Morning Schedule

[Mary Carmosino Beougher]

So, after a move to another country, the other half and myself are looking to do a Whole30 to get us back on track. I'd like to do some troubleshooting before we start, so I can plan better. The tricky meal (and isn't it for everyone) is breakfast.

Our mornings are pretty well busy with no time to do a real breakfast. And there is no going to bed earlier and waking up earlier to make time either. I usually get up about 730 and I'm out the door taking my daughter to school at 820. I'm home by 900. Taking her to school is a 3 1/2 mile bike ride round trip. So, what I'm thinking I could do is treat my morning commute to take her to school as if I'm working out and do a pre-WO type meal with my coffee before I take her and then a full meal when I get back? (With focus on the veg since I'll be having a protein/fat combo before hand) My husband could do the same. He would be able to do something small before he bikes to work (His one way trip is just under 2 miles) and then he has time for a normal sit down breakfast once he gets to work.

Is this a good plan? Any other reccommendations?

[jmcbn]

I think this would probably work.

You don't always need a post WO meal if your WO session hasn't been particularly intense so since you're opting to treat this as your meal one you shouldn't have the focus *just* on veggies, it should be as per the template with protein, carbs & fats.

[Mary Carmosino Beougher]

I think I phrased that wrong. My bike ride isn't really a workout per se. I was just using the concept of a pre-WO meal to get food in my stomach within an hour of waking. After I get home, I plan on a meal one. What I meant by "focus on veg" was that since what I had before taking my daughter to school would be protein/fat that I would kind of include that in my portions for my meal one, so what I'm eating after I take her to school would be lighter on protein/fat. Still there, just smaller. Just so i don't totally stuff myself. Or that's my idea to start with. Naturally, if I need bigger portions at the meal one to get me to lunch, I'll do that.

I hope that makes more sense.

[jmcbn]

Yep, I understood what you meant.

I'd still say that you need to have a full template meal as meal one though. Your pre 'WO' meal can be as little as a boiled egg (white for protein, yolk for fat) with your coffee - just enough to send the right signal to your brain to get your hormones in check, and so as you are eating 'something' within an hour of wakening.

I think if you rely on the protein & fat from your pre WO you'll not get to meal two without feeling the need to snack.

 

Try it for a few days to see how you go - you can always tweak it.

[Tom Denham]

As someone who scrambles eggs in about 5 minutes and eats them with a serving of cold sauerkraut to make a good overall meal, I have to disagree that breakfast is a tricky meal.

 

You say that eating breakfast in the morning is impossible. Actually, many other things are more important to you and your family than eating breakfast before you leave home. The question of eating breakfast is not a matter of schedules. It is a matter of values. 

 

We encourage people to think in terms of meal 1, 2, and 3 to help break the mold of what is appropriate to eat at any particular time. I have prepared scallops and zucchini noodles for breakfast just because that is what I wanted to eat. You can prepare meals in batches - the slow cooker makes this really easy. Breakfast can be as easy as putting a bowl of pulled pork, sweet potatoes, and kale in the microwave and sitting down to eat it 5 minutes later. 

[Mary Carmosino Beougher]

I don't think breakfast is tricky and equating timing of eating food with my values made me laugh. But if you would rather I have a full breakfast ready to eat quickly to choke down as I stand at the kitchen counter preparing my daughter and husband's lunches and preparing my daughter's breakfast by all means I'll take that route. I was just thinking it might be better to eat something small to have something within an hour of waking and then sit down and be able to enjoy my food once I drop her off since I've seen on this forum several times that it's important to sit and eat your food without rushing through it. Was I wrong?

I'm not sure where you got the idea that I'm limited on what I'm going to eat first thing in the morning. Most of the times it's leftover from the day before since I really only cook in the mornings on weekends. That response makes me think you didn't actually read or think about my actual question since the only thing I was asking was if my plan of eating the equivalent of a pre-WO type meal before I bike my daughter to school and then sitting down to eat a full breakfast once I'm home sounded like a good one.

I get moderators being tough, but sheesh. If you want to equate the timing of when you eat your food with values go right ahead. That's giving food too much power for my taste.

[Physibeth]

If you really don't have time to sit down and eat a full meal before you take your daughter to school (whether prep time is an issue or not) really the most important thing is to have something within an hour of waking. I would suggest having a mini meal before you leave (like a hard boiled egg and some raw veggies) and then a full template meal when you get back. Easy peasy. Don't worry about framing either around the pre/post workout.

 

If prep time however is the only thing keeping you from sitting down for a full meal before you leave (which is what I think Tom is assuming) then doing prep the night before or during your cook up could solve that issue. If lunches and meal 1 were already ready to go and you could just plate/package and serve then you could sit down and enjoy that first meal with your family. 

 

Either solution is a fine one.

[Mary Carmosino Beougher]

If you really don't have time to sit down and eat a full meal before you take your daughter to school (whether prep time is an issue or not) really the most important thing is to have something within an hour of waking. I would suggest having a mini meal before you leave (like a hard boiled egg and some raw veggies) and then a full template meal when you get back. Easy peasy. Don't worry about framing either around the pre/post workout.

 

If prep time however is the only thing keeping you from sitting down for a full meal before you leave (which is what I think Tom is assuming) then doing prep the night before or during your cook up could solve that issue. If lunches and meal 1 were already ready to go and you could just plate/package and serve then you could sit down and enjoy that first meal with your family. 

 

Either solution is a fine one.

Thanks. I'll try it as a mini meal. That sounds like a better idea than just protein/fat.

And I do prep the day before (hence the comment about eating leftovers for breakfast most days) and lunches are throw together stuff like already cut up veggies, a container of yogurt for the LO, etc. My mornings are scheduled to the minute as it's the only way to ensure 8 hours sleep, which I know I have to have. We don't have our first meal as a family - I'm just working out the best way to actually be able to get something in that hour window and still sit and enjoy my first meal of the day.

I think I have a solid plan now.

[Hannlib]

I get up at 7.15, get myself showered and dressed,nag my eldest to get dressed, make the beds, empty the dishwasher, make porridge and cereal for two kids, make and eat a full template breakfast, clear the table, clean 3 people's teeth, get my (furious and uncooperative) two year old dressed, bundle everyone into the car and leave the house at 8.40am for school. I think you can do this, it's just a case of priorities. So I'd get up ten minutes earlier and eat breakfast tbh. But I'd find having to prep and eat twice within the space of an hour way more annoying. If you do decide to save your breakfast for later save your coffee too. It's a massive appetite suppressant and I suspect that after a mini meal, a coffee and a 3.5 mile bike ride you'll get home and find you cba making and eating your template breakfast then either.

[Mary Carmosino Beougher]

Coffee is not an appetite suppressant for me. Weird, I know, but it's true. There are times, if anything, I feel more hungry.

it's just a case of priorities. So I'd get up ten minutes earlier and eat breakfast tbh.

And sleep ranks higher on my personal list of priorities. I won't give up that ten minutes because I know what it does to me.

A mini meal I can eat while making lunches and drinking my coffee and then a regular breakfast once I'm back home and relaxed sounds perfect for me and my situation.

[Hannlib]

And sleep ranks higher on my personal list of priorities. I won't give up that ten minutes because I know what it does to me.

But you don't know what eating a full template meal within and hour of waking might do to you, unless you're prepared to experiment with it :-) whole 30 is a great time to do that. See how you go.

[Mary Carmosino Beougher]

But you don't know what eating a full template meal within and hour of waking might do to you, unless you're prepared to experiment with it :-) whole 30 is a great time to do that. See how you go.

I do know. This isn't my first rodeo, just the first where I'm dealing with the kind of schedule I have.

[missmary]

I get moderators being tough, but sheesh. If you want to equate the timing of when you eat your food with values go right ahead. That's giving food too much power for my taste.

 

Um, I don't think Tom meant it that way. I'm pretty sure he just meant: you value something (more sleep, less stressful time getting the kid's lunch ready, etc.) more than you value the recommendation to eat breakfast right away. It sounds like you do, and that's ok. I'm glad to see you trying to find a way to get closer to the recommendation vs. ignoring it.

 

Of all the suggestions, I'm liking a mini-meal idea best. Maybe you could make a full-sized plate and just eat part? Otherwise having a couple eggs or a bit of leftover meat and some raw veg first thing followed by a real sit-down once you are back home seems like something to try.