I'm a "mood" eater, which obviously is part of my problem. But for those of you who plan out your meals, by the day or week, how much do you feel like it helps you control your calories? Do you actually feel like eating a certain thing for the day that you plan it, or does it even matter to you? Thanks everyone!

I meal plan and find myself sticking to it 99% of the time because I've already shopped for it on Monday, sometimes I need a little top up on fresh foods but I've already bought other stuff around it.

Helps me keep to plan definitely and base each day on what my daily routine is so it suits.

It is a money saver on the shopping bill too because you're buying only what you need. Try and meal plan around things you already have in the cupboard/freezers and work out what extras you need ... that definitely saved a few quid for a good 2-3 weeks.

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We are loose meal planners, meaning we decide on Saturday that "this week we'll have hamburgers, grilled chicken, and turkey sausage for meat. We'll also pick up some of x vegetable, y vegetable, and z fruit." Then we go to the store and buy all of that, cook all of it up on Sunday, and then mix and match throughout the week. By shopping in bulk once a week and staying away from the store the rest of the time, we save money and avoid the temptation to buy junk.

Meal planning isn't as important for those who can control what they eat. I eat clean proteins and carbs with lots of whole foods and I don't over eat so for someone like me, I can listen to my body and eat when needed. But for many who don't understand food calories and the effect, a meal plan is very important to keep things in check. Accountability is key for many peoples success.

I'm all on-board for accountability. I definitely shop for how I intend to eat and avoid buying what I know I can't control myself on. But I don't get strict with meal-planning. I work on a must eat all the fresh stuff first basis, and hate wasting a scrap, so soups get made weekly.