When to log

Do you find it easier to log everything you’ll eat at the beginning of the day, as you go, or at the end of the day?

I bring my lunch every day, so at least five days out of the week I pre-log all my snacks and lunch food. Water is as I go, and so is dinner. I'm pretty sure I would forget something if I tried to add everything after the fact lol

Replies

  • sjd421
    sjd421 Posts: 54 Member
    For me it's best to plan out what I am eating and thus I pre-log my meals. Normally I work in my snacks during the day, since I don't always plan those out.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Prelogging and adjusting amounts and details as needed, worked great for me.
  • naculp
    naculp Posts: 225 Member
    I really like pre-logging everything that I can, so that way I can see if I'm close to my macro goals and also if I can fit in a second helping at dinner or maybe even extra ice cream later :smiley:
  • capwever
    capwever Posts: 10 Member
    naculp wrote: »
    I really like pre-logging everything that I can, so that way I can see if I'm close to my macro goals and also if I can fit in a second helping at dinner or maybe even extra ice cream later :smiley:

    hahaha I feel you on second helpings and dinner!
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    Prelogging and adjusting amounts and details as needed, worked great for me.

    This is my way as well Pre-log is for me the way to go
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    I do 'as you go' or sometimes pre-logging if I have meal-prepped dinners waiting for me at home. Most days I don't know what I'm eating for dinner until I'm at the grocery store after work picking out ingredients.
  • dexjanelle
    dexjanelle Posts: 10 Member
    I prefer to log as I go. But I have labeled 6 eating times, breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, & evening snack. I also include in the labels cals to eat/accumulated day cals/net cals left. by the time I get to evening snack my goal is eat 150 at that time/1,500 accumulated for day/and 0 left. What I like about this is that I can eat what I want and just control portions. Because I have a family, I can eat whatever they eat. I do measure it and log prior to eating it. It's a pain. But we don't plan all our daily meals so this keeps me with them instead of doing my own thing without them.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    I log as I go through my day. I rarely know what I'm going to have for dinner in the morning.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    Pre-logging does not work for me. I don't work so don't have to pack a lunch, and rarely know exactly what I'll eat on any given day. I log as I prepare my dish or as I'm eating it.
  • cs2thecox
    cs2thecox Posts: 533 Member
    As I go generally.
    Sometimes after the fact if it was a bad weekend and I need to do some estimation!
  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
    I honestly sit down on Sunday and pre-plan my entire week. Then throughout the week I'll make small adjustments to amounts. Or maybe change my snack from yogurt to cottage cheese or change the flavor of the yogurt or something but that way I at least know I'm in my goal and it also takes away decision fatigue. I just look at what I logged and I eat that. I hate making decisions.
  • jesspen91
    jesspen91 Posts: 1,383 Member
    I log as I go, I don't like feeling restricted.
  • thunderztormdk
    thunderztormdk Posts: 51 Member
    I prelog since that gives me an overview of how much wiggle room I have based on the meals I have during the day. I can't prelog lunch, since that's provided at work and we don't know what we're getting before we go to the buffet to eat.
  • DamienAngelica
    DamienAngelica Posts: 281 Member
    I pre-log everything in the morning while I'm having my first cup of coffee, but I eat the same thing again and again so it's much easier for me.
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
    I stay on track better during the week, when i pre-log my morning coffee and lunch. On the weekends I sleep in and then have coffee so I dont eat until much later and actually dont over eat that often on the weekend.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,223 Member
    I pre-log as much as possible; failing to plan is planning to fail, in my book. I'm very much a creature of habit and probably eat the same thing for 50-60% of my intake everyday, dinner varying the most. I also try and plan that with my wife as much as possible too. If I'm eating out I try to know the restaurant ahead of time, look at the menu and make a selection that fits my calories ahead of time if possible and pre-log that as well, allowing for a buffer for ancillary intake if I know the restaurant brings out bread for the table, etc.
  • missperfectpitch
    missperfectpitch Posts: 611 Member
    I like to pre-log at least one day in advance, as that gives me a better sense of how many calories I'll have available for snacks the following day or for one of the higher calorie dinners I've made, etc. Also, if I know I'll be eating out for dinner one day, I like to pre-log so that I can budget 1000 or more calories for dinner. When I do eat out though, I typically just write down what I ate in the Food notes section with a guess on portion size, and then log after the fact.
  • JennyRATL
    JennyRATL Posts: 199 Member
    Yep, pre-log so I know where I have some give if I want treats! And it helps me balance out my days so I can eat more of what I'm missing nutrient-wise.
  • Trex5009
    Trex5009 Posts: 171 Member
    I mostly eat the same things everyday... just with the addition of a few things.. so I pre log everything so I know what I have left for the day
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    I pre-log breakfast/lunch/snack since I prep it for the week. Dinners I plan, but log as I go in case I need to make recipe adjustments while I'm cooking, and cuts of meat are usually slightly different weights, etc.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    I prelog my food for the day in the morning before or during breakfast. It helps me stick to my goals better.
  • neldabg
    neldabg Posts: 1,452 Member
    When I first started tracking and was losing, I used to plan 1-2 weeks ahead. After reaching maintenance and as I became more experienced, I found that meal planning and logging ahead was no longer necessary. I still prepare some foods ahead of time and portion foods into plastic zip bags to lessen my hassle during the day, but I pretty much log just before I eat. The exception is when I need to budget appropriately for a special occasion.
  • StatsGuy99
    StatsGuy99 Posts: 35 Member
    I prelog on workdays to make sure I pack the right amount of food. On weekends I just log as I go.
  • 2snakeswoman
    2snakeswoman Posts: 655 Member
    I'm terrible at planning, so most of the time I log as I go. I also carry paper and pen around so that I can write things down until I have time to sit at the computer. I also have the app on my phone. There's really no good reason for not keeping track.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    i preplan but i 100% never follow my plan lol. Calms me to have a plan but then i stubbornly refuse to follow it lol. I eat all the same meals though so pretty easy to still hit my macros and calories. My diets basically around 1000 calories of solid macro foods i eat daily and anything else i eat is earned through exercise food/ snacks
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
    I do plan ahead the meals I'm going to make during the week, but that sometimes changes. I will pre-log that morning or the day before. Sometimes I have to make changes and add things, but doing it ahead, along with my exercise too, I know how much I can eat ahead of time.
  • Aarjono
    Aarjono Posts: 228 Member
    I'm most successful when I prelog things.
  • dwilliamca
    dwilliamca Posts: 325 Member
    I pre-log at least a meal in advance so I know if I have to make any adjustments. I then go back and change amounts if necessary. I log snacks as I go and track both afternoon and evening snacks separately since they are trouble areas for me.