log as you go or pre plan ?

lor04311916
lor04311916 Posts: 109
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

Just wondered whether people find it more useful to log as you go or preplan food and excersise etc. has anyone seen a significant difference in weight loss from doing it either way ? x
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Replies

  • lor04311916
    lor04311916 Posts: 109
    Hi

    Just wondered whether people find it more useful to log as you go or preplan food and excersise etc. has anyone seen a significant difference in weight loss from doing it either way ? x
  • BrenNew
    BrenNew Posts: 3,420 Member
    I'm FOREVER suggesting to all the newbies to log all your foods BEFORE you have them. I really think that's why I have been able to "almost" easily lose the weight that I so desperately wanted to lose but couldn't with any other "diet". :smile:
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    I generally preplan. If you preplan your exercise, you know how much you can eat and if you preplan your food. you know how much you have to exercise.
  • lor04311916
    lor04311916 Posts: 109
    cool thanks for the advice, i've always logged as i go along so far but think i will give preplanning ago x
  • lor04311916
    lor04311916 Posts: 109
    would you advise leaving extra calories just incase ?
  • aprilvet
    aprilvet Posts: 724 Member
    I like to pre-plan.:smile: This really helps, especially if you will be eating out. Most chain restaurants have calories contents on-line. That can REALLY help keep you on the right track when you realize ONE piece of Uno's pizza is 750 calories!!!!:noway: :grumble: I used to eat 2-3!!!!!!!
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    I generally do. There may a time when you poop out on exercise or maybe your food intake is a bit more than you bargained for.
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    Pre-plan whenever I can - makes the day much smoother. I leave some flexibility for snacks so that if I want something different it's not an issue
  • lor04311916
    lor04311916 Posts: 109
    tell me about it i hate finding out how many calories i was consuming before. i know its helpful and helps you see what went wrong but its soo depressing lol
  • Jackie_W
    Jackie_W Posts: 1,676 Member
    Plan ahead - always :flowerforyou:
  • allierock
    allierock Posts: 2
    I make a menu every Saturdau for the following week so I know and the children know what to expect for the family meal everyday and then I know what I need to buy and I don't feel comfused and impulse but things I don't need and can't eat. I don't use all my extra calories from exercising but then if I do eat more than my body tells me I need to eat I don't loss weight.
  • thejarviclan
    thejarviclan Posts: 465 Member
    I often pre-log my food, just so I have an idea how much leeway I have for the day. But I quit pre-logging my exercise because it made working out feel like such a chore. If I know I have to do 30 minutes on the elliptical, it feels like it takes forever. But if I allow myself to simply go until I'm ready to stop, I find that I usually do MORE than I had planned!

    I think it's all about "fooling yourself" into being challenged. :happy:
  • iTim__
    iTim__ Posts: 6,823 Member
    A little from "column A" and a little from "column B." :) I do log as I go most of the time, but if I have a chance (especially if I'm going to eat out) I'll use MFP to help plan what I'll eat. When in doubt, I eat 1/2 a meal (that's why they make doggie bags).
  • janiebeth
    janiebeth Posts: 2,509 Member
    I agree with the rest.. I've done both - as I tend to be not so organized...

    I find that when I pre-log (or at least plan in my head what I will do) I can balance my day so that I am getting in enough protein, complex carbs and fats that I don't end up getting very hungry at any point along the day (similar to what BrenNew described as being almost effortless).

    On days when I don't plan ahead I may find myself doing too many non-complex carbs early and then maxing out on calories before the end of the day - thus the emergency, desperation workouts to fit in the calories already burnt.. not ideal..

    both ways can work, but each meal or snack needs to be balanced..

    Good luck.. jb
  • dkell
    dkell Posts: 408 Member
    :angry: I'm really mad at myself. I've not been using the food logs and the exercise log. That's why I'm not loosing weight. :grumble: :grumble: My life is such a turmoil that I find it hard to plan ahead. Do you actually get recipes and meals ahead for all week and then plan when and how long and what kind of exercise you are going to do?:noway: :noway: Is that possible? :noway: My life is out of control right now.:grumble: :angry: :devil:
  • debmac63
    debmac63 Posts: 459 Member
    I log my food the day before so that I know how much I need to exercise at the minimum. That also helps me not to graze during the day since I know all calories or at least most are spoken for. It's worked so far.
  • iTim__
    iTim__ Posts: 6,823 Member
    I usually eat light during the day, but I love a good dinner. I think it is at dinnertime, I plan the most... simply so I can have the most.
  • MOMOFTWO29
    MOMOFTWO29 Posts: 8,276 Member
    I enter the food before I eat it and that way I know that I will stay within my calories, etc.
  • pettmybunny
    pettmybunny Posts: 1,986 Member
    I generally log as I go. I have a pretty good idea of what I am eating most of the day (my breakfast and snacks rotate the same 5 or 6 items), so like Tweeber, it's just dinner. If I'm a little low on the calories left by dinner, I just eliminate the pasta or rice, and I'm good to go.
  • chellebelle315
    chellebelle315 Posts: 298
    I'm new to MFP, but I've been keeping a food diary for ages. I agree that you should do a little bit of both. I plan my meals in advance, and I usually log my plan and my exercise at the beginning of the day...just make sure that you don't "cheat" by eating things that you "forget" to log.
  • molsongirl
    molsongirl Posts: 1,373 Member
    I log as I go, I'm a clean eater, find it hard to go over on calories, so I log em as I go, exercise is a part of my life, so I don't worry too much about this either, I guess it's whatever works for you
  • persian_dancer
    persian_dancer Posts: 110
    For me it really depends on my week. Like on certain days I know that I won't have time to make things for myself and I'd have to eat a healthy salad from a restaurant or a 6 inch from subway, or i definately know that I am going to have a salad for lunch and dinner that day so I add them the day before because I know that I will be eating it.

    The days that I HAVE to preplan are days that I am working. I go to school and work so its sometimes difficult to eat healthy being I am a college student and all. I hope this helps!!!! :drinker:
  • GIBride01
    GIBride01 Posts: 328 Member
    I prelog both my most of my food and exercise first thing in the am. I find it helps keep me honest to know I am already eating some of the calories I have counted as extra exercise calories. Also helps me to stick with one cup of pasta if I have already logged it as one cup of pasta. :flowerforyou:
  • Islandgirl74
    Islandgirl74 Posts: 170 Member
    My biggest meal is usually lunch, so I generally log that in at least the day before. Other meals I usually log in the mornings. My breakfast is the same everyday (at least for now), so I know how much calories it contains, so I log it in a few days in advance.
  • staceyw37
    staceyw37 Posts: 2,094 Member
    i do a combo of both. my breakfast is pretty set and snacks i don't pre-plan. but for meals, i will check first to see what it's gonna "cost" me before i settle on a food. for me, it can discourage me from making a "bad" choice. also, i'm kinda new to this, so i don't have a ready grasp of all the foods and the amounts that will fit into my plan/goals. thus, it helps me to pre-plan my larger meals.
    hth :happy:
  • mommareed
    mommareed Posts: 2
    I usually log in at the end of the day..My life is so hetic I have no time to pre-plan meals lol
  • lessertess
    lessertess Posts: 855 Member
    I do a little of both. I preplan my meals, usually the night before, in conjuction with my planned exercise. However, I often deviate a little from the plan. For example, one of the admins keeps fun size candy bars at her desk and I get weak every now and then :laugh: Or, I'll decide I'm not interested in what I bought for lunch or I get busy and don't have time to eat a snack that I planned. When I make those changes I get on the computer and update my food log.

    Preplanning for the exercise helps because I exercise after work. Since I know what I'm going to burn, I can plan out how much to eat during the day so that I'm spreading my calories pretty evenly.
  • dkell
    dkell Posts: 408 Member
    I usually log in at the end of the day..My life is so hetic I have no time to pre-plan meals lol

    :noway: I'm with you on this.:flowerforyou:
  • artschoolgirl
    artschoolgirl Posts: 598 Member
    I was just mentally keeping track of my calories until I decided yesterday to start logging again. I find it relaxing in the morning to log the foods, plan out my snacks & I'm finding it really keeps me in my calorie range! I spend about 800-1000 calories and then workout after work & get to eat what's left over. So, it usually leaves me with 200-500 calories to eat for dinner.
  • fullofjoy720
    fullofjoy720 Posts: 161
    lol i never plan. I mean I log after each meal...or try to. Living away form home in college I never know what the cafeteria is going to have.
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