pre-planning menus - is it worth it??

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  • slk_5555
    slk_5555 Posts: 177 Member
    I plan my meals for the week...before I go grocery shopping.

    There is always room to swap things around or change you mind or your plans. I plan breakfast, lunch & dinner & try to have a few cals left for snacks or unplanned cappuccinos. Planning ahead also heals if I am eating out during the week - If I know im going out for a meal one night I will try to eat lighter during that day to compensate.

    Generally speaking if I don't plan ahead, I find it hard to loose.
  • dandelyon
    dandelyon Posts: 620 Member
    Yes, it's worth it from a weight loss perspective as well as your monetary budget.

    The most important thing I can tell you about preplanning is that it gets easier the longer you do it. I do my planning on a biweekly basis, and we keep our trips to the grocery store limited in between. (ie for fresh produce or the occasional half gallon of milk)
  • nmwhitney12
    nmwhitney12 Posts: 239 Member
    Planning helps me stay on track! I also always try to include one new healthy recipe each week. It also helps when I grocery shop because before I really planned meals and snacks I was throwing EVERYTHING in the cart :/ PLanning help me cut down my grocery bill too b/c then I was able to look for coupons for things on my list and I didn't hunger shop!

    To each their own, my husband, while he doesn't hate it, doesn't appreciate it like I do. BUT when I send him to the store he comes back with all of the correct things (most of the time :laugh: :wink: ) Anyway...as I was saying different storkes for different folks. If you're organized or list oriented it will help tremendously!

    I made up a grid to help me each week on Microsoft word and when I'm done I stick it on the fridge for the week :)


    Good Luck :)
  • valeriepaluszynski
    valeriepaluszynski Posts: 12 Member
    Definitely start planning. Get a list of foods you know you like that are good for you and make sure you know their calories. Come up with combinations of protein and good quality carb's that will keep you satisfied. I aim for 1400 calories per day, but I go with 4 mini meals of 350 each, because I swear I never get hungry when I do this. Portion size is key - so that you are really getting 100 or 200 calories of peanut butter instead of 300,400... I do not get crazy over measuring everything, but I am careful with the high calorie stuff.
  • RedwoodCoast
    RedwoodCoast Posts: 107 Member
    Pre-logging is especially helpful if you are working to balance your micronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates) in specific proportions. That is difficult to do on an enter-as-you-go basis.
  • Makhai_
    Makhai_ Posts: 146 Member
    We plan for the week...... Pick a day and cook ahead all your meals for the up coming week. That way when you get up, just grab a few things from the fridge/freezer, and off you go for your day.
  • jeanie402000
    jeanie402000 Posts: 6 Member
    Pre-planning not only reduces my food bill, but it prevents me from standing in front of the fridge saying "what's for lunch?" Sometimes I don't have time to figure out what to eat and how many calories it is. I write my. "menu" down and tape it inside a cabinet . Then I can simply open the door and glance at it and pick something.
  • pepperpat64
    pepperpat64 Posts: 423 Member
    I find it very helpful to pre-plan and/or pre-log, but like many other commenters have said, leave some wiggle room. That way if you want to eat something you didn't plan ahead for, it won't be a big deal. (As long as you stay within whatever goal metric you're using, of course.)
  • TJWrites00
    TJWrites00 Posts: 27 Member
    For me planning can make the difference between a successful day and a not so successful day.

    I do so much better when I plan.
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Well, I don't really pre-plan, and I have done well. Everybody's different, I guess.
  • laurenk08
    laurenk08 Posts: 89 Member
    YES! its totally worth it. I pre plan usually 3 days ahead. When I first started MFP years ago it helps get me started and shed the first 20 or so pounds. I helped me prepare balanced meals, and use up the healthy ingredients in our kitchen so they wouldn't go bad. I still usually leave a hundred calories or so for emergency snacks. And I always pack my own snacks just in case. This way its also easier to pack my lunches the night before. Its a great habit to get into :)
  • felblossom
    felblossom Posts: 132 Member
    I plan ahead, at least on weekdays :)
    It's easier for me, not just calorie-wise, but for grocery shopping and a motivator to actually cook and get left-overs to bring to work. When I cook spontaneously I'm very un-creative, but taking time to look up new and exciting recipes and plan out my week makes cooking much more fun, creative and healthy.

    I don't plan my snacks, and I make room for changes, and it's been working out great for me!
  • hj1119
    hj1119 Posts: 173 Member
    I pre-plan/pre-log a day in advance. Saves me from the old trap of:

    "What shall we have for tea?"
    "Dunno."
    30mins later
    "What shall we have for tea?"
    "Don't mind."
    30mins later...
    Repeat until it's too late to cook anything and I've lost motivation.
    "Shall we get a takeaway?"
    "Okay"
    "Pizza?"
    "Ok you phone."
    9in pepperoni and mushroom pizza and a portion of chips each later...
    "We should have cooked"

    Story of my life.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    Pre-logging is especially helpful if you are working to balance your micronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates) in specific proportions. That is difficult to do on an enter-as-you-go basis.

    ^This. I do it either the night before or first thing in the morning. Breakfast is always planned the night before. It's useful for balancing macros but also for time management. I find I'm not scrambling for what to eat for dinner when the family screaming they're starving. I already have it sorted.
  • HellaCarriefornia
    HellaCarriefornia Posts: 102 Member
    I do best when I pre-plan and plug in as much as possible. I usually do it the night before for the next day - I have a hard time doing the whole week at once. Dinner tends to be the most spontaneous for me, so I if I end up not eating "as planned" then I at least have an idea of how many calories I can eat. I also like to leave a hundred calories or so as a buffer for extras that may come up - do I want an extra snack, a little more meat at dinner, a piece of chocolate, etc.
  • zombiemusicgirl
    zombiemusicgirl Posts: 98 Member
    I pre-plan/pre-log a day in advance. Saves me from the old trap of:

    "What shall we have for tea?"
    "Dunno."
    30mins later
    "What shall we have for tea?"
    "Don't mind."
    30mins later...
    Repeat until it's too late to cook anything and I've lost motivation.
    "Shall we get a takeaway?"
    "Okay"
    "Pizza?"
    "Ok you phone."
    9in pepperoni and mushroom pizza and a portion of chips each later...
    "We should have cooked"

    This! This is soooooo what happens to me! It can't hurt to give pre planning a try. It works for me when I do it!
  • happydaze71
    happydaze71 Posts: 339 Member
    Planning is the only way to go. I pack all of my next days food for work the night before. I cook on the weekends and freeze meals. Eating spontaneously is a disaster!!! It certainly doesn't mean that if you go out for dinner or lunch, or a friend pops in for coffee that all is lost, it just means that most of the time you have made sure you know how your day is going to pan out.
    It saves me over and over!!

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