Do you track before or after you eat?

sidkrose
sidkrose Posts: 35
in Health and Weight Loss
Do you tend to plan and track what you're going to eat the day before? Or just have a general idea of how many cals you will eat at a meal and record it after? Or a mix of both? I have been planning the day before, especially if there is something going on, like I will be out all day, or know I will be having a piece of cake for someone's b-day, but I also track after I have a meal sometimes and I find if it's a normal day it works pretty much just as well.

Just wondering what other people do and which way works better for you!
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Replies

  • gabijadc
    gabijadc Posts: 90 Member
    Both ways. Usually I track while I eat (5 min. before) because I don't always know what I will be eating in advance.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    I tend to plan an outline diary for the day ahead, leaving room for a few extras along the way.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    I prelog my food 99% of the time. That way I know what I have to work with and exactly how much I have left.
  • Pearlyladybug
    Pearlyladybug Posts: 882 Member
    I plan my day out as soon as i get a chance, Then i know if i have room for treats etc!
  • laele75
    laele75 Posts: 283 Member
    Most of the time, I track while I am cooking. Otherwise after. Time constraints are what decides when I log.
  • yamsteroo
    yamsteroo Posts: 480 Member
    I tend to plan an outline diary for the day ahead, leaving room for a few extras along the way.

    This is my preferred method. If i leave 150 cals or so spare then that's a pkt of cridps, glass of wine or a snack bar later in the evening if I fancy something 'nice'. If I didn't do this I'd be over every day.
  • myfitnessval
    myfitnessval Posts: 687 Member
    i do the same as you. i have a plan, if i have to make any adjustments i do. i like it much better than going in blind and not planning out my meals. more often than not i'll short myself on dinner cals unless i plan ahead.
  • bsmith404
    bsmith404 Posts: 333 Member
    I try to plan the night before but that doesn't always work so I'll do it in the morning and then I tweak it if I have to.
  • Madelinew22
    Madelinew22 Posts: 289
    After ha prob why I over eat so much
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Do you tend to plan and track what you're going to eat the day before? Or just have a general idea of how many cals you will eat at a meal and record it after? Or a mix of both? I have been planning the day before, especially if there is something going on, like I will be out all day, or know I will be having a piece of cake for someone's b-day, but I also track after I have a meal sometimes and I find if it's a normal day it works pretty much just as well.

    Just wondering what other people do and which way works better for you!

    its 8.25 and i have today planned out! the snacks may change, and once i have added in my exercise i might eat a bit more for tea if i have the calories, but its pretty much planned.
  • SteelySunshine
    SteelySunshine Posts: 1,092 Member
    Both. But usually after. It's something I look forward to now. So if I log before it takes some of the fun out of it.
  • drop_it_like_a_squat
    drop_it_like_a_squat Posts: 377 Member
    I actually log everything while or right after I eat it, so I have an overview and can plan more dynamic. I don't plan my whole day in advance, so seeing the left calories/macros make it easier to decide what I'm going to eat next.
  • flywithabowtie
    flywithabowtie Posts: 71 Member
    It varies from day to day. If I make my meals ahead of time, then I will upload them all at once, but if its eat when I'm hungry kinda day then I upload right before I start shoving things in my mouth. That way I can see if I need to not eat something. I almost never eat before logging in the food, so I can remain close to my limits.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
    I log it after I eat it. I usually don't worry so much that way. I'm ALWAYS under.
  • sarski77
    sarski77 Posts: 79
    I pre-log 9 times out of 10. Even if I'm not 100% sure on quantities I just add an average portion, then tweak to reflect exactly what I'm eating.

    It helps me stay on track and get off my bum more if I notice I need more exercise to make up for what I have planned for the day!
    If I logged after eating I'd constantly be over!
  • jdhoward_101
    jdhoward_101 Posts: 234 Member
    I usually plan breakfast and lunch the evening before, as those are the two meals i am completely in control of. Plus i generally plan how much exercise i'm going to do the day before, so i am easily able to work out how many calories i'll consume and burn, and log it as i go. However, i eat dinner with my boyfriend, and he eats and eats and stays skinny as a rake, plus he point blank REFUSES to touch anything with the words "Low Fat" or "Sugar Free" in, so dinner is usually not incredibly healthy, unless i can persuade him to eat some fish or something. Plus we are spontanious eaters, and pretty poor, so dinner usually consists of whatever we have lying around in the fridge or freezer. To compensate for this, i leave the majority of my calories for dinner, and eat smaller portions; for example, if we are having pizza, then instead of eating half a pizza each like we used to, i'll eat quarter of a pizza and have a load of salad with it. At first my boyfriend complained about my 'awkward' eating habits, but he soon shut up when he realized it meant more pizza for him :p
  • Kyledrums
    Kyledrums Posts: 56 Member
    I log as I'm preparing the food. Though I have my main meal for lunch so if it's big I just have a small dinner or have a longer walk so I can have a big dinner as well.

    Kyle
  • NuttyNat24
    NuttyNat24 Posts: 30 Member
    I usually log 5 minutes before I eat, but I sometimes plan the day ahead if it's a rest day. :)
  • Lulzaroonie
    Lulzaroonie Posts: 222 Member
    Both, if I have an exact plan for what I'm going to eat, I'll log it first and then eat it later. If not, I'll log after. Makes no issue with me.
  • Lunachic77
    Lunachic77 Posts: 434 Member
    I pre-log my breakfast and dinner. Lunch is always a suprise (never know what they are serving until we get there). But I always allot about 500 cals for lunch. When lunch is over, I log it and that usually sets the bar on what snacks I will have later on throughout the day.
  • kirlia
    kirlia Posts: 81 Member
    Maybe I'm crazy, but I pre-log my entire week the weekend before.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    Both. I never pre-log breakfast, because what I eat varies a lot and I don't decide until right before. But if I know what I'm going to make for dinner, I'll log that so I can better plan the rest of the day.

    Also, if I'm going to eat out I always log what I'm going to have in advance--I like browsing menus and nutrition charts online and figuring out the most appealing meal that will fit my macros. And that helps me stick to the plan when I get to the restaurant so I don't get distracted by a nice shiny menu.
  • RedneckMomma77
    RedneckMomma77 Posts: 85 Member
    I don't plan out my meals in advance, but I do log before I eat. It gives me an idea of what I'm eating and how much. I just try to make sure that most of the foods in the house are healthy choices, and stick to those. That is sometimes easier said than done because my husband is tall and slim, and can eat whatever he wants and lose weight. He's lost like 3 or 4 pound the last few days, but he walks an average of 10-15 miles per day, usually at about 5 mph. He's long legged and walks like a man on a mission, everywhere he goes. I have a really hard time keeping up with him when we go somewhere together. The great thing about him, is he understands that I want to lose weight, and will buy whatever food I want and usually eat it with me. I just have to make some concessions for him, because he can not stand artificial sweeteners, so there is always sugar in the house for his coffee and tea, sodas, and he loves certain types of candy. Luckily for me the types of candy that he likes are types that I don't particularly care for.
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  • purplelizzard
    purplelizzard Posts: 93 Member
    Both. On weekdays I enter my breakfast and lunch in the morning to plan what I am going to eat and then at dinner (and weekends) I either do it while it is cooking, during, or right after.
  • c2tarun
    c2tarun Posts: 17 Member
    If I have options to choose between many foods with same nutritious value, then I log before and check which one is low on calorie :P
    If I don't have option I try to minimize my calorie intake and then log after.
  • lambchoplewis
    lambchoplewis Posts: 797
    I log the day of food, exercise and weight (yes, I do weigh myself every day) in the morning. I read the blogs to get motivated for the day. I add anything I put in my mouth throughout the day and always try to keep the calories at my target.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    If it's a new food I always log before (and then sometimes change my mind about eating it)

    If it's a food I am used to usually while I am eating or just after.

    The exception is dinner is I am close to my goal number. Then I log before in case I need to make modifications to stay under.
  • CatMcCheesey
    CatMcCheesey Posts: 143
    I fill in my breakfast, lunch and snacks for the next day before I go to bed. It really helps me stay within my macros.
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
    For Breakfast/Lunch/Snacks throughout the day I usually track them before & fill that part out the night before. For dinner I usually track that whenever I decide what I want to eat & how many calories I'll have left.

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