? for people who use calorie trackers like MFP, Lose It, etc.

I really like MFP. If it's a food I've eaten before and know the stats of it, then I generally track it after I've eaten. If it's a new food, I check out the stats beforehand to see if it's worth eating it, lol.

The only time I track before eating is if I'll be out all day and already have my foods ready or know what I"ll be eating.

Thanks for your response. :)

I use MFP and log food shortly after I eat. However, I plan out the proteins being served in my house on Sunday and determine how they are going to be prepared for the coming week so I don't get home at 6 and try to figure out what to do with the pork chops.

We are fairly boring with dinners here - rotating a few old chestnuts every few weeks and by now all the recipes are in MFP and have been adjusted to reflect servings of 3-4 ounces.

The only thing I'll log before I eat is my lunch on days I'm in the office because I brown bag. If I don't eat all of what I packed, I just delete.

But, I've been using MFP for years prior to surgery, so I'm just used to it.

Thank you!

I keep saying that I will meal plan on the weekend, but so far it is just empty words LOL. One day though.

I eat the same thing every day, so that's easy to log. I've also switched to a keto diet, so I plan my meals the night before. This helps me ensure I'm getting the right amount of calories (I'm still keeping them around 800 until I reach my initial goal), and that I keep my fat, protein, and carbs within the ratios I've established for myself.

I deviate sometimes, but if I change my plans, I enter that info in to see if it fits my ratios. Then I prepare my meal based on the weights I've planned because I know I can never eat more than 4 oz of solid protein and 2 oz of other foods at a meal.

If I prepare a recipe and it doesn't have servings sizes, then I make it, measure out my 4 to 6oz servings, and calculate the macros based on how many I end up with. I keep a record of that for next time I make the recipe, and save it in my tracker. Easy to input next time around.

I will probably continue to track in the future, because I think it will be important to make sure I'm staying the course during maintenance.

Thanks!

I don't think I am suited to eating the same thing everyday. In my mind I know that food = fuel and so it shouldn't matter as much, but I really really want the variety.

LOL I meant to say every day for breakfast! I do have variety in my lunch and dinner.

Ahhhh...that I might be able to do LOL

I've used MFP since 2009 and I love it. The best advice I can give is to really look at the options provided when you search for your food. For instance, type in "slice of cheese pizza" and you'll see calorie information from 50 calories to 800. I NEVER take the lower numbers... If I'm not sure I'll go for a number toward the higher end.

Another trick if you're not sure of the accuracy of an entry is to check the nutritional information for all the normally listed stuff. If a store brand of hummus is listed but all the bottom vitamins are blank, it is probably not an complete entry, same if there are just carbs, protein and total calories but no data for sugar, fiber etc... obviously some foods have zero iron, zero sugar, zero fiber, but it should make sense to the food involved.

Also ALWAYS look at the portion sizes given to the nutritional information. When in doubt over estimate your portion rather than risk under counting your carbs or calories etc...

Good luck!

(I'm HonestOmnivore on MFP)