When you wake up at 5 AM, you’re pretty much ready for lunch by the time 10 o’clock rolls around. Despite eating a good breakfast and enjoying a mid-morning snack like I always do, I couldn’t get my stomach to stop pestering me for more than 20 minutes yesterday morning; and since there’s nothing more distracting than hunger when it comes to trying to get some work done, lunch was on the table and in my belly by 10:30 AM.
Leftover Italian style stuffed chicken, coconut spiked bulgar, and steamed mixed veggies.
Ever have those early breakfast/lunch/dinner days? I do – especially when I don’t get enough sleep. I’d love to say that I have no problem with them, but that would only be a partial truth. While I do honor my hunger even when it’s not the “proper” time to eat (mostly because I can’t stand the feeling of being hungry and what it does to me), I don’t always do so without anxiety. True story. I know I may come across as being completely carefree when it comes to matters concerning food, but that’s not always the case – I still have lingering anxieties that pop up every now and then. The difference is that they’re now a subtle itch at the back of my mind rather than a dominant thought in the forefront that goes on to dictate my actions.
And what exactly is it that makes me so anxious? Well, in the case of eating a meal early, the fear that I’ll end up eating more (read: too much) throughout the day. And you know what? Oftentimes that’s exactly what ends up happening…
Almond butter on the butt of a loaf of bread.
A mess of oat bran, plain Greek yogurt, homemade applesauce, honey, and cinnamon.
There are days where I have to toss in an extra snack or two because I can’t get my brain to focus on anything other than food – a typical symptom of hunger for me. Terrifying, right? It definitely used to be.
Back in the day where I was religiously tracking my calories and macros, the mere thought of eating more than I had planned or allowed myself to was enough to send me over the edge. And when it came to actually doing it? Yeah right, there was no way that was going to happen. Hungry or not, I would force myself to wait until the proper hour to eat, obsessively watching the clock and agonizing over how slowly the minutes were passing by. One minute. Three minutes. Five minutes. Gah!
Looking back, it’s hard to figure out why I put myself through that kind of unnecessary misery, why I couldn’t just eat when I was hungry and move on. Actually, I take that back – it’s not hard to figure out why. I was afraid that eating before it was time would cause me to eat more (read: too much) and…. gulp… gain weight. But, as with any other disordered belief, this one proved to have no truth to it as well. I mean, I did gain weight, but that’s because I needed to and was consciously trying to. I was severely underweight and eating an amount that was well above my maintenance level. But I digress.
Early lunches, they happen. Eating more, it happens. The point I’m trying to get across here (to myself as well), is that nothing bad happens as a result. Trust me (brain, I’m lookin’ at you!!). There are days where I feel like my hunger is off the charts and I’m doing nothing but eating, but lo and behold, those days never seem to show up on my butt or thighs. So don’t be afraid to eat when you’re hungry, even if that means having lunch at 10:30 AM.
. – . – . – .
Can anyone relate?
Do you eat a snack between breakfast and lunch?
i eat 5x/day. i get up at 445/5am to workout and i must eat a light snack before my workout otherwise i will pass out. in my mind, food is my fuel and nothing more, nothing less.
when i first get up at that godawful hour, i eat a few scoops of my breakfast (which i’ve already prepped the night before) and stick the rest in the fridge for my actual breakfast.
then i eat the rest of my breakfast after i’m showered, dressed and usually when i’ve reached work (which is somewhere around 730/8am).
i have another snack around 10am, followed by lunch at around 12, then another snack at around 3pm and finally, dinner at 530pm. dinner is usually very light and the lowest amount of calories because i’m not that hungry by the time dinner rolls around. so i actually don’t eat more per se but have learned how to eat better/more efficiently (ie. splitting my breakfast into two “snacks” so i don’t over eat etc). i know how many calories i need and i stick to that give or take a few calories. i find that when i work out extra hard, i’m more hungry so that is my body’s way of telling me it needs more fuel so i listen to my body. everyone should!
great post 🙂
I can relate to being up and five and starving no matter how many snacks I eat by 10. I had to start eating two lunches (one around 10 and one around 2) otherwise I couldn’t make it through the day. I’m really glad you are finding something that is working for you and hope it keeps working out well!
I definitely can identify A LOT with this post. I tend to ignore some hunger cues, simply because it’s not the right “time” to eat. I worry about over eating during the day. I KNOW that if my body is hungry, then it is asking for food. It is obviously in need of energy. It’s not like I’m over feeding myself!
Why do I still continue to ignore these cues? I couldn’t tell you!
Anyway, I’ve teamed up with Meg, Heather, and a few other bloggers to participate in the IE challenge. I’m really hoping that I can come to peace with myself and learn to listen to body’s needs.
Keep remaining true to yourself and remaining the inspiration that you are. Xoxo
Oh I totally know the feeling of needing to wait until set mealtimes. I can remember being at work and everyone had already gone to the lunch room 15 minutes ago, but I was stuck in my chair, starving and staring at 1:58pm on the clock, waiting for it to change. I mean, really?? Two minutes was going to make me fat?? Now I see how irrational it was, but I still have issues with eating too early. I still like to have meals within a certain time RANGE in order to keep a bit of structure in my day, but the difference is that I will have more snacks before those times if I am hungry, rather than hoping I can make it from 7:30am to 1:00pm with only the celery sticks I had packed to tide me over. Thanks for opening up about this. With any kind of ED history it’s totally normal to have some residual anxieties, and the fact that you recognize them and try to work through them says a lot about who you are 🙂 xoxo
I can TOTALLY relate to this. I try to eat on a schedule, especially since I wake up so early but I should really just eat when I’m hungry. I shouldn’t eat because I’m tired or bored or because I think that I should be eating.
I can relate so much to this post. I just wrote a very personal post today about how far I’ve come and shared some of my old writings. I am so much better now but I do have my times. I feel the same way about eating early. When I do my training runs early I am starving for lunch at 10:30. Then I usually try and eat dinner before I go to work at 4. I have a fear that I’ll want to get something out of the vending machine or steal a cupcake that’s lying around. Sometimes I do and I’ve gotten better at saying no thanks and I’ve also gotten better about giving in every once in a while and enjoying it. Recovery is a long long road for sure. I’m happy I’ve come so far.
Okay, it’s getting ridiculous how often I say this in my comments but your post once again couldn’t have come more timely. Just today is one of those days. Due to an appointment I had to get up way earlier than usual. Cue an earlier breakfast followed by a – much! – earlier than usual lunch and I haven’t really stopped eating since. Eating too early and being a bottomless pit on one and the same day? Anxiety-inducing like crazy. I’m surprised I actually managed to get things done for classes with my mind focussed on food all of the time. Being afraid of eating more later is just not getting me anywhere but I still am afraid as it does actually happen most times. Sigh, I wish I worked my way to intuitive eating and accepting those days faster.
Before I left TJ’s I was up everyday at 3am or 4am to be at work which meant my “lunch break” was at 8am or 9am. I would eat a cliff bar or something similar at 4am and then a huge meal by 8am. When I got off around noon I would eat another large meal and there were plenty of snacks in between. I was actually at my lowest weight during the last few months of this eating/working schedule. I think my body finally got used to eating more and at odd times. I do have to say it was hard at first and eating that early knowing that I would be eating “more” was tough. I’m with you on listening to the hunger cues though!
3 AM?! My God, lady… I know TJ’s is supposed to be all that and a bag of potato chips, but dang… that’s crazy early!
I was on a similar schedule when I was working retail Brittany! It was somewhat “strange” to eat lunch at what some think of as breakfast time but we eat breakfast for lunch and dinner – no rules!
I definitely find that if I wake up early and eat early, I’m eating an earlier lunch. My high school started at 7:15 (meaning I was eating breakfast at around 6:45) and our scheduled lunch time was between 10:30 and 11. It seems crazy, but it makes sense considering our schedule. My schedule has changed a bit thanks to college, so 10:30 is a very early lunchtime for me – it’s more my morning snack time. oh, and I love the bread butts.
I don’t know anyone who can’t relate to this. I think we all have days where we think of nothing but food – and no amount of snacking or meal eating can curb the appetite. It all balances out in the end, and it seems like even your snack foods are healthy and unprocessed. I like to think that if we’re conscious of what we eat (even most of the time) days where we might eat a little more than we like aren’t do bad! As for snacking, I do try to have a snack between lunch and dinner (we eat very late) so I don’t overeat at dinner – I have a habit of eating too much too late and feeling queasy when I go to bed!
I’m all for eating when I’m hungry. On that same note, I’m okay with not eating if I’m not hungry yet and it’s the typical time for a meal. (I’ll just eat later) I wake up super early too and I need to start eating a mid-day snack because I get so hungry by noon. Awkward stomach growling in a meeting- not letting that happen again!
I literally eat like 700 times a day, so early lunches are normal for me 😉 And yesterday, I ate like a million times a day because it was just one of those days! I usually always wake up early and often eat up to 7 times a day. I never worry about it, because if I am up early and moving around longer than I would be if I woke up a bit later, my body needs the extra fuel!
Definitely loving that reasoning!
Girl, I can SO relate. During my bad e.d. days, I used to obsess about the ‘right’ time to eat a meal, and eating too early always made me worried that I’d eat too much.
I also get up close to 5am, and am starving by 10am. I usually have a snack between breakfast and lunch — sometimes it’s a Luna bar mini, sometimes it’s some fruit, sometimes it’s nuts…etc. I wouldn’t survive without my mid-morning snack!!!
Meh. This ends up happening to me all the time! I’m trying to get out of the rut I’m stuck in of ‘I MUST have breakfast the second I wake up whether hungry or not!’ at the moment as I get up between 5-5:30am most mornings. Lunch isn’t until 1:15…that’s a long gap!
Thank you so much for sharing this post! I used to have the same anxiety with eating early and before I was “supposed” to. Now that I know better it seems silly to me. So glad I’m not the only one who ever felt like this!
I can 100% percent relate. I used to the a slave to th clock, eating every three hours, whether I was hungry or not. It’s been a hard lesson to listen and TRUST that my body knows when it needs to be fed, and I can’t “out think” my body.
I definitely felt more anxious than most days yesterday when I was hungry only an hour after eating breakfast. I was at work, and had my lunch with me, but considering how hungry I was, I thought, “If I eat my lunch now, then I won’t have an actual lunch to eat later!” Thinking I had a granola bar in my car like I usually do, I skipped out to my car and damnit! Wasn’t there. I was a mess until lunch. I ate about half of it beforehand and after lunch felt fine…. but then the hunger kicked in again and I swear, I overate by a LOT yesterday. It made me uncomfortable, but when I was finally full (at like midnight), I realized how GOOD it felt to not feel hungry. THAT is what always ends up putting my mind at ease and allows me to keep pushing forward at times like this where in the past I would’ve just sat with my miserable hunger.
That’s what always keeps me going too – realizing how much more I enjoy life when I’m not counting down the minutes between meals.
Wow – story of my life. I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about! I’m the same way. Sometimes I try to rationalize with myself saying “well hey, since you woke up early maybe you’ll be tired early, so those are hours you won’t be eating, making up for those early hours”
Great post! 🙂
Hehe. I’ve done that kind of rationalization too 😉
This is me to a T! I literally am way too strategic about when to eat just so I don’t eat more (too much). And I always pack snacks because I’m afraid I will get hungry and won’t have anything that will adequately satisfy me! Great post…thank you for writing it! 🙂
I can totally relate to this! On days when I wake up really early I feel like a bottomless pit and have to plan in extra snacks. I think it’s important to follow your bodies needs though so I tend to just go with it.
I always have a snack between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner. I have an apple every day for my morning snack and usually a banana with bread after work before I exercise. I would pass out if I didn’t have a snack! I worry about eating dinner too early too because, just like you, I want something later on before bed. I find a nice glass of milk usually shuts my stomach up long enough on those nights though. And maybe a cookie too. 🙂 You’re right though, the best thing you can do is just be happy and not stress about eating!!
I mean I think anyone that struggled with this in our past can relate to that misery. I always wonder why the heck I allowed myself to feel utterly sick the majority of the time. I couldn’t concentrate, didn’t have energy and then of course the thoughts only perpetuate. The ease of just eating feels so much better I have to say. thank goodness.
Yes I can relate to this especially this past weekend! I was up by 3:30 last Friday for the airport and probably ate about 7 meals that day compared to my usual 5. Like you, at first I was worried about eating so much more all in one day. Then I realized I had been up for almost 24 hours straight and my body needed that food so I could have some energy. On regular days, I try not to worry about it because the next day I won’t be so hungry and it all evens out.
I’ve definitely noticed that it balances out. And I have the same trouble when I’m travelling – especially if I have to deal with a huge time zone shift.
Holy cow can I relate to this. The timing thing is something I still struggle with. An early snack? What if I’m hungry again at the usual time? Early dinner? God forbid I eat before 6 in fear that I might need a bedtime snack. It’s ridiculous, really. I’ve found myself counting down to 5:59 until I could start eating when in reality, that minute makes NO difference. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one that does this, but I’m even more glad that like me, it’s only a slight nagging sentiment in the back of your mind rather than something that you act on..
Awesome post, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Today, I woke up at 5am, had a snack at 8:30 and ate lunch at 11. I always feel the anxiety that you described so well, but I have learned to accept it (for the most part). I am also unable to ignore my hunger cues now. I guess it’s something that remains after my ED. I just can’t stand being hungry, and I seem to go from stuffed to EXTREMELY hungry in a matter of minutes! Go figure…
I used to have a hard time accepting how much food I actually needed in a day, I would fill my lunchbox with what I thought was a reasonable amount of food… and have eaten it all before my first class. Now I pack my lunchbox (and my backpack…and my car) with more food than I could possibly eat in a day. Then I eat what I want, when I want it and (gasp!) nothing drastic has happened. It’s awesomely freeing when you realize that your body actually does know whats up 🙂
I think sooooo many people make the mistake of thinking that their bodies need less food than they actually do – I know I was crazy surprised when I realized how much food I needed to eat to feel my best, especially when I saw that it didn’t make me gain any weight like I thought it would.
Absolutely yes I can relate! While I still struggle a little bit with eating lunch before 11 if I’m hungry, I’m not nearly as bad as I used to be. I remember the days of eating by the clock…they were depressing and agonizingly painful. Minutes tick by so slowly when you’re hungry.
I don’t usually eat a morning snack, but that’s because I’m usually not eating breakfast until 8:30 or 9 right now, and lunch by 12 or 12:30. But if I need one, then I’ll go for it.
Hungry days are still a tad awkward for me. But I’m learning that my body knows what it’s doing, so I really just kind of roll with it. Like you said, nothing bad ever happens as a result!
I can totally relate to you! Back in the day when I was a strict calorie counter I used to hate days when I was extra hungry and just wanted food more than usual. Now I know that it will all balance out and it definitely causes a lot less anxiety for me.
It definitely all balances out! I find these days are usually followed by a few where my appetite is a lot easier to manage… And then the cycle repeats 😆
I can totally relate… I’m eating breakfast after a workout by 6AM and STARVING by 10AM! I usually grab a rice cake and almond butter. When I was nursing I would seriously eat breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner and dinner. But, it’s definitely better to spread out your calories.. keeps the metabolism going!
I can relate to this fo sho. It happened to me yesterday, and I decided to roll with it…as a result, I felt better, happier, and woke up today looking as trim as ever.
Also, the butt of the bread is the best part to toast spread some nut butter on (or coconut oil and honey!) Love it!
So glad you posted about this. I’ve definitely experienced those days and those challenges, and yah it was really hard to move past those “rules” I had made for myself, but it’s SO important. Especially because life doesn’t run by a schedule. Most work places, jobs, or social situations don’t adapt to your schedule (though it would be cool if they could 😉 )
I can relate so much!
It’s so important to throw out socially accepted eating times! My schedule for school is totally wonky and all over the place. You best believe that if I’m staying up ’til midnight, my last meal isn’t going to be at 6pm.
I used to try to push my breakfast back as far as possible so that I would eat less throughout the day. So silly!
Oh my goodness yes! When I was counting calories, I would not allow myself to eat if I was hungry at 2. I would force myself to wait until 2:30. Even now, I get slightly anxious about eating earlier than anticipated. One thing that really gets me is if it’s like 4, but I’m planning on eating dinner at 5:30 (I know, I’m an old lady 😛 ), sometimes I just won’t eat because then I’m afraid I won’t be hungry when I want to eat dinner. I’m working on it, but it’s not easy! 🙂
I usually eat dinner around 5:30 as well 😉
That’s funny you post this today because yesterday was definitely one of those eat every meal early days, which resulted in eating a lot more than usual. I was up early for a test and wanted lunch by 10:00 AM too. I kind of just accepted this and ate whenever my body told me to, which you’re right isn’t always easy when your mind is telling you you “shouldn’t”. Luckily both of us seem to not let those annoying thoughts dictate our actions. And I woke up this morning the same old me, surprise surprise 😉
I can totally relate! Oh gosh can I relate. I hate when I have those strarving days, but I try to move on. I bring a morning snack everyday, and have been eating them lately whenever hungry. My lunch times are unpredictable as a sub, so sometimes I am forced to eat lunch at 10:30. I am usually starving for a second lunch by 1! Sometimes I save part of my lunch for later, but if I am hungry, it is all eaten!
This totally happens to me when I eat breakfast too early! I have to remind myself sometimes that if I don’t eat enough earlier in the day, I’ll most likely end up overeating later on. Plus the energy/calories are much needed since our bodies started working earlier in the day.
I’m all for the snack between breakfast and lunch 🙂
My hunger is a lot harder to manage if I don’t eat enough early in the day as well!
Same here! I really love this post because I completely relate. I wake up at 5 and have breakfast at no later than 6 so by 10:30 comes around I’m starving and anticipating 2 more hours. However, if I manage to fuel myself with snacks, it actually makes NO difference in “weight gain”.
Thanks for reassuring me that there’s others out there as no one else in my family is like that!!!
I just did this same thing and am so glad you shared this! I ate a snack earlier than usual because I was so hungry and instantly thought that it was somehow “bad”. For the love, self ;)…a granola bar is not going to make me 10 pounds heavier tomorrow!
Oh you mean second breakfast? Yes, I’m very familiar. It’s okay though because getting in a bunch of calories in the morning isn’t a bad thing, and it tends to keep my hunger in check for the rest of the day. Although sometimes I am just a total hunger monster and no matter how much I eat in the beginning of the day, I’ll still want more and more food later in the day as well, which is stressful of course. But for the most part I think morning snacks are a pretty good way to go actually.
I can definitely relate to my hunger being a lot more manageable if I eat a decent amount of calories earlier in the day. If I don’t, then I’m pretty much a lost cause for the rest of the day…
Oh yes! I can totally relate. I eat a bunch of snacks throughout the day, and I still go for an early lunch. Rice cake before gym, real breakfast after workout, snack, and then lunch, which usually occurs before noon.
When can I not relate! This post especially resonated with me, Amanda! It makes me cringe to think how back in the day, I “couldn’t” eat lunch before 2 pm, dinner before 8.30 it goes on! Thank goodness those days are behind me and reiterating on what you said, eating earlier (or as my stomach called for a meal) has done a world of good for me physically and mentally. For starters, I am not wishing my days away merely so I can eat. Some days I’ll eat more than if I had waited a bit longer to eat but some days I don’t…easier said than done, but it all balances out eventually. And you know what- a growling stomach is not a bad thing. It’s a sign that our metabolism is working and needs more fuel to keep on burning.
Ugh I remember just trying to “get through” the times between meals… definitely not how I want to live my life.