Pre-Planning?

Hey December Sibs! I have a question for you: how often do you pre-plan the next day's (or even further?) food intake? We have all probably been told that it is essential for successful dieting in the past and maybe that is the reason I've been resistant to it since my surgery. But, even though I have to pack my work food the night before it still doesn't take into account calories and carbs and doesn't include what I'll plan on eating when I get home. For a lark I did that yesterday and even packed all the food I planned to eat (a whole lot more than I DID eat!). What I found was that I was satisfied with smaller amounts even though I'd already budgeted for more and didn't think I needed to pu**** Pouchie didn't hurt but didn't want as much volume today. That was a nice benny but it may be a total fluke and have nothing to do with having the day pre-planned. Anyway, it just got me wondering how many of you do this too if at all. I should try to do it more often since today was such a good day. Guess I just have to get past that mental stigma of diet-mentality. I don't want to feel like a dieter. It has never worked for me before. Molly

I wake up in the morning decide what sounds good for breakfast.. eat that then hop on fitday and figure the rest of my day.. have done it for months and *usually* it works for me. If I don't I fail that day. no questions asked. I am overally anal and obsessive though some say so might not be the best tactic to most but it works for me and my type A personality.

I wish I could get it together enough in the evening to log everything onto sparkpeople for the next day. Since I don't have computer access at work, it is often 10 hours into my day by the time I can. You don't sound overly anal or obsessive...it sounds like you are planning to be successful. I need to commit to doing my planning the day before for the *whole* day and not just the hours at work. It would probably make a world of difference.

Funny Molly.. I just got your reply and I am sitting here on fitday logging in tomorrow. I am meeting my Angel for lunch prior to my 9 month followup.. I feel so blessed having her in my life. I put together a nice chef salad for tomorrow that is romaine, spinach, boiled egg pieces, diced chicken and some low fat cheese. We are meeting in a park near my hospital I had surgery and thought a nice salad sounds perfect. So i have that logged now I am planning my day around that. Tomorrow night is already making me nervous because I am getting together with my highschool friend afterwards and who knows where we will eat.. I am packing a bar just in case. She doesn't mind what I do, thank goodness.. she is just happy for my success it is good to have friends like her who understand. I know I am in a unique situation where I work 2 days a week and get paid full time and have no children. So this works for me but I imagine one day it will not. So don't feel bad.. its a lot of work and preplanning that doesn't always fit into the normal person's schedule. *hugs*

Hello! I have to plan for breakfast, lunch and snacks at work so I usually do a mental weekly list in my head. Some variety to my days but not a whole lot, I have several faves that are staples - tuna, chicken salad, south beach frozen meals, boca burgers, fish, cheese sticks, kashi... I am sure my list sounds just like yours. I regularly come home with an item or two in my lunch box that I havent eaten, but I know that I have a good choice option if needed. For me, the planning works so that I have control. I dont know the exact calories/fat/carbs every time I pack my lunch but I can give a pretty accurate estimate. I do use fit day, but not every day. The protein is the one that I count every day. I even plan for outings, dinner parties, lunch with friends, dinner at Moms etc - I pick from menus ahead of time or bring my own food. I dont feel like a dieter - I just feel in control.

Thank you...your method sounds a lot like mine but I do log on at the end of the day to list what I've eaten and *then* check the exact totals. After doing it since mid-May I'm getting pretty good at knowing the ballpark of where I am but still I come out shocked sometimes. It amazes me how quickly the calories and carbs add up when you start eating fruit. Here I am eating so little grains (and they're always healthy ones!) and yet my carbs daily seem to be out of control. But days like today where the numbers are in line make me happy. I usually have food left over from lunch and breakfast at work too but this was the first day i logged it all beforehand. Going to have to try this again! Molly

Good Question! I usually eat breakfast and lunch then log amounts into SparkPeople. I write down the sub-total and carry it with me. My memory is horrible and this help remind me! I try to plan my snacks and dinner to be near "my" goal ranges for cals, carbs, fats, and protein. I need to review these totals at the Nut appointment in October. I also log in foods that I'd like to eat and do a "trial and error" sort of logic. If the numbers are way off, I reduce the amount or change to another food. I'm sure others do the same. It helps me a lot. Ro

I do much better if i pre plan at least my breakfast and lunches on sunday night. Because i am not that inventive i usually stick with the same stuff. Ever since i have come to love Melissa's mini quiche i try to bring in a weeks worth on monday morning. This past Sunday night i made 2 work weeks worth and froze 1/2. This week i am having tuna for lunch so Sunday night i made up a big ole batch of tuna salad and put into individual containers (for the first 3 days) tonight i have to decide about Thurs and Friday.......it is best for me --if i am left to "wing it" i sometimes dont make the best decisions.......That is why Saturday and Sunday are so hard for me...... dinner is not all that hard for me ---my husband cooks and he likes his meat...or fish or pork and usually grills it !

Molly, I do and I don't. Now that I think about it, it's weird, isn't it? I think about what to eat for my next meal but I do not give much to it. During the week I am more organized since I have to bring everything to work in order to stay focused but during the weekend is a little more relaxed. I just make sure I bring enough to last me for the day and when I get home I worried about the rest of the day. As a matter of fact, I hate thinking about food all day long. It's always on my mind, making sure to get all the water in, the protein and so forth. What happens if I do not get my water in? I am starting to get bored with it. I am always thinking about food and that scares me sometimes. Do you feel the same way? Beatriz