PLANNING YOUR FOOD DIARY?

GBrady43068 · January 2014

Nope. I am not a "planner" person although I do "guesstimate" mentally on nights I'm eating out or eating at a friend's house and therefore not sure what the dinner will be calorie-wise. Usually I hope to keep each meal around 500 and try to get in the neighborhood of 300 exercise calories on a workday.

For now this is working although I anticipate I will have to force myself to be more "type A" as I get closer to my goal weight.

wshultz14 · January 2014

In my home there are only two of us. I like to select at least three things to cook every other day, and we eat left overs the other day's or I have a freezer meal for a quick meal latter. To me this makes it easier to plan my weekly eating plan, and I know what I am going to buy at the grocery store.. I shop with a list, and it seems to reduce (not eliminate) impulse buying for me.

Good Luck, and have a Blessed Day

mtallan72 · January 2014

I find that I do very well if I plan ahead. I use to prepare meals on the weekend for the week and I just have to warm up the meat and put together the salad or roasted veggies. Good luck planning your meals ahead, I will give this a try again.

Wynterandemiliano · January 2014

THANK YOU THANK YOU. I am really starting this feeling so overwhelmed by what to do and what not to do and how much and all of that kind of thing, This community is so great and helpful, I think this is going to be a great thing for me!

fortally · January 2014

I plan the night before because I like waking up knowing I have a plan in place. Otherwise I wander into the kitchen in the morning and start grabbing whatever I see. I write out the whole day and then make up meals/snacks so that they are ready to go for the next day. I find I'm much more likely to stick to healthy snacks (like hummus and cucumber sticks) if they are already prepped when I want to eat them. It also helps me to eat a balanced meal plan throughout the day (making sure I get the veggies in). When I don't plan ahead I find that I overeat during the day and end up with no calories left for dinner (resulting in a plate of broccoli for dinner - not fun!).

Three tips:

1. Be flexible. Sometimes I end up changing what I want to eat for a meal, but having an 'idea' in place helps me make a 'swap' for something similar (like grilled salmon on my salad instead of grilled chicken). If you make a plan, then change your mind and don't want something - change it. Don't force yourself to eat it just because you put it in writing. You'll be much happier!

2. Leave wiggle room. I generally leave 100-150 calories out of the plan so that if I get hungry I have room to eat an extra snack. Sometimes I don't end up eating the calories and that's okay. But when I do eat an extra snack I don't have that 'man I blew it!' feeling because they were essentially 'extra' calories anyway. [Maybe just a mind game, but it works for me!]

3. Plan the junk. I plan the ice cream, Dove chocolate, and whatever else right into my day as part of my daily calories. If I know I get a small bowl of ice cream after dinner then I am generally able to fend off cravings for junk throughout the day.

epj78 · January 2014

A day ahead.....I do a week ahead - lol.

Well, I meal plan a week ahead. I won't actually put into MFP until the night before. If I don't pre-plan (based on where I'll be, what hours I have to work, etc) is KEY. If I don't, I fall apart. If I do, it's fantastic. I don't think about what I'm going to eat - I just follow the plan. I take all choice out so I can't make a poor one - lol.

lindsykaye · January 2014

I always plan my day the night before or first thing in the morning. However, whatever I have planned, it is always different by the end of the day. As soon as I hit 'Complete Entry' I start to switch things around. I've never been good at making decisions (and sticking to them) until the very last minute. Oh well, it works for me, lol!

leigh__ · January 2014

I preplan to prevent overeating and just assuming it's going to fit in with my calories and macros! Definitely helped me stay on track

wyattj99 · January 2014

I got grocery shopping weekly, keep me accountable, know what I will eat for the week from breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with my snacks. Now I know it can be changed up a bit with social events so I work around it.

MsMarlaJean · January 2014

I definitely think that planning ahead for you would make things less overwhelming, especially if you are newer to this and you have a busy schedule or hectic life because then you just follow the road map you lay out for yourself and it's done!

Like a few others have said it is always wise to remember that your meal plan should be a guideline, and maybe at first set in stone, so to speak, but later when you are a bit more comfortable remember to be a little flexible with yourself for when things and "life" come up...if you aren't you may fall into the "guilt" trap because you didn't stick to your plan and etc. etc.

Personally, I have planned weeks ahead in the past, but nowadays during the week I usually plan my day out in the morning while eating breakfast and then on the weekends I kinda wing it! However, if I have plans for something special...like tonight I will have a little "girlie" time with one of my Besties and we are ordering take-out, so I plugged in what I was having for dinner first and then planned the rest of my day around that!

Good luck to you!

jfauci · January 2014

I pre-plan all my food and log before I eat. I'm pretty consistent during the week, so it's easy. I like not having to think too much about food.

irisheyez718 · January 2014

I try to do this most of the time. If I can plan out a few days, or a week, even better. Of course sometimes small changes need to be made, but it really does help.

riverain · January 2014

Does anyone plan the night before what they are going to eat the next day to stay within their daily limit?
I am thinking about doing this, I might try tonight because I feel overwhelmed with what I should and should not eat throughout the day and I started out strong earlier this week and I am kinda going downhill,,stress is killin me and making me forget at times what I am trying to accomplish. I am thinking that if I know exactly what to eat then I can hold myself more accountable.

Yes! I am successful in the weeks I stock up with lots of easy healthy food choices, and doomed to fail on the weeks I don't plan ahead. I have no will power when I am hungry--all bets are off and get outta the way! So, I try to make it easy and brainless to pick something healthy.

Cathalain · January 2014

I never was a 'planner' before, but I like the fact that I pretty much know if I can have a little extra "sumthin' sumthin'" for the day or not. Sometimes it works out to my advantage - if I know I'm going to the gym later that night I do tend to try and eat a little more, because I know I'm going to need it.

Planning actually does work out for me.

airangel59 · January 2014

Yep, this is exactly what I've done since my first day here.

I pre plan/pre log my meals the day before & purposely add extra snacks (calories) at the end of the day to use as "place holders" so if I change what I end up having for an entire meal, or forget something extra I ate, or eat more of something than originally planned etc, I am then able to eliminate a snack or two & I know I won't go over my allotted calories. Edited to note that I don't post that food diary till the end of that day's eating.

It is what worked for me, might not work for everyone. It sure is worth a try.

E_Brault · January 2014

Planning is essential. I go to the grocery store once a week and buy the veggies that are in season and on sale. I look for thin cut chicken breast, pork loin, and steak - again looking for what is on sale. Then, I head to the fish section and buy single serve frozen mahi mahi, albacore tuna, cod, salmon - I'm pretty particular about my fish. Then it is just a matter of mix and match during the week. I always have meat and fish in single serve bags in the freezer ready to go.

For breakfast, I always have oatmeal in my office. For a snack, I always have peanut butter in my office. I keep almonds or walnuts in my purse to stave off hunger pangs. I always travel with water and keep a small bottle of Mio Energy nearby.