Pre-Logging or Post-Logging

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Tydeclare44
Tydeclare44 Posts: 572 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Lately, I've been entering what I'm going to eat the day before, or after breakfast, and I find it so much easier to stick to if I think about what I'm going to have later, and plan it out before hand.

Anyone else share this perspective? Anyone against this?

Replies

  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
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    I think it's a great idea for beginners. I used to either pre-log the night before or first thing in the morning. As time has gone on I no longer need to. I have a rough idea of what I can eat and where I'm at. My current approach is to eat what I want up until dinner (within reason) and then see where I'm at and make the numbers work with what I eat between dinner and bed.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I'm not against it for others. I just don't know, now, what I will want to have for dinner tomorrow.

    If you're weighing things, you'd actually have to prepare the food the day before, too.

    I post-log.
  • EMTFreakGirl
    EMTFreakGirl Posts: 597 Member
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    I pre-log, usually the night before. I work away from home in 24 hour shifts so I pre-log and pack my 'day' in my cooler. If it doesn't come out of that cooler, it doesn't cross my lips. On days when I am home, I tend to want to sleep, so I pre-log and pre-prep and that's what I eat. On days when I have something a little "more" than what I normally eat, like yesterday; I had a wonderful piece of sockeye salmon with zoodles in a light lemon cream sauce, I could see that I was WAY over my calorie goal, so I was able to schedule a modified workout to earn me a few extra exercise calories for the day. I find it very useful. If I know what I am going to eat, then I know what I have to do to make it work for weight loss. Best of luck to you! :flowerforyou:
  • JDownie91
    JDownie91 Posts: 78 Member
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    Pre-logging is great for me. I have been planning my meals the day ahead for a while, to make sure I have the right amount of protein, veggies, carbs, etc. Now I just get to see how much wiggle room I have :)
  • ShibaEars
    ShibaEars Posts: 3,928 Member
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    When I'm being good with my logging, it's kind of a combination. I pack my meals and snacks for work, then log those while I'm at work (shh, don't tell my boss). I eat a lot of the same foods, so I always have an idea where I'm at, calorie wise. Then I will decide what I want for dinner, and pre-log that.
  • hazleyes81
    hazleyes81 Posts: 296 Member
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    That (pre-log) is how i like to do it. I have my low carb days saved as one "meal" and high carb as another, and all i have to do is add the "meal" that corresponds to that days goal. Then, if need be, I can exchange out items that are similar in calories and protein as long as I stay within 10% of my original plan. For instance, if my pre-logged day says that I plan to have some salmon for dinner but i choose instead to have a piece of pork or lean cut of steak, that is okay. I just delete the fish and add the steak.

    I have my meals broken down as breakfast (7am), morning snack (10am), lunch (1pm), pre and post workout (4-6pm), dinner (7pm), and planned. I'm pretty much never hungry, even on my low cal days :) It really keeps me on track and I eat frequently enough that I don't get the urge to snack.
  • hazleyes81
    hazleyes81 Posts: 296 Member
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    I weigh/measure all of my stuff and pre-log. Most of what I eat is fresh rather than cooked though, except for instance, for the sweet potato that I am having with dinner tonight. I make sure to buy them at a certain size then I don't have to worry too much about slight variation. I'll make that adjustment in MFP tonight when its time to cook.

    If you aren't planning your food around certain calorie and/or macro goals, then there really is no point to pre-logging. But for me, and others I assume, it helps with staying on track and satisfied.
  • Tydeclare44
    Tydeclare44 Posts: 572 Member
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    I pack my meals and snacks for work, then log those while I'm at work (shh, don't tell my boss)

    I do it at work too, your secret is safe.

    @Hazleyes81, I'm on a low carb trend as well, and I find the only way to really get my macros and everything right is to pre log. If I don't, I feel like I've forgotten something and am hungry because I forgot some stuff.
  • jeffd247
    jeffd247 Posts: 319 Member
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    I pre-log when I can. It helps me stick to my plan.

    The only thing I do not pre-log is exercise. For some reason, when I do that, I don't do the actual exercise.

    /boggle
  • PrizePopple
    PrizePopple Posts: 3,133 Member
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    The only thing that is a certain for me is my coffee. I tried to pre-log a whole day this weekend, and I didn't end up making the eggs and english muffins, nor the salad for lunch, and I decided on something totally different to make for dinner. I'm sure I could put in a few things that I'm likely to consume - baby carrots, a babybel cheese wheel or two, and my psyllium husks.

    ETA: Tomorrow I *will* be pre-logging as I will be volunteering at my kids school, so I'll be packing a lunch and eating there.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
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    I log as a I go. So I eat then log. Eat and then log. I may play around with it to see how much I can eat at my next meal but it's not officially logged until I eat.
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,671 Member
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    I pack my meals and snacks for work, then log those while I'm at work (shh, don't tell my boss)

    I do it at work too, your secret is safe.
    Me too.
  • stacyjh1979
    stacyjh1979 Posts: 188 Member
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    When I'm being good with my logging, it's kind of a combination. I pack my meals and snacks for work, then log those while I'm at work (shh, don't tell my boss). I eat a lot of the same foods, so I always have an idea where I'm at, calorie wise. Then I will decide what I want for dinner, and pre-log that.

    This is basically exactly what I do as well
  • Joanjett88
    Joanjett88 Posts: 87 Member
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    I pre-log usually 3-5 days out just so I know what I need from the grocery store! Also helps keep me in check when it comes to goals.
  • legless11
    legless11 Posts: 21 Member
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    Both. I meal plan and take a packed lunch to work so I tend to pre-log my meals for the day while I have my morning cup of tea, if I've made lunch for a few days I'll pre-log that a few days ahead. I then know how many calories I have left for snacks etc, which I log as I go.
  • angierogel
    angierogel Posts: 4 Member
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    I just started keto and am planning to prelog as this will help me to keep from going over in carbs. And yes I do most of my logging from work too...shhh lol
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    I pre-log - usually by mid-day I'll have the day logged, and sometimes a day in advance. Then go back and edit quantities as needed, or change foods if things don't work as planned.
  • schonsdragon
    schonsdragon Posts: 102 Member
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    I don't prelog. I find for me that it didn't fit into my life well. There are too many times where meals ended being different than planned.

    I do better when I make choices to keep my meals within a calorie range that I have set for that meal. I do have some meals that I do tend to eat a lot because I like them. I also usually eat the same breakfast everyday, this is because I am lazy in the morning so I don't have to think with the same breakfast.

    Yes, I have messed up on my choices and had to cut back at the next meal but that is part of learning. The key for me has been learning what I normal serving is and listening to my body. The learning to listen to my body has taken the longest, I had to learn what the body was telling me. I still at times mess this up but I am learning.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I post-log because I'm working on doing this intuitively someday, or at least with as little 'app assistance' as possible. And my natural tendency is to eat light and healthy until evening and then have the option to have more to eat then or to end the day with a nicer deficit, according to how I feel and the circumstances of the night.

    I find I can 'wing it' pretty well as long as I post-log but if I quit the actual logging step, my calories creep up to maintenance quickly.

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