Question: Planning Your Daily Intake VS Not Planning?

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  • Sugar_Cloud
    Sugar_Cloud Posts: 28 Member
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    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    "The only thing I'm not sure about is the flavor of ice cream I'll be having."

    Now THIS is a principle to live by!!! :)

  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    I generally prefer pre-logging, but it doesn't work for me right now. I'm planning to get back to it eventually.
  • nyponbell
    nyponbell Posts: 379 Member
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    I plan out my meals for weekdays (and even pre-log certain things). That doesn't mean that I always follow the plan, but I like having one. That way I know that if I want to add something, if I can or not with my already planned meals or remove a meal (or part of one) on purpose. Otherwise I might grab a treat during the day and then come home and realise that I've not got "enough calories" for my dinner.

    The problem I have are weekends; since I find it difficult to plan when my schedule is so different (not just from weekdays but from weekend to weekend) though I try to plan, I don't really follow it. And that often puts me over my goal - not necessarily because I eat a lot of treats, but because I don't plan ahead and I eat when I'm hungry. I also tend to not eat as many proper meals on weekends (like breakfast; on weekdays I have oatmeal with banana and an egg, but on weekends I might eat and egg and some nuts before heading out the door) which makes it even more likely that I will go over because I'm hungry more often, and generally not as active.
  • melbmeg
    melbmeg Posts: 32 Member
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    Wow, I'm surprised how many people pre-log and also eat similar meals every day. I have no idea what I will eat from one day to the next. I am very lucky that I live near good food shops so I can just pop out and buy whatever I fancy eating. I eat what I want during the day and then eat a small dinner if I don't have many calories left. I hate being hungry during the day or eating boring lunches, so this works for me. Going to bed a bit peckish is no problem for me. Also, I don't count my calories very accurately because I eat out a fair bit and cook complex meals which would be a nightmare to measure and count exactly.

    My weight loss is slow as a result of this sloppy approach - 30lbs in a year, with another 15 to go - but it hasn't felt like a 'diet' at all because I'm still eating fairly much as I always have, but with less mindless snacking, smaller evening meals and less booze.

    I think my approach works well for a certain type of person (patient, disorganised, experimental) but I can see how it would be a disaster for other personalities. But that's the key to success: finding what works for you and what you can sustain for a lifetime.
  • Marcus_2015
    Marcus_2015 Posts: 119 Member
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    I only pre plan if I am going out to dinner and or know that I will be having a big meal during the day. Then I plan my other meals and snacks around it to get close to my target.

    R
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I've discovered I'm a creature of habit and I'm ok with that

    So I have a breakfast I enjoy and I have it almost every day for a long while

    So it used to be porridge and honey, sometimes added banana or berries and coffee

    Now it's scrambled egg whites, spinach,mushroom on white toast, scrambled with either cheese or ham and coffee

    And I batch cook at the weekend ...a couple of different things ( this week it's turkey chilli and rice, and butternut squash risotto) plus have grab and go pots that I eat over salad leaves. I always have Greek yogurt and berries

    Snacks are normally chips, biscuits, ice cream bars or something on toast

    I may grab a pizza instead of a meal or go out on a whim

    So generally I prepare but I don't prelog
  • MarcyKirkton
    MarcyKirkton Posts: 507 Member
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    I preplan when I'm going out to eat, since invariably, that meal will be the high calorie meal of the day. That means, to stay on track, I better find something low-cal but nutritious for other meals. The pre-logging can help with that a lot.

    It's a useful tool to get a bead on what I'm wanting to eat will cost me, calorie-wise. Often it helps me decide on a better choice.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    edited October 2015
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    I use to wing it and it usually got me into trouble. Standing in front of the fridge or search through cupboards looking for food made me eat more and before I knew it I'm out of calories for the day.

    Now I'm a planner. I plan out dinners with my guy one week in advance on grocery shopping day. Then I plan the rest of my own meals for the next day the night before. I keep a written food/exercise journal and jot it down at the bottom of the day's page.

    Of course things may get switched or something else may come up, but having a plan keeps me sane.

    I don't eat a lot of the same things very often so I find planning my meals helps me to fit treats in, space out my macros, it keeps me honest, balanced, it saves me time and no there's no stressing like before.

    Once I made this switch it has made my life easier when I was in weight loss mode and even still while maintaining my weight.

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