hurried mornings leading to bad food choices

shortandfaithful
shortandfaithful Posts: 83
in Health and Weight Loss
Need to get in a morning routine now that I am back to work. The mornings are a mad dash out the door and I like my sleep so I have just enought time to get ready and 3 kids out the door. I leave the house with a cup of coffee and by the time I am done with my morning bus routes I am starving which would not be a problem if I was going straight home but I am often off to do errands which leads to bad choices of a quick meal for a starving belly. I try to put off eating as long as possible on days like that because it seems once I start I keep going. Any suggestions!
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Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Wake up earlier.


    At some point you've got to prioritize fitness/health over whatever else it is that causes you to "not have time".


    I'm not trying to be a douchewallet when I say this.
  • mandy_lynn
    mandy_lynn Posts: 165 Member
    Wake up earlier.


    At some point you've got to prioritize fitness/health over whatever else it is that causes you to "not have time".


    I'm not trying to be a douchewallet when I say this.

    I need to take this same advice :/
  • anrev42
    anrev42 Posts: 331
    Wake up earlier.


    At some point you've got to prioritize fitness/health over whatever else it is that causes you to "not have time".


    I'm not trying to be a douchewallet when I say this.


    I have to agree. I was on the same boat before. I go to bed late and wake up rushing every morning on a way to work. Most of the time I grab fast food breakfast with coffee...and that's most of my weight gain started. Until one day I decided to put my health priority. I cook and prepare the night before. I wake up at 5:00 am to start my exercise routine. It takes practice to make it a habit. Good luck!
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    Precook stuff. Boiled eggs are great. Buy breakfast bars and fruit cups or even a can of fruit with a pop top. Simple enough, cheap and staves of hunger. Otherwise you just have to practice self control. That was a big thing for me, sometimes my days were so busy I didn't eat then I was so hungry I would pick up the first fast food I could. Now, I ask myself what is more important, eating maybe 10 minutes sooner or losing the weight. I go home fix a sandwich and a can of vegetables and that puts me back on track because I'm not focused on being hungry any more.
  • D3vAnge1
    D3vAnge1 Posts: 104 Member
    Consider a low fat, low sugar protein supplement (bar or drink) and since you like coffee in the mornings as I do, try Chike's Protein Coffee. It's a cold coffee beverage but it truly tastes amazing, quick to throw together (cold water, single serving pkt, a blender bottle) and gives you a fix you wouldn't believe. Did I say it tastes AMAZING! that was worth repeating. Imagine a sugar-free vanilla iced latte w/ skim from McDonald's (never had one? go & try it)--Yeah, good :-D
  • gjulie
    gjulie Posts: 391
    well you will just have to get up earlier! Im up at 5.5 am have 5 kids to get out to school and am full time carer to my mum withAlzheimers,if you like your sleeep go to bed early,you can do anything if you really want to!
  • l_nelson20
    l_nelson20 Posts: 34 Member
    If you are not willing to get up earlier, make your breakfast the night before. Hard boil an egg so that you can take it with you or make and freeze muffin tin omelets and microwave one in the am to eat in the car. If you plan ahead, you can do a healthy breakfast to-go. Waiting until you are starving is going to lead to bad food choices every time.
  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
    Precook!!! =) I don't exactly cook ever.. but I chop up my veggies and separate my foods. You could make low cal breakfast sandwiches!
  • Lisamar74
    Lisamar74 Posts: 114
    Each night, I put a whole egg, 1 egg white and some frozen spinach in a beaker in the fridge. Next morning, it takes less than 2 minutes to fry it into an omelette and very quick to eat.
  • Tank_Girl
    Tank_Girl Posts: 372 Member
    Slice of wholegrain toast with peanutbutter with your coffee in the morning... Thats a quick and easy 400cals
    Banana and a yoghurt for a snack, make a healthy sandwich the night before for lunchtime or pick up a readymade sandwich on your break and an orangejuice
    Dinner when you get home

    Make a plan... Stick to it... Avoid delis and fast food... Ive done it myself when ive worked long shifts
  • kooltray87
    kooltray87 Posts: 501 Member
    Make a lunch/snack the night before. So you can grab and go in the morning, or just keep your purse stuffed with healthy snacks hahaha
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,585 Member
    If you really can't get up earlier to fit in breakfast (what do the kids do about breakfast?) then why not have some fruit in the car, a banana and an apple ought to be enough to stave off the hunger pangs until you get home again :smile:
  • APfefferle
    APfefferle Posts: 3
    Protein packed breakfast that can be made Sunday night and you can eat the rest (two a day) in the mornings.

    http://www.food.com/recipe/sausage-and-cheese-breakfast-cups-south-beach-diet-109385
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,286 Member
    you've got to get up just 6 minutes earlier and make a good, quick choice - it is working against you to wait until you are starving to eat and not just because you may eat something bad in a hunger fueled frenzy - it messes with your body to make it wait so long and send so many signals before you feed it. 6 minutes. do it.
  • Michelle81285
    Michelle81285 Posts: 107
    My mornings are always a mad rush... my key is that I make egg white muffins on Sunday or the night before and put it in the fridge so all I have to do is heat it up in the microwave and it is good to go! Egg muffins are easy to eat on the go!
  • rotill
    rotill Posts: 244 Member
    I saw some recipes for an over-night oatmeal porrige on the site here, but I am sure some searching or perhaps even a helpful member can help you with the recipe. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks good and useful.

    Make that before you go to bed and keep it in a cup or box you can carry with you when you start your route. Then when you have 5 min. to breathe, that's what you eat. After that it's much easier to make smart choices for the rest of the day.
  • knowwhentoshutup
    knowwhentoshutup Posts: 318 Member
    Plan the night before.

    I like to make lunches and such the night before.

    Otherwise, buy easy to grab and go fruits (apples, bananas, peaches, grapes, etc.) or easy breakfast items (hardboiled eggs, string cheese, etc.) that you can reach for before heading to other options. Make (or buy) your own protein packed breakfast, oatmeal bars are easy and customizable.

    If that isn't enough to make you stay on track, just add up all of the money you spend for splurging on breakfast calories eating out.
  • arizonaladybug
    arizonaladybug Posts: 91 Member
    I started making my food the night before. Like hard boiled eggs. Peanut butter with celery you would be surprised how long this will last out of a refrigerator in small tupaware. also grab a piece of whole or 12 grain bread put the hard boiled egg in in and you will be full for awhile..drink lots of water..
  • Rachlmale
    Rachlmale Posts: 640 Member
    Wake up earlier.


    At some point you've got to prioritize fitness/health over whatever else it is that causes you to "not have time".


    I'm not trying to be a douchewallet when I say this.


    This^^^

    You are in control of your sleeping pattern... if you're used to waking up at a certain time if you change this you will soon get used to this. I can't even lie in at the weekends anymore!

    Also agree with what are the kids doing about breakfast? Why not make time for all of you to sit down for, 10 minutes... what is 10 minutes, really?... to have a breakfast.
  • MichelleLaree13
    MichelleLaree13 Posts: 865 Member
    Pack a lunch box. Even if you just have a sandwich and yogurt (quick and easy) you will save tons of calories.
  • zenchild
    zenchild Posts: 680 Member
    My breakfast (and lunch) is ready to go before I go to bed the night before. I put the coffee maker on a timer, put milk and Truvia in my travel mug and put that next to whatever it is I'm eating for breakfast (this morning it's Greek yogurt) and whatever I'm eating for lunch. All I have to do in the morning is pour the coffee and toss my food into my lunch bag. I spend more time on my dogs' breakfast than on my own.
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
    Wake up earlier.


    At some point you've got to prioritize fitness/health over whatever else it is that causes you to "not have time".


    I'm not trying to be a douchewallet when I say this.

    THIS.

    Also...don't let poor choices be an option. There are low cal/healthy options out there.
  • Kooraloo
    Kooraloo Posts: 362 Member
    Wake up earlier or pack the night before.
  • iampanda
    iampanda Posts: 176 Member
    Wake up earlier.


    At some point you've got to prioritize fitness/health over whatever else it is that causes you to "not have time".


    I have to agree with this as well. Also, "putting off eating as long as possible because once you start you can't stop" is probably WHY you can't stop. Once your stomach is that hungry, it seems to take a while before it registers that you are eating. So not eating is probably doing more damage than you think. You probably need to go to bed earlier, and wake up earlier. Adequate sleep will also help with your weightloss efforts, but they should be working together, not against each other. Sounds like you really do need a new routine. Hope that helps!
  • cindybowcut
    cindybowcut Posts: 250 Member
    I do the old fashion instant oats in a mug and eat it on the way to work. I boil the water for about 2 minutes add my oatmeal, some protein powder and fruit. Quick and easy. Or and egg scrambled in a wheat tortilla with salsa (only about 140 cals).
  • sgv0918
    sgv0918 Posts: 851 Member
    If you really can't get up earlier to fit in breakfast (what do the kids do about breakfast?) then why not have some fruit in the car, a banana and an apple ought to be enough to stave off the hunger pangs until you get home again :smile:

    this- or i slap together a pb and banana sandwich. gets me thru to a late lunch
  • EmilyOfTheSun
    EmilyOfTheSun Posts: 1,548 Member
    I'm not trying to be a douchewallet when I say this.

    LOL, "douchewallet." hahaha
    I too am not trying to sound b*tchy or anything but....
    Don't make excuses! Trust me, I am NOT a morning person either. You can easily make a breakfast the night before. I make mine for like the whole week usually. Only takes like ten minutes one evening then I'm set for the whole week.

    Hard boil a dozen eggs.
    Buy the biggest amount of blueberries that you can. Separate them out into 1 cup portions and put them into zip lock baggies.
    Get a good, healthy cereal, separate that out into 1 cup portions and put them in zip locks. (I eat mine with milk but if you're on the go, you could do it dry)

    Bam! There's an easy breakfast that you can take on the go. It will already be made, you just gotta grab it outta the fridge :)

    Hope that helps!
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    Need to get in a morning routine now that I am back to work. The mornings are a mad dash out the door and I like my sleep so I have just enought time to get ready and 3 kids out the door. I leave the house with a cup of coffee and by the time I am done with my morning bus routes I am starving which would not be a problem if I was going straight home but I am often off to do errands which leads to bad choices of a quick meal for a starving belly. I try to put off eating as long as possible on days like that because it seems once I start I keep going. Any suggestions!
    Hurried mornings lead, eventually to fantastic food choices.:happy:
    This is because you discover that you must be going to bed just a little bit sooner.:yawn:
    And you must prepare the night before.
    And that, while you are thinking about it, you will pick up a few great foods to eat so that you are satisfied and nourished!

    Perhaps a small cooler in your car with a lo-cal drink and a small snack.
    The coffee pot pre-programmed to have the coffee ready for you
    Your things in your car the night before.
    Your clothes washed and ready.
    The dishwasher emptied the night before.
    The breakfast table set the night before.
  • divinebird
    divinebird Posts: 81 Member
    I recommend the crock pot for overnight cooking. I remember my favorite thing was rice pudding with raisins; it would be just right in the AM and no prep needed. Another overnight meal is refrigerator oats--literally, a cup of milk over a cup of oats in a bowl in the fridge, add some fruit and let it sit overnight. Next morning you have a hearty meal with no cooking required.

    On days that I just can't get out the door on time, I keep a box or two of Luna Protein or Nature Valley granola bars. Even a small bag of trail mix will at least get you going. But then MAKE SURE you eat something once the mad dash is over. I understand how hard it is to get moving sometimes; you just have to learn how to work around it. Advance prep the night before is the best. Keeping fruit on hand helps, too. A banana is a great filling energy boost.

    Another thing...cut out some of the morning rush by doing other things the night before. It seems so simple but just selecting your outfit and jewelry before you go to bed makes a HUGE difference. I have a folded pile of my pants, shirt, socks, and even underwear all ready each night. My shoes are there, too, so I don't have to hunt. I know the night before what earrings I'll wear and can I just say that ever since I started doing this, I have been a LOT less stressed in the mornings. The times I forget to do it, I can tell. I'm a naturally messy person, so don't think I'm some super organized Martha Stewart. That's just WHY it makes such a difference. I'm used to having to run all over the house tracking down my socks and figuring out which shirt is reasonably clean. ;) This makes a big difference and leaves me more time to eat something properly.
  • Sylkwyrm
    Sylkwyrm Posts: 75 Member
    Grab a fat-free yogurt, a banana, and some grapes before you run out the door. All the things are healthy and easily transportable. Make sure to grab a bottle of water and drink it all to make you feel more full in the morning.

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