Eating Schedule

[Klow21]

This is my second round on Whole 30! The first go around, I didn't have too many issues with 'eating schedules' and got my 3 meals in a day (plus a snack before the gym). I did not, however, eat first thing in the morning. Instead, I'd have my multiple cups of coffee and wouldn't eat till about 3 hours later. This time around, I am trying to do better about cutting my coffee intake and eating when I technically should.

I wake up at 6:00am during the week. I am not a morning person and I am the type of person that can't generally stomach food that early in the morning. This time around I have been making my best effort to eat no later than 6:30-6:45 but even that is a struggle.

First question: is there anyone else out there that eating so early in the morning is an issue? On the weekends and wake up on my own time, I can easily eat within the hour.

Second question (more of if anyone has a suggestion): Since I'm trying to eat earlier, I'm getting hungrier faster and more often but my schedule is pretty tight. I'm trying not to snack in between other than a pre-workout snack but even through my workouts I am extremely hungry. 

6:00am - Wakeup.
6:30-6:45am - Food (beyond stuffed)
7:15-8am - Drive to work, guzzling 32oz of water
8-12pm - More h20. Half a gallon usually done by noon. (Pretty hungry by 11am)
12pm - Pre-Workout Snack. Usually compliant Larabar
2pm - Lunch (stuffed)
5-6pm - Drive home. More h20
7-8pm - Dinner (stuffed)
10:30-11pm - Bed time. (Feeling slightly hungry though)

I eat a well portioned meal, each meal. I realize that I am very active and my energy levels are NOT lacking, so I know I'm fueling myself. It is a large gap between breakfast and 'lunch' but I can not possibly eat anymore when I'm sitting down eating. I'm considering going back to eating when I get to work because I actually feel hungry then. I never feel hungry at 6am in the morning, even if I didn't eat the night before (old bad habit. not current habit). I keep reading that you should feel hungry when you first wake up and it just doesn't happen to me unless its the weekend (I'm well aware of how ridiculous that sounds). I've tried eating lighter in the mornings and not even that seems to help. Anyone care to add their two cents in?

Thanks!

[ladyshanny]

1. Yes, it is quite common for peopel to not prefer eating within an hour of waking. This is a result of your hormones not quite being at their optimal balance. Keep trying.

2. The time between your breakfast and your lunch is over 7 hours. No wonder you're hungry.

3. Swap out that pre-workout larabar for some protein and fat. Probably at least a serving of each since you are going to use it to workout AND as a go-between since you have a long time between first and second meal. We do not recommend fruit as a pre-workout. It's fast fuel and doesn't teach your body to access fat as fuel.

4. Depending on the intesity of your workout, you need post workout lean protein and starchy veggie, otherwise you are short changing yourself.

If you can tweak these meals out, you'll likely be less hungry before bedtime.

[kruddock]

Here's my schedule which works for me. I get up in the morning between 5-5:30am and have to leave the house by 6:30am. I was usually not that hungry either but you get used to it. I just make myself eat and I get used to it but in the event that I can't stomach it all or if I run out of time, I will always pack up M1 to go, eat as much as I can and then eat the rest when I get to work. I find this doesn't hurt my appetite or cravings.  I also bring an extra snack to eat at work, just in case I am feeling hungry of protein & fat and maybe veggies.  This doesn't happen everyday though so that's why its just in case.  I workout after work some evenings so I rush home, eat a preWO snack around 5:45pm, workout 6:30-7:30, eat a postWO snack at the gym before I leave or in the car and then eat a light supper when I get home by 8pm. I make sure M3 is something that just needs heating up. I always make sure I bring a big M2 on WO days.

[Klow21]

Thank you for your responses!

I feel like it's hard to have a post workout snack right after my workout because I go to the gym on my lunch break at work. I workout and come straight back to the office and heat up my meal, which is generally leftovers from dinner before. Since I don't workout in the evenings, I prepare my dinners every night, but make enough for lunch the next day to keep it easy. I try to rotate my proteins each day too. My lunches after the gym, I feel, are good. A palm to palm and a half protein, a decent amount of potatoes (especially if it's leg day), and green veggies.

Unfortunately, my afternoon can't be changed too much on when I eat... Everything revolves around my gym time. I don't want to eat lunch right before the gym but I may have to have some kind of mini meal before hand.

I'm definitely still learning but this really did help!

[kruddock]

With your long gap, you might need a preWO snack, but its the postWO snack that's the most important. Maybe you could bring a little more lunch, eat only a few bites of the protein/starch part of it (avoid the fat) right after your workout (you don't need to eat very much), maybe on your way between the gym & work and then eat the rest when you get to work, that's what I would do, if it were me. My postWO snacks are always cold, its just fuel remember.

Maybe if you get used to a bigger M1, you will last until noon, it can be done once you are adapted.