Meal Pre-Logging

CrazyMermaid1
CrazyMermaid1 Posts: 356 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
After many years on and off this site, I finally zoomed in on the importance of high protein for my satiety. A few days ago I realized that I can better control my protein intake by purposefully pre-planning my meals. I’m embarrassed that it’s taken me so long to figure this out. Anyone else have this experience?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    Ha. Yeah, that's definitely the best way until you get into a routine and really understand food and macros.

    At this point I can pretty much calculate in my head and I try to get a good balanced mix in every meal. Pre-logging just annoys me, I tend to change my mind about what I want for dinner on a regular basis.

    Something that helped/helps me a lot is having about 25 favorite "Meals" entered and saved, and I know they are all balanced. Then I just can log them quickly and tweak portions if needed.

    Glad you found something. :flowerforyou:
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 11,517 Member
    I almost exclusively prelog everything.
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 3,603 Member
    I prelog to remind me what's in the fridge that needs to be used.
    I'm NOT a morning person and it helps me choose a good breakfast instead of blindly reaching for cookies while i wake up enough to find real food. Like filling the coffee pot the night before.
  • Strudders67
    Strudders67 Posts: 989 Member
    I pre-log to see if I have any wiggle room for a snack (and, if so, what?) / how long I need to spend in the gym!

    My focus is on carbs with protein being of secondary importance, but I batch cook and, of course, everything that's in my freezer has different cals / macros. I usually have an idea of what I want to eat (especially as I prefer it to be defrosting during the day rather than having to nuke it) but I have no idea how many carbs went into that curry / stirfry / bolognese / chilli / fish pie / whatever when I made it. Also, my lunches vary, depending on whether I'm eating out or at home so pre-logging helps me stay on track.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,232 Member
    If I'm low on nutrients and high on calories I still try a few combos before last meal of day to decide what I would rather have!

    Today I wanted to try and new item so I prelogged a bunch of stuff and pretty much know that if I want it all I better not be sneaking in a snickers bar!😝

    It's a good tool to use (pre logging and logging before consuming as opposed to after)
  • Surrealmuse
    Surrealmuse Posts: 16 Member
    I often prelog as I'm still learning the calories and macros of the foods we eat. I also do this with recipes to see what I should tweak before I make it.
  • sunpeach20
    sunpeach20 Posts: 6 Member
    Absolutely! However , recently I read and found it somewhat true high meat protein isn't good for your arteries.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,162 Member
    sunpeach20 wrote: »
    Absolutely! However , recently I read and found it somewhat true high meat protein isn't good for your arteries.

    I'm not sure what that has to do with prelogging, but . . .

    Where did you read that? I don't think that's true, and I'm saying that as someone who's been happily vegetarian for going on 50 years, not as a shill for Big Meat.

    High saturated fat intake may cause issues for some, but that's a matter of overall eating patterns, not a reason to avoid reasonable amounts of meat protein. Excessive amounts of certain processed meats may be problematic health-wise, but those aren't all meats.

    Back on topic: I pretty much never pre-log because its not very compatible with my impulsive aging hippie flake orientation to life in general. But I did face a similar challenge when starting calorie counting, needing to get adequate protein as a vegetarian on reduced calories.

    For me, it worked to review my food diary often, and think about how to change my common eating patterns in ways that gradually boosted my protein intake. I'm not implying that that would be best or even work out at all for everyone.

    I can see how pre-logging would be useful for those whose personality it suits. No diss intended, therefore: I have a pretty strong belief that personalizing our weight management strategies is a key success factor.
  • age_is_just_a_number
    age_is_just_a_number Posts: 631 Member
    100%
    I definitely stick to my macros and calories more closely when I pre-log at the beginning of the day.

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