Better to enter right away, or at the time?

citizenpioneer · November 2011

Is it better or more accurate to enter food as I'm eating it, or can I do it in morning before I even leave the house because I know what I will be eating for lunch? Same with exercise: Should I put it in as a I do it, or if I know I'm going to be walking 15 minutes now and 15 minutes later should I just put in 30 minutes right away?

I guess I'm fairly certain it makes no difference, but it's good to check.

ElizabethRoad · November 2011

It's the same numbers no matter when you enter it... it will have the same level of accuracy... If one way works better for you then do that, otherwise it's all the same.

bootsandaj · November 2011

I find entering my food in the morning helps because then I am less likely to deviate from the plan. With exercise I wait until after, although maybe I shouldn't because that plan definitely changes more often.

kellyjamespro · November 2011

I say enter in the morning and use as your plan for the day.... Honesty is key... If you do something different change it. Cheating is only cheating yourself.

Sidesteal · November 2011

It's personal preference, but one advantage to logging food intake beforehand is that you can see the calorie and macro output before actually eating.

If you eat first and then log it, especially if it's something you don't always eat, or a larger quantity than normal, you could end up with a surprise when it comes to calorie/macros.

olivia3263 · November 2011

I plan my whole week out (Monday thru Friday). It also helps for when I go food shopping

If something changes I adjust the tracker, but I find putting all my food in before the week starts really helps me stick to my goals.

rml_16 · November 2011

I don't enter exercise until I do it because I calculate calories burned with an HRM. Otherwise, it doesn't matter if you enter it before, during or after as long as you're entering what you actually are going to eat. And if you change what you eat, then change your diary.

ackeebee · November 2011

i usually enter at the time i am eating just because most times i am unsure what i will be eating until the exact moment. it makes no difference in my opinion when you enter it, just do whatever works with your schedule

Beth720 · November 2011

Especially on teaching AND part-time job days I try to enter things in the morning because I know what I'll be having with very few exceptions. On weekends, it's often as I eat or after the fact. The advance posting is often encouraging to make sure I get out and exercise...especially on days when I'd be over calories without doing any exercise but I'm not so much feeling it. I can look at it and be like "Ok...do I want to be able to eat that? Then I need to move my butt. If I want to not move my butt, I need to figure out something else to eat."

Exercise is logged when I do it largely because I use a HRM and the calorie burn can vary from day to day depending on a lot of factors.

amymeenieminymo · November 2011

I like the enter my food as soon as I know what I am eating, so for instance right now I am about to enter my meals for the entire day because I have them planned out. This gives me a better idea of my day, and how much I can afford for a snack if I need one. It also helps temendously with a new food that you aren't sure how bad it is. If you eat it and then discover it had way more calories/fat etc than you thought and then it's too late. If you log it first, you still have the option to not eat it.

I do exercise the opposit....I'm weird, but I kind of hate to log it before I actually do it. I'm not really sure why....I guess because if I end up with not enough time to do it, or too lazy to do it, I hate it showing up on my wall that I did it.

Helice · November 2011

It's personal preference, but one advantage to logging food intake beforehand is that you can see the calorie and macro output before actually eating.

If you eat first and then log it, especially if it's something you don't always eat, or a larger quantity than normal, you could end up with a surprise when it comes to calorie/macros.

I agree with this. Theres so many times iv eaten something that looks healthy on the side, only to find out when logging that it was **** loads of calories.
Whereas if you have a plan, you know what food your in that kitchen to eat.
Although iv never been good for planning as i dont have a constant supply of food in the house.
Like right now i dont have a clue what im having to dinner, if i had to plan it i would say either because theres no food in we'd order in. Or because theres no food in we'd just eat bread or something..

Kikilicious84 · November 2011

If it works better for you to enter it all in the AM...then do it. I enter as I go. Nothing is constant with me. lol

carolina_r · November 2011

Lots of ways of doing it...you just have to find what works best for you and your schedule.

For me, I've found logging my food before I eat it makes me more aware of what I'm putting in my body, and also helps me stay on track. It is easy to go back and make adjustments if you end up changing it, anyway.

With exercise - if I don't get a chance to get up early and exercise (which is often with a fussy, teething baby

I have started logging my regularly scheduled workout ahead of time. Although you can go back and change it, it is posted to the wall, so it makes it feel "official". I feel more obligated to do it, and it helps me push through the "too tired to workout" excuse!

teagin2002 · November 2011

I plan my meals, then enter them with in minutes before eating them, to make sure I am not going over.

Sweet_Potato · November 2011

Especially on teaching AND part-time job days I try to enter things in the morning because I know what I'll be having with very few exceptions. On weekends, it's often as I eat or after the fact. The advance posting is often encouraging to make sure I get out and exercise...especially on days when I'd be over calories without doing any exercise but I'm not so much feeling it. I can look at it and be like "Ok...do I want to be able to eat that? Then I need to move my butt. If I want to not move my butt, I need to figure out something else to eat."

Exercise is logged when I do it largely because I use a HRM and the calorie burn can vary from day to day depending on a lot of factors.

This is what I do as well.

Sweet_Potato · November 2011

I like to enter recipes right before I make them. After logging the ingredients I find that they've been committed to short-term memory and I don't have to look at the recipe while preparing it.

jenlarkin300384 · November 2011

I personally log everything at the beginning of the day, so that I'm not trying to guess about how many calories I am eating. That way I also know if I can over/under eating on my cals. x

cclark1203 · November 2011

I enter my menu in the morning, this way I will stick to my eating plan for the day. I enter my exercise also in the morning, what I plan to do. I will adjust as necessary during the day but I find doing it this way holds me much more accountable than logging as I go.

llkilgore · November 2011

I weigh or measure the volume of most foods, and never log them before I do. The way it usually works out is that I do all the prep work and then take a few minutes to log the meal as it finishes cooking. I just makes more sense to me to log the actual weight of an actual chicken breast, for example, than the perfect portion size of a theoretical chicken breast.