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

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Replies

  • carolsings1
    carolsings1 Posts: 3 Member
    I've done it both ways. I started with a complete plan for the day for the first week until I got familiar with the number of calories foods have. Now I kind of plan. If I know what I'm having for a meal I'll put it in then work the rest of the day around that meal recording as I eat. Since I've learned what some of the calorie counts and nutritition content is for the foods I eat regularly I'm more comfortable with a loose plan. I'm still not comfortable just leaving the meals to chance tho because then I will overeat. I think you have to do what brings you the most success. I find planning works best for me. All the best to you as you continue on this journey.
  • BonLou76
    BonLou76 Posts: 36
    Yes! I think it helps. I do it with breakfast and lunch alot so I can see how much I am putting in my lunch for work (so I don't pack too much!). About to do that now actually since tomorrow night will be the first time I've eaten out (ACK - holy terrified!!) since being on here! I'm trying to plan my day so I don't go crazy at Olive Garden(yum)! :)



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  • aprilmwilson
    aprilmwilson Posts: 21 Member
    I typically spend a few minutes in the morning plannng out my food for the day and logging it on MFP. If anything changes over the course of the day, I go ahead and adjust the log. I track my water as I go and submit at the end of the day.
  • pnieuw
    pnieuw Posts: 473
    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.

    I do the exact same thing on weekdays, because I eat the same thing every day for breakfast and snacks. Lunch is whatever frozen leftovers I grab, so I can easily log that. Then, I know how much "dinner" I have left to eat. This method works for me and keeps me on track.
  • jessicazanebell
    jessicazanebell Posts: 67 Member
    I log my days the night before. That way In know I can have a good breakfast lunch and dinner with snacks in between and something sweet at night. This way I can manipulate my meals by adding or subtracting certain ingredients until I am at my caloric intake. If you eat something then log it you have no way of taking away what you already ate.
  • KayaSamantha
    KayaSamantha Posts: 157 Member
    I like to know what my day is going to look like the night before when I pack my breakfast and lunch and when I am thinking about what to make for dinner the next night. I find that I don't overeat and I generally stick to my "plan".
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I plan it all out. I only eat what I have planned. When I used to wing it (and log after I ate it), I didn't lose.
  • beckyann858
    beckyann858 Posts: 48 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.



    That's EXACTLY how I do it too! Sometimes I don't eat everything I brought with me to work, so if I'm running late fixing dinner or something, I can just eat whatever I brought back home with me since it's already been counted.
  • Misiaxcore
    Misiaxcore Posts: 659 Member
    When I have classes I always log a snack food or something I'm likely to eat on campus. If I don't end up eating it I just delete it from my journal :) I find it very useful because then I'm set on eating that particular thing and not changing my mind to get something unhealthy on campus. It also lets me plan how much I can eat when I get home.
  • nuttytart770223
    nuttytart770223 Posts: 43 Member
    I tend to log as I eat something, I have it on my phone so I can log even if I am away from the PC.
    But on days like last Saturday when I was going on for a hen night and had already picked my menu
    choices in advance, I logged the food in the morning and that gave me an idea of how many calories
    I was going to go over, then I could go to the gym and earns some extra calories to account for the meal.

    If I dont log as I eat I will forget and that is dangerous for me personally :flowerforyou:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    When i first started on MFP i ate and then logged at the end of the day, and was always over. Now i plan my day, and log it first thing in the morning. This way i know if i am going over, and can amend my menu if neccessary, or add extra if i have worked out for example.

    You just have to find what works for you! Good luck!
  • bassettpig
    bassettpig Posts: 79 Member
    Absolutely logging in advance is good! What could be bad about it? I like knowing the plan for the day ahead of time, and it's a good feeling at the end of the day to know you followed your plan. I also log exercise in advance so the whole package is set up and all I have to do is follow along.
  • kendrafallon
    kendrafallon Posts: 1,030 Member
    For me it depends, I live with my parents and Mum does the cooking (she doesn't like me cooking - long story :ohwell: ) and she rarely plans what she's cooking...since she relies on Dad to get the veggies on the day. Indian/Gujarati food every evening (I'm Indian)

    But breakfast, lunch and snacks I'll either log in advance or as I'm eating. I tend to stick to things better if I log what I'm going to eat than if I log as I eat. Though sometimes, it doesn't matter. #

    lol I don't make much sense do i...:ohwell:
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
    I always use the diary to plan... I plan Mon-Fri every Monday morning and I plan Sat-Sun every Friday.

    I won't alway 100% stick to my plan but having my meals already there - in balck and white - helps so much with the choices I make.

    The main benefits to me are:
    * It helps with my shopping as I know what foods to buy
    * It helps me to stick to calorie goal. If I know I can have 500 cals for my evening meal to keep with my daily allowance of calories then I wont deviate from what I have planned.
    * it helps me make healthier swaps. I may plan for 60g of pasta but then swap for 200g of new potatoes which saves me 80 calories.
    * I factor in a treat so I have something to look forward to
    * I can plan in advance if I know I am eating out so I can exercise more / eat less for breakfast and lunch


    I don't stick 100% to plan of course (I try to for the most part but I am only human and I will occasionally end up having stuff not "planned") but in general I find logging AFTER I have eaten fruitless? What is the point of logging at the end of the day and seeing that I have eaten 1600 cals when I should only be eating 1200??

    For me plannning in advance has been 80% of the reason I have managed to lose weight!
  • Mairgheal
    Mairgheal Posts: 385 Member
    I would plan and log my main meals in the morning - just so I have a general idea of the amount of cals for that day.

    I would then add snacks and exercise as I go along and I might make adjustments to lunch or dinner if the amounts are a little different than what I had planned.
  • lulabellarama
    lulabellarama Posts: 96 Member
    I plan my week out on a saturday as that's when we do our weekly shop and I meal plan for the week ahead.
    It helps us save money and logging my food on here helps me manage my calories.
    Obviously if things change I adjust before submitting the day, but I find it usually keeps me on the straight and narrow.
  • Scoobies87
    Scoobies87 Posts: 379
    I plan the night before so I know how much I have to play around with and also how much I should exercise. Sometimes it changes but if so its no big deal-just go back and change it. It helps to stay on track-however many think I am obsessed!!!!
  • Lotus1980
    Lotus1980 Posts: 18 Member
    I always do if i know what i'm having, which is usually Mon - Fri, that way you can see what calories you have left / or how much you've gone over so that if you fancy a snack later you know you can have it ( or not ). It can always be amended along the way. Also if you have had a bigger lunch you know that you should have a lighter dinner and vice versa.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 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.

    I disagree, I think it's a great way to use the site!
    I usually plan my day's meals/snacks the night before, then I adjust as the day goes on. I have the app on my iPhone so I will check at lunch to see if I need to change anything for the morning/lunch break, then I adjust later in the day if I need to.
    I honestly can't imagine doing it any other way - I usually know what meals I'll be eating then I add in snacks to bring my total up to where it needs to be. This way I never end up writing sad posts saying "oh no, I only have 150 cals left for dinner" or "how can I eat 900 calories before bedtime".
  • mmiiaa
    mmiiaa Posts: 171 Member
    I find myself doing this from time to time, even with my exercise. I know my limits. I know what I'm allowed, and I feel so accomplished when I stay within that boundary. As for the exercise, MFP lets everyone know as soon as you log it, so if I said I was going to do Circuit Training for 20 minutes, then I better do Circuit Training for 20 minutes, because everyone is already so proud of my burn.
  • RachelT14
    RachelT14 Posts: 266 Member
    I always log my evening meal the night before, i am quite new here so keep having to add my receipes so it takes a bit of time. That way i know how many calories i have left for the rest of the day, then if there is something that needs eating up at midday i log that and then i know which of my different breakfasts i can have in the morning. I always leave extra calories available for fruit snacks durign the day and it is workign i havent been feeling the need to reach for any bad snacks due to mid meal hunger
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
    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?

    I usually log as I go, but there are some days where I pre-log my meals so I can see what sorts of snacks I can afford.

    Also, you can add and delete even after you've completed the entry.
  • isletri
    isletri Posts: 18
    I do this on tuesdays since I"m at school 9a-9p. I pack much lunch and have no money so I know this is all I can eat. If I don't eat something (never happens hehe) I delete it off the list. I also carry a 24 oz water bottle and make sure to fill it before each class and before/after my break, so I know I'm getting enough water.
    I think it's helpful, just remember if you don't eat something you put in or you eat more to adjust it.
  • debbiequack
    debbiequack Posts: 275 Member
    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?

    I'm a single mom who plans her dinners every day so it's easy to log that in in the mornings. I also eat the same thing, most weekdays so I log that. After that, I know how many cals I have left for lunch and snacks. I think it really helps.

    This website it about mindfulness. Logging our food/exercise keeps us conscious of what we are putting into and doing to our bodies, IMO. Planning meals just increases the mindfulness.

    Best,

    Debbie
  • slieber
    slieber Posts: 765 Member
    I usually log what I plan to eat apart from lunch and dinner, unless I have a set lunch already made. This is due to time constraints, though. I log my exercise the night before, as well, if I'm sure I'm going to do it the next day (like my dance classes, for example). Anything extra gets logged after the fact.
  • comforter
    comforter Posts: 39
    I think plannng ahead is a good thing!! I know it really helps keep me on track. Good Luck!!!
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