Tip for not using your daily calories too fast

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  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
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    Great idea! :) Putting in some quick calories as a placeholder seems a great idea. Generally I'm happy to do the math in my head to get an idea of what calories I need to set aside for later, but this seems like a handy way I may try.
  • MoveitlikeManda
    MoveitlikeManda Posts: 846 Member
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    I pre log too.

    It helps me because i know what im having each day, and also helps me planning the weekly shopping list of things i need to buy.

    Infact I have just pre logged every day untill next saturday.

    Even when pre logging and have put in a good breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack, I still have a few calories left for each day that if i have any extra snack etc i can simply add it the day I have it. but how my meals are planned and set out i dont usually have to add any other snacks.

    I also find that pre logging helps me stay on track for the fact Im already planned around the day and the kids.
    It can be hard to remember things when im running around after all 4 of them so if I already have it set out, come lunch time I just have a quick look and see what im doing.
    And i usually weigh out my food the night before so its ready to slap together saving me even more time during the day.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I eat breakfast, log it, then plan and pre-log that day's dinner - helpful for filling in lunch and snacks, and because I need to figure out what's for dinner anyway! :tongue: Win win!

    But yeah - if I have breakfast and dinner logged, then I can make better choices for lunch, aiming for more protein or whatever, and have more freedom with snacks during the day as well.
  • Seabee74
    Seabee74 Posts: 314
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    Yea and I set my clock ahead 15 minutes so I'm never late ... Only problem, I know it's fast !
  • Timmi1978
    Timmi1978 Posts: 34 Member
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    If you find towards the end of the day you don't have enough calories left for dinner try this tip. I often add quick calories at the beginning of the day. For example, I'll add 500 quick calories to the dinner category and 300 to the lunch category. I find it easier to see what calories I have free for snacking knowing that I'll have calories available for lunch and dinner. When I eat lunch and dinner I delete the quick calories I entered and add the actual meal. I find this works well.

    Thank you for sharing, a great idea!
  • Dsgnr
    Dsgnr Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm not tricking myself. It's an easy way for me to see how many calories are available for snacking. I love snacking! :) If I do know ahead of time what I will be having for meals I log them ahead of time instead of the quick calories. Whatever works is what counts :)
  • silentKayak
    silentKayak Posts: 658 Member
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    I find it really helpful to log JUST BEFORE you make/order food. For example, if I'm making lunch which is tuna salad and crackers, I might decide to have half as many crackers or maybe switch out the mayo for greek yogurt in the salad.

    Or if I'm eating out, I usually use the mobile app to log right before I order. This weekend I went to brunch and ordered a "healthy" (hah!) eggs florentine ... only to discover AFTER I ate that the hollandaise sauce has like 300 calories. I never knew that before, and if I had, I never would have eaten it. So logging first helps you make better decisions, which is really what it's all about.
  • StrawberryJam40
    StrawberryJam40 Posts: 274 Member
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    I have been trying to wait to log in any exercising I did until the evening so it gives me those extra calories, or I exercise a little after dinner so if I go over I can burn it off... motivates me to actually exercise because I am also terrible at having enough dinner calories left over!

    B4 I started using MFP I would do that. I would go walk off my ice cream before I allowed myself to eat it. Go walk, then relax with my little 'bowl' of ice cream.

    Since MFP I add treats into my count and have less cravings anyway.
  • sofaking6
    sofaking6 Posts: 4,589 Member
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    Isn't adding quick calories at the beginning of the day the same as setting all your clocks back so you won't be late? In both cases, you really know the real time/calorie count.

    I usually plan the day ahead of time and log at least breakfast, morning snack, and lunch. I can always make adjustments later if I haven't decided on the whole day.

    In general, I don't think tricking myself about anything is a good idea.

    I'm the opposite, I like to trick myself. I set the clock ahead (only the bedroom one which might be even weirder than doing all of them), hide money thru direct deposit, whatever I can think of. I have a 'spend it if you've got it' mindset that I just have to fool to beat.

    I prelog whatever I can, and I do plan out what I'm going to eat and just leave 1-200 cals for snacks.
  • marissanik
    marissanik Posts: 344 Member
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    I track ahead and then if I still want to eat more I go exercise. I would probably forget about the quick calories
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    I know this is a little different, but I find that I am very satisfied with a small yet nutritious breakfast of ~200 calories, which leaves me ample calories for both lunch and dinner. This has really helped me. Sometimes on weekends I eat 300-400+ calories for breakfast and I find that I'm no more satisfied by that (still hungry by noon) than with my typical weekday breakfasts that are between 170-230 cal.
  • bloomsnadversiTE
    bloomsnadversiTE Posts: 3
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    I am starting to do meal prep this week. I really like the idea of pre-logging the meals. I think between the meal prep and it being already logged, I won't find myself searching for what to eat throughout the day and hoping to have enough calories left for dinner and a snack!
  • ThePinkPanda
    ThePinkPanda Posts: 208 Member
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    I prelog it. I know what I'm going to be eating in advance so can spread my calories. If something changes during the day, I can just go back in and change it. Planning my meals and snacks ahead of time, helps me stay on track

    i do this for all my meals. i don't necessarily pre-log my snacks, but having the meals done allows me to see what i have left.
  • AshAly33
    AshAly33 Posts: 1
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    This is what I do too. I know what I am having for breakfast the night before and I pack my lunches for work each day. I typically end up with around 700 calories freed up for dinner!
  • kp82444
    kp82444 Posts: 2 Member
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    Any suggestions for being under calorie intake? I tend to be over in protein, sugar or carbs with 100-400 calories left over.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
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    I just put the number of calories that are to be eaten for each meal into the title of that meal, like this (although I'm at 2000 cals now instead of 2200):
    http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m149/emergency-portfolio/Capture_zpsb13f4968.png

    So if I want I can pre-log, but 99% of the time I'm only pre-logging things like breakfast (since it's usually the same things), protein powder on workout days, or any calorie-dense things that I'm craving. I just use calories as a guideline though for when I'm quickly adding in my first few meals - I'll add up all my macros so far consumed to see how many calories I have left.

    I also don't snack, unless you count days I work out late and thus have third or more of my calories left for the day and so eat in a few spaced out instances. But otherwise I do not have snacks in between my meals, otherwise snacking just leads me to want to keep snacking and start over-eating.

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