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Do you preplan your menu for the day?

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bandit5125
bandit5125 Posts: 491 Member
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I do mine, for a couple of reasons. I seem to stay on track if I know what I am having throughout the day. I am also the primary meal maker so it helps to know what the family wants so I can work my dinner around theirs.

I also take my lunch to work with me so it helps to know what I have for calories for lunch of I plan my dinner first as dinner seems to be the biggest calorie meal.

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  • lindabeth333
    lindabeth333 Posts: 130 Member
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    I have started to do that. That way I am not ending up after lunch and no calories left for the day. Yesterday I planned in a healthy dessert but when it came down to it - I really wasn't hungry and decided not to eat it - so I saved myself 200 calories. That felt like a small victory for the day. I came across a woman's blog who steadily lost weight every month to lose over 120 pounds and that is what she did as well - plan for success.
  • wordsandmusic51
    wordsandmusic51 Posts: 126 Member
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    Not specifically, but I usually have a general idea and don't keep a lot of options around so I use the healthy ones as I should. There is always that stray impulse though!
  • ActionAnnieGO
    ActionAnnieGO Posts: 37
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    I work out my day's calories while I'm drinking my cup of coffee in the morning, but I make changes as needed as the day goes by. It helps me to have a plan, but I usually make minor adjustments - less of this, more of that, etc.
  • Obnoxa
    Obnoxa Posts: 187 Member
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    Not specifically, but I usually have a general idea and don't keep a lot of options around so I use the healthy ones as I should. There is always that stray impulse though!
    I'm pretty much the same.
  • mart001
    mart001 Posts: 194 Member
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    I eat alot of the same things everyday, so I kind of have it down. When I change, my mind now, is it worth that many calories and then decide if i want to use that many calories on that. thats why i prelog, so i can see what that food is doing to my day. if i ate it first and then logged it, theres nothing i can do at that point. the biggest difference for me now is i think about what i am eating before i eat it and say , sure a can have that cake and pizza and maybe gain a pound or 2. but now i say is eating that worth me having to work a week or 2 to take it off. most times i say no, and wont eat it...:smile:
  • mjharman
    mjharman Posts: 251 Member
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    Dinners are always planned out for the week before I go to the grocery store, and they are written on a white board on my fridge so that everyone knows what's for dinner each day. That way, when I am at the gym or at school, my husband can prepare dinner...if he wants. :wink: Of course, the boys will still ask, "Mom, what's for dinner?" I think they just do it to annoy me...LOL!

    I pack my lunch everyday. Although there are some days, like today, when my coworker will say, "Do you want to go out to lunch?" and I will...because a Panera salad sounds so much nicer than the one I prepared this morning...

    Other than that, I don't particularly "count" my calories out for the day.
  • Magda_Castle
    Magda_Castle Posts: 53 Member
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    I always plan my days ahead - I pre log everything - this way I keep an eye on protein, carbs, fat and sodium levels and keep myself accountable. I also plan and pre log my excersise for the day - for the same accountability reasons :)
  • chriamaria
    chriamaria Posts: 76 Member
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    I go back and forth. a lot of times, I'll plan only to delete half of the stuff. That can get frustrating and make me feel like I'm wasting my time planning. Sometimes I find that it works well to just plan my breakfast the night before, that way I at least have the day started right. However, as I am trying to squeeze in more protein, I am going to start trying to plan ahead more.
  • flyygirl802
    flyygirl802 Posts: 59 Member
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    I am starting to pre-log now because I am finding that it helps me stay on track and it also helps me see when I put together a day's worth of food, but I put them together in such a way that it spikes my sugar, or doesn't give me enough protein or is too many carbs. This way, I can make adjustments for those things and do better at keeping not just my calories in line, but my macros too.

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