Logging meals ahead of time

2»

Replies

  • Gamliela
    Gamliela Posts: 2,468 Member
    I log my meals every morning, it works really well for me.
  • Kalex1975
    Kalex1975 Posts: 427 Member
    RAinWA wrote: »
    I usually log a week in advance and then adjust quantities as needed. I need to be organized and having things planned ahead means less grocery store stops, less having to make decisions in the morning, etc.

    I also log a week in advance. I meal plan on the day the grocery store circular comes out which has saved me a lot of money. The only unknowns I have are when I eat back exercise calories which usually ends up being a protein bar (i.e. a candy bar with protein).
  • jillstreett
    jillstreett Posts: 69 Member
    I do this everyday! Maybe not dinner but breakfast, lunch and snacks are always pre logged and sometimes dinner too if I have made something specific. Echo to others that it helps me know that if someone brings in a birthday cake, etc., I know where I can drop something off my log or if I have enough calories, just go for it! I think I owe a lot of my success to it so that I already have snacks worked in so that when I need it, I can reach for it and not second guess having a snack!
  • urbanradish
    urbanradish Posts: 4 Member
    I love this idea - to be honest never really thought about doing this but seems like it makes it easy to keep on track!!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,967 Member
    If pre-logging works for someone that's great. Obviously, it works for a lot of people. I'm going to offer another view . . . not to be contrary, but so new MFPers reading this have multiple perspectives.

    I don't have the personality type for prelogging. I'm impulsive, and can't predict in the morning what I'd like to eat later in the day. I do have some consistent breakfasts, but I don't even bother to prelog those. I pretty much only prelog when I'm post breakfast/lunch, going out for dinner to eat a known thing at a known place, and wondering if I'm going to get in the full-day nutrition I want, and if not, how many calories I have for a remedial snack before dinner.

    Despite that, it was straightforward for me to lose weight: 50+ pounds in a bit less than a year, and going on 3 years of maintenance since.

    Pre-logging is a great tool. But it's not a required tool for everyone, in order to succeed.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
    Prelogging helped me a lot when I was starting out. It allowed me to start paying better attention to my macros and motivated me to get into the gym for some extra calories. When my weight starts to slip by more than 5 pounds, I start prelogging again to get back on track.
  • mountainmare
    mountainmare Posts: 294 Member
    I'm also a weekly pre-planner. I plan my dinners for the week and prelog them. That most breakfasts are the same-except "BIG SUNDAY BREAKFAST", but I have my standard Sunday BB meals in "meals" so can log them in advance. I am retired now but I started making weekly meal plans when I was traveling a lot for work and I never had a weight problem then. When I retired I decided to go with the flow--that didn't work well for me so I went back to planning.
    I am a good cook and like to cook so its not a big deal and for me makes logging easier.

Categories