Pre-logging entire food day vs log at end of day?

13

Replies

  • Trying2Recover
    Trying2Recover Posts: 43
    I log as I go.
  • Serenitynow29
    Serenitynow29 Posts: 119 Member
    Well. I pre-logged today. Let's see how it goes.

    I think I like the concept. I saw exactly where I would be over before I prepped/consumed it. That let's me decide in advance what to change, adjust.
  • missomgitsica
    missomgitsica Posts: 496 Member
    I have found that if I plan in too much detail I end up wanting to eat something that's not going to work for me . . . ie, if I have it in my head that I'm going to eat this, this, and this, and that's just that, I'm going to end up craving McDonalds like mad. So I don't plan too religiously and kind of log as I go. The office where I work doesn't have any restrictions on our internet use so I have access to the MFP site all day long, which is nice. Really, though, I think it's just a preference, and whatever works for you is what you should do :).
  • charliehefferon
    charliehefferon Posts: 223 Member
    I Pre-log meals a week in advance! Sounds crazy I'm sure, but it helps me with food shopping - I never buy too much, just enough!

    I don't have a lot of free time in the week, so weekends I tend to make a big batch of something for dinners & freeze them. Breakfast is usually eggs or oats - and lunch is salad with a protein of some sort. Snacks tend to vary to fit my macros, and I always try and leave a couple of hundred cals for evening sweet treat :)

    Some people may see this as too structured, but it's whatever works for the individual!
  • Stopin_da_yoyo
    Stopin_da_yoyo Posts: 138 Member
    Wow! Prelogging is impressive guys. I know that wouldnt work for me. Id feel restricted and would break it early. Logging as I go helps me feel in more control and I always know where im at. Besides I pretty much have a routine down by now and its been working for me.
  • LucyBzz
    LucyBzz Posts: 47 Member
    I'm finding that a mixed approach works for me so far - I pre-log what I am confident that I will eat (lunch that I bring from home, dinner that I have pre-planned such as yesterday's leftovers) but I also add to it with anything extra I eat during the day ...
    I couldn't prelog a week though, that wouldn't work for my lifestyle!
  • kazzsjourney2goal
    kazzsjourney2goal Posts: 56 Member
    For me I prelog the night before, I use a app on my phone and any changes I make I make at the time I go to eat.
  • aledba
    aledba Posts: 564 Member
    Wowzers lots of responses so I won't quote each and every one of you but it does sound like pre-logging is the majority winner. I agree that it is different for everyone but in my case I can relate to the people that have been benefited by taking some of the energy out of having to decide what to eat in the moment (when you are more likely to say F-it!) by having everything preplanned. I tend to do the best on work days, and I think that is because for work days I plan ahead more! Duh! I bring what I am eating with me and that is it. Once I am home I go by how I am "feeling" and I'll be honest with you, I often feel like Cool Whip, which any of you can see if you look in my diary! I am still working out the details of what keeps me satisfied the longest in terms of protein/fat/carbs, but I have a feeling doing everything ahead of time is going to help out with that. Not to mention my grocery bill! I JUST made the comment to my boyfriend that we needed to have more organization in our shopping because I end up at the grocery store every day picking up odds and ends for what ever it is we feel like having for dinner that night but at the same time food we don't use because we didn't plan on it goes bad and we throw it out.....sorry little off topic there......
    I write up brief meal plans for dinner so we don't waste food. I also store dry goods in mason jars so we can see what we have without having to dig.
  • kittykat1994
    kittykat1994 Posts: 149 Member
    I prelog, up to 3 days ahead when I get free time as I am often busy. I leave about 40-50% of my calories for dinner, so I have room to change my mind if I feel like something else.
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
    I can't prelog lunches as we are fed at work and what is on the menu changes. I could likely log breakfast but i'd need to adjust weights a little so just log it while eating. Lunch determines what I have available for dinner
  • Nedra19455
    Nedra19455 Posts: 241 Member
    I only pre-log if there's something special I want to be sure to save calories for. If that's the case, I will pre-log the special dish and then make sure that the rest of my food fits around that.

    One time, we'd ordered thai food and so I went through and entered all the dishes we'd ordered. I set all the servings to 1g. Then when the food arrived, I measured out (by weight) how much I wanted of each thing -- in order from favorite food to least favorite and changed the amounts in MFP as I went to reflect what I was putting on my plate. It really helped me make good choices to have all the foods in there and just be able to adjust portions until I had the plate I wanted.

    Normally, though, I just look at how many calories I have left and decide on foods as I go.
  • fit_rox
    fit_rox Posts: 83
    I log after every meal so that I can listen to my body and see what I'm actually craving and try to fit it into my macros for the day.
  • FatNFightingIt
    FatNFightingIt Posts: 22 Member
    I log everything in the morning. I do pack my lunch and snacks so those are ready to go. Then as I eat food throughout the day I double check to make sure nothing changed. I also add my water as I drink it. It helps me to keep track and make sure I am getting it all in. By logging my day right away in the morning, I have more of an idea on what will fit in my goals so I can plan my dinner accordingly. If I know what I am having for dinner, I log it then. Otherwise, I make a plan at that point so I can adjust as needed. Planning and tracking has definitely been a huge key to my success.
  • misschoppo
    misschoppo Posts: 463 Member
    I go through phases where I don't plan and find that I always end up eating more as a result so most of the time I pre plan and log food into my diary a day or 2 in advance. I can then make sure everything adds up to where I want it to be and then I just edit it if anything happens to change. If I pre log the night before I usually have no problem sticking to what I've planned as I'll decide what I'm having and also prep it (if possible) so it's ready to grab and go the next day.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I prelog and adjust for the day. I like to have a plan for what to eat, because it keeps me accountable (like actually eating breakfast), and helps me make wiser choices if I stick with my lunch plan, but have to change up dinner on the fly. It's been really helpful for me to stick to my goals.
  • LeafyEdge
    LeafyEdge Posts: 41 Member
    I have ADHD and anxiety. Some days I wake up and I just know that my mind isn't going to be on the right track without some help. Pre-logging on those days really, really helps me. Have one of the biggest stresses in my life already planned out sets me at ease.

    But it's not something I commit to doing every day. Especially on rest days, I just want to eat on the fly.
  • Amitysk
    Amitysk Posts: 705 Member
    I log as I go... Works for me!
  • NewYearRes2013
    NewYearRes2013 Posts: 3 Member
    Pre-logging has definitely worked for me. I pretty much always have the same breakfast, and I plan out dinners by the week so I will log that information and leave lunch and snacks open for variation.
  • Serenitynow29
    Serenitynow29 Posts: 119 Member
    I totally changed breakfast. I wasn't hungry enough for all of it. I just deleted the entries instead so I ended up getting back a few hundred calories.

    I think this let's may pay a bit more attention to nutrition which is a bonus. I got a few hundred calories back, so far so I can re-evaluate how to shore up micro-nutrients ( macros were shockingly spot on!).
    I can certainly see doing this for the weekend and it maybe an in to accomplish a goal of meal planning in the first place. I like to cook so our fridge, freezer, & larder are always packed, but... I also throw out a lot of fresh food. This could help in that department.
  • kaseyr1505
    kaseyr1505 Posts: 624 Member
    I log a week at a time. If I have a special event, I will plan for it (if I have enough notice).
  • DesDawn24
    DesDawn24 Posts: 147 Member
    I log everything I plan on eating during my work day when I get to work in the morning, so I know where I'm at with my macros. Then depending what the numbers are, I plan dinner accordingly. I usually test log what I plan to cook for dinner to see where it would land me, and adjust accordingly. I used to just log as I went, but I went over more often than not because I wouldn't leave enough room for the evening!
  • ewelch03
    ewelch03 Posts: 3 Member
    I do the same, log what I can and if I know what's for dinner, I will add that in too. This lets me know if I can sneak in that extra bite size snickers or if I have to walk the dog before I get my treat!
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    Pre-logging helps me stick with my plan. I don't always do it, but when I do, I am more successful at staying under. A couple of days ago, decided to try to stick to my macros and found that I generally don't eat enough protein. So, for example, today I added a protein bar at the end of my day to achieve that goal.
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,130 Member
    I prelog and make adjustments as needed. It helps me know what's in my calorie allotment. I can substitute one thing for another if I know they are similar in caloric content. Then I make fewer decisions while hungry (which is always bad for me).

    I sit down the night before and decide what sounds yummy and try to work it into the plan somehow. :)
  • kmariet7
    kmariet7 Posts: 229 Member
    pre-log...so I know what I can have to snack...
  • amandzor
    amandzor Posts: 386 Member
    Pre-logging first thing ever morning allows me to not only plan my day, but to carefully monitor my calories. It helps me with will-power to not grab that one more snack bar at night because I've run out of "calorie credits" so I can't afford it.

    I feel like if I logged after, I'd run over my calories every day, and have less control over my intake.
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    I pre log and adjust as I go
  • NataBost
    NataBost Posts: 418 Member
    I pre-log. When I don't, I end up saying, "It was THAT many calories? I didn't know if had THAT much sodium!" Plus when I pre-log, my losses are far more steady.
  • daynerz
    daynerz Posts: 227 Member
    Smarter to save a suprise or event that may creep during your day,

    why have to turn down a suprise outting, when you reasonably can eat every couple hours and eat as you go and log...

    I think it makes life less stressful, to me, pre logging sets me up to fail and sets the tone of that day,... i like flexibility.
  • GeordieGirl80s
    GeordieGirl80s Posts: 120 Member
    I find it waaaaaaaaaaaay easier to stay at/under my calorie allowance if I pre-log and it means I can work out what I can fit in as snacks and how much of a treat I can allow mysely after I've logged my 3 meals.

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