Daily Food Diary

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flea2449
flea2449 Posts: 500 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was just wondering how everybody fills out their food diary. I fill my diary out as the day goes by. I just can't seem to plan my meals because I never know what I'm going to be hungry for. Is there a wrong or right way of doing this?

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  • blondie76
    blondie76 Posts: 552 Member
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    I just log everything that goes in my mouth, lol! I pre fill out if I know what I am having for the day!!!
  • tlynnweb
    tlynnweb Posts: 201 Member
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    You just have to do what works best for you. I personally, am a planner so I know what I"m eating at least for dinner every night. I put those in first and build the rest of my day around that.
  • jeff261159
    jeff261159 Posts: 385
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    i log it as i eat it
  • ronda_gettinghealthy
    ronda_gettinghealthy Posts: 777 Member
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    I never know for sure when and where I will be and what all the people in my house will be or what they want-- no planning for me--I am lucky if I get the meat out for supper- before I need to cook it. So for me it is a as goes logging- but I do keep real close tabs on my cals and what I am eating and I check the nutrition before I eat it to make sure it doesnt send me over in the categories-not just calories-
  • Pandorian
    Pandorian Posts: 2,055 MFP Moderator
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    When I'm home I'm logging as I eat it, that way I don't forget the sliver of cake at the birthday party, but once I head to work, I either pre-log based on what I'm taking for my meal at work or I'll log after work but I prefer not to log after work as it rushes me to get it done before midnight to see the "completed his food journal" message (I did change time-zone west at least one zone to buy me some extra time.
  • Missashley9
    Missashley9 Posts: 29
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    Monday thru Friday, I tend to pre-fill my diary... for breakfast, lunch and snacks at least. (Weekends are too scattered.) I often have to wait to fill out dinner until I get home & see what my man is cooking that evening. If it's my turn to cook, I pre-fill at some point in the afternoon. I find that pre-filling my diary helps me stay on track more. If I know ahead of time how many cals & fat I am going to consume, I am less likely to over-indulge. Of course, if I don't eat as much, or more, than I planned for, I go back & tweak things. But for the most part, I try to plan ahead as much as possible. As long as you stick to your overall plan, it's whatever works best for you. Good luck!
  • Dblair96
    Dblair96 Posts: 8
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    I do it as I go also... all i know is that it really makes me think about what's going into my body.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I log as I go throughout my work day. I sometimes pre-log dinner if I know what I'm making. I do typically pre-plan which meals I'm making after work (I plan out a few meals at a time before I hit the grocery store). I also pre-log my 6:30 classes at the gym. That helps me spread the extra calories around during the day with healthy snacks. The program would not work for me if I logged at the very end of the day, this helps me better plan out to make sure I meet my calorie goals.
  • ajh2011
    ajh2011 Posts: 89 Member
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    I never know for sure when and where I will be and what all the people in my house will be or what they want-- no planning for me--I am lucky if I get the meat out for supper- before I need to cook it. So for me it is a as goes logging- but I do keep real close tabs on my cals and what I am eating and I check the nutrition before I eat it to make sure it doesnt send me over in the categories-not just calories-

    Ditto- what she said. I love to plan but my family is fairly picky and we are food people. I love to cook and we eat what we are in the mood for. But since I log it all, I either make it a healthy version or exercise portion control to ensure I stay within my allotment for the day. I usually exercise also most days and have a fear of gaining the weight I have lost back so I can eat plentiful at dinner if I want and still be OK. So far it is working for me. If we go out, I will check the restaurant websites ahead of time and try to go places that post their nutrition facts. I think that everyone is different and you have to make this work for you:)
  • FatUncleRob
    FatUncleRob Posts: 341
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    On work days I try to log food as I pack it in my lunch-box, it just makes it easier for me.
    I try not to eat extra stuff (no trips to the snack machine).

    I log cardio exercise as soon as I can after I finish it (using my Android phone) that way I can keep track of my daily allowance.
    (I eat back my exercise calories.)

    I also try to make sure I'm up-to-date before I eat dinner - that way I know how many calories I have to play with.
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
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    You should pre-plan until you have a solid routine and have trained yourself to eat right.
  • flea2449
    flea2449 Posts: 500 Member
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    I have no problem with healthy foods. Most of what I eat during the week is healthy. Just because I don't plan meals does't mean I'm not eating healthy. Like I'll take maybe 3 differnt meals to work and decide between what I'm in the mood for. I guess I feel like if I plan a meal, I won't want it when it's time to eat it because It's the only thing I have to eat. I guess I'm just weird!
  • randisaucier
    randisaucier Posts: 178 Member
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    I also log as I eat. I have too busy of a life with a 9 year old, a 6 month old and nursing school to pre-plan anything let alone my meals ;)
  • randisaucier
    randisaucier Posts: 178 Member
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    I also log as I eat. I have too busy of a life with a 9 year old, a 6 month old and nursing school to pre-plan anything let alone my meals ;)
  • vxmittyxv
    vxmittyxv Posts: 122 Member
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    I typically will log in the morning everything I am planning to eat for the day. Then make changes throughout the day, if necessary. This works for me because it give my an idea of where I can afford to change things up.
  • Amers85
    Amers85 Posts: 31 Member
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    I plan all my meals for a week at a time but I don't actually record what I eat until I eat it. I may or many not eat what I have planned so it is easier to record as I go but I do always have a plan in place. With that said do whatever works best for you, as long as you record what you eat it doesn't matter when you record it.
  • Pam3
    Pam3 Posts: 1,687 Member
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    i log as i eat also.....breakfast and lunch i tend to repeat everyday the same thing ....i dont get bored ...dinner i need to more creative since my kids will be eating....
  • hillview2
    hillview2 Posts: 212 Member
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    I do it as I go and I divide up my meals (5) into calorie portions (280 calories per meal) so I can meet my goals. I eat more if I exercise (usually). If I am going out for dinner I plan ahead what I am going to eat (review menu online).
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Since I've been doing it for a while, I have an idea of what I can and cannot eat. I try to start entering foods after lunch in case I need to course correct for dinner. On busy days I don't enter it until I get home in the evenings, but those are rare occasions.
  • BrandNewMia
    BrandNewMia Posts: 461
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    Lately, I've been filling it out randomly as the day goes by. BUT - I do better at staying on track if I plan a day ahead. I used to plan 3-4 days ahead and it was so great and easy to stay on track. Somehow I've lost that focus and I can tell I'm not doing as well as I was previously. Gotta get back to it!

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