Do you plan ahead meals?

pilatemom
pilatemom Posts: 111
in Food and Nutrition
I thought about how I lost weight in the past and that included planning ahead what I'd eat for the day. Do you?
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Replies

  • chigau_me
    chigau_me Posts: 50
    we make a menu for a week ahead - helps with weekly shopping too :)
  • JosephVitte
    JosephVitte Posts: 2,039
    Honestly, I don't. I have my excuses, even if there not good ones.....Single, no kids, live alone. i just buy food and eat it. i do buy less food now though, because I no longer "binge" buy, just to load up the fridge and freezer. I now only buy what I'm gonna eat, which is a lot less junk foods. I'm saving money too, and wasn't even trying to, it's all kinda weird to me, but I am losing weight, and i am making healthier decisions, just not planning out my meals, or not yet, maybe i should say.
  • Peazwithin
    Peazwithin Posts: 41 Member
    I don't have my game -food plan written down. That said, this is my new goal. Having a general ideal of what I want for breakfast and lunch helps me tweak my food needs by the dinner hour.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    we make a menu for a week ahead - helps with weekly shopping too :)

    this
  • MissLotte
    MissLotte Posts: 101 Member
    Absolutely. I only plan 1 day in advance but it really helps keep my motivation and gets my body into a new routine, a better pattern or eating.

    I weigh out my breakfast and lunch the night before so it's ready for work every morning and take the meat out the freezer to defrost for the next nights dinner. My BF will then do all the veg prep for me (he gets home earlier than me) and I cook when I get home. It means we eat earlier and I have the oppportunity to vary meals by planning ahead so things don't get borning.

    Hope that helps, good luck. Add me if you want to. xx
  • JosephVitte
    JosephVitte Posts: 2,039
    After seeing the last reply(peazwithin), i realize I do have breakfast planned out regularly .
  • aimiee88
    aimiee88 Posts: 47 Member
    We plan a week ahead too, keeps me on track =)
    No baddies then in the cupboards to nibble on too lol
  • clur85
    clur85 Posts: 187 Member
    we plan for the week ahead, not only does it help me balance my MFP diary but it helps save the pennies so i know exactly what i am buying rather than wandering round the supermarket buying random things.
  • Rebane1
    Rebane1 Posts: 27 Member
    As breakfast I eat what I want, what I have and what I have time for. I log in to MFP as soon as I open my computer, fill in the breakfast and everything I plan to eat that day. Also the exercise etc. It keeps me motivated during the day and there will be no bad surprises in the evening. In the afternoon I make another MFP visit to correct things if needed and plan a bit for the next day - if and what to cook in the evening.
  • newmein2013
    newmein2013 Posts: 674 Member
    Absolutely. I make a weekly meal schedule & always know what I'm having a day in advance. I try to log it the night before but I've been slacking on this lately. Trying to stay within my macros & getting in a really large amount of veggies (doctors orders) isn't always so easy. It just makes more sense to have it layed out already. Takes the guesswork out of it & helps keep me on track.

    Edited to correct typo.
  • BernadetteChurch
    BernadetteChurch Posts: 2,210 Member
    Planning ahead is vital for me. Knowing what you're going to eat for at least 1-2 meals each day means you can have a bit of flexibility with any unplanned meals. It also means you know if there's room for a treat in the evening and, for me, that's motivation to stay on track!
  • Zamba74
    Zamba74 Posts: 65 Member
    I try to plan my next day the night before and then post it on MFP at that time. I find I stick to it a bit better if its already documented on here. Keeps me accountable in a way.
  • jnp96
    jnp96 Posts: 163
    I plan all of my meals. I do it Sunday mornings before shopping so I get only what I need to. Planning is key for me to keep calories under control.
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    Yes my whole day is planned. its the first thing i do while having my morning cuppa.
  • lts42uk
    lts42uk Posts: 162 Member
    we make a menu for a week ahead - helps with weekly shopping too :)

    this

    Yep! Me too! I complete my food diary at the beginning of each day too, so I know where I am!
  • davlaur
    davlaur Posts: 34
    Plan my menu every morning for the day ahead, i put my success this time down to myfitnesspal,food tracking.
  • Beth24793
    Beth24793 Posts: 63 Member
    I plan my meal the night before, that way i know what i'm going to eat and if i am going to be in my daily calorie allowance, and if not then i can change it. If i was to eat and then track and go over on my calories then i wouldn't be able to change what i eat to fit my allowance. I think its a really good idea to plan ahead :D
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
    I have a rough plan of what meals we will be having for the week.

    I plan my meals and log in the morning for non-work days. For the days I work I plan and log the night before so my day runs like clockwork. It takes the hard work out of meal prep on busy days.
  • tdbad1
    tdbad1 Posts: 87 Member
    Being obssessed with food, ive always thought ahead to what i would have next.

    Now, i plan ahead so i can "look forward" to what im going to enjoy. I even go so far as to figure out what it "costs me", here on MFP. Like last night. Hunny really wanted tacos. my first thought was great, im gonna be starving an hour later cause im totally into the meat and cheese of it all,lol. Then i asked myself, how cani make this work in my favor?
    Long story (and too much insight to my connect the dots thinking)short, i made it into a taco salad, and it was too much for me to eat. Plus i stayed full all evening.

    Im learning to treat my food as my friend, not my enemy. its not easy, and does require some brainwashing on my part,lol. but it seems to be working. Im seeing the results.
  • yogeshsarkar
    yogeshsarkar Posts: 119 Member
    I plan out my meals for the day and enter them into diary. That way I know whether I need to adjust anything or if I am lucky enough to have enough wiggle room for a treat :D
  • Tamefearnua
    Tamefearnua Posts: 62
    no list or plan
    I go shopping twice a week and pick whats fresh and or whats on offer.
    Little or no processed food.
    The weeks menu are created in my head when I cook.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    YES! My motto is if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail!
  • katevarner
    katevarner Posts: 884 Member
    I grocery shop according to what I intend to fix during the week, but it's not always planned out to the day because sometimes my work gets in the way of fixing what I had planned, but I don't buy a bunch of extra stuff, and I cook several things over the weekend so I have stuff to heat up that's healthy in case I don't have time to cook what I planned.
  • TheLongRunner
    TheLongRunner Posts: 688 Member
    Absolutely. One of my daily obsessions (and keys to success). :wink:
  • breeZrizi
    breeZrizi Posts: 213 Member
    YES!!!!!

    if i dont preplan my day I mess it up. I like knowing what all my food adds up to so if i need to switch something up because my carb or sugar total will be way off I know it beforehand


    it works for me :)
  • lbesaw
    lbesaw Posts: 267 Member
    Always.....but only plan today for tomorrow etc. Helps ME stay on track and tweak when I need to. :smile:
  • bf43005
    bf43005 Posts: 287
    My husband & I get paid bi-weekly, so I do shopping on pay weeks and plan out our meals prior to the shopping trip. It really helps us stay on track.
  • elizabethis
    elizabethis Posts: 155 Member
    I do some pre-planning, especially if I am eating at a restaurant or at someone else's house. Invariably I'll have to make a few alterations, but it helps me see where I'm going. This has become even more important since I've been trying to "up" my protein to the 95-99 range. I don't want to get to the end of the day and see I still need 40 or more grams of protein!!! (I don't eat meat, so that cuts out an easy fix)There's no one "magic" way ---- just whatever you find helps you succeed! Good luck!
  • SonicaBE
    SonicaBE Posts: 151 Member
    sometimes I plan for the day and the next....helps keep me on track
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    My breakfast is the same thing, so that's pre-planned. I talk with hubby before he goes to work about what we'll eat for supper.

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