FEED ME! Daily intake help

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cranerdm
cranerdm Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
I do not over eat. I UNDER eat. I am a very busy mom and I don't eat near enough. My metabolism is snail-slow because of it, I'm sure. So, when I do eat, I'm starving, and grab whatever is handy.

Can I have some easy ideas to keep eating every few hours? I try to do morning workouts, so I would love some help working around that...

Ideas?

Replies

  • RecliningFigure
    RecliningFigure Posts: 214 Member
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    Carry nuts. Fast and easy to eat, lots of protein, and sustaining.
    Don't skip breakfast. Steal cut oatmeal will keep you going for quite a while. Trader Joes has a frozen option that is ready in 3 minutes.
  • Brittney24
    Brittney24 Posts: 105
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    I eat a super fast breakfast of oatmeal and a cup of milk pretty much every morning. To be fast I usually buy the boxes of oatmeal (apples and cinnamon, etc) and then heat it.

    Fruit is a good snack, banana's you don't even have to cut! Also if you precut things when you have the time then measure servings after it helps!

    Make meals and freeze them! I make a batch of spaghetti sauce then freeze a bunch then all it takes it to reheat and boil pasta.

    I've frozen pieces of lasagna and that worked too.
  • angelarozmyn
    angelarozmyn Posts: 91
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    Carry nuts. Fast and easy to eat, lots of protein, and sustaining.
    Don't skip breakfast. Steal cut oatmeal will keep you going for quite a while. Trader Joes has a frozen option that is ready in 3 minutes.

    Agreed. And Trader Joe's steel cut oatmeal is awesome. My breakfast during the week - I add a little almond milk and dried dates - little extra calories and delicious.
  • Domestica
    Domestica Posts: 91
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    Although fresh food is best, I always keep a LaraBar in my purse and glove box for emergencies! I'm a busy mom, too and find that they're also great for the kids. LaraBars have 2-6 ingredients and all of them are REAL food! My favorite is Peanut Butter Cookie which has just peanuts, dates and salt. :)

    I also have pre-cut veggies in the fridge at all times. Sometimes when life is crazy, I just grab 2 oz. of Trader Joe's nitrite-free smoked turkey meat and down that -- it's a quick hit of protein and keeps that metabolism revving.

    Cut-up apple with some natural peanut butter is also a quick and favorite snack for me AND the kids. In fact, that's one way to make sure you're eating throughout the day -- find things that you can feed all of you at the same time! It also helps with making sure your kids are eating healthy, too. They are watching your every move and will do what you do!
  • mkennedym
    mkennedym Posts: 253 Member
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    when i'm hungry i usually get a few of those 90 calorie special k bars, some fiber one bars, or even some peanuts or sunflower kernels. the peanuts and sunflower kernels are high in fiber, protein, and essential fats and the special k and fiber one bars are good because they add ~100 calories to your daily calorie count and they are easy to eat.
  • Codygirlslim
    Codygirlslim Posts: 43
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    I am also a VERY busy mom of 4 and a full-time student...and that doesn't even include all of the extra curriculular volunteer work...so I completely understand. I actually have to do a Slim Fast shake, a small bowl of Multi-grain Cheerios, and if I am lucky a hard boiled egg (I do a bunch of these up for the week...and protein helps with that morning workout!). For lunch I buy the bagge Vegie salad from Dole, add Premium Selects Steak slices (already cooked and seasoned) from Costco and throw three oz on top with some feta cheese crumbles. I may add another Slim Fast, or not depending on how busy I am that day. Sometimes it's just another Slim Fast. I ALWAYS have Fiber One Bars with me, and some fruit pre-cut. When I make kids lunches, I make my own stuff too. That way it's all done together and I don't have to think about me seperately. Good luck to you!!
  • emilex
    emilex Posts: 95 Member
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    I have two kids and some of the best advice I got (from my dietitian) was to eat what I feed my kids. I don't know about you, but I always feed my kids a good, simple breakfast, a healthy lunch and then we all eat dinner together. If I feed myself what I give them, I do better :)

    Also, if you have breakfast, then a snack in a couple hours, then lunch, then a snack in a couple hours, then dinner...I find that's helpful as well.

    I usually have oatmeal and a banana or other piece of fruit in the morning, then maybe a yogurt for snack, then lunch, then crackers and a laughing cow cheese for a snack, then dinner. Also, the idea of pre cut little veggies..which you can already put in little ziplock baggies is good.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
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    First... breakfast: High on protein and fiber will keep you full for a good while. Think scrambled eggs and toast or oatmeal (the real kind, not instant) and fruit.

    Snacks: A couple of ziplock bags of pre-portioned almonds in your purse are GREAT for when you don't know where you'll be at snack time... same thing for "Hint of Salt" Trisquits.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
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    I eat a super fast breakfast of oatmeal and a cup of milk pretty much every morning. To be fast I usually buy the boxes of oatmeal (apples and cinnamon, etc) and then heat it.

    Not meaning to single you out, but I see this "instant oatmeal to make it fast" thing a lot.

    Regular rolled oatmeal... takes One Minute (60 seconds) in the microwave and doesn't have all the added sugars and stuff in it. Add your own healthy fruit and spices.
  • briabner
    briabner Posts: 427 Member
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    I seem to always be on the run. One thing that I do is always have some sort of snack with me whether it be in my purse, car, or at the office. Usually when I go grocery shopping I stock up on yogurt, apples, bannanas, pretzels (that I put in individual serving zip lock bags), and gronala bars/special K bars. I just make sure that I go grocery shopping for snacks and make sure that I always have at least one with me at all times.
  • rjsbailey
    rjsbailey Posts: 78 Member
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    I am so very much the same- I under eat (not by choice, just busy) and my metabolism has paid for it for those years. I still am not meeting or "eating" my calories like the site says I should (I would be sick if I did) but I am learning to do small meals more often during day. I usually skipped breakfast and now working out first thing in the morning if I eat before I will get ill during workout. I eat breakfast after my workout- about 30 minutes after and I find by eating breakfast at all, it increases my metabolism and appetite for later! I still don't eat a lot but I am able to eat a bit of bran cereal in the morning or protein shake if I really am not hungry and then I have lunch, snack, dinner, and sometimes one more snack at 7-8pm. This is huge for me coming from my 1 sometimes 2 meals a day. The way I did it was just by breaking my 1-2 meals a day into 3 meals and 2 snacks- I didn't increase calories per se. I just took time to plan on each meal and then started following the plan until it was natural and comfortable. I still am not sure I will ever eat enough to fill the calorie deficit but I am making better and healthier choices now and it has jump started my metabolism again! I am all for nuts too, love them but they don't stick with me long enough for some reason. Oatmeal is excellent- I like rolled wheat or cream of wheat too. I usually have a small carb for breakfast- like 3/4 c bran cereal. For lunch I add a mini wheat pita with a slice of tomato and 1 oz mozzarella all toasted to my little salad and the carb (and cheese) is what keeps me satisfied until 4ish. With that, it applies to my snack to- if I am hungry I have a bit of carb with my fruit. If I am not really hungry I eat just a fruit. These mini meals will get your metabolism running- just make smart calorie choices! Good luck!
  • JenWorthen3
    JenWorthen3 Posts: 64 Member
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    Everyone has such great ideas! I just wanted to add one more. And it's a tough one. I've learned that if I get up before my kids (at least 30 minutes earlier), then I have the time to get my meals prepared for the day and I can just grab it. If I do that, then I'm sure to eat much better. I put all my food in a brown paper bag and can eat that throughout the day. Then I just prepare a good dinner (preferably slow cooker something). Try to be eating something quick and healthy for breakfast while you're prepping, too (like a piece of peanut butter toast or a banana -- just not huge so you don't get sick while working out). Once you're done with that, then go do your workout and have a protein shake or something once you're done. Planning ahead is the key to success.
  • cranerdm
    cranerdm Posts: 10
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    Thank you to everyone who has posted so far! Some really good ideas.... Today I didn't eat prior to my workout and just had a protein smoothie post-workout. Hopefully, keeping this food journal will help me keep my eating habits on a more conscious level.
  • cranerdm
    cranerdm Posts: 10
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    I really need to eat more. I am so blooming busy. I barely got over 1000 calories today.

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