Do you guys plan ahead or go with the flow?

Options
suppakana
suppakana Posts: 307 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So my food intake fluctuates.

A lot.

Right now I'm on a good spree of losing weight since I've been eating about 1400-1600/day, and my BMR is between 1600-1700.

However, I'm regularly eating less than my BMR... Which I know means over time that I'm going to plateau and then begin gaining, so I'd like to try to avoid that NOW by behaving proactively than reacting later.

Do you guys plan out your meals ahead of time? If you do, how far ahead do you do it? What kinds of foods can you make a few days ahead of time (other than sandwiches and burritos; I make TONS of those as it is. And please no fish).

And how "dangerous" do you guys think it is to just wing my food [i.e. go with the flow]? Usually if I eat what's at hand I'll put forth efforts to control my quantities - we're having stew for dinner? Just one bowl. Eating out? Fish & salad. Etc.

My problem is that unless I'm eating prepackaged foods with way too much sodium, I find it extremely difficult to get anywhere near 2000 calories a day, which is what I should be eating. I'm usually good for the day on only 1400.

Replies

  • helenrosemay
    helenrosemay Posts: 375 Member
    Options
    I plan ahead, mainly because I do a big shop with a small budget so need to know what I'm going to eat that week. I'm a creature of habit though and like to eat the same things with a few additions every week. I also like to know how many calories I'll be eating that day, so I know if I can add something extra or not.
  • LornaRodda
    LornaRodda Posts: 20 Member
    Options
    I do plan ahead, I am not tracking to loose weight, I usually plan about three days ahead.

    Everything we eat is cooked from scratch.

    Nearly all home cooked meals can be frozen.

    Something like Chilli, and then you cook your rice fresh.

    Any pies topped with mashed potato, casseroles, meatballs etc
  • SNeumeister
    SNeumeister Posts: 12
    Options
    I plan breakfast & lunch & pack healthy snacks... but i wing dinner depending on what calories I have left
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    Options
    When I was losing and logging, I always planned ahead and pre-logged my entire day...no surprises...no, "can I fit this in" bull****. I always knew exactly where I stood. Occasionally I'd have to make changes for something unexpected, but it was rare. I credit proper planning for a lot of my success in pretty easily dropping 40 Lbs without feeling deprived and maintaining most of my LBM in the process.
  • Specialkayrina
    Specialkayrina Posts: 242 Member
    Options
    I plan the whole week ahead, and I adjust as I go. I tend to get anxious about what I'm going to eat if I don't do that, so planning ahead works best for me. Also if I know that at some specific day I want to splurge a little I can plan on saving some calories or exercise more to make sure I will not ruin my progress.
  • majica8
    majica8 Posts: 210 Member
    Options
    For the last few weeks I've planned 5-6 days in advance. We do our shopping on Saturday, I have the same for breakfast and lunch most days, so it's just a case of deciding what dinner I want on what night.
    I don't usually log snacks in advance unless I know for sure I'll be having something. I usually have anything between 300 and 700 calories left over after exercise.
  • MrsPong
    MrsPong Posts: 580 Member
    Options
    I plan/log the night before.
    That way I know what to bring with me to work and what I can snack on during the day and if I have "room" for something else if it pops up (like today it was cookies, I didnt eat one...but I have room for a half cookie.)

    You can always change what you ate or didnt eat as the day goes on. Also, I plan the dinners and if I know I'm eating out I look up what I'm getting BEFORE I eat it because I do not want to be shocked when I type it in AFTER I already ate it. (This method has stopped me from eating SOOOOO many things.)
  • StefPayne
    StefPayne Posts: 126 Member
    Options
    I plan ahead as much as I can. I have been eating a lot of packaged foods and snacks lately and I am trying to get away from that but I stay really busy and on the go in the summer and packaged snacks is just so much easier. Some weeks I eat healthier than others and it really just depends on what is going on in my life at the time.
  • MinatoandClover
    MinatoandClover Posts: 160 Member
    Options
    I've done okay with winging it, before. Sometimes, though, you unexpectedly go over.

    I have very few breakfasts that I eat and one that I tend to eat the most, so I just start off with that right off the bat. If I know I'm gonna be going out to eat or if I know what I or my boyfriend are going to make for dinner, sometimes I put that in, just so I know I won't go over eating it. That way, I know my range for lunch, and I can pick foods accordingly.

    Generally, the most I plan is a day in advance. I don't know what I intend to make enough for me to plan any more than that. And honestly, I think if I did plan more than that, it might drive me a bit crazy.
  • eazy_
    eazy_ Posts: 516 Member
    Options
    I plan my day. I like to see what I can fit in.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    Options
    I don't know how to plan. Honestly, I've tried. After day 2, I draw a blank.
  • Ainar
    Ainar Posts: 858 Member
    Options
    I plan ahead my foods for a day. Foods themselves are not being cooked ahead and changes a lot cos I get bored of same stuff every day tho. But I always make sure I plan my calories and other maros at the beginning of that day. I find that if you don't it's easier to ate more that you should, or less that you shuld what isn't better either if you want to have a most optimal progress. When I don't feel like eating much I just fill up the blanks with some healthy fat or sugars from juice, what doesn't makes you feel full and has a ton of cals. So not being able to fill up remaining cals... I don't get it.
  • tmpecus78
    tmpecus78 Posts: 1,206 Member
    Options
    fail to plan, plan to fail!
  • Bernadette60614
    Bernadette60614 Posts: 707 Member
    Options
    i keep a grocery list in word grouped by

    Produce

    Packaged goods

    Freezer

    Dairy

    Misc

    And, under each category I have those foods which I must have.

    We shop once a week (usually when the stores open on Sunday a.m. cause then shopping is quick and easy in an uncrowded store.)

    With that base of "good" foods in the house, I can plan for each day pretty easily

    I eat at 7, 10, 1, 4, 7 and 10 and go for produce and protein at every mini meal or meal.

    I find being too structured makes this all drudgery, but having some good, solid guidelines makes it easy to do.
  • suppakana
    suppakana Posts: 307 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the responses guys!

    I'll see if I can find a happy medium between planning bigger meals and winging it on snacks - if I plan too much it starts to feel too structured and I'll start deviating (part of the reason I use the "If I want a cookie, I'm going to go get a cookie" method of eating)..

    Hopefully I'll figure it out within a few weeks P: ... It doesn't have to happen today! =)

Categories