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Pre-logging meals

mlaird071194
mlaird071194 Posts: 1 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys,
Something I find useful when both trying to lose weight or increase weight is to log my meals before they happen. I follow an iifym/flexible dieting protocol with my diet so I get leeway but find that if I log my meals when I think them up I will tend to stick to these and avoid replacing them with less hungry satisfying options or else missing the meal all together.

Matt

Replies

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Yep.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,055 Member
    Yup. I often log as I'm thinking of the meal if it doesn't contain meat, cuz if I have too many carbs to protein chaos ensues.

    I'll also prelog meals I'm eating with my SO, as these tend to be higher in calorie.
  • xXGearheadXx
    xXGearheadXx Posts: 56 Member
    Agreed. log em ahead, and make them fit your calorie and macro goals. I find it a lot easier to meet goals when i'm eating to a plan than eating followed by logging what i ate.
  • chollands29
    chollands29 Posts: 46 Member
    I tend to put in a bunch of different combinations of meals and portion sizes until I find the one that fits what I'm aiming for. Sometimes I'll end up changing my dinner even after I prelogged in the morning but I still prelog right before eating it so I know I'm still okay.
  • chelleb1974
    chelleb1974 Posts: 69 Member
    I find pre-logging makes me stick to my plan better. Especially when going out to eat and I know where I'm going. It's easier to stick to what I have already decided to eat than to log something different afterwards. I tend to eat the same breakfast and lunch during the work week and find it helps to pre-log these also, usually on Mondays. I then have time to think of dinners and can see what I have left to create a dinner with.
  • Jessyd76
    Jessyd76 Posts: 539 Member
    So great to hear this! When I'm planning my meals for the week, I've been logging them so I can make sure I'm at or close to my target for each day. Then as I go through the day I adjust based on what I actually had. Wasn't sure if that was a good approach or not.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I also find pre-logging my food useful.
    If I do change my mind about something I can just try to find something around the same calorie count and adjust the log.
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,649 Member
    It's personal preference. Pre-logging just wouldn't work for me - can't wrap my head around it.
  • nyponbell
    nyponbell Posts: 379 Member
    I pre-log my larger meals (especially lunch and midday snack as I make it in advance to bring to work; and in the case of lunch, I tend to make one large batch of some soup and then save it as a "meal" so that logging is easier). For me, it helps a lot in estimating how many calories I have left, if I can "afford" this or that even though I haven't had dinner yet.

    I don't log well in advance though; usually in the morning of, sometimes I might do it the night before but it's rare.
  • krithsai
    krithsai Posts: 668 Member
    I do it. I know all my meals for the day in advance(mostly) and I log them first thing in the morning. I do go in and make changes if I've deviated or added in an extra snack.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
    I prelog every day.
  • trisH_7183
    trisH_7183 Posts: 1,486 Member
    chelleb1974 wrote: »
    I find pre-logging makes me stick to my plan better. Especially when going out to eat and I know where I'm going. It's easier to stick to what I have already decided to eat than to log something different afterwards. I tend to eat the same breakfast and lunch during the work week and find it helps to pre-log these also, usually on Mondays. I then have time to think of dinners and can see what I have left to create a dinner with.

    This
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    I pre-log my lunch and after dinner snack pretty much as soon as I wake up. I don't really eat breakfast.

    This basically allows me to know how much I can eat throughout the day and still have enough calories for a decent dinner (500-800 calories). If I somehow have less than 500 calories available for dinner I then decide to either exercise more, skip the after dinner snack, or just lose weight slower.
  • Four_Leaf_Clover
    Four_Leaf_Clover Posts: 332 Member
    Just started it this past week and it is amazing. Absolutely helps me meet my macro goals. I started with dinners. I entered all the recipes for what I would eat for the week and logged them. (I meal plan dinner for the whole family for at least a week in advance). Then the night before I log my lunch and play around with breakfast.

    Really hoping I can keep it up!
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    I always, always pre-log my weekdays when I'm working. The weekends I tend to take things as they come because I'm usually out and about :) I love pre-logging!
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    I only prelog if I know my day will be tough to work around. Like today. We're going out to eat with friends, so I prelogged what I'm going to eat at the restaurant. It helped me plan the rest of my day so that I can stick to my goals.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    because we eat out so much, i feel i have to pre log - its the only way for me to keep an eye on what im taking in and lets me plan around that meal out.
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    yup prelog and then make changes as i need too
  • 1stgardengirl
    1stgardengirl Posts: 34 Member
    I always pre-log. I have two breakfasts that I alternate to avoid boredom. Then I plan my lunches and dinners based on the proteins and fresh veges on-hand (fish, chicken, beans). Snack is almost always plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, with blueberries and 1 T minced walnuts, sometimes a second snack of fruit. Very careful about weighing, measuring. Pays to have a good scale and a grocer who will cut fish pieces to the correct size!
  • 40andFindingFitness
    40andFindingFitness Posts: 497 Member
    I log breakfast after it happens and pre-log lunch and dinner most times. Sometimes I will wait to see if I'll eat anything else and forget to complete the diary for the day but pre-logging definitely helps me stay within my daily calories.
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