do you count calories before or after you eat

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  • greeneyedredneckangel
    greeneyedredneckangel Posts: 79 Member
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    i do it first thing in the morning i plan my meals that way i have a way to hold my self accountable i do the same with my fitness
  • Queen_M
    Queen_M Posts: 70
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    I log the night before. I'm not obsessive over it, I just like to get a rough idea, then when I actually eat it I adjust to be exact.
  • minit54
    minit54 Posts: 27
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    i dont really have time to sit and log the whole day, but right before i go to lunch or dinner I log what it is I plan to eat. I've found that this helps me make better decisions when seeing how much i'm about to consume
  • SarahMorganP
    SarahMorganP Posts: 921 Member
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    I do it as I eat. I eat mostly the same things over and over again though, so I always know the calories. I do not pre-log anything because so often I change my mind on what I want to eat. So I eat breakfast and then log, eat lunch and log, eat dinner and log. Same with snacks. I try to keep breakfast and lunch around 300-400 calories each every single day and the rest goes to snacks and dinner.
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
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    Mon- Sat I plan them ahead for the most part. I'll enter my main meals sometimes up to 3 days in advance. Sunday is my Spike day where I eat a much larger amount of calories than I do the other days of the week and although I planned that at first too I find I'm doing ok with leaving it a spontaneous thing and it's more fun. So that I enter breakfast and lunch as I go (dinner is usually planned so I already have that entered).
  • DataBased
    DataBased Posts: 513 Member
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    I'm learning to plan in advance, but more importantly - so is my husband. He wanted honey walnut shrimp for tonight's meal. So I plugged it in this morning and told him what it would cost him in workout and meal portions for breakfast and lunch. He was good with the trade-off for a little mini-splurge, so that''s what we're having for supper tonight.

    I'm not organized enough to do a whole week in advance though. I'm far too spontaneous than that. I never know from one day to the next what I'm going to be hungry for.

    :happy:
  • vguynes
    vguynes Posts: 794 Member
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    I plan my meals before (in the morning). I edit if I need to make changes, but I try to stick to my plan.
  • Sherbog
    Sherbog Posts: 1,072 Member
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    Before....sometimes I change my mind.
  • 7funnygirl7
    7funnygirl7 Posts: 1,176
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    I track first thing before anything goes in the mouth...LOL. This way there is always room for a treat for the day!
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
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    Before I eat usually...Keeps me accountable :)
  • finchase
    finchase Posts: 174
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    Partially before. It's usually after breakfast but before lunch. I tend to eat the same things for breakfast and lunch during the week at work, so that helps. I also long the snacks I'm going to have at work. That's easy because again, I'm taking the same things and I try not to eat extra things. If I know what I'm going to have for dinner (like tonight I know I already have grilled chicken breasts prepared), I log that, and I try to also decide on what veggies I'm going to have with it. Based on what's left over, I'll know if I have enough calories left to have a snack after dinner, or even two if I've been very good that day.
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
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    Before! I try to figure out my food plan for the day so I know ahead of time what I can and shouldn't eat during the day. Works great me. But I'm weird that way...
  • gingermoon
    gingermoon Posts: 239 Member
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    I'm a planner.
    Most of the time I have already figured out the next day or two in advance.
    Just easier for me that way.
  • Tori_356
    Tori_356 Posts: 510 Member
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    Try to plan everything ahead of time. Doesn't always go according to plan or I'm not always sure of what i'll eat, so I can just edit it later if it changes!
  • Jamie2007
    Jamie2007 Posts: 169
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    I use Sunday for meal prep and I track my entire weeks worth of food and exercise! Love it!!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I log after, usually the next day for anything eaten after I leave work. But I think about calories, balance and portions as prepare meals and snacks.
  • chiera88
    chiera88 Posts: 155
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    BEFORE. then edit if something changes
  • citprof
    citprof Posts: 6
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    Right before I eat it. My mantra is, it doesn't go in here (my mouth) until it goes in here! (myfitnesspal)--not as impressive w/o pointing!
  • MrsLong1980
    MrsLong1980 Posts: 181 Member
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    Always after - I might change my mind! I make myself accountable by choosing healthily at the time :) I also log after each meal so I'm aware of how much I've eaten and how much I have left.
  • seebeachrun
    seebeachrun Posts: 221 Member
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    Both. I somewhat plan my meals for the week to fit within my daily calories but I allow a little wiggle room here and there. I find it easier to count up breakfast and lunch and then try to make good decisions to stay within my remaining calories for dinner. I have been mostly successful so far. At some point I would love to be able to maintain a reasonable caloric intake without having to count.

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