Timing of Meal 1?

[ABS32013]

I completed my first W30 in April, having relied on what I read here and on various blogs. I've since read ISWF and think that I need to adjust the timing of my first meal of the day. On my in-office days (3-4 days/week), I have been eating my first meal at around 8:30 or even 9:00, which is about 3-3.5 hours after I get up. The way my mornings currently go, I don't have time to eat an on-plan meal before I leave the house.

Can anyone advise whether it would make sense for me to split my Meal 1 - e.g., a hard-boiled egg and some veggies at about 6:30 and the rest of my Meal 1 at around 8:30?

To put things in context, I've remained pretty much on-plan since completing my W30 with a few splurges and experiments and perhaps more snacking that I really should be doing. The main difference is that I just don't obsess over whether my food contains non-compliant ingredients on the rare occasion that I'm eating food I didn't prepare. I likely will do another W30 after a vacation in June.

Thanks for your time!

[Tom Denham]

I understand the tendency to eat later. My own rhythm is set to get up at 5:30 and eat at 9. However, the timing of breakfast can impact the quality of your sleep. Breakfast influences our hormones and one of the best ways we can get our hormones in a good rhythm is to eat within an hour of waking in the morning. Doing so helps to establish a good pattern that ends with our hormones being more supportive of sleeping through the night. So if you can get some breakfast in first thing in the morning, it should help.

I experimented with intermittent fasting a few months ago. It is easy for me to fast from supper at 7:30 or 8 PM through noon the next day. No problems with hunger at all. However, missing breakfast had a noticeable impact on the quality of my sleep after about a week. I like the idea of intermittent fasting, but don't sleep good enough to practice it on a regular basis.

[ABS32013]

Thanks, Tom. I definitely wasn't intentionally fasting - it was just a function of my not-always-planned-out-super-well life. I had an egg and munched on some orange pepper slices this morning while I was making the kids' breakfast and packing lunches. Then I ate the rest of my breakfast at work (some "morning mix" and braised kale and carrots). I think I'll try that plan for a while and see how I feel.

[Judy Villano]

I really struggle with eating early in the morning. Would coffee with the approved coconut creamer suffice? I wake up at 6:30, drink my coffee at 7:15ish.. and then have my pre-workout meal around 9AM. What do you think, Tom?

[regannc]

I have been practicing Intermittent Fasting for the last year or so, before finding out about Whole9, and since i've started my first Whole9 30 I find I can do both no problem. I always work out in the fasted state and eat meal 1 around noon. i have not noticed any drop in energy levels, but I have been sleeping better (through the night). This is only week 2 so I will let you know how it goes.....

[Beets]

^^ This might work ok for you, but IF is not part of a w30. You may decide to go back to IF after your w30, but one of the goals of the w30 is regulating your hormones by eating three spaced out meals a day.

[Susan W]

Beets is right. IF and W30 are not related in any way. Feel free to return to IF after.