Two breakfasts???

WolfsbaneSand23
WolfsbaneSand23 Posts: 10 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone!

So I have a bit of a dilemma that I've been facing for some time now. I have to wake up at 2am everyday for work. Once I get there I'm starving so I eat something filling to get myself up on the right foot, however by 9am I'm hungry (full force stomach growl) and I can't help but feel like I'm having two breakfasts. I end up having my lunch and dinner around normal times but eating something at 3 am and then again at 9 am, I feel, is a bit much. Anybody have any suggestions on what I can do or eat where I'm not starving however not overdoing it either at that early time in the AM. I know I can't be the only one with this issue. :/

Thanks in advance and good luck to everyone on their goals!

Michelle :)

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I couldn't go 5-6 hours without a meal. I have three meals and one or two snacks on a normal day, plus more if I've been especially active. Is your job sedentary or active?

    I have a smoothie for breakfast which is super filling and takes me a few hours to consume. I have a few sips and put it back in the frig and repeat until it's gone. I work from home - otherwise I'd bring a little cooler and pop it on and out of that.
  • crabbybrianna
    crabbybrianna Posts: 344 Member
    I have 2 breakfasts. I get up at 4:30 and usually eat something small at 5:30 and have coffee. Then I'll have a second breakfast at around 9:30. Lunch is at 1-ish, and dinner around 5. I've just started doing this recently because I have to get up so early now, and it seems to be working out just fine.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited November 2016
    crabbybrianna wrote: »
    I have 2 breakfasts. I get up at 4:30 and usually eat something small at 5:30 and have coffee. Then I'll have a second breakfast at around 9:30. Lunch is at 1-ish, and dinner around 5. I've just started doing this recently because I have to get up so early now, and it seems to be working out just fine.

    This is pretty close to my work/food schedule. I'm like a hobbit and have to eat every few hours; I couldn't imagine trying to go 7 hours without food. Are your lunches and dinners pretty good sized? I'd imagine your dinner would be fairly close to your bedtime if you get up that early...maybe the dinner should be a later snack instead? Either that or just plan for 4 meals each day at X number of calories per meal (like, 400 calories x 4 for 1600 calories total a day, or whatever your goal is) and see how that works for you.
  • NancyYale
    NancyYale Posts: 171 Member
    You can eat whenever works best for you as long as you say at your calorie goal. I tend to eat 2 dinners. One at work at 5, and another when I get home at 8. I just call them Food. No labels required.
  • eimaj5575
    eimaj5575 Posts: 278 Member
    I was having this issue too. I would eat breakfast early morning but the I would have a high protein snack for my so called second breakfast to get me to lunch. It was just enough to dull the hunger to get to lunch. I hated feeling like I was eating 2 meals before 10 am but 1 normal size and 1 snack felt better. Usually celery and peanut butter as a snack and a flavored carbonated water. This worked for me.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    Heck I eat 7 times a day every 2-3 hours. Sometimes I have breakfast and then immediately have a protein bar like 1/2 hour later if I'm still hungry...

    It's fine to eat however often you want as long as you're within your calorie goal at the end of the day.

    For you with that crazy schedule I'd be more concerned with getting enough sleep than how many meals you're having
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    courtneyfabulous wrote: »
    Heck I eat 7 times a day every 2-3 hours. Sometimes I have breakfast and then immediately have a protein bar like 1/2 hour later if I'm still hungry...

    It's fine to eat however often you want as long as you're within your calorie goal at the end of the day.

    For you with that crazy schedule I'd be more concerned with getting enough sleep than how many meals you're having
    Pretty much this. I work nights and have crazy schedule as well. Typically 11PM to 7AM but sometimes it's more. I personally find sleep is more important. If I am tired, it doesn't matter how often I eat since I overeat to help me stay awake and thus go over my calorie goal for the day/night.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Without being a pedant; you can only break your fast once in a day so technically no.
  • crabbybrianna
    crabbybrianna Posts: 344 Member
    edited November 2016
    courtneyfabulous wrote: »
    For you with that crazy schedule I'd be more concerned with getting enough sleep than how many meals you're having

    I'm in bed by 8:30 every night to be up at 4:30. I can't function without at least 8 hours of sleep! I couldn't imagine when I'd have to be in bed if I got up at 2am.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    The I in IF is the time between meals. As in, between dinner and breakfast, and between breakfast and second breakfast.
  • Cbestinme
    Cbestinme Posts: 397 Member
    Hi OP I have two breakfasts all the time, and in my case I don't have any excuse of getting up at two am. :) My body isn't hungry first thing on waking. But since decoding to lose weight I learnt to feed myself (not forcefully) at some point in the morning. I start with something of about 250 calories. Within a couple of hours (or less), the body is ready for more food (usually works out to 250-500 calories). You can call it second breakfast, mornings snack whatever you like. I discovered that mfp lets you create additional meals if you like. :)
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Just skip dinner then, or have a small snack. Have breakfast at 2am, lunch at 9am, dinner at 1-2pm. I can't even imagine having a 'normal time' dinner if I had to be up at 2am every morning, as I'd be in bed at 6pm anyway (and my last meal is typically 4 hours before I go to bed, so the schedule above would be just fine for me).
  • Wendy__D
    Wendy__D Posts: 51 Member
    When you say normal time for lunch and dinner what time is that? Also when you wake up at 2AM are you up for the day or is it "wake up, must eat, back to sleep" then having breakfast at 9? If it's the latter you might want to figure out what's causing a disrupted sleep cycle like that. If you're just on a different clock than a lot of other people from 2AM to 9AM is a pretty long time! You may want to even eat earlier than 9 if that is the case so you don't get to the stomach-growling point. And if it helps rename the meals in MFP for what works for you. You might skip names entirely and call it Meal 1, Meal 2, Meal 3, Meal 4 (and use the other two however you like.)
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Divide your calories however works best for you. I think it is pretty natural that you might be hungry after 5-6 hours. Plan a snack for around that time period or eat even more at breakfast.
    I eat about every 3-5 hours while awake. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and 1-2 snacks.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    I'd eat breakfast food for every meal if I could. I'd only call the first one breakfast though and not worry about eating 3 breakfasts..

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