Do you use food/exercise journ to plan your day or you log t

firedragon064
firedragon064 Posts: 1,082 Member
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I found it's useful to log in all my meals and exercise the day before so I can adjust them to the correct calorie.
It also helps me stick my food plan.

Replies

  • katyejean
    katyejean Posts: 233 Member
    I try really hard to plan the night before. Today I forgot the other half of my sandwich at work, and I had to re-plan for my dinner just to get enough calories in without going too over everything else. It helps me a LOT to plan ahead. And I always add something I want before I eat it just in case I see that I really don't want that.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    I do the same. Why get screwed eating out or wanting to indulge with the work crew for a pizza.
  • Brandie1029
    Brandie1029 Posts: 183 Member
    I like to plan ahead and then readjust if need be.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    I have started logging some meals in advance, and I've been finding it helpful. I feel too much pressure if I log exercise in advance.
  • lc504
    lc504 Posts: 130 Member
    I plan my next day the night before and then make adjustments if I'm craving a particular snack, or meal! I find this to be really helpful so I'm not asking, what am I going to eat for lunch? Then being indecisive and getting take-out.
  • Getting_Fit_4_Life
    Getting_Fit_4_Life Posts: 401 Member
    I do this also too. I have been doing this for about 5 months and it helps me to stay on track.
  • Sepa
    Sepa Posts: 243 Member
    I always try and plan the day before. If i dont i find that i am usually over my calorie goal
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I log after the fact. I lost most of my weight before joining this site so I know what I need to do without logging. But I still really like logging.
  • cricketannie
    cricketannie Posts: 184 Member
    I usually log as I go. I just have to make the decision before I eat something "Is this worth logging?" and then decide if it is worth eating. 9 times out of 10 I make myself put the cookie down!! lol!
    Also if I decide to go ahead and eat the damn cookie, I know that I need to get in a little bit better workout that day.
  • Legally_Natural
    Legally_Natural Posts: 101 Member
    I have found that I am better able to stay on track if I plan the day before.
  • vxjammiedodgerxv
    vxjammiedodgerxv Posts: 42 Member
    I log as I go too. I thought about planning, but my husband is trying to gain weight, I'm losing it, so family meals are a bit awkward at the moment. I basically eat what I want to eat, as long as it's not going to add 5 lbs! I don't plan mainly because I might log in that I'm having chicken for tomorrows dinner, but when dinner time comes, I might only want a sandwich or something. Maybe I'm just awkward lol
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    I have started logging some meals in advance, and I've been finding it helpful. I feel too much pressure if I log exercise in advance.

    Me too! I get all 13-yr old pouty about it (don't wanna!)....and then I resist....and then I rebel. Better to exercise when I am inspired than to plan ahead (for me)
  • CharlieBarleyMom
    CharlieBarleyMom Posts: 727 Member
    I work 2nd shift, so when I get up in the morning and have my coffee I start logging my day... when I know what I'm taking to work for "lunch" (actually dinner), then I work backward from there to figure how much food I have left to spread out over breakfast and lunch... and also how much exercise I need to do before I hit the shower so that I can eat the food I've logged!

    Of course, as things come up, as I decide I don't really want that apple when 10pm comes around, I can just delete it out of my log or change it for what I end up eating... within my calories!

    This works best for me... if I go unplanned into the day I am asking for trouble.

    Even those days I don't fully log ahead, I know what I'm eating "subway roasted chicken sub with no cheese and all veggies, vinegar or yellow mustard" - and that is 320 calories so I know what it is already in my mind.
  • chandlersmom
    chandlersmom Posts: 1
    I was planning ahead but I just had Gall bladder surgery. For the last two weeks I havent really eaten anything but soup. My Dr says I am good to eat anything I want but I have heard that ruffage can really cause problems after surgery. I am dedicated to getting the weight off but am a little nervous to jump back into a full diet. Thoughts?
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
    I have an idea when I start the day, but I'm never far from some sort of computing power, so I log as I go..
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,082 Member
    I have started logging some meals in advance, and I've been finding it helpful. I feel too much pressure if I log exercise in advance.

    Me too! I get all 13-yr old pouty about it (don't wanna!)....and then I resist....and then I rebel. Better to exercise when I am inspired than to plan ahead (for me)
    I'm the opposite. It does motivate me to work out. It's so easy to go home after work, eat dinner and then relax instead
    of go work out.
  • ChocChipMuffin
    ChocChipMuffin Posts: 22
    Call me sad...but I quite like logging at the end of the day as it makes me happy seeing that I've been 'good' and then adding exercise and seeing an even better result! :) I always plan my meals in advance though, particularly on a work day.
  • SavCal71
    SavCal71 Posts: 350 Member
    I pre-log most meals, so that I know what I have room for. I do adjust as the day goes on, if I don't stick exactly to my plan.

    I don't log exercise until after, because I use a HRM and don't know what I've burned until I've burned it.
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,082 Member
    I pre-log most meals, so that I know what I have room for. I do adjust as the day goes on, if I don't stick exactly to my plan.

    I don't log exercise until after, because I use a HRM and don't know what I've burned until I've burned it.
    I use HRM also. I just adjust the burned calorie after my work out.
    MFP exercise calorie is quite closed to my HRM calorie. My HRM is usually a little higher than MFP.
    Weight lifting cal is the other way around.
  • SavCal71
    SavCal71 Posts: 350 Member

    I use HRM also. I just adjust the burned calorie after my work out.
    MFP exercise calorie is quite closed to my HRM calorie. My HRM is usually a little higher than MFP.
    Weight lifting cal is the other way around.

    Jealous! My HRM tells me - always - significantly less than MFP. I usually estimate in my head - so I know that if I plan a 4mile run, I'll get 350is cals from that. But I workout first thing in the morning 90% of the time, so I can usually log my exercise early.
  • chachita7
    chachita7 Posts: 996 Member
    The last 2 days i have been prepping my lunch and day time snacks the night before and logging as I prep - this has really given me a good sense of what I have left. Also, I don't know what time I will have during the day so I don't miss logging.
  • RoxRae
    RoxRae Posts: 60
    Hmm. All these posts are so interesting! I love to see how others are motivated and achieve success. I never know ahead of time what I'm doing. :\ I don't plan outfits ahead or anything because sure as the world I'll feel like something totally different the next morning. I do tend to plan breakfast, because I know what I'll be eating, and lunch too. Well heck, I guess I do kind of plan! The only thing that isn't planned is dinner because I am not good at planning ahead for dinner in the morning. I need to work on that.

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  • Virginia90
    Virginia90 Posts: 317 Member
    I'm new here, but after just a few days, I think what will work best for me is logging my dinners (I meal plan for dinners a month in advanced, so I can play with the ingredients until they are low calorie/healthy) that way I know what I can eat the rest of the day. I'm not going to log exercise until it happens, and I'll just eat those calories in nuts and seeds or whatever after supper.
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
    i plan ahead too.. doesnt mean i follow it to a T .. i make adjustments when i go off the beaten path ..i look at it more that it acts as a general plan ..
  • jamielise2
    jamielise2 Posts: 432 Member
    I try to plan ahead and then just adjust as needed. But I also will log exercise ahead sometimes, and then eat accordingly, because then I'm forced to follow through with the exercise!
  • nofailureallowed
    nofailureallowed Posts: 51
    I ALWAYS plan the night before, and pack my lunch too. I found that it helps me stay on track and prevent snacking if its planned out :)
  • momtimesone
    momtimesone Posts: 85 Member
    I enter my exercise in the am because it hold me accountable and If I do not do the exercise I feel guilty so its helped keep me motivated. Food I log a week ahead because I know what I am having for the week nd it also helps me because if I know what my calories are for that day I know if I will have enough calories left for that spur of the moment snack or if on that day I might need to burn some extra calories. Tonight is pasta night hence a big burn today :)
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