I have some idea what I am going to eat everyday. I keep a food scale on my kitchen counter and weight everything I eat and record the numbers in FitDay BEFORE I eat it. I need to know the result of my food choices before I put the food into my stomach. While I am not a health nut, I do try to make my calories count with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, fiber, low saturated fat, lower sodium and no caffeine. If I know I will be going out to eat, I search the INTERNET for the restaurant's nutrition information and decide on my food choices BEFORE I arrive at the restaurant and I don't deviate from my plan. When I purchase foods that I love and hate to totally give up (ie ice cream), I purchase selections that have single servings. For example, it's too easy to keep scooping out ice cream from a cartoon, I get ice cream sandwiches instead and allow myself only one/day. I plan my luxury foods in advance and save a few calories so they will fit in to my overall plan.

I want to add, I do weigh everything before it goes in my mouth. I may take out chicken in the morning and that way we can use it for dinner, but I never know what I am going to do with until I get to dinner time.. However before it goes in my mouth what ever it is, it gets weighed.

When I go out to eat I have 3 options planned out, I learned that because once I only had one option and they were out of it..NEVER AGAIN.. I was completely at a loss for what to eat and was at the mercy of just looking at a menu for ideas.

I eat the same thing for breakfast/lunch/snacks every day. However, I don't plan dinner ahead of time, but I do count the calories and figure out how much dinner I can eat based off what I make.
I do things a bit backward, I eat about half of my calories from breakfast through my 3pm meal and then eat a large dinner. I've always enjoyed a large dinner and being able to keep that isn't a problem for me so far and it makes me happy.

I'm a rebel. I wing it. However, I do plan a little bit by dinner. Sometimes I don't know what we are having until I cook it. So having my calories totaled before I go into it helps me stay on track.

Most people seem to plan. I just can't. I keep a weird schedule and when I eat is usually a negotiation with my husband. Plus if I plan every meal and snack invariably I just won't want what I have planned for.

I do plan on days I know I am going to have a high calorie meal, but that's it. Otherwise I just write stuff down as I go.

I also wing it. I tried planning and it just doesn't work for me. In some ways, I am highly organized and methodical in others, I totally fly by the seat of my pants. :dizzy:

I do weigh and measure everything I eat and I keep a written food journal and a running total of my caloric intake. That way I know where I am and how far to go for my next meal or snack. I know myself well enough to know that if I set out a menu that I have to stick to I will not want anything on it and I will rebel like a recalcitrant two year old. :D

I wing it, but my breakfasts and lunches are usually the same, so it's dinner that's the most "winged" part of the day, LOL. However, if we're going out to eat or there's a food-related function coming up (picnic, party, etc.) then I plan for that.

Love the interwebs for all the restaurant data out there! I can plan most restaurant meals before I go. One time I didn't do that (at Uno's) and ended up waaaaay underestimating calories. By half, I think.:fr:

I do a combination of planning and winging it. I have a couple of breakfasts that I rotate between, and my morning snack is usually the same thing. I like a big dinner, so I try to keep things light at lunch but if I go out, then I know dinner will be something light. First thing I do when I get home from work is log all the calories in the day thus far, then I know how many I have left for dinner and evening snack. If I've gone too big at lunch (a rare event), then I don't try to get through the evening on a ridiculous dinner (200 calories or something). I just accept that I will probably go over by a few, have a decent dinner, and skip the evening snack. The "planning" part that I do is making sure that I'm always stocked up on the basics--bananas, watermelon, 1% milk, healthy breakfast cereal, string cheese, etc.

I admire the people who can plan it all out ahead, but I don't get it. I don't want to get to Thursday night and realize that I really do not WANT a turkey burger but that's what's on the menu so I'm locked into that. I think it's easier for me because I live alone, so if it's cheerios and bananas for dinner, I don't have to worry about how someone else feels about that.

Yeah, I can't see doing a week's worth of planning. We keep a variety of things in the freezer (some just to be reheated, some just raw meat). So planning the next day isn't a big deal as I'll have to take something out of the freezer anyway. Although we have a couple of set meals (hamburgers on Friday, steak on Sunday) but most is chosen the day before, with a couple two days before (as they need to thaw, then marinate).

I'm a huge planner if I don't have a plan I just start putting things in my mouth thinking "I'll write this down later" BWAHAH! right.

Not feeling satisfied only really happens in the beginning. After you do it for a while you know what combo of foods work best together to stay within your calorie range. Like I love bananas but they are 110 cals a pop. So I can either have a banana and a glass of milk for breakfast, or half a banana and cereal like a real person.

But yes, if I do try a new meal and it isn't enough I will either steal from my snacks if one is a little more then usual or I will tough it out. Sometimes I just go to bed. Or drink a glass of fibre

RE: Filling up

There are many suggestions and ideas in the calorie counters section at 3fatchicks. You might scroll around. I'm a fanatic fan about volumetrics (a book by Barbara Rolls started me off last winter). I used to fill-up on processed grains and cheeses.

So, for my plan two things were important to me: 1) eat as much food as possible and 2) feel full.

I totally didn't believe that VEGETABLES could be so bold as to be able to fill me, but Barbara Rolls said it was true. So, for my first month I ate tons of veges, reduced my beloved cheese intake (but did NOT eliminate), and carefully had small portions of whole grains.

Shockingly, tons of veges worked great and when paired with a yummy sauce filled me up. I'm also a vegetarian so I'm lucky to be able to add tofu as my calcium/protein source to the veges for a low-fat/low-cal addition, too.

I plan my meals by the day but never feel locked in. I can make alterations as I feel necessary remembering to stay in my calorie allowance. This is not nearly as difficult as it would be to start wearing extra large clothing again.

I plan as I go. Before making my meal I check what I want and go. The couple of times that I did wing it, were huge mistakes. They were fast food and I figures "this can't be too much." well when I went to find out how much, HELLO! Never again.

Oh gosh...I HAVE to plan. I really can't be trusted without one. I have ZERO self-control and if I don't know what I'm having, I almost panic - this is when I usually end up eating family-sized bags of chips!

In reviewing other postings, I think I may be on the extreme side of planning. I'm currently on two lifestyle journeys right now, becoming healthier/losing weight and getting out of debt. Each pay date (I'm paid biweekly) I take my shopping budget of $150 and PLAN. This money has to cover groceries, household items such as laundry detergent, lawn and pet care items, personal hygiene items, EVERYTHING. So, planning a two week menu of snacks and meals is my key to being successful in both areas.

I feel lucky that I can eat the same meals for a really long time before I tire of them, so planning my calories is pretty easy for me. I do try to enter my calories the night before in TDP, but sometimes end up not being able to until mid-day. When I enter before-hand, I'm usually able to save enough calories for the occasional, never nutritious but always delicious, klondike bar.

Haha, I do this too. My ice cream love has killed me every time I've tried to lose weight... so this time I decided to embrace it. There are these mini ice cream cones put out by drumstick that are 140 calories.... man, I work those in more than I should... I don't even feel guilty since I'm not eating far more fruits/veggies than ever before... AND it keeps me SANE.