When do you fill in your food diary?

Options
SJLS2013
SJLS2013 Posts: 149 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I used to fill in my food diary at lunch time and in the evening, but if I went over, it was too late.

Now I'm starting to fill in my food diary in the morning for the whole day so I can be more strict with myself and hopefully won't stray from it and snack.

I can't keep filling it in at work every time I eat something!

But when do you find is the best time to fill it in?
«1

Replies

  • JJordon
    JJordon Posts: 857 Member
    Options
    MFP app on my Android.

    Also, I pick my foods at the beginning of my day. To plan out my day, strict diet/nutrition plan here.
  • hhayes06
    hhayes06 Posts: 189 Member
    Options
    I fill in as I go, I don't want my whole eating day planned out first thing in the morning because sometimes I have no idea what I am going to be having that day. I bring in my whole weeks worth of lunches to work so I could say this is for Monday, this is for Tuesday, etc etc but in reality I am going to eat what sounds good at the time. Since I fil as I go I can say "okay, I am at this amount and still have this many calories left so I am going to have this for dinner". I don't worry too much when I go over as long as it is not by a huge amount. Daily totals aren't what's most important to me but rather totals for the week and what the scale says or how my clothes fit.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    I fill in my main meals up to a week in advance so I can plan my food shopping and usually plan snacks etc the night before. I prefer to have it all planned out so I never have a situation where I'm grabbing anything because I'm starving or where I suddenly realise I only have 57 calories left for dinner!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Options
    As soon as I know what I'm eating for the day. Always BEFORE I've eaten it. Sometimes as much as the day before. I use it to look at various options and then take out the ones I wont be having.
  • CaffeinatedConfectionist
    CaffeinatedConfectionist Posts: 1,046 Member
    Options
    Now I'm starting to fill in my food diary in the morning for the whole day so I can be more strict with myself and hopefully won't stray from it and snack.

    On work days, I also pre-log all my food/snacks in the morning. It's not set in stone, obviously, and I tweak it throughout the day or swap some meals or snacks out for others. I do pretty much all my cooking from scratch, so I am usually planning out what I'll be making in advance anyway, and like you, I find that logging in advance helps keep me on track. It also helps me plan my workout for the day, based on my calorie intake.
  • curvycarrie
    curvycarrie Posts: 56 Member
    Options
    During the week I fill out my breakfast and lunch first thing in the morning while im having my coffee. It also helps me plan what to pack for my lunch, or what i might feel like for breaky! Also, it lets me know what i have left remaining for supper. If something extra comes up during the day, i will add it..or if i don't eat something from my lunch..i will delete it. You will find it easier as you go along trust me!! I really enjoy the logging, I don't know what Id do without it ...its become such a habit! One day I wasnt able to get into the site due to temporary maintance and i was going through with drawls! Good luck with your logging! :smile:
  • wibbley74
    wibbley74 Posts: 80 Member
    Options
    i do it as soon as i eat or the first instance i can after - say after a meeting

    what i tend to do mid to late afternoon if i am feeling peckish is work out my evening meal and add that then i know why i've got left to play with and nibble on and i know what i have to look forward to for dinner

    the only day i haven't done this was when i was out with friends at the weekend. i came home and logged all my food before deciding what to have for dinner based on spare calories
  • Sla6adm
    Sla6adm Posts: 31
    Options
    I don't log everyday now as I am maintaining, and won't realistically log every day for the rest of my life. However, if I am eating something new I log it so I can get an idea of what I am eating calorie and sugar wise. I do this the night before so I know how many spare calories etc I have to play with.
  • runlikeananna
    runlikeananna Posts: 42 Member
    Options
    I do it as I go too. I have been doing it long enough now to know when I may be over eating and I head on out and do some exercise.
  • keltay2012
    keltay2012 Posts: 7
    Options
    i fill mmine in the morning so i can control what i eat and know what i have left if i feel peckish lol x
  • charliehefferon
    charliehefferon Posts: 223 Member
    Options
    I plan my meals a week ahead, so I can fill in most of my diary at the weekend - leaves only a small margin for error and over eating
  • tndejong
    tndejong Posts: 463
    Options
    i try to fill it in the mornings. but i usually dont finish it until late afternoon or early morning the next day.
  • pinkcloudrising
    pinkcloudrising Posts: 63
    Options
    the night before. i have to plan my meals otherwise just graze all day. the planning takes away that stress of what and how much and if....
  • MrsBobaFett
    MrsBobaFett Posts: 802 Member
    Options
    I fill it out throughout the day, literally after I eat something so I don't forget to put something down.
  • ron2e
    ron2e Posts: 606
    Options
    If I can I log it ahead of time, not always possible when I am travelling, which allows me to keep at the level of calories I wish to. Eating out is more difficult and I tend to use the MFP phone app to check menu items I like the look off to get a rough idea how much I am loading. In a month, two business weeks of which I have been travelling, I have only been over once and that by a very small amount. However yesterday having decided what I was going to eat in the evening and taken it out of the freezer, I filled in my diary and found myself 500 cals short of my allowance, so added in a couple of biscuits (cookies) and some chocolate to bring the count up. Probably not a good idea and I will get some nuts in reserve in case this happens again.
  • bobf279
    bobf279 Posts: 342 Member
    Options
    Mostly in the mornings after my first walk and when I can check the contents of my lunch box, then again in the evening after dinner while making an allowance for my many cups of tea
  • cervenec
    cervenec Posts: 64
    Options
    I usually log everything I plan to eat in the morning, but I'll move things around as stuff changes. I try not to worry if I go over, but I usually don't.
  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
    Options
    As I go along, mostly, on my phone. It's usually in my pocket, so there's no reason to put off recording until later. I don't record before because I might change my mind. I don't like rigid meal plans when real life can so easily get in the way.

    And I do like logging the food and exercise, then seeing that I can have pretty much anything I like for dinner.


    I'd be pretty miffed to find out afterwards that I'd gone way over, rather than thinking 'I'm good for some bread/fruit/extra bowl of cereal if I feel like it', so knowing I could have more - and choosing not to.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
    Options
    As soon as I know what I'm eating, and always before I eat it :)
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Options
    Before I eat the item - or if out, I enter it into my phone's spreadsheet (it's too old to run the apps :( ) then log it when I get home.

Categories