Do you pre-plan your food day?

Options
subway_to_liz
subway_to_liz Posts: 24
in Food and Nutrition
Hi Guys,

I was just wondering whether I'm the only one who plans her food day in advance. Usually when I get up I know what I'll eat during the day. Sometimes I even know my dinners one or two days in advance, and I usually already enter it in my food tracker.
Sames goes for the excercise. When I know I'm going to excercise this night, I'll enter it in the morning.

For me, this really helps ne to stick to my plans and also, I'll know at lunch if I can have that chocolate treat with my afternoon coffee or not.

How do you track your food and excercise?
«1

Replies

  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    Options
    I usually track my whole day in the morning, and if I need to make a swap later at least I'll know if it's doable. I have a workout journal where I plan out my workouts a month in advance, so I always know what I'm going to do when I get up in the morning.
  • merrick7871
    merrick7871 Posts: 164
    Options
    Normally when I get up in the morning I will go ahead and enter my evening meal, mainly because that is our biggest meal of te day, Once that is planned, I can adjust breakfast and lunch accordingly.
  • JDNOX
    JDNOX Posts: 619
    Options
    Yeah it lets me know what i have to play with and what to look forward too.
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    Options
    Yes - I do - at the start of the day I enter everything - and then make trade offs as the day unfolds......I do not enter my exercise until I have actually done it as I track it with my body media fit- but I do know roughly how many calories I plan to burn - and will plan my day based on that so I do not have a problem with too many calories left at the end of the day....

    I am on holiday at the moment so not tracking, but will be back to tracking on Friday ;-)
  • mroger801
    mroger801 Posts: 91
    Options
    I try to, but it doesn't always happen. I'm working with my room mate to try to plan the week's dinners (because it will make shopping easier too), but we've yet to sit down to do it. Fortunately, I keep good food in my house, so I don't have the junk that I shouldn't eat.

    I do pre-plan exercise for the week, though.
  • SueGeer
    SueGeer Posts: 1,169 Member
    Options
    I usually track my whole day in the morning, and if I need to make a swap later at least I'll know if it's doable.

    ^^^^^same here^^^^^ Usually log exercise after I've done it.

    Sue :smile: x
  • aaleigha1
    aaleigha1 Posts: 408 Member
    Options
    I plan at night for the following day - sometimes for main meals I know in advance so plan when I know
    every evening I plan for the following day and try to stick with the plan
    on days I do this it works great on days I dont I find I want to graze more
  • bryanie93
    bryanie93 Posts: 3
    Options
    i do mine in the morn but i can never put dinner down or how much coffy i will have cuz i never know
  • timingsands
    timingsands Posts: 83
    Options
    I started doing that last week to stop unplanned snacking. I still snack but definitely less if I know I'm having three square meals a day. I also eat dinner after I exercise so I can eat back about a quarter of my exercise calories. I tried not eating them once or twice but I was really tired and cranky next day.

    I also state how much exercise I will do to my MFP friends...I found it impossible to NOT do them for fear of disappointing them. Great motivational strategy to get my *kitten* in gear.
  • JulesofWinsto
    JulesofWinsto Posts: 57
    Options
    Yup, I normally plan and enter my food for the next day the night before, or at the very latest in the morning. Partly because I need to know what I'm taking to work with me, and partly so that I'm not tempted and slip up.
    I never track my exercise until I've done it though. :)
  • TwinMumCork
    TwinMumCork Posts: 125 Member
    Options
    Yep I enter my whole day in the morning, though now I am starting to plan meals a day or two in advance so I can be organised and sure of what I am going to eat. Sometimes I make substitutions as required.

    I enter exercise after I have done it.
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
    Options
    I plan my food as far in advance as possible! Obviously I have some wriggle room but I find using my diary to plan as opposed to log is the main reason I have been succesful.
  • softsculptor
    softsculptor Posts: 102
    Options
    Yes, for breakfast and lunch...dinner only if I know what I'm eating ahead of time. Most days, I just see how many calories I have left and figure out what I can get away with at dinner ;)
  • rblair_22
    rblair_22 Posts: 202 Member
    Options
    I will plan our evening meals out a week in advance. This not only helps me with my calories, but it also helps with the grocery bill. If I go to the grocery store with a list, I am more prone to stay on track and not buy foods that are unhealthy for me. Since dinner is the biggest meal of the day for my family, I will log my dinner first thing in the morning so that I know how many calories I am allowing myself for breakfast and lunch.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    Options
    I am copying and pasting a reply I just wrote on another thread:

    The night before, I enter my dinner for the following day after I discuss with the husband what we'll be having. This is also usually my biggest meal of the day so it lets me know how many calories I have to work with for lunch, breakfast, and snacks. Then I backfill my diary (still the night before), and plan out what I will bring to work for lunch, then I will see how many calories I have left for breakfast and snacks. I couldn't have come this far or stay within calorie goal without planning. I am just about at maintenance now and I still plan out my days the prior night. It makes a world of difference to me rather than getting through lunch and realizing I only have 200 calories for dinner.
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    Options
    I plan my meals at the beginning of the week but I was already doing so before changing to a healthy lifestyle. I just don't know how to do grocery shopping if I don't know what to buy in advance!
  • kassandra81
    kassandra81 Posts: 176
    Options
    My days are always pre-planned. I can tell you what I'm going to eat today, tomorrow, and the next day. It works for me. I've been doing it this way for about 5 months now. I follow my meal plans very strictly. It's very rare that I switch something out, but I may, and it's easier that way. My gym days are also set in stone, Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Sunday ... There is some wiggle room at the gym for what I want to do, but I know that Sunday is all weight training, Wednesday is cardio and a yoga class. Monday and Friday I mix up cardio and weights.

    I weight to enter my exercise until after I do it though.
  • origins15
    origins15 Posts: 7
    Options
    generally the night before, i plan out what fitness/day movements are, then i plan out the whole day of eating. It really helps me not snack also!
  • dargytaylor
    dargytaylor Posts: 840 Member
    Options
    i am a planner by nature......i have my 'menu' planned for the week (saturday thru friday) usually by either the wednesday before but no later than thursday.

    and yes, i pre-log all of my food for the day so i know if i have any wiggle room :)
  • KimAggie04
    KimAggie04 Posts: 165 Member
    Options
    I usually pre-plan my day also. It allows me to know exactly what I can eat for dinner, which is when I always want to splurg and get seconds.

Categories