Long days and eating

Triathlynne

I'm up at 4.30 Mon-Thurs and I'm finding it a struggle to keep within my calorie intake for the day. Come 9am I'm ready for lunch and by noon I want my dinner. I also do not get home until almost 7pm most days so I'm eating too late too.

Anyone in a similar situation with any tips for me?

I workout almost everyday but feel I am consuming far too much mostly because of the time I am awake.

Thank you

NoAdditives

Open up your food diary so that we can look at your eating and exercise habits and can make some suggestions based off them.

ravenclawseekergirl

I get a bit like this too. I quite often find myself awake at 4/4.30 i dont need to be up till 7! And i'm hungry so i have breakfast and later on i'm really hungry again.

I try to make my meals pretty even in size it helps to fill me up for longer. Instead of having 3-4 big meals try having 5-6 smaller meals evenly spead out it might help to keep your calories under control.
hope this helps:flowerforyou:

bethrs

I would say that eating small meals throughout the day might help. Add lots of fiber- leafy greans and the like. There are days I'm hungry all darn day, but if I eat mostly lettuce, carrots or raw broccoli and apples I can't do too much dammage.

This isn't the healthiest suggestion, but sometimes a cup of tea or some coffee helps me feel like I've had something, but it isn't chocked full of calories.

HTH

RaeannePemberton

i have the same issues... i am also up at 4:30 most days and workout 5-6am. i have been waiting to eat breakfast at 6:30 then lunch at 11am. i have a substantial breakfast so i am usually okay til 11.... then, snack around 3:30 and dinner by 6. if i have a workout i usually have a late snack (calories allowing). i have been struggling lately in general (holidays, etc)... but getting back on track.... i would agree 100% that night time is the WORST time!

emchen

I am actually in the same boat. I have crew practice in the morning at 4am and I don't get to bed until 10pm most days.

I eat fruit right when I wake up, before going to practice (apple or banana).
After practice, around 8am, I eat a bowl of oatmeal. Maybe another fruit.
Lunch is a salad, maybe a PB&J. Snack before lunch if you can't make it, I suggest more fruit or a bit of yogurt.
Then an afternoon snack around 3pm, usually yogurt.
Dinner at 6pm (whatever you normally eat for dinner)
Then a smoothie or something around 8pm.

Bring stuff in tupperware or ziploc bags throughout your day so you are never starving or forced to buy food that you don't know the nutrition value of.

emsibun

Eat smaller meals more frequently - perhaps five or six structured throughout the day. Roughly divide your calories between them

My exercise is centered around when my children are at school - so often I'll be very active from 9am to 11am and then again from 12pm to 3pm - running errands (walking everywhere) or carrying heavy shopping. This means I'm hungry, and should eat, twice instead of once for lunch. I find a bigger lunch in the middle makes it harder to go out to exercise again in the afternoon (and then things that need to be done don't get done since I don't drive!).

For example, I split my lunch into two 'meals' quite often - I make a sandwich at 11am and put half in the fridge on a plate under a bowl to keep until I want it at 3.30pm. Or I'll eat a salad with some chicken or cold meat, then make a sandwich using only piece of bread later.

I might also do this with breakfast, and have a slice of toast made from good seeded bread when i get up at 7am to kick my metabolism into action, and then have an apple or a cereal bar with some almonds in it (depending how hungry I am) at 9am after I've dropped the kids off at school.

cgavin77

I'm up at 4:30am (or 5) during the week and home about 7pm or so as well.
I've found a BIG (300-400cal) breakfast is the only thing thats helped me. Seems like a lot for breakfast ( I thought so too since my allowed cals are 1200) but its totally working!
I normally have a protein shake (100cals per scoop) mixed with a cup or more of almond milk . Then I will have eggwhites on spelt or whole wheat toast, greek yogurt with fresh fruit and granola....and I have it all with in 1- 1 1/2 hrs after I am up.
It was hard at first (mentally) having SO many of my daily cals in the morning... but I swear by it now.
Good luck!

ahanson6

I'm up between 4:30 and 5am every morning. I work 12 to 13 hour days with a 3 hour round trip commute. Plus I'm trying to get in 30 minutes to an hour of workout in a day. I definitely feel your pain. I get through the day by breaking my calories up into 4-6 small meals.

I eat about 260 for breakfast at around 5:30 or 6am, then I have an apple (about 100 calories) between 10 and 11am. I have a 200 calorie 'meal' between 1 and 2 (usually a salad of some kind with protein), then I have another 200 calorie 'meal' between 4 and 5 (something with carbs). I get home from work at around 8pm and eat a 100 calorie snack (usually instant grits) to get me through my second workout. Then I work from home for a couple of hours and I eat a 400 - 500 calorie dinner (usually around 9:30 - 10pm). I think I'm going to up my 2 mid-day meals to 250 to 300 calories though, because I've almost doubled my workout time recently.

Triathlynne

Sorry I haven't responded, bit under the weather. Thanks for the responses, they really help. I did some research yesterday into healthy snacks and smaller meals. The issue I have is being a nanny in a house filled with stuff for kids. It's really not easy. I went grocery shopping and bought my own snacks and lunches to bring with me, God knows why I did NOT think of this sooner! The past 2 days I've eaten a medium banana on my commute with water. This helps me at least until the kids are all headed to school. Then I'll have breakfast. I love, love, love egg whites so I make myself scrambled eggs with veggies and wheat toast. I bought some frozen lunches (Lean Cuisine), I know they are not the best but compared to what I was eating they are a better option for me. Other days I'll bring left overs.
I totally agree on smaller meals during the day, even a protein bar or a shake, then that way my meal, even though it's late is much lighter

Thanks again for the responses, they are greatly appreciated.