How often do you log your food in a day?

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Replies

  • AHASRADA
    AHASRADA Posts: 88 Member
    I always log in the AM (or even the night before), because I plan my food for the day, and because I have a basic meal plan with only a few variables. For example, I do low-carb on Mon., Tues., Thurs. and Fri., so I have my low-carb meals and snacks saved and just log them. Same for the higher-carb days; those meals are saved and I just copy-paste. On the weekend, where I have more wiggle-room, I like to plan ahead by plugging in the non-variables (breakfast, veggies at lunch, salad at dinner, etc.) and see how many calories I have left to fill in the blanks.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    I usually always log as I eat, unless I know for sure what I am having for all my meals.

    I have to play around with my macros too, so sometimes I am updating all day!
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
    I log food after meal is complete usually.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Every time before I eat something. I never know exactly how much of what I'm going to have anyway.
  • suziepoo1984
    suziepoo1984 Posts: 915 Member
    i log in the morning, after breakfast... i make my lunch for work the night before, so i know what that is to log in advance, and we generally have a menu of what's for dinner each day so i can log that in advance as well... the only thing that might change is the number of snacks depending on my cals/macros/how much exercise i do.

    weekends i log as i eat.

    ^^This
  • 34blast
    34blast Posts: 166 Member
    I log everything right before, during, or right after I eat it. Sometimes at a restaurant, I'll log before I eat then decide if I can have another helping etc. To me, you are less likely to mess up if you plan in advance, but I have an idea what to eat before each meal. So if you logged everything before dinner, you might see you are low on calcium and vitamin A. So I'll eat yogurt, milk, veggies, and lean protein so it comes out about right.
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
    Right before or right after I eat. Sooooo normally 4-5 times a day.
  • svsl0928
    svsl0928 Posts: 205 Member
    I log before. If there are changes, I make the adjustments. Planning ahead helps me stay on track.
  • Whyareyoumad
    Whyareyoumad Posts: 268 Member
    I log what I eat before I eat it, that way I can scan things if I need to. Thankfully most of what I eat is in my recents. It also helps me choose menu items when I take the kids out, yep I can have 3 tacos today! I stay disciplined this way. So far its working for me.
  • kaylorraine44
    kaylorraine44 Posts: 135 Member
    I usually log the night before and make appropriate changes the following day.
  • taidasrictar
    taidasrictar Posts: 100 Member
    i log the night before using kinda averages i have figured out for the food weights (i eat a lot of the same things often)

    then fix the numbers after i eat the meals for the real weights and see what i have left
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I try to pre-log to get an idea but I end up re-logging just before I eat something.
  • spamantha57
    spamantha57 Posts: 674 Member
    Sometimes I'll log a couple things the night before if I'm planning on having them - like my to-go breakfast or a salad & yogurt I prepacked for lunch. Then I usually log on my phone app during the day. Dinner so far is the last thing that's usually up in the air, & sometimes I decide what to have based on what I'm lacking from the day (need more fiber or protein or if I have lots of fat left I'll have some cheese cuz I love it.)
  • septembergrrl
    septembergrrl Posts: 168 Member
    I normally log as I go. The app's on my phone, so there's really no reason not to, and I feel it helps keep me honest because I don't have time to forget things.

    In general, I'm not enough of a planner to totally pre-log. The exception is that sometimes, if I know what I'm planning for dinner, I log that early so I know how many calories I'll have for the rest of the day.
  • I have a general idea of what I'm eating in the day, like I know I'm having chicken or fish for dinner and generally which vegetables I have, but the weight of the veggies is an eyeball that I measure out when I make dinner.
  • airdiva1
    airdiva1 Posts: 198 Member
    I often do at least two logging a day.
    The first one is after breakfast and before preparing lunch.
    The second one is in the evening before fixing dinner.
    If I change something, will adjust.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I log in advance. Sometimes several days in advance. That's the best way for me to hit my macros.
  • Eli716
    Eli716 Posts: 262 Member
    I log in advance as well, but only the night before with some space for leeway in case there's an unexpected change in the day that cuts into a meal.
  • CaptainHNNNGGG
    CaptainHNNNGGG Posts: 205 Member
    I usually log one day in advance and then tweak the grams the next day. Its addicting lol
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
    I log my day in the morning and then adjust as I go.
  • LanaeCarol
    LanaeCarol Posts: 158 Member
    I generally log right after I eat a meal or a snack. If I see that I am going to be a bit light I will figure out what to have as snacks. Those I usually log before I eat them. I do write down what I eat in a paper & pen journal so if I am somewhere without internet access I can add it in later.
  • wpwarrior88
    wpwarrior88 Posts: 1,503 Member
    I started out logging as I ate - just recently I have adjusted my macros so I now plan my meals the night before. Breakfast is a smoothie 7 days a week, easy input. I plan my dinners for the entire month, it is easy for me to set up the recipe and input that info, too. Then I plan my lunch and snacks around the leftover macros. I print out my daily menu so I can check off as I eat or add to. Any updates need are done that night when I plan the next day.

    I am only a week or so into tracking this way and it seems to be working very well. For instance we are going out to eat tomorrow night and I added to dinner what I figure I will order - high cal and fat (a complete splurge!); so I adjusted the rest of my day to compensate and planned according for exercise.

    All in all for me being flexible is key, having the option to use my computer or cell to access MFP is a blessing.
  • wendy0210
    wendy0210 Posts: 86 Member
    I log it as I eat it. If I know I'm going out for a larger dinner or some other get-together where I have an idea what food or types of food will be there, I may adjust other meals/snacks in the day accoridingly to balance out but I don't really pre-plan things.
  • fleetzz
    fleetzz Posts: 962 Member
    I log as I go, unless I am going to a restaurant, then I search for item on the menu to figure out what I am going to choose, then I prelog.

    I use runtastic so it logs my exercise for me. I don't bother logging strength training
  • rachelakai2
    rachelakai2 Posts: 51 Member
    I am a planner, I log ahead of time this way I know what to pack to take to work with me. I also pre cook and individualy package everything else on my days off. This way everything is ready to grab and go and there are no excuses.
    I make sure I have plenty of snacks planned too, this way I don't feel restricted. I eat at least every 2 hours
  • mrsamanda86
    mrsamanda86 Posts: 869 Member
    I generally just log as I go, unless I actually take something out for dinner or have some specific meal planned that I want to work around for the day.
  • dj59lane
    dj59lane Posts: 52 Member
    I log as I eat more accurate
  • samammay
    samammay Posts: 468
    I log everything first thing in the morning and then update throughout the day with actual scale measurements.
  • I log my breakfast, lunch and snacks first thing in the morning. If I already know what I'm making for dinner, I put that in there, too.

    If I have wiggle room, I treat myself. :)
  • tinyzombie
    tinyzombie Posts: 128 Member
    I usually don't eat breakfast, log lunch after I eat it, and pre-log dinner. After dinner, if I have snacks or dessert, I log them as I go.