Do you plan out your meals before you eat?

[workhard1]

When I am working hard on my cut I usually wake up in the morning and go ahead and log my entire day in to fitday. This helps me make sure I hit my target macros and don't cheat at all. I have a goal for the day and know exactly how much I will be able to eat that day. It allows me to gauge my hunger throughout the day and make sure I eat when I think I will be hungry etc. Do you all do the same? It just seems to make everything so much easier for me. I only do this when trying to cut seriously, which will be starting in about a week and a half for me.

 

[Built]

I not only pre-plan, but I prepack - and I do it the night before. Like Jenny Craig, only with actual food.

 

[ItsAParadox]

I used to do it, but with school, work etc. and my days length which vary much (sometimes I'm up 12-13 hours and some times I'm up 19-20 hours) it get's harder. But with experience/time I can pretty much estimate what I eat so I always end up with the same portions lol. For instance, I can already tell you that the two meals I will eat for the next month between 10am and 2pm will be:
a: 1 can of beans with pork and chicken weiner
b: around 12 oz of pork/beef/chicken/moose + potatoes adn veggies
c: 2 cups of pasta with chicken wieners/chicken/pork/moose/beef.
add to that 1 or 2 fruit portion and you have it.
So yeah I kinda pre-plan it already , and pre-pack it too thanks to my MOM she still cook a lot for me so I'm pretty lucky .

*note that the above portions should get me the same amount of P/C/F whatever you pick as meal*

 

[workhard1]

I not only pre-plan, but I prepack - and I do it the night before. Like Jenny Craig, only with actual food.

I have noticed that this method really just works so much better than any other method. It seems to really keep me honest. My friends and girl don't like it thought because I always have to tell them I don't want to go to lunch/dinner anymore

 

[Built]

It is a bit socially isolating. I go through this at work.

 

[ItsAParadox]

It is a bit socially isolating. I go through this at work.

Yup people at school, look at me and laugh or think I'm crazy, just because everything is pre-planned or because I eat a lot... Sucks for that...

 

[danzik17]

Yup, don't really go out to eat much or go to bars and drink. Even tonight is going to be a bit annoying - going to a friend's house to watch Lost and I know for a fact there will be pizza and stuff, but I'm just going to have to deal with my tuna for now. That said, I've made my choice and would make the same one if I had to again.

I don't really pre-pack or anything but I definitely lay out my diet beforehand. Past that it's fairly easy to stay true to it during the day.

 

[Skib]

going to a friend's house to watch Lost.

this season has been unreal so far and I have a feeling tonight's episode "The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham" is going to be nuts... too bad I have to work 3-11

oh well, I'll just have to download the torrent as soon as I get home and watch it commercial free tomorrow morn

I usually have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to eat for the day and usually try to plan my cheats and refeeds around social gatherings - my times of weakness...

 

[Yanick]

Depends on what is happening in my life. Right now i'm out of work and just studying for my licensure so i'm basically home all day which makes it easy cause when i need to eat i eat.

Typically though, i'll make enough food for myself for however long i'll be at work, so if its 8 hours i'll pack 1-2 meals to take with me in case i get held up or something.

I've been eating like this for so long i don't really log anything, i just kind of know macro's and such off the top of my head. IE 1 cup of oatmeal ~ 50g carbs, 4oz steak ~ 25g pro 10g fat, 2 whole eggs 2 whites ~ 20g pro and 10g fat and so on and so forth. So i just figure out my macro's in grams per meal and eat like that.

Life gets in the way a lot so i'm glad i'm not neurotic about that stuff anymore, when in a jam i'll go so a 7 eleven and pick up one of their chicken caesar wraps and a big thing of beef jerky. Or i'll just munch on a bunch of peanuts/trail mix to hold me over (as i was forced to do yesterday)

 

[tucker01]

If I don't pre-prep my meals, i will definitely cheat. I love food too much.... so when the hunger pangs start I will find a way to fill that urge.

 

[trener]

i never plan my meals, i eat what i want and never had problems with weight

 

[highpockets]

I don't really pre-plan my meals however I consume basically the same thing day in and day out from a variety of sources. I'm told I eat from a very boring menu from family and friends. Tuna, chicken, cottage cheese, eggs, veggies, sweet potato, salad, oatmeal, natty PB and protein shakes. I rarely cheat, but when I do it's pizza. I've been eating like this for the past 4 months since getting really serious about lifting again and went from 275 lbs to 246 lbs. and getting pretty cut. I've gained 2 notches on my belt!!!

 

[Ngordyn]

^^^^^^ same here lol makes it easy cept i have gained 15 pounds in 18 weeks since i started doing this i have had to BF% done (skinfold) 15 weeks in between (last one was 2 weeks ago) and have only gained .5% since then

 

[workhard1]

I like days where I am really busy because if I do not have anything to do and I am just sitting around at home I will want to cheat and snack for sure. None of my meals take me more than 20 minutes or so to prepare and eat so I don't need much time to get them in. That said I understand what you mean about the boring meal choices. I pretty much stick to:
chicken, fish oil, natty PB, Veggies, cottage cheese, oats, sometimes fish, whey protein, Casein protein (just added, and i love this stuff), and occasionally some whole wheat pasta.

This is of course for the cut. If I get hungry and feel like i need to cheat I usually don't cheat too bad because I stick to the food on that list. I don't buy any other food from the store besides what is on that list when I cut because it is just too tempting to cheat. However, I am in college, so I do probably average 8-10 beers per weekend and I never count that in my macros, so basically I fail.

 

[katt]

I always pre-pack the night before - it's just safer

 

[danzik17]

Also just have to figure that when I do shopping I am buying only EXACTLY what I need for the diet I'm running for the week.

That means if I overeat one day my foods gonna run short for the week. Good incentive not to.

 

[ItsAParadox]

However, I am in college, so I do probably average 8-10 beers per weekend and I never count that in my macros, so basically I fail.

I feel sorry for you bro, all those beers are really calorics, you should try to get fancy and try some drinks instead (ex. vodka & cranberries juice) it could save you some calories and feel better for your health.

 

[Skib]

you should try to get fancy and try some drinks instead (ex. vodka & cranberries juice) it could save you some calories and feel better for your health.

vodka & cranberry juice probably contains more calories than a beer... a coors light is about 100 calories while a shot of vodka has about 50-60 calories... and with juice would surely be over 100 calories...

mind you a regular beer is about 150 calories...

vodka and water with a lime would probably be your best choice if you must drink...

 

[workhard1]

I feel sorry for you bro, all those beers are really calorics, you should try to get fancy and try some drinks instead (ex. vodka & cranberries juice) it could save you some calories and feel better for your health.

I drink Sierra Nevada pale ale (way too expensive for a college guy I know). It is 175 calories and 14g of carbs per bottle. This beer actually has a decent supply of vitamins compared to other beers.

Carnberry Vodka 205 calories and 35g of sugar.

The beer is actually a better choice if you ask me. Of course neither are good, but if I have to choose one, I will choose the beer

 

[ItsAParadox]

I drink Sierra Nevada pale ale (way too expensive for a college guy I know). It is 175 calories and 14g of carbs per bottle. This beer actually has a decent supply of vitamins compared to other beers.

Carnberry Vodka 205 calories and 35g of sugar.

The beer is actually a better choice if you ask me. Of course neither are good, but if I have to choose one, I will choose the beer

Yeah I forgot you we're cutting, heh, I'm not cutting so less concern about calories and being in deficit. But I always end up my with Vodka & 7up Light in the bar heh!

 

[stephaniewicked]

I work and go to school fulltime and I'm training to compete in an NPC bikini division contest in April, so I understand the pain... During the week, I leave my apartment at 8:30am and don't get home until after 11pm. I almost never go out socially anymore and I cook all my meals in advance on a Sunday night and bring it with me everyday. I also pack my pre- and post-WO snacks and supplements, my workout gear, clothes/sneakers so I can go straight to the gym after my long day of work/school. It can be rough, physically and mentally, at times... and people who don't understand a training lifestyle can be negative influences or try to deter you from your goals, but if you're strong and motivated, you can be successful!