When do you log?

baby_grl_martinez
baby_grl_martinez Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a real hard time of keeping up my logging though the day. I find that I get distracted with returning to work from lunch, I usually eat breakfast in the car (can't log there), and with all the errands and chores that I have at home after work and dinner.

I have come up with a solution, I hope....to log all my items at once, preferably in the evening before I call it a night.

Has anyone tried this? Have you had success, failure? Any helpful advice as to what I can do to help maintain my log is welcome.

Thanks.!
«1

Replies

  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Log breakfast before you get into your car.
    Log at lunch.
    Consider logging one of your chores after dinner.

    You have plenty of time to log.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    I log food as I make it/before I eat it (I never log after eating. I've gotten smacked with the 'OMG, HOW MUCH' bat one too many times) and workouts after I've done them to completion. Usually.
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    I have a real hard time of keeping up my logging though the day. I find that I get distracted with returning to work from lunch, I usually eat breakfast in the car (can't log there), and with all the errands and chores that I have at home after work and dinner.

    I have come up with a solution, I hope....to log all my items at once, preferably in the evening before I call it a night.

    Has anyone tried this? Have you had success, failure? Any helpful advice as to what I can do to help maintain my log is welcome.

    Thanks.!

    If you cannot log into MFP, write it down. There's a good chance you'll forget something!
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    I log as I eat or while something is being made just because I am home during the day so it's easier.

    Log all your food in the morning or before bed. It only takes a few minutes.
  • SlimJanette
    SlimJanette Posts: 597 Member
    I prepare my food the night before so I log everything to make sure that my numbers are ok. The only thing I don't log is breakfast because I am not sure what I will have in the AM. I find it helps me and I am not trying to remember the next day how many calories were in something I weighed the night before.
  • denisetatum
    denisetatum Posts: 21
    I try to log after each meal or snack but there are times when I don't get the dinner logged until the next morning. Still having results. The important this is to do it every day then it just becomes a routine.
  • cherryd69
    cherryd69 Posts: 340
    After everything i eat, drink or do (as in exercise) :smile:



    Apart from cheat days (once a fortnight i go out with a mate from work... im normally too drunk to log straight away so i try my hardest to remember everything an log the next day.)
  • arains89
    arains89 Posts: 442 Member
    I generally plan all my food (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner) so I log it in the morning or the night before when I have some free time. That way I know what I am working with. I generally have left over calories and I will add in an after workout snack or dessert or maybe some wine or beer winding down before bed. I generally add that when I eat/drink it.
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    I do it a different way. I log first thing in the morning with what I am planning on eating for the rest of the day. That way I know what I am planning on will fit within the allocated goal. Then if anything changes, I can make ajudstments as they occur, and don't hit complete diary until either the end of the day or even the next morning when I start the whole process over again. I've found that for me, pre-planning makes everything much easier.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    I log while at home as I'm going to eat something. If I'm at work I usually have a general idea of the calorie count of what I'm eating so I just make a note of whatever it is and log it once I'm home in the evening.

    I think the danger in waiting to do it all at once is going over by too much. I don't tend to eat too much during the day because I'm rarely hungry in the morning and don't eat too much at work so I always have plenty of calories left at the end of the day to cover me if something I did eat earlier ends up being insane calorie wise.
  • KAS0917
    KAS0917 Posts: 172 Member
    I pre-track most things. When I make my dinner on Monday night, I usually pack up my lunch for Tuesday and sometimes have leftovers for Tuesday dinner. If I already know that's what I'm going to do, I would go ahead and log Tuesday's lunch and dinner on Monday when I'm cooking. If I'm going out to eat, I always pre-track.

    This has actually helped me in a few ways. Yesterday at lunch I went downstairs at our cafe at the office for a side salad, and they had a chicken parmesan casserole that looked AMAZING. But I didn't order it because I had already tracked the lunch I brought from home, and was too lazy to go back and delete what I brought and try and guess at what the office casserole calories are. So it saved me time, many calories and money to do it the night before! :)
  • StrongFitSexy
    StrongFitSexy Posts: 129
    I usually log all my food days before and prepare all my meals all in advance. That way I have it all planned out and have everything scheduled therefore I don't fetch for something unhealthy when I am hungry, everything is ready.
  • walleyclan1
    walleyclan1 Posts: 2,784 Member
    I pre-plan breakfast and lunch and log those first thing in the morning then I decide what to eat for dinner based on remaining calories, protein, carbs etc.
  • Cerdice
    Cerdice Posts: 12 Member
    On weekdays when I'm working I take my breakfast and lunch in with me so I log those the evening before. That allows me to check I've evened out my allotted calories throughout the day and also how much I have left for dinner. It gives me a guide as to how much exercise I need to get during the day as well. Weekends and the day I work at home, I do it as I prepare food which allows me to check I'm not going over.
  • geekette411
    geekette411 Posts: 154 Member
    I log first thing in the morning because I have already decided what I am going to eat for the day. If I make any changes (sometimes life throws a curve ball) I log any corrections after supper/dinner.
  • adairbrum
    adairbrum Posts: 68
    i log as i eat or right after , i tend to forget .......
  • NikkiiiT
    NikkiiiT Posts: 34 Member
    I log each meal before I prepare it. Sometimes after eating if i've had it before and know it won't make me go over on anything.

    Try downloading one of the MFP apps to your phone for when you're on the go.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I plan my entire day first thing in the morning...that way I know what's allotted to me, and if i meet my macros. No sense in guessing, that's how i got here. My diary is filled out and ready by 9:00 am
  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member
    iPhone app means that it only takes a few minutes. I can find a few minutes either in the morning or right before bed to log.
  • anasantos61
    anasantos61 Posts: 86 Member
    I log breakfast and lunch the night before and the rest of the day as I ago.
  • StaticEntropy
    StaticEntropy Posts: 224 Member
    I log first thing in the morning because I have already decided what I am going to eat for the day. If I make any changes (sometimes life throws a curve ball) I log any corrections after supper/dinner.

    This. Except I make my corrections/substitutions on my phone before taking a swing (bite?) of said curve ball. I need to know whether a full or partial serving will fit with the meal that I'm replacing.
  • vettech14
    vettech14 Posts: 28
    I log as I go. I have the opposite problem as most other people.. My body is in caloric hoarding mode because I don't eat much and I have put on a bunch of weight because of it along with other factors. I eat extremely healthy, but my intake is only on average about 700 calories. I am struggling trying to get it to 1200 hundred a day and to a 1500 maximum. So I have to log as I go to be sure I am getting enough. and this is only day 3 and I haven't met my goal yet, but I am getting closer. Just goes to show you that you don't have to eat to much to gain weight either... :(
  • dana9904
    dana9904 Posts: 6
    I am trying to log faithfully whenever I eat something, I log it in. I need to be held accoutable for my actions. If I don't do it this way, I may forget something along the way!
  • baby_grl_martinez
    baby_grl_martinez Posts: 25 Member
    Thanks guys and gals. I love the suggestions of preplanning. Perhaps rather than logging what I have had for the day, in the evenings, I will pre-log what I will have for the following day and make adjustments as they come along.

    I really appreciate all the help. Now that I am reading all of the suggestions, kinda feel silly I asked. The answers are such no brainers! =)
  • leebesstoad
    leebesstoad Posts: 1,186 Member
    I really appreciate all the help. Now that I am reading all of the suggestions, kinda feel silly I asked. The answers are such no brainers! =)

    I was going to say there are no silly questions. Of course there are, but yours was hardly one of them.
  • Lauren344
    Lauren344 Posts: 50 Member
    I track before my meals especially if I'm having something new and I don't no how many calories they are in it and fat ect... But most things I eat I know roughly what the meal contains. Also if I know what I'm having the next day I'll track to save some time.

    And like others have said preplanning and tracking is a great idea!

    And I track my exercise's more or less straight away because I like to know the total calories iv burned to give my self a little pat on the back haha

    Good luck :D

    Narnie
  • teeya1984
    teeya1984 Posts: 33 Member
    i try to pre-plan all my meals so i know what my calorie intake is before i start eating for the day....if something unexpected comes up (example: today i had an unexpected business lunch) i try to log as soon as i can so i can keep a game plan for the day.

    having the app on my phone really helps because i can log virtually anywhere.

    good luck!
  • amandabcdefg
    amandabcdefg Posts: 58 Member
    i usually log after i weigh or portion my food, before i eat it.. or i'll forget the measurements lol
  • WiDale
    WiDale Posts: 8 Member
    I try to log before I eat too - I find that it helps me make better choices (especially regarding portion) and that I stick to what I planned because it's already logged.

    I log:
    breakfast before I leave
    lunch late morning
    dinner right before eating
    any snacks as they go before eating them

    trying to get back into the logging rhythm since I've been off the wagon for quite a while, but this has worked for me quite well in the past.
  • fatsnacker
    fatsnacker Posts: 209 Member
    planning your meals ahead when shopping is a good thing as you will know what you will be eating most of the time.
    Somedays I log the food I know I will be eating, before leaving for work, which is great as I then know how many calories I have for snacks. Other times I log what I have just eaten - more time spent on the computer means less time with food in my hand.

Categories