Do you plan ALL of your meals?

JatieKo621
JatieKo621 Posts: 425 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello MFPers, I need help!

I usually eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch, I have a routine in the morning that includes waking up, eating breakfast, doing errands, workout, eating l unch, then going to work. I am a server so my schedule is different everyday, but I usually work from 5-11pm. The problem is DINNER.

I pack something to take to work-usually a salad with grilled chicken and a few pieces of fruit because working at a nice restaurant makes it hard not to get hungry. My problem is when I come home i am usually hungry, and I usually have around 400 calories left. When I get home I just grab the first thing I see (which isn't usually the healthiest) and can end up going over on calories. I get annoyed and don't even log it at times.

I have been so diligent about working out everyday and have been getting the body I want, but today I weighed one pound heavier and just am pretty frustrated. I have heard its easier to plan ALL of your meals in a day, which I don't currently do so I am wondering if that works best. I am aiming for 1200 cal a day (more depending on how much I burn with INSANITY) and I need meal ideas!!! I am going to the store today and want to be able to plan a weeks worth of food-please help!

Replies

  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    It might be a good idea for you. What can it hurt to try it for a couple weeks? See how it goes. I plan most of my meals and do a lot of pre-logging my meals to make sure I don't go over.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    I don't necessarily plan out the day, no. But I do have lots of food 'ready to go' almost all the time. So maybe it needs to be heated up or mixed with something, but I can eat about 5 minutes after I decide to eat.

    I just do a lot of advance prep: Cook a bunch of chicken breasts and have them in the fridge; hardboil some eggs; measure out portions of nuts and frozen fruits; have Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. on hand; etc.
  • pittielover23
    pittielover23 Posts: 268
    I do plan all of my meals for the week. I also only buy the groceries that will make those meals and a few healthy snack type foods. It cuts down on me eating crap AND the grocery bill :)

    I usually spend some time on Friday or Saturday morning (I always shop on Saturday) and map out what I am going to make and eat for the next week, including lunch and breakfast. I don't necessarily have to stick to the days of the week that I write down, but at least I know what meals I am going to need to make for the week.

    I always make a ton so that I can have at least 1 night of leftovers for each meal I cook. The other nights I make sure I have something quick on hand so that I don't feel like I have to make a big meal each night. A go to for me is a morningstar black bean burger on a sandwich thin with lots of veggies and a baked potato.

    I also pre-log my food for the day, it makes me less likely to veer off course ;)
  • Dahamac
    Dahamac Posts: 213 Member
    Yes, I plan most all of my meals. I have also discovered the great benefit of pre-logging my meals to check for calorie/nutrient effects.

    More and more, I am pre-planning the whole day. It helps me to know what I am going to have for dinner. That way I can tell my stomach what is coming and to shut-up until the time comes to eat. So far its working, 69lbs lost and 111 more to go! Of course, it still doesn't prevent plateau's :-s
  • jmgj27
    jmgj27 Posts: 531 Member
    Nope. When I first started I checked the contents of everything and was extremely strict with myself. It's got a lot easier over time because I know what the healthy choices are and how to properly prepare everything. I do tend to eat the same 350 calorie lunch every day but I have a variety of 500 - 600 dinners that I can choose from (plus a range of 800 - 900 calorie meals for my one cheat meal a week!).
  • pittielover23
    pittielover23 Posts: 268
    Oh, and for other meal ideas, I would look into www.skinnytaste.com, all of her stuff is awesome. I am making her chili and pasta bolgnase next week.
  • heathersmilez
    heathersmilez Posts: 2,579 Member
    Not just plan, pre-log everything for the day. Some variations may occur like I had a 60-cal Timbit today but at least I already know my daily total so that's ok to add.
  • pittielover23
    pittielover23 Posts: 268
    Oh, and because I am apparently a post *kitten*, one of my fav go-to meals is a veggie pasta. I always have assorted frozen veggies on hand, and I throw a bunch of different ones in a pan with some olive oil. After they have sauteed a bit, I throw in some garlic, a little Italian seasoning and a can of diced tomatoes. Mix that with some whole wheat or multigrain pasta. Yummy :)
  • JatieKo621
    JatieKo621 Posts: 425 Member
    I never thought about pre-logging. That might help a LOT. I also need to just chop/wash/store things as soon as I get them-I find myself throwing away produce because if I don't see it, I don't use it.

    Thanks for all the advice. Any suggestions on light dinners? I am trying to come up with variety because I think part of my problem was I was getting tired of the same exact thing and I don't know about a lot of low cal options yet.
  • LessMe2B
    LessMe2B Posts: 316
    My way is not as healthy as many of the other posts, but I had the dilemma with lunch. I don't know even a day ahead of time what I'm going to feel like eating, so my mini fridge in my office is stocked with Smart One's, Lean Cuisine, and Healthy Choice microwave meals. I'm careful to choose meals that have a lower calorie count, low fat, higher protein, etc. The only way I can be successful at this early stage is to make it somewhat easy.
  • JatieKo621
    JatieKo621 Posts: 425 Member
    Oh, and because I am apparently a post *kitten*, one of my fav go-to meals is a veggie pasta. I always have assorted frozen veggies on hand, and I throw a bunch of different ones in a pan with some olive oil. After they have sauteed a bit, I throw in some garlic, a little Italian seasoning and a can of diced tomatoes. Mix that with some whole wheat or multigrain pasta. Yummy :)



    Hahah a post *kitten*! Well I certainly appreciate ALL of your posts so keep "whoring" on. :)

    And this pasta sounds pretty tasty. Thanks!!
  • lucky723
    lucky723 Posts: 52
    I pre log all of my meals so that way if I get to the afternoon i'm not going over I know exactly how much I should be eating.
  • BamBam1113
    BamBam1113 Posts: 542 Member
    All my meals are planned. I work Mon-Fri, but even on the weekends I pack my food in my lunch box. That keeps me from "hunting" in the kitchen. Also easier if you have to run out of the house quickly. Everything's already there for ya. Good luck. No way i could do this working in a restaurant!!!
  • JatieKo621
    JatieKo621 Posts: 425 Member
    All my meals are planned. I work Mon-Fri, but even on the weekends I pack my food in my lunch box. That keeps me from "hunting" in the kitchen. Also easier if you have to run out of the house quickly. Everything's already there for ya. Good luck. No way i could do this working in a restaurant!!!


    Yes its the "hunting" that is always my downfall. I have chicken breasts and salad stuff which would take awhile to prepare, and then next to it there are things my boyfriend buys like hot pockets and cheetohs...WHICH IS FASTER?! LOL! Its not even like I crave those items, its just the availability of them!

    And working in a restaurant is seriously tough. It makes me feel better that you acknowledge that because I am around food ALL DAY, plus when our chef comes up with new dishes he lets the servers try them so we can sell them and most are NOT healthy so I run away and munch on my lettuce lol. Plus they have fresh made sourdough in a warmer that all the servers eat when they are hungry...ugh.
  • lalilalu
    lalilalu Posts: 102 Member
    When I first decided to really eat well I did plan every meal and snack for the week. Infact prior to starting I spent some time online and in the library reading lots of healthy eating recipe books, and taking notes for recipe ideas. I had a list of breakfasts/lunches/dinners/snacks that I intended to make. It only takes about 15 minutes to draw up a grid and fill it in, and then from that I write my shopping list. It means that there's almost no waste. If I'm only having celery in one meal I will just buy one stick, or I'll buy I chicken breast, 3 apples.

    Once I'd been doing it for a while I cut back to just planning lunch and dinner, and now I only plan dinners. I buy the right foods to make a few different breakfasts and lunches and then still plan out my shopping list with the dinner fooods. It works great, means I don't have to think about what I'm going to cook each day, and def saves money at the shops.

    I also do pre-log for each day. Again now that I've been at this a while most of my meals seem to fit very well into my calorie limit, but if they don't then I can always play around with portion sizes or snacks. I do tend to leave 100 or so calories free, and they aways get used somewhere along the line. It also is good that I have added in snacks for the afternoon and evening, and then if I happen to have a change of plans and something higher calorie earlier in the day then I can just cut out the evening snack or make it smaller and still hit my targets....
  • Noctuary
    Noctuary Posts: 255
    Yeah I pre log everything in the morning. I am Diabetic and I sort of need to not make rash choices. This way I can control when I get my most carbs etc and other things. I factor in my workout times and work times. It just makes things alot easier for me to NOT have to think about this stuff all day long.
  • MyNameIsNotBob
    MyNameIsNotBob Posts: 565 Member
    I don't pre-plan every single meal, but I do make sure I have lots of stuff I can grab quickly for a good low-cal meal option. Like I'll make a big pot of beans and put it in individual containers to freeze, or I boil a dozen eggs so that I can grab them throughout the week. And, yeah, Lean Cuisines for those nights like tonight when I don't feel like cooking or doing anything... but I always try to pair it with a fresh veggie salad to make it more well-rounded.
  • dawnrenee567
    dawnrenee567 Posts: 292 Member
    I pre-plan for the next day, but always have easy/fast/healthy options available. My problem with planning menu's for a week, is I don't ALWAYS feel like having Salmon on Tuesday, ya know? The fact that I live by myself does make it easier to change things up though. :)
  • broadsword7
    broadsword7 Posts: 411 Member
    I plan all my meals, and log all food at the beginning of each day, except for my dinner. When I come home from work, I know that I have a certain amount of options, based on my nutrition counts for the day so far, and then I put together dinner. I even plan out snacks for the day ahead of time and log them in the morning too. If something comes up during the day which causes me to eat something different, or if I skip a snack I bring, I change that in the log before dinner to see how much I have to play with, and go from there. I look upon this whole thing as an adventure. You plan and you execute, but sometimes you have to change direction on the run. As long as that change of course doesn't take you over a cliff, you're good. :)
  • wildon883r
    wildon883r Posts: 429 Member
    Nope. It's impossible to live and enjoy a life that is planned. Know how many calories certain foods have. Have a general idea of your weight loss caloric intake or maintenance and keep it that simple. There is no such thing as a weight loss diet. I've lost 40 lbs since January and i don't exercise other then what i get at work and i keep within calorie goals 6 days a week. Tonight i get **** faced boozing (lol), eat anything i want and get back on track tomorrow. I go festive, no rules once EVERY week and still lose 1.5-2 lbs a week.
  • pittielover23
    pittielover23 Posts: 268
    Nope. It's impossible to live and enjoy a life that is planned. Know how many calories certain foods have. Have a general idea of your weight loss caloric intake or maintenance and keep it that simple. There is no such thing as a weight loss diet. I've lost 40 lbs since January and i don't exercise other then what i get at work and i keep within calorie goals 6 days a week. Tonight i get **** faced boozing (lol), eat anything i want and get back on track tomorrow. I go festive, no rules once EVERY week and still lose 1.5-2 lbs a week.
    Well, I would disagree with that LOL I enjoy my life every much. I HAVE to plan for myself right now. If I did not, I would make poor choices. That does not mean I am not spontaneous in other aspects, and I too have a "cheat meal" once a week.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories