Does anyone do their diary in advance?

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sconns21
sconns21 Posts: 92 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Do you ever do your diary in advance because you have planned what you are going to eat then make any changes afterwards? Just wondering? Also what do you not eat now since joining MFP and finding out how many calories are in it?

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  • nickyevans
    nickyevans Posts: 216 Member
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    Yes I do sometimes, if I know what I am having for dinner for example I will put it in ahead so that I can balance the calories I have left for the rest of the day. Sometimes I put things in a few days in advance as our evening meals are planned to fit round visits from my husband's kids and our visits to the gym. Also we are on a tight budget trying to save for a house so rigidly planning meals means I can keep the grocery bill down by only buying the things we actually need for the week.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    I plan my day's food the night before. It allows me to see how many calories I can play around with if I have done the whole day in advance. Then I can think - oh, if I want a chocolate bar then I have to do some exercise. It keeps me motivated and is a fun routine to get into. I couldn't plan a whole week though - I'd never stick to it!!

    I also find I am planning snacks differently - I choose filling snacks (even something like a bowl of rice) rather than quick fix things.
  • marialy21
    marialy21 Posts: 60 Member
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    I especially do this if I know I'm going to be going out for dinner, I'll put in what I'm going to have so that I know what I have left for the day.
  • ashleyk_xox
    ashleyk_xox Posts: 158 Member
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    I love the fact that MFP has options such as (with no sauce) like knowing that I can go to McDonalds and get a grilled chicken snack wrap with ranch for 260 calories BUT without cheese it is 230, WITHOUT CHEESE OR RANCH - 210, with only half the tortilla it is 130, and with no tortilla 60!!!
    And yes I have planned what I was going to eat and change it. It doesn't matter as long as you know what you ate.
  • ItsCasey
    ItsCasey Posts: 4,022 Member
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    Yes, I log my food in advance, mostly because it helps me to not have to think in the moment about what I'm going to eat. It makes me less likely to eat things I shouldn't. But if I eat something that isn't planned, I do go back and add it.

    I also enter my exercise ahead of time, too, but I am diligent about recording whether or not I did the full workout I planned.
  • honeyrabbit
    honeyrabbit Posts: 118
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    I always plan my diary the night before based on what i've got in my fridge and cupboards...then I know for sure i'm not going to go over my calorie allowance.
    I make any adjustments neccesary the next day and I always make sure there are calories left for 'unplanned' snacks.
    It definitely helps me to stay on track.
  • bettyboop573
    bettyboop573 Posts: 610 Member
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    I do sometimes, especially if eating a treat.....then i know how hard I have to workout that day to either burn it off or get to eat more lol
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Yes, I do this. I want to be exact and hit my goals with my protein, carbs, fat and fiber.
  • sconns21
    sconns21 Posts: 92 Member
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    I also think it's a good thing to plan your meals in advance because you make sure you don't make bad choices and it's easier to shop. You don't end up letting things go off in the fridge if you haven't eaten them.
  • CatherineHilliard
    CatherineHilliard Posts: 1
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    I do also, i am very new too this site, third day for me, and i am inlove with it already..I planned my first week of meals..




    GoodLuck Everyone!!
  • Rozzie75
    Rozzie75 Posts: 20
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    No I don't not at this point anyways I'm just happy that I've been diligent to track my calories for 20 plus days. But if is a grat idea to use for special occasions.
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    I always plan my food in advance. Sometimes I change my dinner if I'm not in the mood for what I planned. It helps me keep my calories balanced throughout the day. I never eat anything until it's logged on MFP.
  • hiltonheadagain
    hiltonheadagain Posts: 42
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    Yes, I plan my menu just about every morning. I think it really helps me stay on track and stay commited. There are times when I stray from the plan but I try to make those infrequent.

    To your other question--before mfp I used to have a smoothie for breakfast with raw milk, a banana, and protein powder until I found out I was starting my day with a hefty 432 calories. Now I pick healthy options that are much lower in calories.

    I had tried many different diets and exercise routines before mfp. Nothing worked as well for me as this has!!:smile:
  • sconns21
    sconns21 Posts: 92 Member
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    I agree calories are always a good thing to go by because they are a combination of all the different elements (fat, protein, carbs, etc). It's hard to go wrong when watching calories and I like that you can log your exercise so seeing that keeps you motivated. My old gym had a system where you could log on to all the machines and it would log it online for you. It was brilliant, the people with the most points at the end of the month were put up on a leader board on the wall although I suspect there were some fake manual entries in there.
  • sconns21
    sconns21 Posts: 92 Member
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    I also love how everyone supports each other in the forums.
  • MyBeautyIsSkinDeep
    MyBeautyIsSkinDeep Posts: 112
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    I try to, but it is hard because I have to think about it !! It is better for me when I am on lunch to process my thought on my Food log or early in the morning before the KIDS wake up!!!! But advance meals are kind of hard I never think about dinner until 4oclock or so My breakfast and lunch is pretty basic!!!
  • hemlock2010
    hemlock2010 Posts: 422 Member
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    Same as most of y'all are saying--I put in dinner as soon as I have a menu plan to make sure I have enough calories for it and so that I can figure out how much protein I need to get elsewhere. Sometimes I change my plan for dinner if what I had planned comes in at too high a calorie cost. I don't think my family knows that what they eat for dinner is determined by how many calories I want to spend. :wink:
  • thebamboophoenix
    thebamboophoenix Posts: 58 Member
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    Yes, I often input in advance. Sometimes, as I'm cooking....I just think it helps inform choices, and allows for better portion control too. Sometimes I will omit something, other times I will add more!!
    I think the functionality of the diary is good in that sense. Similarly, I will do the same with the exercise logging sometimes.
  • InstantSunshine
    InstantSunshine Posts: 355 Member
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    I do if I'm making the next day's lunch the night before (to take to work), because it's easy to. Other than that I'm not diligent enough to plan meals ahead that rigorously, even though I keep hearing it's the right thing to do.
  • cindy4mica
    cindy4mica Posts: 777 Member
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    chipotle. one barbacoa burrito with lettuce, rice & salsa is about 900 calories! and there isn't even sour cream or cheese in it!

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