How do you work your food log?

Darlingir
Darlingir Posts: 437
in Health and Weight Loss
for the past four months I have eaten first and then logged my food. I changed it up today and logged everything first....maybe that's a better route? what do you do?

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Replies

  • cari4jc1
    cari4jc1 Posts: 233
    I log as I eat or immediately afterwards using my iphone app. I freaking love that thing! It has helped me so much!

    If I'm going to be eating somewhere or eating something that I don't already know the nutritional value is then I'll look it up and see what the calories are so I can adjust it if I need to and eat something else. I pretty much eat the same stuff everyday so I know what I can and can't eat.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Planning ahead is a great idea. Probably the best way to do it. Unfortunately I'm not good at planning, so I hardly ever do it that way.
  • tjoyjohn
    tjoyjohn Posts: 31 Member
    For me, logging my food up front helps, then I know exactly what I am eating for the whole day. I make sure I have my breakfast and lunch (typically the same every day) ready for work and know exactly what I'm eating for dinner. This works for me about 99% of the time...and then along comes a day like yesterday! Oh well...I'm right back at it today...
  • Krys_140
    Krys_140 Posts: 648 Member
    I log as I go, unless I'm concerned that a meal will set me over. Then I pre-log it. One thing to be mindful of is eating more/less than you planned and not correcting your diary. That can get you in trouble. As long as you remember to update it after meals, you've got a great thing going! :)
  • Maridar
    Maridar Posts: 164 Member
    I have logging for about a week now but because it is mostly same stuff I eat every day, I could do it ahead of time, even working out, the 30d shred, I like it very much, keeps me motivated, especially when I see that I did not exceed my dailly calorie intake and did not use the exercise calories:)
  • Rambo313
    Rambo313 Posts: 179 Member
    I plan everything the night before, its the only way it will work for me, if I add as I go, I would mess up.
  • mayerel
    mayerel Posts: 254 Member
    I log breakfast and lunch in the mornings before I go to work. Also- if I know I'm going to dinner somewhere, or if we have set dinner plans I'll try and log it then. I also log my exercise as that helps me a lot. Then, if I snack or when I have dinner, it gets logged as I go. It all helps me keep on track.

    Also- if I'm at a restaurant I'll log while looking at the menu so I sort of plan ahead!
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    I love my Iphone app too! I've done it both ways but I find it's easier for me if I log my food all at once (usually in the morning) so I can figure out what I can or can't afford to have that day. It's also been easier so far for me to NOT over indulge in something. I've also found it helpful when I'm at work to have the website open all day while I'm sitting doing stuff so I can remember where I'm at.
  • RealWomenLovePitbulls
    RealWomenLovePitbulls Posts: 729 Member
    I usually log afterward, but sometimes if i'm unsure of how many calories is in something that i know i will be eating later, i go ahead and log it ahead of time that way i can kind of plan the rest of my day around it, like if what i'm going to have for dinner has a lot of calories, i might try to eat a lighter lunch
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Typically I log everything eaten after I leave work at 5 p.m. the next day. I often log lunch before it's eaten since I bring my lunch and know what I'll be having. I don't plan snacks so I log those as I eat them during the day, or the next day if eaten after 5 p.m.
  • MaryRegs
    MaryRegs Posts: 272 Member
    log as I go....and it works!
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    Depends on my day... when I got to work today I logged all my food because I'm on a low day for calories and wanted to meet and not exceed them and I know what I'm having for lunch and dinner.

    Tomorrow is my high day for calories and I'll log as I go.

    I don't think there is a right or wrong way, just so you log!
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    I use the phone app to log my lunch as I'm packing it for work in the morning. If I eat extra, I log it as I eat it using the app. When I make dinner at home, I log it as I make it. The barcode scanner is awesome.
  • smiley245
    smiley245 Posts: 420 Member
    I do a little of both. I log before hand especially during the week when everything is pretty planned. And log as i go on the weekend since its a little more up in the air so to speak.
    I like logging ahead of time as it allows me to see the "free" calories I have left to play with
  • mrh0rnet
    mrh0rnet Posts: 26
    I log everything a day in advance. It allows me to plan out my meals and avoid having moments where I may be too lazy to go to the grocery store or go to a restaurant instead. That way I can take out the meat from the freezer and put it in the fridge so it can thaw overnight and when I get home from work all I have to do is cook. Also helps me know exactly what i'm eating for the day. So after dinner tonight I will basically setup my whole day of meals for tomorrow.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    i log what i know i will eat, then double check to make sure its correct/make additions.
  • jennifer907
    jennifer907 Posts: 84 Member
    I log my whole day when I wake up (Oddly enough I use another website for my food diary). It helps me to stay on track and I can see if I need to tweak anything. I would hate to get to dinner and realize I can't eat anything. lol.
  • SunKissed1989
    SunKissed1989 Posts: 1,314 Member
    I log my breakfast the night before and sometimes my lunch and snacks. Can't log dinner though because I don't know what my folks are going to make until dinner time.

    I like pre-planning :smile:
  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
    I log everything just before I eat it on the iPhone app. I add it, try to make sure it's a good choice, and then eat it. If I add it and don't like how it makes everything look, then I change what I'm going to eat.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    I don't pre-plan what I'm eating to any real degree. But, like Cagama, I will log things before I eat to see that the calories and macros aren't way out of whack.
  • amanda3588
    amanda3588 Posts: 422 Member
    I log my whole day in the morning before breakfast. I change up what I eat every day so I don't get bored with the same meals day after day. Pre-logging allows me to make sure I have enough to eat at each meal to keep me full (so I don't have to worry about not having any calories left for dinner!), but also to make sure I hit my macros every day without going over sodium/carbs/etc.

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