I always plan ahead! It's helped me be really successful.

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