snacks between meal 2 and meal 3

[lauren306]

I'm a teacher and have an incredibly early lunch, (more like brunch!) at 10:30. I don't usually eat dinner until around 5:30 or 6. I know snacking is not encouraged but would a snack between these times be acceptable? If so, what would you suggest!! 

 

Thanks!! 

One Hungry Teacher  

[ladyshanny]

Yes, you should eat between these two meals.  No one expects you to go 8 hours between meals.  Realistically you should be having a fourth meal in there but if you can't pull that off, stick with a mini meal of at least 2 of the 3 macros (ie, protein and fat or protein and veggies).  Hardboiled eggs, chicken thighs, olives etc are all good choices.

[SugarcubeOD]

Eating between meals if you have a long window like that is absolutely okay!

Snacking is what we refer as mindless hand to mouth eating.  Mindfully eating food because you're hungry is not really snacking.

 

In this case, we would recommend a mini meal of at least protein and fat, but ideally with protein, fat AND veggies. Hardboiled egg, some olives and snow peas maybe?  Fruit and nuts on their own (or combined) are not recommended.

 

Really, since you're going around 8 hours, I would recommend making that mini-meal more meal like in portion... we want meals to last for 4-5 hours... If you ate at 230, you'd be dead in the middle of that really... 

 

Edit : Oops typing at the same time as Ladyshanny

[tulziecat]

This seems like an appropriate place to post this.

I too have had difficulty with this eating w/in an hour of waking up!
I've been eating 100% compliant foods, but have been snacking. I feel like its ok to give myself slack in this transition time, but I recognize that my sugar dragon is the one snacking (also quitting smoking has made me want to continuously put almonds in my mouth on longer [hour+] drives).
HOWEVER,

 

I work 4:30 am to 12:30 pm M-F.

8a-3p Sat/sun

I rock climb for an hour or two 2-4x/week, + two 45minutes resistance training/week, and yoga 3-4xweek. (just restarted the gym/yoga routine, as TIGER BLOOD stage is in full throttle-good news!)

This means I am awake from 3:15am to about 8 or 9 and (rarely) 10pm on weekdays and 6a-9/10p on weekends.
I have been trying to time it so I stop consuming calories by 7pm.
currently a typical day looks something like this

M1, 4:30-coffee, fried egg.
M2: 6:30-half sausage. 2 eggs, 2 cups kale/carrots or zucchini etc, 1/2 avocado, couple kalamata olives or macadamia nuts
M3: 11:30am; same as meal 2.
Snaaaaack attack on commute home: (maybe psychological, i want a reward for getting off work...)handful of almonds, grapefruit.
WO: 2pm-3 or 4 (if climbing day)
Post w/o snack: half sweet potato, egg white (or mini meatloaf, or half sausauge) or epic bar --love them!
Yoga: 5-6pm
M4: sausage, or 1/4 lb ground beef with LOTS of veggies (celery, sweet potato, kale, carrots cooked in coconut oil or bacon fat), with avocado, or drizzled coconut cream, or open handful olives/artichoke hearts
 

Im having trouble with a few things..(obviously)

-Seems like im not getting enough calories(?) and that's probably because it I really hard to gauge the spoonfuls of coconut cream or almond butter while cooking.
or 5 or 6 macadamia nuts and a few olives when I get home. or carrots and almond butter, ETC

This is habit-(sugar dragon craving/just got home and its time to eat habit/I LOVE FOOD IN MY MOUTH HABIT)

 

-Im also a very "volume eater" I LOVE food. I LOVE putting food in my mouth. W30 has been a great practice in slowing down and tasting and chewing.

-But Im very used to a typical 3 meals plus 2 snack lifestyle and being up for 17 or 18 hours it seems hard to fit into a 3 meal lifestyle.

Obviously im asking for help here. (posting all this is scarier than I thought! ha! )

I know W30 is supposed to be tailored for each individual's lifestyle but im also not wanting to continue making excuses...

Im on day 16 btw. (woohoo also, to be noted, my 4 roommates bought 7, yes SEVEN pints of ben and jerrys the other night, and I really do miss ice cream the most, but I stayed ROCK SOLID!)

[SugarcubeOD]

Hi;

 

Those are some hecka long days!

 

I would suggest that you get onto a slightly different feeding schedule than you're on.  For those people that have these excessively long days (up super early or stay up super late), it's recommended to eat every 4-5 hours... this usually means you end up with 4 template meals and that's totally okay, you're expending more energy by being awake and alert for longer.

 

Here's a schedule for you:

 

 

4am M1 (combine what you listed above as M1 and M2)

8am M2

12pm M3

2pm (pre and post workout)

5pm M5

 

Stop snacking... you have said it yourself that it's psychological... the only way to cut that tie is to stop the behavior.  You don't need a reward for getting off work... just not being there is a good reward!

 

Hand to mouth snacking on indeterminate amounts of coconut butter, almond butter, macadamia nuts etc... is setting you up for disaster.  Stick to template meals (template linked in my signature below) every 4-5 hours.  

 

Congrats on steering clear of the ice cream factory!!

[tulziecat]

Thanks Ms. Cube!

with all these rules mixed in with some common sense, this questions seems stupid, but in all actuality, I cannot eat w/in an hour of waking up, unless I get up earlier. I have a 30minute commute and get into work at 4:30. (waking at 3:15 and showering etc, I just don't have time for a meal, unless I get up earlier, and I refuse to get up the same time bars close! its so wrong :/ )
 

worth it to sacrifice having something within an hour (my typical egg?) and just eat the whole meal at 4:30 when I get to work? or eat the egg to have something in the system within the hour, and finish the meal when I get to my desk?
 

thanks for the 4 meal template. and just for clarification; a meal size serving of fat is either: closed handful of nuts OR 1-2 heapers of olives OR 1-2 thumbs coconut oil OR etc....?
 

Food honesty hurts. what an interesting culture we live in, isn't it? I know whole30 is here to undue all the complications, but I really wish fueling was so much simpler in our culture. (also, im middle eastern and really missing yogurt, ha, I sound like a pity party, but its nice to see it written down somewhere, guess that journal ive been talking about will actually have to begin...)

 

 

[SugarcubeOD]

No question is stupid and we just love to help people who want to get healthier so ask away!

 

As far as the eating within an hour of waking, I get that your situation is quite difficult and I wouldn't want to get up any earlier than you either... can we brainstorm some things you can eat on your commute so that you can get that food in within the hour?  It's a really imperative part of getting your hormones regulated... I made a frittata last night that I ate cold at my desk (within an hour of waking) that would work perfectly... or hardboiled eggs? (I hate the suckers myself but some people love them).  Or cold chicken and olives and crudite?  There are actually a ton of people in your boat that have the same situation so there are definitely ideas out there that will work.

 

Yes to the clarification about the fat.  You CAN mix fat sources and you CAN eat more than the recommended amount if you're extra hungry or something would taste great with mayo AND avocado for instance... but yes, you don't need to eat all that in one meal

 

I like the term food honesty... having a psychological addiction to a food or food group is hard enough, nevermind admitting it but sometimes shining some light on those difficult things makes them easier and no one here is going to judge you (or anyone) so being honest really is the best... helps us help you!

[tulziecat]

I suppose I could make some fritattas in muffin pans and grab a few in the morning and eat 'em in the car w some olives, although eating in the car isn't the most satiating for me, it may not be that bad and help substitute for what a cigarette before work did...

i'll have to look up what crudité is, doesn't have the tastiest name

actually, theres so much play room in muffin tin fritattas and I just bought another 18er of eggs, that'll be tonights project.
i'll start there. and luckily, since im feeling tiger blood like I know this is working, now I just want to fine to tune it to optimum.

thank you! I appreciate it!
luckily, mom and her BF are in on this too (although out of state). its so nice to have some support- and even the roomies on haus dinner night are being quite inclusive of my new eating style.
 

[SugarcubeOD]

Crudite is a super snobby fancy way of saying 'cold cut up vegetables'...

 

Good for you for being open to suggestion and changing the way you think about your routines and food!  Excellent!  I have no doubt you're going to be immensely successful!

[Carlaccini]

You could also put a blended soup together and put it a travel mug and slurp it on your way to work.  

 

It's a great way of getting extra veggies in.  Plus soup in the morning can be warm and comforting too.

 

Here's some great recipes:

Try website Well Fed - for Golden Cauliflower soup, Silky Gingered Zucchini Soup, or Sweet Potato Soup.