When Do You Log Your Food?

SueGeer
SueGeer Posts: 1,169 Member
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
Do you log food as you go along; first thing in morning or after you've eaten everything? What works best for you?

During the week, I take breakfast & lunch & couple of low cal snacks to work with me, so log them first thing. I log dinner when I've decided what I'm having. Evening snack depends on whether or not I have any calories left at the end of the day.....

Weekends I tend to log as I go.....

Am concentrating on hi-fbre & lo-cal :smile:

Replies

  • JillyCornwall
    JillyCornwall Posts: 376 Member
    As I go, unless I am planning something specific & want to know if i have to adjust calories to fit...or need to plan more exercise.
  • princess_f
    princess_f Posts: 148
    use to be as i go but last few days ive planned my meals the day before, then add snacks as i have them
  • brlarson
    brlarson Posts: 6 Member
    Most days as i go but if I've planned dinner early in the day then I add it. I'm more likely to stick with a healthier eating plan if I plan in advance.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    It depends. If I know what I'm having for dinner, I'll log it as soon as I make that decision (I planned tonight's dinner yesterday, so I logged it before I went to bed) and then I know how many calories I have left for lunch and snacks. If I didn't plan ahead, I log as I go. It just depends.
  • mixmastermolly
    mixmastermolly Posts: 272
    I log mine the same way you do. I try to plan everything at least a day in advance so I make sure I'm going to meet my calorie goal. If I don't have a plan then it's very hard for me to stick to making the right choices. I always try to leave a little room for something extra, just in case.
  • Dafrog
    Dafrog Posts: 353
    i prelog sometimes even the night before. doing this helps me stay on track and not binge eat. somedays i do change my plans of what i logged; so i just delete and add what i did or didnt eat.
  • adamstc88
    adamstc88 Posts: 25 Member
    I log breakfast and lunch first thing in the morning and my snacks as I eat them during the day. Then I log my exercise when I get home...........so I know how many calories I have for dinner. I try to plan everything that works best for me.
  • amylary
    amylary Posts: 46 Member
    I have been doing a plan for the week. I meal plan anyway for my family so when buying grociers I know what I will need for the week. Planning the week out on MPF has made me stay focued and have not been straying as much if it is planned and on there. I stick to it better than trying to throw something together and not knowing how many calories I am going to need.
  • Curves73
    Curves73 Posts: 134 Member
    Before I put it in my mouth.lol. I try to pre plan most of the day. Yesterday I got home and was starving so I decided to fi over calories, after I reviewed my day and realized I didn't eat s couple of things I had planned on Di I was not only under but had enough for my evening warm almond milk. Nice surprise.
  • docturtle
    docturtle Posts: 156 Member
    I usually log as I go because I don't know if I am going to finish a meal or not and if I don't eat all of it, I don't have to account for all of it. If I wait until the end of the day, I tend to forget something and it takes too long if I have to look things up.
  • ShannonWinger
    ShannonWinger Posts: 309 Member
    I try to log my food shortly after eating it. Last night I found myself stumped. We had a splurge day last night and went out for Chinese buffett and I have no idea how to log it. All I know it was way too much because I felt sick after eating that much food. We use to eat like that all the time so I'm really happy that when I eat like that now my stomach says "No, too much food!"
  • Silky815
    Silky815 Posts: 367 Member
    I log mine like Jilly. As I go along, unless I plan something special for dinner. Then I can adjust my daily foods for breakfast and lunch.
  • Silky815
    Silky815 Posts: 367 Member
    I log mine like Jilly. As I go along, unless I plan something special for dinner. Then I can adjust my daily foods for breakfast and lunch.
  • Mhdadmh
    Mhdadmh Posts: 1 Member
    Hello all. I like what people have said about planning in advance. I just started MFP yesterday so I will work on making that happen. I LOVE THE SCANNER so for new foods I will log when I have the bar code in my hand. I don't know if it will last but while I am new at this I will be logging and looking all day. :-)
  • kioga86
    kioga86 Posts: 126 Member
    If I'm working, I log everything as I'm packing it (I take all my meals and snacks to work with me)..
    If I have a day off, I log everything right before I eat it
  • WarmDontBurn
    WarmDontBurn Posts: 1,253 Member
    As I go. I love the iphone app because it allows me to keep up with it. Before that I found it hard, I am not a meal planner and would pay for it when I got home and entered my food. Now I log my breakfast as I am making it, I plug in my nightly snack because it never changes then go about my day plugging any food as I go. I find it useful when I want something I don't normally eat, I can plug it in to see if it is worth it or not.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    The night before up to a week in advance. Only minor alterations are made for days 3+ in advance depending on whether we ran out of a certain vegetable or I bought more of another kind of vegetable.
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
    I log mine as I go, either from my computer at work (I have net access) or from my mobile phone. I never "log ahead", i.e. do not tend to log anything I haven't eaten yet. However, I sometimes "log ahead" with exercise as I find it motivating to "see" the calories burned and I am less likely to bail a session once I have logged it, because I would have to delete it otherwise. :laugh:
  • toradoshi21
    toradoshi21 Posts: 14 Member
    I log everything I plan on eating the night before. I find for me it's much easier to stay on track that way. If for some reason something changes I can always adjust it.
  • Dobsaya
    Dobsaya Posts: 235
    I log mine the night before. Everything planned out to the T. Snacks and everything. I know my average I burn in exercising so I am able to plan for this also. I am able to each a lot better when I have a plan well divided instead of waiting to get hungry and trying to figure out something to eat. I also, make sure to at least log dinner, so that I know what I have to work with for the rest of the day as this meal is planned for entire family and is not as calorie deficient as the rest of my meals.
  • fitnesspirateninja
    fitnesspirateninja Posts: 667 Member
    I log as I go, but before I eat - generally while I'm preparing a meal or snack. I'm a pretty good judge of calories, so I find that I don't really need to plan ahead until it's a special event.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    I log mine as I go, either from my computer at work (I have net access) or from my mobile phone. I never "log ahead", i.e. do not tend to log anything I haven't eaten yet. However, I sometimes "log ahead" with exercise as I find it motivating to "see" the calories burned and I am less likely to bail a session once I have logged it, because I would have to delete it otherwise. :laugh:

    I find it’s more important to do the opposite. Eating can become mindless if you are super busy or exhausted so if you plan your food, then at least it won’t be 6:00 pm and you realize you only have 200 odd calories for dinner which means nothing but a piece of chicken, no healthy carbs like brown rice or sweet potato or dessert (which for me is yogurt and flax and/or fruit, nothing crazy).

    When I logged exercise in advance everyone would be congratulating me on my wall and then I would get home and find myself exhausted and decide not to work out (I am guaranteed to burn 500+ cals a day 5 days a week at the gym but may skip day 6 and 7). Therefore I now only log my workout after I'm completed. I commit to working out as soon as I get home so If I am working out, I will eat some rice or sweet potatoes with my dinner rather than skipping out in addition to having a small post-workout snack to eat back most of those exercise calories.

    ** EDIT: I should note I am VERY detail oriented and LOVE lists hence organizing my food for the day is the same. I have itemized clothing lists, Christmas/Birthday Wish-Lists, content lists for my house - all detailed with photos, value, store etc.
  • Alycyn1980
    Alycyn1980 Posts: 62 Member
    I try to log everything in the morning when I get into work, that way I know if I am able to have a wee treat or snack. Usually do not know what having for dinner but I have the app on my phone so when I am preparing dinner and cooking it I update as I go. I find that by logging everything I am less likely to eat more than I should as it is already logged - dont log exercise though until I have completed it as I am likely to change my mind in what I do!!!! :tongue:
  • backinthenines
    backinthenines Posts: 1,083 Member
    I log mine as I go, either from my computer at work (I have net access) or from my mobile phone. I never "log ahead", i.e. do not tend to log anything I haven't eaten yet. However, I sometimes "log ahead" with exercise as I find it motivating to "see" the calories burned and I am less likely to bail a session once I have logged it, because I would have to delete it otherwise. :laugh:

    I find it’s more important to do the opposite. Eating can become mindless if you are super busy or exhausted so if you plan your food, then at least it won’t be 6:00 pm and you realize you only have 200 odd calories for dinner which means nothing but a piece of chicken, no healthy carbs like brown rice or sweet potato or dessert (which for me is yogurt and flax and/or fruit, nothing crazy).

    When I logged exercise in advance everyone would be congratulating me on my wall and then I would get home and find myself exhausted and decide not to work out (I am guaranteed to burn 500+ cals a day 5 days a week at the gym but may skip day 6 and 7). Therefore I now only log my workout after I'm completed. I commit to working out as soon as I get home so If I am working out, I will eat some rice or sweet potatoes with my dinner rather than skipping out in addition to having a small post-workout snack to eat back most of those exercise calories.

    ** EDIT: I should note I am VERY detail oriented and LOVE lists hence organizing my food for the day is the same. I have itemized clothing lists, Christmas/Birthday Wish-Lists, content lists for my house - all detailed with photos, value, store etc.

    Well it works for me. I am very training oriented and by planning my training before my nutrition I can fuel the day as required by the session. I would eat quite differently for a long run versus a swim or a hard weights session, so it works for me.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Yeah, I think it depends on what works best for you. I don't log my exercise in advance because I'm just starting out with it, so I'm never sure how many calories I'll burn, or if I'll be able to go a little longer today, etc. But for some people it's a motivator. It just depends on what works for you.
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