Food Logging The day of or the day before

sagesmom05
sagesmom05 Posts: 15
in Food and Nutrition
Do you pre log your meals or do you log as you go? What works best for you. I currently log as I go, and thinking that makes for extra calories. Would love to hear from others what they do
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Replies

  • macelmer
    macelmer Posts: 55 Member
    I log as I go, it is easier to keep track of my calories this way and it gives me an accurate number of calories needed to finish my day. Plus I never know what I am going to want to eat until then.
  • carlybarley22
    carlybarley22 Posts: 197 Member
    I do kind of a mix. I try to plan out as much of the next day as possible, or at least have an outline and leave a little room for surprises. You can browse my diary if you'd like, you can add me as a friend. I actually have some of superbowl Sunday planned out lol.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    i do best when i prelog at least my dinners.. for breakfast and lunch i kinda log as i go, but since i know what ill be eating for dinner its not a big deal if i eat to much at breakfast i just know i need to have a smaller lunch to stay within calories
  • ladybowe
    ladybowe Posts: 25
    I log after everything I eat. This keeps me accountable. I know if I eat it, I have to log it so that helps me to think twice about putting it in my mouth, lol.
  • bbrooks123
    bbrooks123 Posts: 10 Member
    I just recently restarted the MFP, if I know what I will be having for dinner I will put that in first thing in the morning to see what that leaves me for breakfast and dinner.
  • MrsRamseyForever
    MrsRamseyForever Posts: 28 Member
    I try to plan out my dinners on Saturday or Sunday for the following week (just from Monday to Friday, though). I work during the week and don't get off until between 5 and 6 so it is easier to take time on the weekends planning our dinners (since I have kids that go to bed at 8 and that doesn't give me a lot of time to think of what to make, make it, feed them, and let them play a little before bed). I think it also helps to have dinner logged for the week so when I am at work (where I eat breakfast and lunch) I already have an idea of what I'm eating for dinner and can try to stay in my calories for those meals too then.
  • 30ismyyear
    30ismyyear Posts: 145 Member
    I currently log as I go because I'm a SAHM and can. I did apply for a job this week so if I get it, I plan to pre-log (and pre-weigh/count!!) on busy days so I have no excuses.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    I log my food for the entire upcoming week and adjust as required. Albeit, it's not that often or much.
  • sigsby
    sigsby Posts: 220 Member
    Started by logging as I go. As I learn more about nutrition and myself I am doing more advance planning and loging.
  • daisytripp
    daisytripp Posts: 527 Member
    I pre-log as much of my day as I can - either the night before or first thing in the morning. I found that I got in trouble otherwise. I'd think, "gee, I'm hungry" and grab something and only later figure out how many calories I was eating. Also, it's nice to have my meals planned so I know where I do and do not have flexibility in the day.
  • teebeegeebee
    teebeegeebee Posts: 218 Member
    Hi
    I log as i go, sometimes I log late in the day and sometimes I forget
    My view on food logging is its a great way to keep an eye on yourself, after all you're here the biggest step in making the commitment to losing some weight.
    Once I was told it takes 30 days to change a habit, however you have to be committed and whilst most of us desire a great healthy body there are so many distractions and temptations, and believe me at 50 years old I have lots of weaknesses ( last night 12 oysters Kilpatrick and a beer whilst watching the sunset was mine !)
    However I try to log and its my check on me, and its only for my own benefit to remind me when the food devil takes over and show me where i get it right and where I get it wrong.
    Its took me a long time to get my head into the place where finally I get it and am now getting my life back into shape
    Good Luck - I hope you get your dreams and feel free to add me if you would like
    Matt
  • Freidon
    Freidon Posts: 169 Member
    I always prelog. If I log as I go, I get this mentality that " It can't be more than two hundred calories. I'll just eat it now, work it off later." If I log before, the perfectionist in me cringes at the numbers. It's saved me from binging more than once.

    The day before works best. Occasionally, I'll log a week in advance when I'm thinking about what groceries I need.
  • Otter1422
    Otter1422 Posts: 162 Member
    New to MFP but I log as I go, though sometimes I will use the database to check ahead to see if what I was planning to eat for dinner needs to be adjusted.
  • sagesmom05
    sagesmom05 Posts: 15
    Thanks everyone!
  • julesmcclelland
    julesmcclelland Posts: 17
    I normally log my food one day ahead just to see if what I have in mind fits in for that day or if I need to adjust. I'm just a big planner and a bit Type A, so it frees up my mind for other tasks. ha ha
    Now, I do, sometimes make changes if I just don't feel like eating what I had planned but it makes it easier for me to decide on what to substitute, instead, based on the calories I have left.
  • wrests
    wrests Posts: 84 Member
    I don't log an ENTIRE day in advance, but after breakfast I'll generally plot out how the rest of the day is going to go. It keeps me from whoopsing at dinner-especially if I know I'm going to have something super fattening, I know it's time to break out the carrots for lunch. It just really helps me gain perspective on how much room is in my diet, and really makes me think twice about eating that extra cookie/whatever.
  • EmilyEmpowered
    EmilyEmpowered Posts: 650 Member
    I am new to MFP, but I try to log as far in advance as possible. I am trying to watch my macronutrients as well as my calories, so this helps me see what I need and I can adjust what I was planning to eat as needed once I am in there logging. A few times I have logged 3-4 days in advance. But I have been logging my food on paper for over two years, and I have always planned at least a day in advance, especially if I have a special occasion or event coming up that I know I will be eating more than usual.

    ETA: this also forces me to fill my calorie limit with healthier options and resist the junk that I might be tempted to eat. If I do eat anything else, I still log it (and anything listed in my first meal of the day is actually whatever I couldnt resist when I get home at 1:30 am after work and end up eating, I count it in my next day because it is technically "the next day" and that helps me see what I have left for the day.
  • Songbird1104
    Songbird1104 Posts: 210 Member
    I never know what I'm going to eat that day, so I log as I go and get an idea of my caloric intake meal by meal.
  • pienthesky32
    pienthesky32 Posts: 142 Member
    I log as I go until I figure out what my next meal will be...I try to have dinner entered at lunch time so I can see what I can snack on during the afternoon!
  • RevanCounts
    RevanCounts Posts: 7
    1. Eat
    2. Log
    3. Repeat

    I only add the calories though, too lazy to search the foods. It's easier and faster and the food database isn't perfect and I know I can add foods too the database but I'm too busy to be doing that.

    Edit:: Plus I'm mostly concerned about calories, the nutritional value of the foods don't matter to me.
  • chelovik
    chelovik Posts: 200 Member
    Because of the nature of my work I preload all the food I pack into my bag and pretty much stick to the planned food. That way I can relax and eat and people around me don't have to know what I am doing
  • darisey
    darisey Posts: 228 Member
    I always log my breakfast always the night before (except Saturdays). Lunch, I pre-log about half of the time. Dinner, I rarely preplan just because it's harder to figure out what to make. I try to preplan as much as possible.

    I do a lot better when I pre-log my meals. When I don't, I tend to not space out my calories correctly and I end up eating too little or too much for the day or not balancing my macros very well and skimping on veggies.

    I sometimes will change things if something comes up, I'm not too strict about it, it just helps me to make sure I'm getting what I need and I use it as a guideline.
  • CassieReannan
    CassieReannan Posts: 1,479 Member
    I prelog if I know I don't have plans.
  • stina1980
    stina1980 Posts: 27 Member
    I plan out my meals, so I typically log everything in the morning.
  • Lovestoscrapbook
    Lovestoscrapbook Posts: 295 Member
    I do a combination of the two. I have learned (the hard way) that it is better to pre-log because I can then evaluate my exercise for the day or find out just how many calories that cookie or whatever has and then make the decision to eat it or not. When I haven't prelogged, I have often been caught by surprise at the number of calories and then had a hard time fitting it in my day.

    For me, prelogging is best unless I am eating things I eat often and know approximately how much my total for the day is going to be.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    I log as I stuff my face. The wife tends to plan her stuff out a few days in advance.
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
    I usually do it as I go, but I sometimes pre-log, especially before going out to eat.
  • DebraYvonne
    DebraYvonne Posts: 632 Member
    I try to do in the morning before I head into work and adjust as I need to. TODAY was bad foodwise for me. Lunch with friends and a sneaky co-worker selling chocolate covered almonds for her child at work...all sent me over! I do better if I pre-log in the am though.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    I try to pre-log as much as possible. It helps me determine if I can have a treat.
  • Car0lynnM
    Car0lynnM Posts: 332 Member
    I mostly pre log at night the next day's meals. Sometimes I don't know what will happen for dinner, so I leave that blank. but the rest of it I know ahead of time, and try not to deviate from the plan. Pre logging for me prevents over eating during the day.

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