We are pleased to announce that on March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor will be introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the upcoming changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

When do you track calories?

Leebett
Leebett Posts: 238 Member
edited January 28 in Food and Nutrition
I'm still working on week 1 so really new to all of this and looking for advice. Do you post food as you eat throughout the day, pre-plan all of your meals in the morning or wait and add them all at night? Right now I feel like I am entering throughout the day, but it seems to be consuming my life, and maybe it should until I get my new lifestyle under control. I have a long journey ahead of me.

Replies

  • violetsue
    violetsue Posts: 54 Member
    In the beginning I tracked as I ate to get a feel for how I was doing. Now I usually do it in the evening. I try to track throughout the if I eat more than usual or if I have spare time.
  • mrsriisky
    mrsriisky Posts: 129 Member
    I just posted a topic on this today, if you'd like to check it out, some great responses- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1029448-adding-before-eating

    I personally like a big, robust dinner, and love to make it homemade, so I usually put my dinner in early in the day, so that I can fit in other foods around it.

    Preplanning helps me a lot! You can always change what you put down if you have a change of plans, but it makes it easier for me to avoid getting halfway through the day and realizing I don't have enough calories left to eat both the pot roast that's been making in the crockpot all day, AND the avocado salad I spent 30 minutes making.
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    I pre-log.. leaving myself some wiggle room and adjust as I go..

    i find when I have a plan i'm much more relaxed and i don't stress so much.. adn I stay on track better.. of course if I want something extra i adjust as I go.. but I didn't do that in the beginning.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    I usually plan my next day every night to make sure I hit all my macros
  • QueenofScott
    QueenofScott Posts: 305 Member
    I log my food as I eat it, except I sometimes log dinner ahead of time, since I usually have somehting planned to prepare. That way I know what I have to work with the rest of the day.
  • RM10003
    RM10003 Posts: 316 Member
    Pre-planner here--definitely helps me stay within my calories (well, pretty much) and hit my macros/nutrients. I log the night before since I take lunches to work.
  • TravelDog14
    TravelDog14 Posts: 317 Member
    I'm a bit of a hybrid calorie tracker.

    Night before I'll log my breakfast and lunch for work days because I pack them the night before.

    Then dinner and snacks (I snack all day long) normally get added as I consume them.

    Throughout the day I'm often times adjusting some stuff I've pre-logged but then not eaten.
  • epicrockstar24
    epicrockstar24 Posts: 86
    Normally (like when I’m not on my current diet), I am pretty aware of what i’m going to eat at dinner, so I’ll add that in the morning when I add breakfast or something, that way I can figure out what to eat during the rest of the day based on how many calories i have left until I meet my limit. It’s easier than traking after each meal and snack only to get to dinner time and realizing I’m already at my limit and I need to either exercise, skip dinner, or just go over.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories