Logging what you plan to eat rather than what you eat ?

Just_Bethy
Just_Bethy Posts: 272
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone log their planned intake for the day when they start their day ..I usually log as I eat but yesterday I logged everything I was going to eat and pretty much just ate that...I don't know if this is a good idea or a bad idea..after all til you complete that the end of the day you can add or delete...So anyone try doing this??..does it help you?? Pro's & cons?
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Replies

  • LMorrison1009
    LMorrison1009 Posts: 114 Member
    I log my breakfast lunch and snacks the night before as I pack my food for work. It's good for me because I tend to "over pack". So say I plan on yogurt and a banana for breakfast, but only eat the banana, I can have the yogurt with my lunch and know it is already counted. Then if lunch time comes and I only eat half of my veggie or something I can finish it later because those calories are already counted. I sometimes get hungry as I drive home from work so if there is anything left in the bag I eat it guilt free knowing I planned for it. I log my dinner as I cook and my water and exercise as it happens.
  • ClareOneill
    ClareOneill Posts: 3
    Yeah I do this Bethy and it's ok, I rarely eat more than i've logged. Sometimes I eat less and i just change it!
  • nikkicarter13
    nikkicarter13 Posts: 231 Member
    I usually always log breakfast, lunch and snacks in the AM. Since I don't usually plan ahead for dinner, I know how many calories I have left for it and can stay in range when I get home from work.
  • amhadlock
    amhadlock Posts: 9
    i do that too, and it seems to work because i hate adding food to my online diary. I try to stick with my original meal plan for the day and it has been working :)
  • bigredhearts
    bigredhearts Posts: 428
    i try to plan ahead every day, i find that when i dont, im prone to make more haste decisions to fill the hunger void and those decisions are not always good... im all for pre-planning! :D
  • HollyMcCaw
    HollyMcCaw Posts: 154 Member
    I always plan my diary at the beginning of the day. Especially if there is something particular that I want for dinner, that way I can work the rest of the day around it. Sometimes I adjust it as the day goes on if I feel like changing something. For me personally this is the best way to do it :)
  • yeahfatty
    yeahfatty Posts: 228 Member
    if i know what i'm having for dinner the next day .. i log in advance.

    it's nice because you know exactly what you'll be eating the following day & it's easier to plan snacks in my opinion.

    it also gives me a boost to do a bit of exercise because i can already see the total amount of calories i'll be eating.

    wouldn't do it every day though .. as i get a little panicky if everything is TOO on schedule for like a whole week but i think that's just me being odd.
  • cjasins
    cjasins Posts: 93
    I log what I plan to eat at the beginning of the day. I find that it helps keep me on track and takes the stress out of trying to figure it out as I go. I do go back at night or the next morning and make adjustments if necessary. I find it much easier to make healthy choices when I plan ahead.
  • RobertaG
    RobertaG Posts: 205 Member
    I pre-log the night before and leave some wiggle room just in case I need a snack or my plans end up changing.. I think it really helps to stay on track.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I log before I eat. It usually starts the day before, I plan out my meals and look for better options when I realize my carbs or sodium etc are high. When I wake up I check over what I have planned, make adjustments if I'm not feeling like eating something specific that day. I think it's easier because I know what I am going to eat, when I am going to eat it and if I am looking around for a snack at 1:30 (usually out of boredom not hunger) I remind myself that my mouth isn't "open" for snack until 2:30. It helps me.
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
    wrong way to use the site i would have to say. It is so easy to forget everything you eat during the course of a day. If I can;t log it i write it down so I can log it correctly later.
  • UpToAnyCool
    UpToAnyCool Posts: 1,673
    :laugh: I have to log ahead of time, otherwise I will for sure go over!

    I stopped announcing my diary on the News Feed b/c what happens is that the 'Rough Draft' in the morning looks pretty okay, but then I often make poor choices towards the end of the day. Oh and I also eat late at night, so I used to feel guilty about 'announcing' that I closed out my diary and then would have to add stuff after people took the time to look at it :blushing: :noway: .
    My friends can always look, but I did stop announcing - I don't want to waste anyone's time...

    I would say that I would go over by a lot more if I did not at least try out the 'Rough Draft' in the morning.

    I really hope that someday I will have a more intuitive understanding of how many calories are in the foods I eat, but until then...
  • Stephanie08
    Stephanie08 Posts: 1,023 Member
    I say it can't hurt to log ahead, subliminally I think it works out better than logging as you go. I like to mix it up, if I know I'm going to go out to dinner I'll usually check a restaurant's menu ahead, pick what I want, log it, and gosh darn it I usually stick with the plan!
  • alisons7598
    alisons7598 Posts: 162 Member
    I almost always log my food in the morning or even the night before. Yes at times I change things around (say it sounded good when I planned it and not when it's time to eat or say if I'm unexpectedly out somewhere at meal time) but overall I stick with what I have logged and it helps me keep things under control that way.
  • bmmadden
    bmmadden Posts: 499 Member
    i usually log my breakfast lunch and snacks and if I know whats for dinner Ill add that too however in case something changes I won't click the submit button for the day to complete that days entry until I know for sure nothing will be changed according to my plans
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
    I usually always log breakfast, lunch and snacks in the AM. Since I don't usually plan ahead for dinner, I know how many calories I have left for it and can stay in range when I get home from work.

    THIS is what I do too. I pack my lunch for work, so I know what I'm planning for lunch & snacks. I do occasionally need to make adjustments during the day, but it helps me to space out my calories. I also work out first thing in the morning, so I have that factored in as well.
  • TenLaws
    TenLaws Posts: 273
    I'm pretty focused on my carb to protein ratio, so it helps to plan my meals in advance so I can see if I'm eating too many carbs, not enough protein, etc. I also worry about my calcium intake. The con of doing this is I force myself to eat food that I don't want. Not that I force myself to eat when I'm not hungry, I just force myself to eat turkey when I want salmon or something.

    However, there are days when I just don't have time so I log as I go. The con of doing it this way is that I may eat too much early on in the day, then I have to put an extra workout in just to earn some extra calories.
  • brendalyne
    brendalyne Posts: 497
    I don't click the submit button to complete that days entry until the end of the day when I truly am DONE for the day.
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
    i do this! i always eat what I log and i've never strayed. but i'm a little OCD....
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    I tend to log as I go. But very often after lunch I add the rest of the day. I never stray from what I put.
  • peachNpunkin
    peachNpunkin Posts: 1,010 Member
    I always log ahead. I am more apt to stick with my plan. Now when I don't stick with it, I just delete what I didn't eat, and replace it with what I did. It's easy to fix.
  • TakeOne
    TakeOne Posts: 345 Member
    Honestly I always try to log everything the night before on weekdays. I just don't have the time to "log as I go" and I don't want to forget anything. It doesn't mean that I always stick to the plan, but it lets me divide up the calories for the day so that I don't end up with like 197 cals. for dinner :) By now I know about what I can switch out too. Like say I decide not to eat the pretzels I bring with lunch, I know I can have some goldfish as a snack after work. I don't hit submit until the end of the day tho. It's just a personal preference and I think it really depends on your schedule.
  • SavCal71
    SavCal71 Posts: 350 Member
    I lost 90 pounds by planning my meals in advance and logging them before I ate. I would, of course, be honest and make any adjustments throughou the day if my plan changed. But by planning ahead, I *knew* what I was eating, what I could add, where I needed to cut back, etc. It really really worked for me.
  • UpToAnyCool
    UpToAnyCool Posts: 1,673
    I don't click the submit button to complete that days entry until the end of the day when I truly am DONE for the day.

    Good for you - I should be more disciplined.
    My problem is that I honestly think I'm done for the day, but sometimes am up for hours longer and find myself eating again !!!I :laugh:
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Yeah, I've done the planing in advance and it's great! Just make sure to remember to change it if you went off plan.
  • NeverTry
    NeverTry Posts: 26 Member
    I actually started doing this a few days ago. Logging in the night before, when im satisfied and not hungry.
    I have found that, for me, its better to know what to eat/make at each meal.
    I also just log it to 1200 calories, so if i do some exercise, i get a few more snacks/bigger serve etc. and just add it in later.
    Leaving the meal decision to the moment isnt really that good for me. This makes me not have to think about food all day.
  • Just_Bethy
    Just_Bethy Posts: 272
    Thanks for all your replies!! I think I will keep doing it this way and see how it suits me for a while!! :D
  • bac0s
    bac0s Posts: 48 Member
    I log the following day each night. I've lost over 60 pounds this way... Planning has been my key to success.
  • kathrynkatana
    kathrynkatana Posts: 90 Member
    If actually find that this helps me to do it that way. Allows me to plan my meals, think about my day. But I do sometimes have to make changes and I don't feel bad for doing it. It all about thinking about what you are eating.
  • arielian
    arielian Posts: 200
    I do this! it helps me eat better!
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