Planning meals?

[timetoride5150]

Hi everyone.
I was just wondering, a good part of my day is thinking about what i'll be making for my next meal. I mean, i'm not thinking about it because i'm hungry, its just almost entertaining to think up new low carb meals. I really enjoy cooking and baking and whatnot so part of it is that, i know. And theres obviously nothing wrong with that. However, I feel like i'm thinking about it to much. Every night i'll go to bed and decide--do I want yogurt and granola for breakfast or do I want toast and eggs?--for example. Then i'll think about different recipes throughout the day that I will try when I get home from school at my afternoon snack. It seems kind of weird that it's always on my mind.
Each and every meal I have is totally planned out mentally in my mind hours before hand.
Is this at all common to be doing? Or is thinking and planning SO MUCH sort of unhealthy?
I know its kind of a unimportant question, but i'm curious to see if anyone else does anything similar...?

[sadie147]

You know I do the exact same thing..and i'm trying so hard to stop the habit. I really do think it's a habit. even if i'm not hugry I'm planning my next meal. ...i wish i could stop.

I don't think its unhealthy, i just think you have to get to the point where you can trust your own food judgement, and your going to have to work at that. I'm even still journal logging my own meals. I wish i could cut that out too.

[sallyseachange]

I do it too. I get great enjoyment out of planning food and meals. At first I too thought it was not a good thing, but eventually came to see it, not so much as a food obsession, but as a harmless pleasure and a passtime. It's a fine line though...

[mitzimarie]

As long as you don't let it affect the other activities in your life, I take it as a sign of dedication and planning ahead. Because Atkins involves fresh, unprocessed, whole foods, it does take planning to have on them hand and prepared.

Jen, I still use Fitday everyday and probably always will on most days. Not that using Fitday is required for success for everybody, but it does help to keep me focused. It's sooo easy to become complacent.

[timetoride5150]

I'm so glad that you guys think and plan just the way I do. I wasn't sure if I was just obsessively thinking about it. I agree, because we have to use food in which we know the carb count of and whatnot, it takes thought. It's just, none of my friends are on this diet so I see them rarely thinking or planning about there next meal and I feel kind of weird for doing it so often.

I also agree that i'm starting to not see it so much as a bad thing, more of just a fun pasttime.
One of my favorite things to do is take the foods I miss the most and finding a low carb way to eat them. It's like, a mission of mine and totally solves all of my potential cheat days.
Thanks!

[Zarabelle]

I have started using the journal stats forum to plan my meals for the day. I plan them in the morning and then update it with what I actually ate (it sometimes changes) and the fitday stats. I have found it really useful. x

[Desihue]

GUILTY!!! Yep I'm a meal planner too and I'll tell you what, I took a few days off and thought I'd just "wing it" with my low carb meals and I was all over the place with my eating. I cooked a few days worth of meals, and packed my car with emergency stuff and life is much better. For me, I agonize over trying to almost always make new foods. I feel bad when we have the same things a few times in one month. I don't know why this upsets me. I mean...when I was scarfing down microwave popcorn and a Pepsi every morning for breakfast I was bothered
My hubby likes the stuff I cook and so do I so I just try to keep it simple and keep on shrinking. Planning is absolutely my lifesaver with this WOL.

[shellybeth]

In the past the one time I had a lot of success losing weight, I was always planning...and in more of a fun way. It became that I'd go to the store and be able to just buy things that I loved, and make a meal out of them somehow along the week.

Also, for those recipes for making former bad foods low carb friendly, has everyone seen sugarfreesheila's site? (www.sugarfreesheila.com). Her site is actually how I found this forum - she has a few cookbooks and her website it AWESOME!

Just fyi for those of you who may not know of it. It's helped me a lot.

[shellybeth]

BTW, way to go Emily! This WOE is not easy in high school years....so proud to see your success.

[creamsoda]

I'm a planner, I find I HAVE to plan or I want to go snacking. Also, it helps with my budgeting as I know what I've got to go and buy and go buy it instead of picking up rubbish.