protein bar/shake for breakfast?

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shellyj40
shellyj40 Posts: 15
in Food and Nutrition
I start work at 6 most mornings and struggle to eat a good breakfast as i have to eat at about 5 in the morning..would it be better for me to have a protein bar or shake? Then would i be able to eat something when i came home (about 10am), before working out? Still trial and error regarding my diet and trying to find ways to nutritionally eat the right way.
thanks for any replies.
x

Replies

  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
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    Are you hungry when you wake up in the morning?
  • shellyj40
    shellyj40 Posts: 15
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    only a little bit, but if i dont eat anything then i feel light headed and really hungry by 8am and i cant have anything to eat till 9.30 when i get home from work. I really need something to eat before work as its a very physical job (cleaning in a supermarket).
  • stunningalmond
    stunningalmond Posts: 275 Member
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    I think a protein bar would be good to keep you going while you're working. That's what I have a lot of days for breakfast :)
  • Glucocorticoid
    Glucocorticoid Posts: 867 Member
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    If you are hungry then eat. It doesn't matter too much what you eat as long as it fits within your targeted caloric/macronutrient requirements for the day. Meal frequency does not matter at all either.
  • jchrisman717
    jchrisman717 Posts: 780 Member
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    I would say try a protein shake with some fruit - I get up at 4:30 a.m. every day. I'm not a morning eater and I cannot stand the thought of water the morning most of the time so I do a big protein shake with frozen fruit - 1 scoop of whey protein and 1 scoop of psyllum seed husk and fill my personal blender cup up with water and I find it helps me start off my day better as it re-hydrates me and it keeps me feeling full until close to lunch which helps me make better lunch choices. I have yogart and or other healthy snacks on hand because I have been running at lunch so I now typically need something else to eat around 10:00ish so I can do my run. But I would say try it and see if it works. There are a ton of things you can do with a protein shake depending on what you like. I usually do the same one for about 3 weeks and then change it up - right now my favorite is 8 oz of OJ over some frozen strawberries, fill the rest of the cup up with water, add my scoops and blend.
  • jenniferlynn12
    jenniferlynn12 Posts: 87
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    I love pure protein bars-- 20 g protein with around 200 calories... there's less calorie and less protein, etc ones are there but I love because I can grab and go, especially for mornings where i'm not ready to eat right away. I like shakes but they take more work to make unless you buy pre made ones.
  • cdcro
    cdcro Posts: 21 Member
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    I have a protein shake (optimum Nutrition) every morning before heading out. I mix it with water on non-gym days and with milk on gym days. Then I eat breakfast, oatmeal or fiber one etc.., about 9:30. Keeps me from getting too hungry and takes seconds to make.
  • iam_thatdude
    iam_thatdude Posts: 1,279 Member
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    on weight training days I have a shake with 1 scoop of Whey with three small scoops of Musclepharm creatine as my breakfast (about 45 minutes post workout.) On non weight days I do the same shake as my breakfast, which is about 30 minutes post cardio.
  • talzybob
    talzybob Posts: 80
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    never ever iss out on breakfast whether you are hungry or not. it kickstarts your metabolism for the day and missing meals can make you over eat on your next meal or even make you snack more than usual. plus you wan to stay diabetes free.

    try to eat at least a slice of toast. cereal bars and healthy filling shakes are also a good choice. if you get stuck why not ask to speak to a diatician who can help you make the right choices at breakfast and what you can do if you are really not in the mood to eat anything heavy. it was the best advice i got about breakfast as i dont paticularly like eating when ive got up.
  • jamiem1102
    jamiem1102 Posts: 1,196 Member
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    I'm not big on eating anything too early in the morning, so I prefer smoothies with Whey Protein. :) If you do a really delicious juice ( I prefer Naked Juice - Orange or Strawberry Banana), add 1 - 2 Scoopys of Whey Protein ( I like IsoPure Zero Carb Banana Creme or Vanilla), and Ice and Blend Away. If you only do 1 scoop, it only comes out to around 180 calories, and keeps you pretty satisfied.
  • JonathansMom0910
    JonathansMom0910 Posts: 22
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    FYI-most of the time you can make a shake with minimal to no sugar, but protein bars do tend to have a lot of sugar-at least most of the ones that taste good do. I prefer the shakes myself and use the recipes I found on here that include fat free cottage cheese, water, whey & soy powder and then a lot of them use sugar free pudding mix...if you need a link or recipes, message me:)
  • akjmart2002
    akjmart2002 Posts: 263 Member
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    There is no "Right Way". Just eat when you can and try to make your calorie and macronutrient goals. Otherwise timing doesn't matter for anything other than keeping you from feeling like crap when your blood sugar is too low.
  • anna_love
    anna_love Posts: 177
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    so I prefer smoothies with Whey Protein. :) in the morning's
  • harpercutie
    harpercutie Posts: 118 Member
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    SHAKE!!! the bars are not very filling and are compacted with mostly empty carbs (carbs are what make people gain weight). shakes are more satisfying and you can spice it up with different fruits, liquids, protein powders, etc to create a variety of flavors for you. who said loosing weight has to be bland and boring? if you want some protein shake recipes feel free to add me:)
    shakes are also quick and easy, but if you reaaaaly dont want to make it in the early morning you can make it the night before and refrigerator it and sip it on the go.

    I hope I helped. Goodluck!!
  • Kathkeb
    Kathkeb Posts: 7
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    Are you able to cut a protein bar into bite sized pieces and put them in a ziplock and nibble on them while you work?

    Personally, I could not eat at 5am, but you definitely should get something in to your system within a few hours of getting up.

    When I have early morning calls or meetings, I chop up a protein bar and nibble over the course of an hour or so.
  • shellyj40
    shellyj40 Posts: 15
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    I have seen the protein shakes/powder in our supermarket, but not sure which on to get, there is maxi build and maxi muscle i think and theres a whey protein in powder. I would love to try shakes especially with fruit etc, i think that would be the best for me, if i can make it the night before then the blender wouldnt make a racket in the mornings and wake my children up!! All i need now is some shake recipes!
    Thankyou
    x
  • the90daybody
    the90daybody Posts: 9
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    sometimes being too busy or too early works prevent us from eating breakfast. Well, protein shake could be a healthy alternative. I have heard about Body by vi shakes.. have you ever tried it? anyone?
  • jchrisman717
    jchrisman717 Posts: 780 Member
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    Shelly - buy a whey protein with no additives. They sell a good one at GNC, EAS makes a good one and of course Jay Robb makes a good one. I think there is a thread on here if you do a search for protein drinks with lots of good recipies. Also jayrobb.com has some good recipies on his website. I have a ton of them but it would depend on what you like. I do a lot of frozen fruit because I like mine like a smoothie so I use the vanilla the most. I do chocolate mostly at night - add some natural PB with the chocolate and its delicious. I usually only use milk with my chocolate with ice to make it a smoothie. Some people add yogart and soy milk. You'll have to experiment with what you like. You can buy a personal blender - I have a great one from Chris Freytag that I love. Also the bullets make really good ones. My Chris Freytag mixes ice better which is why I like it and the cup is a little bigger than a bullet. Let me know if you want any other ideas. I have a ton. I could type them up for you if you wanted. Oh if you like coffee another favorite is mix a 8 oz l/f milk, 1 scoop of chocolate, ice and 1 tablespoon of instant coffee - fill the rest with water until its full enough to mix -- taste better than a starbucks frozen latte!

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