Does anyone else put their food in ahead of time?

janesmith1
janesmith1 Posts: 1,511 Member
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
For instance, last night I put in everything because I have an UTI infection, so that means I need to drink an entire bottle of RW Knudsen cran which is 540 cals. So I talked it over with DH (dear husband) about what we were eating today and it's pretty cool, I was able to see how many *extra* cals I had left over that, plus working out as hard as I did today.

I've done it just for one meal but this was kind of cool to do it for all meals.

Replies

  • sweetNsassy2584
    sweetNsassy2584 Posts: 515 Member
    Some days I do track all of my food first thing in the morning. It helps to know where I stand and makes me stick to it. Plus I put my exercise in.
  • Teresa652
    Teresa652 Posts: 217 Member
    I do it to.
  • emichan21
    emichan21 Posts: 17 Member
    I do sometimes....helps me pre-plan the next day. :-)
  • gebnpb
    gebnpb Posts: 166
    If I know what were having for dinner I like to put it in just to see what I have left. That way if I need a treat during the day I know I can have it!!lol:bigsmile:
  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
    Frequently. On occassions I might have my entire day logged by 9am.
  • All_Mimsy
    All_Mimsy Posts: 49 Member
    Yep! It helps keep me on track when it's actually time to eat, so that any other tempting food is no longer even an option. ;)
  • loriefolk
    loriefolk Posts: 352
    I do! I put it in first thing in the morning. It's a pre-made meal plan for me! I also go ahead and prepare my meals so I don't go off track :)
  • Tennessee2019
    Tennessee2019 Posts: 676 Member
    Yes. As soon as I know what I am having for the day, I log it.
  • imperfectlyhere
    imperfectlyhere Posts: 87
    no I never do...
  • jenX1174
    jenX1174 Posts: 154
    Most days I do.....it helps me to plan if I find I'll be lacking calories at the end of it.
  • ron2282
    ron2282 Posts: 2,760 Member
    I log everything the night before. It lets me know ahead of time how much I have to workout that day.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    Yep. I pre put my meals in for the week. I have to plan out that far in advance to make sure I get in enough nutrients. I'm a vegetarian and pretty strict with it. There are some weeks...like this one when I haven't preplanned anything because it's my birthday week and I knew that I'd be going out to eat a lot with friends and it would be spur of the moment choices of restaurants and such.
  • LaurieKPhoto1972
    LaurieKPhoto1972 Posts: 43
    I do it all the time. Sometimes I plan the night before and enter everything and sometimes I do in the morning.
  • apetty21
    apetty21 Posts: 137
    I totally do it. If I know what I'm eating I will put it in ahead. I feel like I can plan better that way.
  • murf19
    murf19 Posts: 453 Member
    yes it can help with your snacking. If you already have your food in, you can add or subtract snacks during the day knowing where your total are at.
  • marianmaj
    marianmaj Posts: 96 Member
    No i have never done that since I am not sure what I will feel like eating, today I didn't want anything much at all which was wierd but wonderful! I had 2 eggs from my own chickens, 1/2 an English bran muffin w/ dijon mustard, a slice of Heart Beat 50 cal cheese and an apple w/ one TBS of Trader Joes 50 calorie peanut butter. I AM SHRINKING MY STOMACH THIS WEEK
  • monica208
    monica208 Posts: 229
    I always plan my meals and track them in the morning. It helps me to stay focused most of the time.
  • fevre
    fevre Posts: 60 Member
    I do it right before big meals, so I can see just how many calories I'm about to eat. If I'm out at a burger place and realize I'm about to use up the rest of my day's calories, those fries look a lot less tempting! It also feels more rewarding to me if I have a large portion and start feeling satisfied halfway through - I could stop right now and cut those calories in half! Then I get to go back on my MFP food log and change the serving size number and watch it change!
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    I tried it a couple of times which made me realize that I either wanted something else [that I later found out was healthier than my original planned meal] or I didn't have it readily available [like a snack or something], so I'd end up changing it anyway.

    Either way, if it works for people who can stick to what they know they want to eat, great. I have a habit of wanting last minute healthy variety, so I end up augmenting my initial meal or completely changing it. Then again, I've been tracking calories for so long that as I literally prepare my meals, they're all within the calorie goal I've set for that meal and I already know the caloric intake to log in.
  • javamom
    javamom Posts: 309
    I usually log the night before and use the diary as my menu for the day! I am most successful when I do it this way.
  • DangerRanger
    DangerRanger Posts: 327 Member
    I usually log the night before and use the diary as my menu for the day! I am most successful when I do it this way.

    That's actually a great idea. I will try that for a week or two.
  • iolande
    iolande Posts: 9 Member
    Sure do. That way I know what to eat for lunch, what snacks to eat etc. Its kind of keeps me from snacking if I know the limit of what I can eat - and it keeps me focused.

    Its also great for times when I know I am going to eat something out of the ordinary (like having chocolate at the cinema or wine in the evening) as I can then 'budget' for it so that it has limited impact on the calorie intake.
  • spuzo
    spuzo Posts: 50
    I plan my day a day ahead. I already have my food logged for tomorrow.
  • AprilVal
    AprilVal Posts: 940 Member
    It depends on whats going on that day.. :) I try to so I know ahead of time where Im standing food wise.. :)
  • Taytotot
    Taytotot Posts: 13 Member
    I do it sometimes. I eat a lot of the same things throughout the week, so it just makes it easier.
  • JenniferO1982
    JenniferO1982 Posts: 21 Member
    I always do. I put in what I plan to eat for the day, and my planned exercise too. As others have mentioned, it helps me to stick to it when I enter it all in that way. If I need to add (or subtract) something at night, that's okay—but nothing feels better than clicking the button and coming in under my calorie goal for the day.

    I openly admit that there's been days that I've had to go back and completely re-do my diary—and not for the better. But knowing that I don't want to have to do this really makes stick to my goals.
  • Marbar
    Marbar Posts: 15
    I do that also most mornings. It helps me keep on track.
  • starlitesue
    starlitesue Posts: 38
    Just wanted to let you know that they sell cranberry pills too. That way you don't have to drink a whole bottle of cranberry juice!
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    I do this constantly. There have been times I've entered food for the entire week. Or times that I know that I'm going out or have a big meal planned, I've entered things a month or more in advance before. (like Thanksgiving, friend's birthdays, etc) And more often than not I've got the rest of the day entered by about noon and typically one or two items for the following day as well.
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