Struggling with logging every snack and nibble!

JeromeBarry1 wrote: »

If you, like so many others, have a smartphone, download the mfp app. Each time you nibble a snack, whip out the phone and log it. You'll soon have it figured out.

Exactly...and it's made even easier again with the barcode scanner. Best. Thing. Ever.

I do pre-planning and pre-logging and the app really helps.

It's also helpful if you knew what your typical go to Convenient grab-and-go Food is. Sometimes if I'm in a rush in the morning and I leave the house without taking time to make a lunch, I will get a sandwich from Dunkin Donuts. The one I like in particular is about 650 calories. So I have to count the cost of that. But that's the one that I like. Now the fact of the matter is because it's 650 calories I haven't had one in a month LOL.

I make it a priority when I get up in the morning to make sure I have time to pack my lunch.

What helps for me is having the same thing everyday for several days (until I get tired of it.) For example I might just have 2 oz of turkey an ounce of cheese rolled up in a flat-out flatbread. It's actually extremely filling because the flat out flatbread has 9 grams of fiber and lots of protein in it as well as opposed to a regular tortilla. For only 90 calories So it's a pretty hefty lunch for less than 300 calories. Very convenient & easy.

I have a lot of the same snacks day after day.

It takes planning. That's all. Plain and simple.

SophiaJane81 wrote: »

Hi I am young mother and homeschooler of 3 boys and launching a new business. Its safe to say i am busy and I just grab things on the go as a snack and sometimes I am leaving my meals too long and get starving and just grab and either justify it will be okay or if I do log it I soon realise its gone wayyy too high. I think i may be underestimating what I am eating as my weight is not shifting as quick.

I know the key is probably planning. But does anyone have any tips in this area.

My only tip is - don't snack and nibble. Stick to your regular meals - breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and accurately record what you have.

Premeasure foods from home, before you take them. If you are doing fast food, stick with meals you aleady know the count for and have set in your recents list. For on the go stuff, stick with just a few options so you already know how much you are going to be eating, and don't have to worry about searching database and calculating for.

Whenever I eat over my calorie goal, it's because I didn't log it ahead of time.

I'm most successful when I plan my meals at least a day ahead of time. After the kids are asleep for the night, and I've had my evening snack, I map out my food for the next day. It helps me remember what I need to pack for meals at work, I'm at home so I can check what we have in the fridge for dinner, and since I've recently eaten I'm not meal planning while hungry (which for me works just like grocery shopping while hungry).

Another thing that helps me a lot is prepping snacks right after my weekly grocery shopping. I shop on Sundays and later that night (again- after the kids are asleep) I prep my snacks. That means cutting up fruits and veggies, portioning out nuts in single serving sized baggies and/or making up a batch of protein bars. Since these are my usual snacks I know how many calories are in each. In a pinch I can grab any of these things and know I won't be caught off guard by the number of calories in any of them.

Mindless eating was a huge pitfall for me. I've solved it by going vegan, though that's an extreme move and not what I'm suggesting (and didn't go vegan to quit mindless eating!). Stock up on healthy snacks and plan. That's what I've done to keep me going now that I won't just grab whatever is at hand.