Does anyone input their food ahead of time?

13

Replies

  • Sam3622
    Sam3622 Posts: 172 Member
    I always plan ahead, especially if i know i wont be at home and have to take food where i go. I set out my breakfast, lunch and dinner and then pack everything i need. Then if i have carbs/fat leftover i can allow myself a treat that still fits in with my macros :)
  • deadgirl81
    deadgirl81 Posts: 412 Member
    I do occasionally, say if I'm going out and I know I'm not going to be able to get to the PC until the next day
  • kathyms13
    kathyms13 Posts: 497 Member
    i do it most days, then i shave off what i can do without.
  • cazzamartinek
    cazzamartinek Posts: 123 Member
    I do this sometimes especially if i feel like im going to go over that day !! :wink: It helps me to stay on target as once its written i wont delete it xx:flowerforyou:
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
    I do, on work days I always do my lunch the night before and input it. It is so much easier.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    oh yeah...all the time! that way I can plan ahead what to eat to stay in my cals :)
  • Traeyek
    Traeyek Posts: 9 Member
    Yes I am doing that now it works great for me
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    Sometimes I do but a lot of the time I change my mind lol
    I think it would be Ok if you had a planed meals to follow
  • rolycola
    rolycola Posts: 1
    I have just put my dinner in so I can see what I have got left for Friday night tea and booze!
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
    Yep I input mine - maybe not all of them. Like say if I've made dinner the previous night and know I'll be having the same for lunch/dinner then I'll add it (saves messing about) and also breakfast is usually pretty standard for me, so I whack that in there whilst I'm on. The rest I just fill in ad hoc really :)
  • Donners185
    Donners185 Posts: 329 Member
    I do this every day. It really helps me stay focused (not always but most of the time). It means i can plan ahead and work in treats and snacks depending on my plans that day. Doesn't work for everyone but i'm a bit OCD and the prospect of not knowing what i'm going to eat and just picking what i want as i go along would give me a nervous breakdown incase i went over or ruined my macros. See......OCD. :laugh:
  • lenya_maria4516
    lenya_maria4516 Posts: 40 Member
    Well done!

    I absolutely input everything! I do it in the morning and then adjust accordingly. It really helps to avoid unnecessary snacking and allows me to keep comfortably within my calorie limit. When I first started out I found I only had about 300 cals left for dinner and really struggled. This way dinner (usually the largest calorie intake meal) goes in first and the rest is worked around it.

    I have no idea if this is the 'correct' way to go about things, but it has worked well for me.
  • BabyGrl726
    BabyGrl726 Posts: 102 Member
    I do only if I absolutely have my meals pre-planned. If not then I input afterwards.
  • kenlad64
    kenlad64 Posts: 377 Member
    Excellent work, pre-planning is a great tool, so yes I often try to pre-plan my day. I get the best results then.
  • llsand
    llsand Posts: 87
    Because i’m in the process of loosing weigh, i have to plan everything in advance so i know what i’m going to eat ( i also bring my lunch to work). I also eat the same breakfast everyday so, yes, I input most of my meal ahead of time. :)
  • herownkindofwonderfull
    herownkindofwonderfull Posts: 307 Member
    I do this sometimes as well. I plan my meals ahead and look at my calorie consumption, as well as sodium intake, protein, fiber, etc. Ultimately, it does help! I allow myself usually 300-500 calories extra in snacks, and if I change my mind throughout the day I can always change my log. But most of the time, I'll stick to my log and make better choices. :)
  • Autry403
    Autry403 Posts: 82 Member
    I've become obsessed with logging. So I spend every hour of the night logging foods I want the next day and almost always stick to that diet.
  • sheepysaccount
    sheepysaccount Posts: 608 Member
    I do that for snacks I am taking to work or dinner I want to have. I also sometimes put in exercise ahead of time for things like my gym class or my walk to and from university.
  • NelehY
    NelehY Posts: 52 Member
    I do - mainly for workday breakfast/lunch as it helps me to plan out how many calories I'll have left for my dinner/tea in the evening.
    Which in turn helps work out what we end up having.

    Also when I know we'll be going out for 'social eating' I will work out a slightly adjusted/reduced breakfast/lunch so as to 'save up' for going out.
    When we went out to a restaurant recently I even looked up their menu online to calculate what I could/couldn't have before hand.
    Which took some of the pressure off when time came to order at the restaurant.
  • dawson555
    dawson555 Posts: 26
    Yea i do it when im working:)
  • kpnuts23
    kpnuts23 Posts: 960 Member
    pretty much everyday!!!
  • MonkeyBars
    MonkeyBars Posts: 266 Member
    I do for restaurants and if I'm going to a cold buffet, otherwise peeps think I'm mad or guess I'm doing MFP!

    I also put things in if I'm going camping, or somewhere without a phone signal!

    Nothing worse then logging just kcals when I won't to understand the nutritional content!
  • Emmabulliemum
    Emmabulliemum Posts: 294 Member
    I try to plan ahead so that I can avoid those 'what shall I eat' moments and make bad choices. I input the day before and some times will try to do a whole week in advance so I know what I'm eating. the only meal I somethimes leave open is dinner but i plan my breakfast and lunches in advance all the time.
  • MrsWilsoncroft
    MrsWilsoncroft Posts: 968 Member
    Hi there

    Most of the time I try to plan my meals ahead so tend to log in my breakfast and the lunch the night before as I tend to prepare them before going to bed.
    I like to do this so i can then see what calories i have left to play with for snacks and my evening meal :)

    Stacey x
  • Ralphrabbit
    Ralphrabbit Posts: 351 Member
    I find that I am more organised & less stressed if I track in advance. I can make sure I have taken the right thing out of the freezer to go with the veggies in the fridge & then I can see how much I have left over to snack on..........
  • fatgirlslim32
    fatgirlslim32 Posts: 31 Member
    I do it every night for the next day. Means that if there are cakes (eg) brought in to work, I can either say yes knowing I have the calories spare or no..because I don't! Rather than just eating it and THEN thinking 'S**t!! I need to do 4 hours of cardio now to burn that bad boy off!'.

    I am right at the start of losing weight (again :sigh: ) but it works for me.
  • faborina
    faborina Posts: 2
    Logging ahead of time helps me see how the day might pan out calorically speaking. Sometimes when I see it ahead of time I am motivated to change my original plan to switch to lower calorie foods, or to balance out my nutritional intake for the day.
  • LiliWray
    LiliWray Posts: 101 Member
    When I'm packing my lunch for work, I log it in ahead of time.
    I find it helpful because I get an idea of what I can allow myself for breakfast and dinner that day.
    Also, if I'm cooking something with lots of ingredients, it's easiest to log it in before I get into cooking and throw the packaging away. I can also see how many servings I'm cooking that way.
  • birdieaz
    birdieaz Posts: 448 Member
    When I have work days I do, it helps me see where my calories will be at for dinner and can plan accordingly.
  • SamanthaAnnM
    SamanthaAnnM Posts: 143 Member
    Yeah, I usually decide what I'm going to eat a day in advance and log it. It keeps me motivated to stay on track, and if plans change or I decide to eat something different it's simple to switch it. It's very effective for me!