Long Days

How do you guys spread your calories if you're up for an extended amount of time, for example if you're up at 6am and don't go to sleep till say 10pm or 12am or if you're up for 24hrs

Replies

  • Eat when you're hungry.
  • Anxieux
    Anxieux Posts: 275 Member
    Eat when you're hungry.
    Even if you go over your allotted calories for the day?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I'm up from 6am to 10pm most days... Breakfast around 7.30am, lunch around 11.30am, a snack at 2.30-3pm, dinner at 6pm, I'm fine after that. It really depends though, some people are not hungry in the morning, some wake up hungry, I typically don't get hungry for an hour or so after waking up (but sometimes will wake up starving).

    On days I stay up later I don't get hungrier either, but I haven't stayed up for 24 hours for a very, very long time.

    And yes if I'm very hungry one day I will go over - which seems to happen too much, but oh well. I just try and make better choices those days.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Is your question about how to put them in the diary?
    Use a system that seems logical to you and be consistent.
  • Anxieux
    Anxieux Posts: 275 Member
    Is your question about how to put them in the diary?
    Use a system that seems logical to you and be consistent.
    Nope :(, I'm asking how to spread your calories for those long days.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    My weekends start super-early...I'll eat a banana or Quest bar on my way to work (4:45 or 5:45 in the morning). Breakfast around 9 or 10. Lunch between 1 and 3. Sometimes a snack. Dinner between 6:30 and 7. Dessert about 8:30 or 9. Bed between 10:30 and midnight depending on how much of a nap I got. It's worked fine for me.
  • CherylG1983
    CherylG1983 Posts: 294 Member
    I think the trick there would be to make sure you load up on protein and fibre. These things will make you feel fuller longer, so you won't over do it on the calories.
  • I'm up at 2:30 every morning and go to bed about 8:30. It is definitely harder to spread your calories out when you're awake so long. I eat a small breakfast and small lunch but tonnes of snacks throughout the day. I eat a larger dinner but it's often very early - 2/3pm. I always make sure I save 400-600 calories for snacks after dinner. I find pre-logging each day the night before super helpful, otherwise I might run out of calories by noon.
  • BrightonChick
    BrightonChick Posts: 48 Member
    I also do long days - usually 0500 - 2300. I know....I should be sleeping more!

    Besides the point, I find it easy personally. Eat LOTS of vegetables throughout the day to keep kcals down but keeping your tummy full and maintain a high protein diet as it keeps you fuller for longer.

    For example my typical day would be a carb rich breakfast and proteins : porridge with a side of scrambled eggs (1 x yolk with 4 x white) and fruit. Lunch would be my main meal usually with lean meat/fish and more veges than you can throw at me. Dinner the same again just smaller portion. Keeping fruit to snack, a boiled egg, roasted chicken or carrots and reduced fat hummus to snack on helps or if you like them, lean whey protein shakes.

    Personally I think its the unavailability of escaping the floor at work to actually eat/drink/toilet/sneeze/BREATHE which stops me snacking but that's an entirely different topic!

    Hope this helps lovely

    X
  • Anxieux
    Anxieux Posts: 275 Member
    Luckily I was able to be under my alloted calorie goal by 100 cal! I prelogged what I'm having for the rest of the night, so hopefully I make it the next 12 hours.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I think most adults are up from 6-10 or a variation of it every day...
  • Anxieux
    Anxieux Posts: 275 Member
    I think most adults are up from 6-10 or a variation of it every day...
    I'm up 24 hrs today D:
  • TLIVIGNSTON
    TLIVIGNSTON Posts: 81 Member
    6 am - wake

    7:30 - eat breaky

    10am - eat 10 almonds

    12 eat - lunch

    4:30 pre work out ( kiwi fruit usually)

    7ish - dinner

    if i get hungry after that i might make a small smoothy (400ml milk 50g of raspberries and 50g strawberries or something... this took me a while to get used too but now i rarely get hungry. i have all my breakky lunches and snacks ready to go, usualy made after my dinner so im not tempted to pick at it as im making it :P.
  • Zumaria1
    Zumaria1 Posts: 225 Member
    Yes, I totally understand, sometimes long days make you super hungry if you are running errands all day long! I would examine your schedule, and try to pay attention at what part of the day you are hungriest, and eat the majority of your calories at that time.

    For example, I usually have a 200-300 cal breakfast, but I'm hungriest right in the middle of the day between 12-2pm, so I usually eat 500-800 cals at this time, then a small snack @ 3-5, then exercise, then a small dinner of between 300-450 cal. If I worked out and there are enough calories left over, I will have an evening snack as well.

    Trying to fit in some exercise helps give you more calories to eat. Also, going over 200 cals on one day, you can make it up over the week on another day that is shorter for you.
  • Anxieux
    Anxieux Posts: 275 Member
    actually made it through! Almost at 24hours awake and i'm more tired than I am hungry.