Log food BEFORE you eat it?

dreamof_perfection
dreamof_perfection Posts: 26 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Im doing that, I havent eaten lunch yet, but I logged it already. (My food diary is public btw)
I think its a good idea, because it motivates me to eat only what I log, and stay on track better.
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Replies

  • klalaw
    klalaw Posts: 137 Member
    I try to do this as much as I can, but often I have to come on and switch things around a bit as the day goes on, as I end up not being hungry for what I planned, my husband decides he wants to go out to dinner, etc.
  • mrsnathanandrew
    mrsnathanandrew Posts: 631 Member
    I do it, too. A lot of the time I actually log it the night before, then when I get up, I just pull it up and I have my meal plan for the day. Sometimes it changes if I crave something else for dinner, but most of the time I pre-log.
  • littlecesar
    littlecesar Posts: 33
    Logging is the best way to stay on track. Not that I do it all the time myself, but I'm getting better at it. It also helps you to stay within your calorie allowance for that meal and for the whole day. If you don't plan, then plan to fail.....
  • pornstarzombie
    pornstarzombie Posts: 297
    I'll do it sometimes, especially if I know what I'm going to be eating for sure, or if I'll be off the computer most of the day.
  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
    Today I'm trying to log my entire day first.. to keep myself from snacking when I shouldn't... =| I do log everything before I go eat it though, just to make sure I'm not about to go over all of my goals. =)
  • mskimber99
    mskimber99 Posts: 30
    i log it all in the morning - and adjust as the day goes along
  • BrookeeFranks
    BrookeeFranks Posts: 17 Member
    I often log my lunch before I eat it. At my job, once you are at work, you are there for the day. No running to town for lunch. Which is good and keeps me on track. So I take my lunch everyday. Then I know how many calorie I have left and can start planning dinner during the day and stop at the store on the way home if need be.
  • priddy_girl
    priddy_girl Posts: 22 Member
    i log it all in the morning - and adjust as the day goes along
    This is what I do too! Helps me stay on track for the day!
  • _beautiful_disaster_
    _beautiful_disaster_ Posts: 182
    i log it before i even decide what im having for the day, because if its already to high, i choose something different until something is good, and under my calorie goal, and i've lost 7 pounds. so it helps. :)
  • Arthemise1
    Arthemise1 Posts: 365 Member
    When I get off track, this is what gets me back to eating the right things. If it's not in the log for the day, I can't eat it. Simple. It prevents me from eating something that is higher in calorie than I thought it was.
  • tiarapants
    tiarapants Posts: 1,015 Member
    I do mine back to front. I log everything early in the day and then delete it as I eat it. May sound strange, but it works for me x
  • dpbg24441
    dpbg24441 Posts: 7 Member
    I try and log before I eat, like others, it makes sure I keep on track and don't exceed my calories !!

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    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • ytfelmi
    ytfelmi Posts: 47
    i log it before i even decide what im having for the day, because if its already to high, i choose something different until something is good, and under my calorie goal, and i've lost 7 pounds. so it helps. :)

    I've done that before, when trying to decide how much I should be eating by the end of the day. I usually leave too many calories for dinner. I think my lunches/snacks need to be higher. Come dinner, I have like half my calories left, and I know that's not the best way to go..

    I go back and forth with tracking though. Or well, back and forth throughout the day - not in general. I have my food log set in time frames, so I know what time of day I start craving junk, or how long it takes me to eat in the mornings (usually forever, but trying to be better about that).

    I've been pretty obsessed with tracking lately, and will sit down and log my morning and afternoon foods RIGHT before I eat. I'm talking literally right before - food sitting next to me getting cold, haha. Dinner, I usually plug in after the fact. Though, it's always helped more when I knew how much I was going to eat BEFORE I actually ate it. I like tracking beforehand.

    I never thought to plug in a whole day, and adjust around it. That's such a great idea!
  • _beautiful_disaster_
    _beautiful_disaster_ Posts: 182
    i log it before i even decide what im having for the day, because if its already to high, i choose something different until something is good, and under my calorie goal, and i've lost 7 pounds. so it helps. :)

    I've done that before, when trying to decide how much I should be eating by the end of the day. I usually leave too many calories for dinner. I think my lunches/snacks need to be higher. Come dinner, I have like half my calories left, and I know that's not the best way to go..

    I go back and forth with tracking though. Or well, back and forth throughout the day - not in general. I have my food log set in time frames, so I know what time of day I start craving junk, or how long it takes me to eat in the mornings (usually forever, but trying to be better about that).

    I've been pretty obsessed with tracking lately, and will sit down and log my morning and afternoon foods RIGHT before I eat. I'm talking literally right before - food sitting next to me getting cold, haha. Dinner, I usually plug in after the fact. Though, it's always helped more when I knew how much I was going to eat BEFORE I actually ate it. I like tracking beforehand.

    I never thought to plug in a whole day, and adjust around it. That's such a great idea!

    thanks! and usually, I don't know what i'm having for dinner, unless I have school that day, but when its dinner time, i ask, and they tell me and i track it, like last night, we were having spaghetti and cheese garlic bread, i was like okay, garlic bread is like 120 calories. NO its not, its 170!! but I was under my calorie goal from working out, but it made me reevaluate decisions, like what if i didn't work out that day? I would have been waaaaaaaaaay over. just stuff like that helps me, personally. :)
  • Mattdemon
    Mattdemon Posts: 79
    I always log everything 6 months in advance. I know it sort of ruins the fun of MFP but it keeps me accoun... Kidding of course, yeah log before you eat is a good method but planning your meals ahead of time is where you will succeed.

    When you're at work or wherever you should bring your own snacks and only things you would want to put in your mouth. If you have no plan or easy options available then you put yourself at risk of doing something drastic.

    Nobody wants to pre-log they are having Mcdonalds for lunch. I love Mcdonalds but you know you would feel really guilty once you're punching it in on MFP, lol.

    On a side note, I tend to log in my last couple of meals the morning after a lot of times because I'm just done for the day. But I'm able to remember because I plan it in advance.
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    I do that just about every day (maybe not so much on the weekends since I don't always have a computer but I'll check on my phone app how much something will be before I have it) It defintely helps me to do it before so I don't eat way more than I wanted to
  • 20shan08
    20shan08 Posts: 219 Member
    I do this too, other than supper. I log usually the night before. If I have any left over from dupper, I'll eat a banana or apple or some viggies/dip.
  • misty5976
    misty5976 Posts: 45 Member
    I almost always log before I eat. It helps me because #1 - I know as I go how many calories are still available for the day ... #2. If it's already logged and I have that "meal plan" im more apt to stick to it so that I dont add extra's in... and #3. It helps me with portion control. If Im a little over on calories I can adjust the portion size to make it fit my calorie goals. :) If i log 1 cup of rice - and im a little over, i can adjust back to just eating 3/4 cup, etc. Then I know how much to put on my plate - to stay within my guidelines. :) This is a BIG ONE for me. I was raised in a house where you "cleaned your plate" even if you were full. It has taken a LONG time for me to learn that its OK to stop eating when Im full, even if my plate isn't empty... and what a PROPER portion size is.

    That said, I am NOT perfect and I DO sometimes have to go back and re-arrange. Especially on those stress filled days when the stress/emotional eating catches up with me. Not proud of that - but working on it - and when I do slip up, I pick myself up, dust it off - and keep movin forward! :)
  • focus4fitness
    focus4fitness Posts: 551 Member
    I usually have the best success when I do it that way.
  • cobaltis
    cobaltis Posts: 191 Member
    I often do that when trying to chose what to eat to see how it works with the rest of my day :)
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    I plan and log breakfast and lunch the day before (usually) and adapt as I go. If I'm bicycling in to work (about 700 calories, 14 miles with lots of nice crunchy hills), or both ways (1400 calories), I'll plan a correspondingly larger breakfast and supper.

    Then I just eat a portion of supper that is pretty close to my remaining calories.
  • Mistyblu08
    Mistyblu08 Posts: 580 Member
    i log it before i even decide what im having for the day, because if its already to high, i choose something different until something is good, and under my calorie goal, and i've lost 7 pounds. so it helps. :)

    I've done that before, when trying to decide how much I should be eating by the end of the day. I usually leave too many calories for dinner. I think my lunches/snacks need to be higher. Come dinner, I have like half my calories left, and I know that's not the best way to go..

    I go back and forth with tracking though. Or well, back and forth throughout the day - not in general. I have my food log set in time frames, so I know what time of day I start craving junk, or how long it takes me to eat in the mornings (usually forever, but trying to be better about that).

    I've been pretty obsessed with tracking lately, and will sit down and log my morning and afternoon foods RIGHT before I eat. I'm talking literally right before - food sitting next to me getting cold, haha. Dinner, I usually plug in after the fact. Though, it's always helped more when I knew how much I was going to eat BEFORE I actually ate it. I like tracking beforehand.

    I never thought to plug in a whole day, and adjust around it. That's such a great idea!

    thanks! and usually, I don't know what i'm having for dinner, unless I have school that day, but when its dinner time, i ask, and they tell me and i track it, like last night, we were having spaghetti and cheese garlic bread, i was like okay, garlic bread is like 120 calories. NO its not, its 170!! but I was under my calorie goal from working out, but it made me reevaluate decisions, like what if i didn't work out that day? I would have been waaaaaaaaaay over. just stuff like that helps me, personally. :)


    I would think it would be totally beneficial- or you do the garlic bread thing and feel sick that you went over your cals for the day- posting what you are going to eat before hand lets you know what you are going to eat, how many cals and how much room you have to adjust if you feel hungrier that day :) I think i will start doing this myself as i got into this pickle just last night lol
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    I log me entire week on Sundays....a bit much I know, but it works for me. That being said, I make adjustments as they come up so it's not like I don't vary at all. It's just a plan that I try to stick to.
  • SpazzyMal
    SpazzyMal Posts: 276 Member
    Most days I do this. I'll either log it the night before, or whenever I'm about to make my first meal of the day. Like others have said, it tends to help me stay on track. I eat what I've told myself I can eat, and I don't go over it or make substitutions or add to it unless there's something that comes up and throws me off, like we ate dinner at a restaurant when I thought we'd be home.
  • Toxictwist
    Toxictwist Posts: 274
    "Write it before you bite it" :)
  • debomommyforhealth
    debomommyforhealth Posts: 31
    I do pre-log the night before because I have 2 little kiddos that keep me busy. Then, I can just pull up my log and adjust as needed. Also, I am going out of town this weekend, and it helped to look at the menus and estimate as best as I can calories. It makes me not so worried about going over my calories (even though I probably will a little). It's good to have a plan!! Plus, I want to save enough calories for WINE!! hehe
  • jenjersnapco
    jenjersnapco Posts: 206 Member
    Usually, I log dinner after lunch (enter the recipe) so I get an idea if I need to eat more.
  • mazasmusings
    mazasmusings Posts: 74 Member
    I usually log what I eat before actually eating it if I know I may not have the opportunity. it's easier to do with lunch when I make it at home because I have already put together the meal, but occasionally I will try to project dinner and then adjust later if need be.
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
    I pre log about 75% and adjust as necessary, depending on my exercises for the day etc, I eat a good 1/3 of my calories between 7pm and midnight, those are the ones I don't log, but log in what works for my macros.
  • ytfelmi
    ytfelmi Posts: 47
    Plus, I want to save enough calories for WINE!! hehe

    This!! :love: :drinker:

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