Logging prior to eating

Becky170467
Becky170467 Posts: 69 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
I've started to log everything prior to eating the foods I'd planned for the day. This way I can tweak it so I have less of something that would have taken me over the nutritional targets for anything. I find the advice pop-ups really helpful that tell you if you'd be over your daily limit if you went ahead & ate whatever you'd logged. Have I just been slow to catch on - do most MFP users do this?!
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Replies

  • Chrisparadise579
    Chrisparadise579 Posts: 411 Member
    Hey becky awesome job! that is what I try to tell people to do but most dont listen haha. It is pretty much the best way to log because really you cant mess up that way, you can hit your calories and macros perfectly if you track it beforehand
  • paulaviki
    paulaviki Posts: 678 Member
    Yup, I pre-log. In fact I've got the next 6 days logged already. I find it easier that way and I can also work out if I can fit extra snacks in if I'm hungry etc.
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    edited February 2015
    Yeah I've always logged and then ate. I mean, I don't see how you can eat and then log with any accuracy. But then again I weigh my food, so I can't grab a handful of grapes and then say "oh it was probably 50g"

    To clarify, I log it like... right before I'm about to eat it. I do not pre-log unless I am planning for an event or something. So when I'm making breakfast and lunch I just log the items I want in their default servings and then I'll change the weight as I'm weighing and making the meals. I usually graze more in the evening so if I wnat a bowl of cereal for instance, I'd just weigh and log it and then eat it immediately after.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I pre-log as well. I feel it is easier and I'm not worrying if I'm going to go over. I think it has been great for comparing different choices and portion sizes as well.
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
    I usually log before eating. I try to plan out my day in the mornings but not always possible if we haven't decided on dinner for that night.
  • SandyBVTN
    SandyBVTN Posts: 367 Member
    I pre-log, usually the night before. I'm always flexible and change things around, but it gives me a good place to start!
  • amandarunning
    amandarunning Posts: 306 Member
    I pre-log. Usually in the morning for that day but tightening up so doing a day in advance so I can juggle calories and macros.
  • Arliah
    Arliah Posts: 266 Member
    I pre-log as well. Usually in the evening for the next day, when I prepare my breakfast and lunch, and then I can also plan ahead for dinner and any snacks.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I pre-log and tweak as I go (*)
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    I do most days! I've found it much easier to reach my goals by pre-logging my food.
  • MindySaysWhaaat
    MindySaysWhaaat Posts: 401 Member
    I have to pre log what I'm eating. If not I tend to worry too much about it, and I'm trying to make what I eat as less stressful as possible for myself. :)
  • Poodles56
    Poodles56 Posts: 20
    I pre log my exercise, before going to the gym, then I tweak it as necessary. Didn't start doing for my diet yet, hard when I don't eat every day at the same time!
  • Pootler74
    Pootler74 Posts: 223 Member
    edited February 2015
    I do it too! It means I can get closer to my macros, and plan in treats. Instead of getting to 8pm and finding that OHMYGODINEEDCHOCOLATEANDTHEREARENOCALORIESLEFT!

    I log the night before, or in the morning. Usually based on what needs using up in the fridge. So I waste less too.
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
    edited February 2015
    only way to do it. I do it night before and take pre packaged protein portions out of the freezer for next day. I wish we could pre log exercise with out it posting to our home page until we actually do it. At least with food you 'complete' the day
  • superraachel
    superraachel Posts: 106 Member
    Since I started packing my breakfast and lunch for work during the week about 8 months ago, I weigh and pre-log. It's really helped to keep me on track. And I'm a big user of the recipe builder, and that helps with pre-logging, since most foods are my own leftovers.
  • kenmiller75
    kenmiller75 Posts: 89 Member
    I usually only prelog if I'm going out to eat and I know what I'm ordering. I never really thought about planning my whole day out but that's usually because I'm cooking something new that I don't have saved as a recipe in here. I like the idea of planning out my whole day so I know what wiggle room I have and when I need extra exercise to stay on track. I've mostly focused on my calorie intake and not on my nutrients. I'm going to try and start doing that and see if that helps me meet my nutritional goals.
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
    I pre-log and tweak too.
  • r5d5
    r5d5 Posts: 219 Member
    I usually don't prelog because I end up changing my mind about what I'll eat or I choose something different. (I eat my university's dining hall, so sometimes they say one thing is on the menu but serve something else.)
    What I do for "pre-logging" is just measure out all the food I've decided to have for dinner and then see from that what I need to cut out or adjust. So say I grabbed 30grams of chickpeas to put on my salad, but I also have lentils and chicken, I choose to only eat maybe 15 grams and save the rest for another time.
    I think it's sort of difficult to prelog your food if you're not preparing it from your own kitchen.
  • Jillish23
    Jillish23 Posts: 226 Member
    I mostly "write before I bite"! ;) Makes it easier to help choose the best option or fit in something that I really want to eat. :smile:
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I do it as often as I can, especially if we're going out to eat that evening - pre-planning & logging a restaurant meal helps me stick to the plan. At home, I usually log breakfast, plan and log dinner, and then fill in the day with lunch and snacks. Knowing my cals for breakfast & dinner helps me figure out what to eat in between to stay in goal, and reach my macros as best as I can. I make adjustments along the way as needed.
  • volleygirl1980
    volleygirl1980 Posts: 121 Member
    I prelog all my meals the day before - but save 500 cals for snacks that I only log right before eating them..
  • abbeyjones1994
    abbeyjones1994 Posts: 188 Member
    When I'm at school, I make a dinner that has 4-6 servings, freeze it in individual portions, and eat it every night that week, so that gets pre-logged. And since breakfast and lunch are usually pretty similar for me no matter the day, I pre-log those too. That gives me opportunity to decide what snacks I might want to buy for the week based on what will fit. I also usually know pretty well in advance if I am going to be going out to eat or something during the week, so I can adjust accordingly. It has made this process so much smoother.
  • tinallen863
    tinallen863 Posts: 50 Member
    Most of the time. It helps me stay on calorie and nutrient track. If I plan ahead, I can avoid impulsive snacking.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Becky170467 wrote: »
    I've started to log everything prior to eating the foods I'd planned for the day. This way I can tweak it so I have less of something that would have taken me over the nutritional targets for anything. I find the advice pop-ups really helpful that tell you if you'd be over your daily limit if you went ahead & ate whatever you'd logged. Have I just been slow to catch on - do most MFP users do this?!

    I pre-log as well. However, if I am going to lunch or dinner, which is generally more calories, I log my other meals and leave enough calories to play with. I sometimes estimate, but overestimate to account for error.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    It easier for me not to pre-log. Sometimes I'll pre-log a meal like dinner when I'm cooking, but I find it easier to log after the fact. I don't always get the right amount of food, and pre-logging would stress me out when I don't match it and have to go back and correct it.
  • MaryCS62
    MaryCS62 Posts: 266 Member
    I pre-log b/c I have to pack breakfast, lunch & snacks for work. I don't usually know what I'm having for dinner too far in advance, but I try to keep my calories prior to dinner/evening snack to 45-60% of my daily calories. If I know I'm going out, & don't know what I might have, I'll go less to make sure I don't go over later. It makes it easier for me b/c I don't want to have to rely on the cafeteria (although, I have some "go-to" options there -- egg whites or oatmeal @ breakfast, turkey burger @ lunch, where I know the calories for alreadhy)
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Yes, pre-logging is the way to go! I do that 98% of the time.
  • BrittanieGo
    BrittanieGo Posts: 60 Member
    I usually prelog the day before in bed. I like to have the planning part all done. It makes it easier for me to stick with it.
  • fireguychris
    fireguychris Posts: 58 Member
    ill take flack for this one.. but i tend to log afterwards.. and see how well did, or how bad i did with my choices for the prior meal.. i understand this could really screw me up by possibly being over my calorie limit... but.. it seems to be working for me, so far..
    i also seem to have alot of calories i'm allowed to eat, so that helps out too.. typicaly im a few hundred calories below at end of day.. not including excercise.. and i also dont include my steps from shealth either..
  • bettybarreiro
    bettybarreiro Posts: 1 Member
    I don't. I thought I had to log what I have eaten, so it never occurred to me that I could do that. But after reading all of you, I like the idea. Why didn't I think of it before? So from now on I'm a prelogger.
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