Logging as you go OR already logged?
HappyKat5
Posts: 369 Member
I won’t be able to exercise for the next 7 days due to a minor surgery (I’m usually work out 5-6 a week.) I usually log my food as I eat it throughout the day depending on how I feel. With no additional exercise, I’m thinking about making a set menu and just eating what I log for the entire day. Curious to know, if logging as you go versus a menu already logged in makes a difference?
Thanks
Oh, and the weird thing I eat almost the exact same thing everyday so it really shouldn’t bother me, yet I kinda does.
Thanks
Oh, and the weird thing I eat almost the exact same thing everyday so it really shouldn’t bother me, yet I kinda does.
2
Replies
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All depends on you. I log as I go, cause I never know what I'm gonna eat until I do2
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I pre log during the week, log as I go more on weekends4
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I usually log what I plan to eat for the day in the morning and amend it during the day if plans change. I never log exercise until I have done it though.
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I usually log ahead of time during the week and then mostly log as I go on the weekend, depending.
But if you are having surgery, you might consider going up to your maintenance calories for a bit - your body is going to be working hard to heal and the extra calories could help.7 -
I do both. If I know I want to have a bigger calorie dinner on a certain day, I will log the dinner in advance to see how many calories I have left for the day. This helps me not go over my daily calories. Otherwise if I am planning on a lighter meal in the evening, I just log as I go throughout the day.
Good luck with your surgery! Hope you recover quickly and can get back to your workouts soon.4 -
wellthenwhat wrote: »All depends on you. I log as I go, cause I never know what I'm gonna eat until I do
That is exactly what I do, and for the same reason. I only pre-log if I am having something already made in advance (soups, chili, meatloaf, etc.) or leftovers. It is personal, and what works for you; and as long as you keep within your calories for the day/week, everything is cool.
Good luck with your upcoming surgery. Eat healthy, rest and heal.1 -
@HappyKat5 Don't know how minor your surgery is going to be, but in all likelihood there will be days you don't feel your usual self, and won't want to eat the stuff you pre-logged.
But yes I normally log as I go, sometimes actually logging the whole day at night before going to bed.0 -
Thank you the responses. I actually think I’m going to meal prep for 3 days to start and just pre log my food. I haven’t done a meal prep in about 3 weeks but I think it will help in case, I want to try something new. I ate eggplant yesterday and liked it, so I want to incorporate it in my rotation.
Oh, and thank you the well wishes. It’s a minor surgery for me but I won’t be able to move my right arm. Most of my cardio classes include my arms, so I’m more bummed about that, I actually love working out. Yup.1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »I pre log during the week, log as I go more on weekends
Same, I log my meals before on days that I work and the opposite on days where I don't work, simply because I have more liberty.0 -
motivatedmartha wrote: »I usually log what I plan to eat for the day in the morning and amend it during the day if plans change. I never log exercise until I have done it though.
This.0 -
I'm similar to you in that I pretty much eat the same things everyday but still prefer to log as I go. Once I finish dinner though I log my evening snack and beverage ahead of time and close out my entry for the day.0
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I log the night before so I can prepare any food to pack the next morning. I don't eat anything that is not planned (my new rule as of last week).1
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Mostly log as I go, but I've been known to pre log main meals a few days ahead, then log the rest around that as I go. Have a good rest week.1
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I prelog my food for the day every morning.
I don't really understand people who don't know what they are going to eat for a meal until right before they have it. I guess I am always thinking a couple of meals ahead. I have dinners planned for the month. I have food bought for the week. I know what restaurant I will go to well in advance. I can figure out what I'm going to feel like eating for at least the majority of the meals of the day ahead of me.
I sometimes change my mind about a food or discover the food was not good/there and I adjust my log. I'm fine finding something with a similar calorie count to slot in.2 -
I prelog my food for the day every morning.
I don't really understand people who don't know what they are going to eat for a meal until right before they have it. I guess I am always thinking a couple of meals ahead. I have dinners planned for the month. I have food bought for the week. I know what restaurant I will go to well in advance. I can figure out what I'm going to feel like eating for at least the majority of the meals of the day ahead of me.
I sometimes change my mind about a food or discover the food was not good/there and I adjust my log. I'm fine finding something with a similar calorie count to slot in.
We are all different @Lounmoun, and maybe that is what makes the world and life more interesting. I can't understand how people can log days in advance or think about plan meals weeks in advance. I like organization and predictability to certain extent, but I find that thinking about food or meals all the time is boring, and not that important to me.
I know that I will have pork chops tonight, but I don't know what else to make with it. I will figure it before dinner. No worries. Alas, it is almost lunch time and except for homemade soup and homegrown pink grapefruit for desert, I still don't know what else I will make. And life is good
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craygslyst1 wrote: »I could probably log my breakfast and lunch Monday thru Friday and be pretty accurate for the week. Dinner is the wildcard.
For me, the consistency of those two meals has really helped control calories.
My food diary is a story in monotony!
If your diary is a story in monotony...then mine is a poem. I literally eat the same foods everyday. I have a safe list of foods that I eat (not because I want to, but because I have medical issues.). I miss the spontaneity of just going “eating” but I have learned to pick monotony and feeling better over that...it’s not always easy but then again, everyone has something that isn’t easy for them either. I’m slowly introducing new foods/items into my menu. This month, it was eggplant. I fell in love...hard!3 -
craygslyst1 wrote: »I could probably log my breakfast and lunch Monday thru Friday and be pretty accurate for the week. Dinner is the wildcard.
For me, the consistency of those two meals has really helped control calories.
My food diary is a story in monotony!
If your diary is a story in monotony...then mine is a poem. I literally eat the same foods everyday. I have a safe list of foods that I eat (not because I want to, but because I have medical issues.). I miss the spontaneity of just going “eating” but I have learned to pick monotony and feeling better over that...it’s not always easy but then again, everyone has something that isn’t easy for them either. I’m slowly introducing new foods/items into my menu. This month, it was eggplant. I fell in love...hard!
As I read through threads on MFP, I'm noticing more the effect of cultural and geographical differences. Also differences between different generations and age groups.
What you describe as "a story in monotony", is the way my grandparents lived. The difference with them though, was that although they ate a few different things, it was predictable based on the day of the week. So their children, (my parents included), knew exactly what to expect on a Monday as opposed to what would be cooked on a Thursday. Of course Sunday was special, with better meals than the other days.
My parents in their own time moved away from the way my grandparents did it, but still retained a bit of structure. Now in my own family it's quite erratic and unpredictable. As we don't do a carefully measured daily cooking, there's always leftovers from whatever gets prepared, so I could be logging the same thing for three consecutive days until it's gone, then we do something else.
The other stark difference I see on here is the number of persons who base their thinking around restaurant meals. I find it hard to relate to that as a new "normal".2 -
craygslyst1 wrote: »I could probably log my breakfast and lunch Monday thru Friday and be pretty accurate for the week. Dinner is the wildcard.
For me, the consistency of those two meals has really helped control calories.
My food diary is a story in monotony!
If your diary is a story in monotony...then mine is a poem. I literally eat the same foods everyday. I have a safe list of foods that I eat (not because I want to, but because I have medical issues.). I miss the spontaneity of just going “eating” but I have learned to pick monotony and feeling better over that...it’s not always easy but then again, everyone has something that isn’t easy for them either. I’m slowly introducing new foods/items into my menu. This month, it was eggplant. I fell in love...hard!
As I read through threads on MFP, I'm noticing more the effect of cultural and geographical differences. Also differences between different generations and age groups.
What you describe as "a story in monotony", is the way my grandparents lived. The difference with them though, was that although they ate a few different things, it was predictable based on the day of the week. So their children, (my parents included), knew exactly what to expect on a Monday as opposed to what would be cooked on a Thursday. Of course Sunday was special, with better meals than the other days.
My parents in their own time moved away from the way my grandparents did it, but still retained a bit of structure. Now in my own family it's quite erratic and unpredictable. As we don't do a carefully measured daily cooking, there's always leftovers from whatever gets prepared, so I could be logging the same thing for three consecutive days until it's gone, then we do something else.
The other stark difference I see on here is the number of persons who base their thinking around restaurant meals. I find it hard to relate to that as a new "normal".
I grew up in a home where we ate at home, and with meals that lasted at least 3 days. We rarely went out. So, if we had meatloaf on Sunday, we had it on Monday (as a sandwich) then Tuesday stuffed in a green pepper until it was gone and then my mom made another batch of stuff. I admit my kids look at me when I say “leftovers” because they expect something NEW everyday. Over the years (and as they have gotten older) they realize we are going to repeat. We may skip a day, but we usually work it in creatively. For me, I eat can’t eat most of the things that I grew up. I eat separately from my family because I can not tolerate a normal diet. We try to do a everything in moderation (for them) but, I guess I want them to eat more things (& try new things) because my diet is the same day after day. My mom to this day will eat fish everyday. When she visits, and I say, I’m not sure what dinner will be tonight, she looks at me like, “What?”2 -
I prelog my food for the day every morning.
I don't really understand people who don't know what they are going to eat for a meal until right before they have it. I guess I am always thinking a couple of meals ahead. I have dinners planned for the month. I have food bought for the week. I know what restaurant I will go to well in advance. I can figure out what I'm going to feel like eating for at least the majority of the meals of the day ahead of me.
I sometimes change my mind about a food or discover the food was not good/there and I adjust my log. I'm fine finding something with a similar calorie count to slot in.
We are all different @Lounmoun, and maybe that is what makes the world and life more interesting. I can't understand how people can log days in advance or think about plan meals weeks in advance. I like organization and predictability to certain extent, but I find that thinking about food or meals all the time is boring, and not that important to me.
I know that I will have pork chops tonight, but I don't know what else to make with it. I will figure it before dinner. No worries. Alas, it is almost lunch time and except for homemade soup and homegrown pink grapefruit for desert, I still don't know what else I will make. And life is good
Sure different things for different people. I am not saying everyone needs to be like me or criticizing people. I hope it didn't come off that way.
I just can't understand living like that. I live with people who have severe anxiety so everything can be worries some days! Planning and routine help us get through as a family.
If I were planning pork chops for dinner I would know the limited food options in my house and could decide side dishes that morning. I would not wait until 5 PM and open the cupboard and wonder what to have. I am not thinking about what to eat all the day long because the decisions are made.0 -
I tend to log in advance to make sure I leave myself enough calories for a nice dinner.
If I’m having a lazy day, I plan ‘healthy’ foods right up to my calorie limit, and then if I want chocolate I have to go exercise
Other days I just log some calories for dinner as a placeholder, and sort out the meal planning later.1 -
I usually know how the day will go, and a lot of what I eat is pretty routine, so I pre-log quite a bit. But not everything is predictable and sometimes the day goes way off the rails, so I'm always aware that my plans may have to change.1
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Today has been awful! I pre-logged on paper and then put it into MFP, and I realize it’s not for me, which is weird because I thought it would be simplistic since I usually have the same menu. I didn’t finish my breakfast until 3 pm. I logged lunch and didn’t eat anything, and tried to eat dinner around 6...and I’m not done with that either and it’s almost 8. After typing that, I really think it’s about logging or not, it’s what I’ve been trying to eat today. I got scared because of the no exercise thing and ate a lot of vegetables (which I don’t normally do) long story...I will be up until about midnight to try to get my calories in...good experiment for me, but I’m going to go back to logging as I go.1
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I prelog my food for the day every morning.
I don't really understand people who don't know what they are going to eat for a meal until right before they have it. I guess I am always thinking a couple of meals ahead. I have dinners planned for the month. I have food bought for the week. I know what restaurant I will go to well in advance. I can figure out what I'm going to feel like eating for at least the majority of the meals of the day ahead of me.
I sometimes change my mind about a food or discover the food was not good/there and I adjust my log. I'm fine finding something with a similar calorie count to slot in.
We are all different @Lounmoun, and maybe that is what makes the world and life more interesting. I can't understand how people can log days in advance or think about plan meals weeks in advance. I like organization and predictability to certain extent, but I find that thinking about food or meals all the time is boring, and not that important to me.
I know that I will have pork chops tonight, but I don't know what else to make with it. I will figure it before dinner. No worries. Alas, it is almost lunch time and except for homemade soup and homegrown pink grapefruit for desert, I still don't know what else I will make. And life is good
Sure different things for different people. I am not saying everyone needs to be like me or criticizing people. I hope it didn't come off that way.
I just can't understand living like that. I live with people who have severe anxiety so everything can be worries some days! Planning and routine help us get through as a family.
If I were planning pork chops for dinner I would know the limited food options in my house and could decide side dishes that morning. I would not wait until 5 PM and open the cupboard and wonder what to have. I am not thinking about what to eat all the day long because the decisions are made.
Good for you for finding what works better for you and your family. No anxiety in my family, except mine when I have to cook...
And I waited until 6PM to figure out what to cook with my pork chops but I changed my mine at 6:30PM. All was well at 7PM and I was right on target with my calories. No worries.1 -
I log at the end of the day
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I pre-log most of my week before I shop. Then I know what I am buying for the week, and have a rough idea of what extras I can have each day if needed/wanted.
I do tend to eat the same breakfast everyday and bulk cook lunches on Sunday - so same thing each day there too. Dinners are the variables, but I pre-log based on the meat that is in the house 0 -
What works for me is during the week I log each morning. I usually eat the same things a few days in a row which makes it easier. On the weekends I log all during the day. I have significantly stopped eating out (fast food) due to trying to maintain a low carb diet.0
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Curious to know, if logging as you go versus a menu already logged in makes a difference?
Thanks
Oh, and the weird thing I eat almost the exact same thing everyday so it really shouldn’t bother me, yet I kinda does.
I do this. I start out with a basic plan and log what I think I'll eat. (Breakfast is always the same, lunch similar) If I change anything up during the day, I add/subtract. I still pretty much stick to what I initially set, but those 2pm pretzels or Teddy Grahams sometimes sneak in.
It's not weird that it bothers you. You choose to eat the same, but have the comfort of knowing you can have other/more things because you were exercising. Not being able to leaves you feeling like some of your choices are being taken away. (Even if it's just your mind playing tricks on you) I went through this after my knee surgery. It was a control thing for me.1 -
I log as I go. It is easier for me to remember what I have eaten. Plus it keeps me focused on my goals, and helps me to be a more mindful eater. But to each his own.0
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I do a semi pre-log when I am making my grocery list on Sunday morning. Most of that though is because I am a pescatarian who is also trying to make sure that my combinations reach my macros, so I have to cross check my lunches and dinners to see where I need to add in extra proteins or fats. For me this is also important because I'm currently cooking for just me. I don't mind making a normal lunch/dinner and portioning it for 3-4 days, as this means a smaller grocery bill generally as well as not having to cook every day of the week. Generally once my meals are made I go ahead and log them for the amount of days they'll last, as well as log any snacks/treats that need to be added in. This also means that I can go ahead and log the other lunch/dinner I have planned for the week on the days after the current lunch/dinner are good for since that's mostly just what I have left in the house. If things come up such as an unexpected meal out or over at a friend's then I make adjustments accordingly as needed.0
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I do a little of both.0
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