I was wondering what you all ate early in the morning and at snack time in the morning to help you make it till lunch. After that I am usually okay, but I have a heck of a time making it till then without using up a ton of points. I am up at 445, at work by 7 have break at 930 and 1200. My body is in need of fuel every 2.5 hours. If I go past that I start shaking and getting really hot, and have trouble concentrating. It started after I had my first child. got worse after the next two. It is even worse now that I have quit smoking. I've been told it is my blood sugar, and I just have to make sure I eat every so often. But when I get up so early I feel I run out of points so early in the day. Any suggestions would be great!!!!

Protein, protein, protein. LOL That is what seems to help most of us. Things like eggbeaters, canadian bacon, etc.

Check out the daily menu thread to get a feel for what we all eat. Most of us incorporate protein into all our meals to help hold us longer.

HTH,
Uki

What Uki said is what I do Protein

The mornings I don't have eggbeaters, I'll have WW yogart and add a scoop of Whey Protein Powder,
23g of protein per 1 scoop..(I don't use the soy)

Its also good to use with yogart or milk in the blender with ice to make a smoothie...

Its also good to have a few 2 pt bars in your bag for that extra nosh..

Irish oatmeal that I cook in the microwave is realy filling and lasts me when I eat it with a bannana. I have a biggish appetite I think. I like the quick cook kind that takes 3 mins. I dident think I liked oatmeal till I tried that kind. I add smuckers sugar free syrup on it as well and make it with half water and milk. Oatmeal is very healthy too.

I have been eating the greek style yogurt (1/2 cup is 1 pt.) which has something like 20g or protein in a 1 cup serving. I like to mix it with defrosted frozen berries (buy the big bag at costco-unsweetened 1 cup has 1 pt) The berries defrost and make a juice which mixes nicely with the yogurt and makes it sweet. For 2 points this holds me a long time. If you like sweet you can add a package of splenda. I take this on the run and by the time I am ready to eat it has defrosted. I also like it for a late night snack - perhaps if you eat some protein before bed you will not be very hungry in the morning.

New find - EB eggs in a pouch all ready hard boiled - medium eggs so they figure out from NI to be only 1 pt. each. I know this is really lazy, but it is a good thing to have that is already ready for me. They come 6 to a bag. I found them at SWM by the regular eggs. Some mornings I slice one up and put on a 100 cal english muffin and have a good 2pt. breakfast.

Nuts are good too - just watch the portion size since they can be high in points - but they keep me really full and are portable and don't need refrigeration. Hummus is also good with cut up veggies.

Oh and don't forget to have your water - drink, drink, drink it will fill you up.

Protein is definitely the way to go - try and have a little with each meal.

Plan it out and you can stretch your points. Eating every 3 hours is probably a good thing to do since it keeps your metabolism working really good.

Good luck,
Marilyn

Find a way to get in some protein--it will help with the shakes, etc.

I like to have in the mornings one of those Quaker Oats Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies (3 pts.) and then mid norming I might have an apple or a banana or a cup of grapes, whichever I have. On the mornings where I have a few extra min., I have an egg beater omelette with lots of mushrooms, green pepper, onion, and some of those canadian bacon pieces that are for pizza (pepperoni shaped). That is really filling with a bottle of water and topped with some salsa. The veggies add fiber which will make you fuller longer too. Sometimes, I'll fry an egg and put it on a 100 cal. english muffin with a 1 pt. slice of cheese - 4 pts. total and super filling.

Get some raw veggies to munch on or some 100 cal. popcorn for that mid morning snack.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the great ideas, they are all really simple quick ones too which is nice because I dont have alot of time for breakfast (I have to drive about 30miles to work and drop off kids at daycare.)

Question on the whey protein My husband has this Six star Muscle proffesional Strength whey protein it is 150 cal. 2fat 0 fiber and 25g of protein. It says a serving is 1 heaping scoop which is a little under 1/2 a cup. the points for that much is 3.

Is this the same stuff you were talking about and is it the same amount as you take?

The ingredients on mine are...

1 scoop Vanilla

120 cal
fat 2 g
fiber 0

23 g protein
points 3

I don't use it everyday I can't see using 3 points on it...

THe eggbeaters do the trick in the morning..

Lunch I'll have protein and also at dinner..

Tuna is good
eggsalad
boca burgers
grilled cheese

thats some of the things I use at lunch..

sorry to be replying to this so belatedly but I too have the same problem spreading out my food intake when I have to be up so early....I often leave the house by 4:45am. so I can work out before work, because there are just too many things going on after work. I need to have a little something in my stomach before the working out, and I always need something afterwards too, and I need a snack mid morning and lunch and afternoon snack and dinner.... but if I don't plan well, I would run out of points or calories before I was half-way through the day. The others gave you such wonderful suggestions that really helped me too. I usually don't eat protein right away first thing in the am. because it's too much on my tummy before a serious workout....I usually have something light like fat free pretzels - I don't do points, but the pretzels are 120 calories for three good sized ones, or I have the sugarfree fatfree instand oatmeal by McGann's, that is only 100 calories a packet...I save my first protein of the day for after my workout when my body needs it for recovery, and I try to have snacks that are high volume lo cal....they give lots to crunch on while not using up too many calories so I have enough to not feel deprived but to make it all the way through an OP day. This site sure has been the source of wonderful inspiration and it really helps to come and post a daily committment to being OP each separate day. Take care and best of luck, Maajida

Thank you to all of you for the great suggestions belated or not, I alot of times go back and read the old post and sometimes find that they have been posted on again that is always a great suprise.

Maajida..I applaude you and anyone else that can get up that early and exercise. It would probley work out better for me if I could do that. I wouldn't have to work around my families schedule at night. I just have such a hard time getting up that early. I already get tierd by 9pm and could go to bed.

Anyway enough whining from me. I agree 1000% about this site being a motivater. It is just as good as a meeting for me. I've always thought I could do better on the program if I could go to more than one meeting a week. I can't do that because all the meetings are 20 minutes away from my home. I would be taking too much time away from my girls. So THANK YOU to all you who take the time to post your experiences, advice, sympathy, congradulations, support, and anything else because it sure helps me make it to my next meeting.

Chelsie,

I like to get a one pt. cheese stick and then sometimes wrap one pt. of low cal lunch meat around it and eat that for a snack. Another great thing that I have been eating as a snack when I am really hungry is the breakstones live active cottage cheese. They come in individual portions so they are great when you are on the go and they are only 1 pt and taste great! Also, drinking lots of water really helps me throughout the day.

Hang in there,
Tammy