Hey everyone! Happy Tuesday. I am here blogging away and doing some homework, ya know the usual. But I am also preparing myself for some snow we are gonna get up here in the up here in the northeast tomorrow morning.
Whenever I need help, advice or anything at all I know exactly where to go...to you guys! Well I mean besides my mom first of course ;)
Ya see my Monday schdeule is pretty packed with classses... I have Nursing 8:00-9:15 and then a lil break but then I have English 11:30-12:20, Humanities Lecture 12:30-1:20, and then Microbiology Lab 1:30-3:20. 4 hours of straight classes! When is a girl supposed to eat?!
I start my morning off by having breakfast before my 8 o'clock Nursing class because your girl Jenna cannot go to an hour and 15 minute class in the morning without fuel in her body! My stomach would be growling the whole class and I would be starving, and plus breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Then I come back to my dorm for awhile or what not before going to the rest of my classes.I am really stuck in a rut as to when I am supposed to eat! I have only ten minutes to get to one class to the next so their really isn't a lot of time to stop at the dining hall to pick up some food, I have to grab food before my classes start.
I need to eat lunch sometime in between those 4 hours because I really don't want to be eating my lunch at 11 in the morning or at 3:30 in the afternoon. But I mean I guess if push comes to shove and I really have to then so be it, I guess that is what I will have to do. But I know eating lunch that early or late will so NOT work for me and are not very normal times to eat :/
I can't eat in my Microbiology Lab so that leaves me time during my two previous classes and after to eat.
I would really appreciate your advice as to what you think I should do! I plan on discussing this with my nutritionist to come up with something that will work for me. But for now I would like to know what you all think.
As for the eats go, I can pretty much bring anything to class. I just need to make sure they are portable and good for on the go! I know pre-made sandwiches, bars, fruits, and drinks are perfect to bring to class but I guess I don't really know what I should bring to eat and when to eat it. Ahhh! I hope you can all help a girl out ;)
Do any of you college students ever run into this same situation? If so, what have you found that works for you?!
Well it is a Tuesday night so that means The Biggest Loser is on!
Have a great Tuesday night :) And for all you northeasters out there get ready for the snow!
47 comments:
11:00 isn't too early to eat lunch, especially on one day. you have to commit to recovery and sadly I don't think you are. I can sense you are struggling, I hope you will talk to your team about what is best for you.
anon-well for me 11 is WAY too earlier to eat lunch. just because i don't feel comfortable eating lunch so early at 11 in the morning does NOT mean i am not commiting myself to recovery.
You may have to eat lunch at 11 - don't let it bother you! If you eat breakfast at 8am that makes it 3 hours since you've eaten girl!! EAT UP! What is "normal eating time" anyway?!? There is no normal eating time - you eat whenever you can girl, I promise it won't do anything negative! Also - I rely heavily on BARS BARS BARS in class! Maybe grab a smoothie or yogurt as well. :)
i can see...with only three hours or so between eating breakfast and a chance to eat at 11...that it might be too early for a proper lunch. i would suggest wrapping up whatever you can make/put together the night before so you don't have to worry about it in the morning. whether it be a bar or whatever your heart desires! i eat in class a lot -- i have one professor that does not allow it, but other than that my profs are cool with it -- i usually have fruit or a cheese stick. i've had bars, too..but not recently.
what would work best for me:
I would eat breakfst at 7:00
a small snack at 9:30
then have a large snack at 11:00
then a lunch sized snackie thing at 3:30 then dinner as usual
if you usually eat B, S, L, S, D, S just think of combining your S, L, S, into two larger snacks before and after class.
Or
You could do
breakfsast
large snack at 11
small snack in class
large afternoon snack
I would't hold myself to something definite. I would leave it up to how i am feeling that day to see what time i would like to eat my most calories at. I have found in the past when i am too strict i loose touch with my stomach intuition. i just make sure that i am always prepared what a couple options for myself and always a plan B. Most of all I make sure i am confident in what i am doing and don't let myself feel "bad" about any food choices!
hope this helps!!
i definitely the easiest thing is to make stuff the night before, rather than the morning of. when i eat on the go i always go for pb&j :) delicious and nutritious!
for me its best to just eat during class when i get hungry for it, sometimes people look, but usually they're just jealous they don't have anything to eat themselves.
bars & trail mix are great for class too!!
you may have to try out a few things to find out what's best for you, but i know you can figure it out!
xoxo
hi jenna :) my tuesday and thursday schedule is the exact same way---i have class from 11:15 to 4:10 without any breaks. to make sure that i still eat a big lunch and snacks, i bring an insulated lunch sack with a few ice packs in it. i usually include a sandwich, carrot sticks, greek yogurt, granola, a serving of almonds, apple, and boost milkshake in my lunch sack. it works out really well because all of those foods are ones that are easy to eat while taking notes and walking from class to class. i know it's not ideal to eat without fully focusing on your meal, but it's definitely better than waiting until after all of your classes to fuel your body! i hope this helps :) :)
Can you bring snacks with you so that you can eat it while you are walking to class? I could never eat lunch at 11am either so I would just snack here and there...maybe a Luna Bar can hold you over
Hey love!!! Yes the snow is here, ughhhhh!!!!!!!
Ummm can you maybe bring a protein bar to class and eat it maybe? I dont know!! I would say eat a light breakfast so u will be hungry for lunch at 11 : ) love ya!!!!
Hey girl! I run into this situation all the time. I hate eating on the go but every Tuesday I end up eating lunch in my car. Totally bummer!
I would suggest doing a couple of small meals throughout the day. For example before you 8a class a small breakfast of maybe some fruit or a yogurt, then at 11a doing something like oatmeal, a sandwich, or something other kind of midday snack/small meal. Maybe include a veggie plate with some nut butter or hummus in there. When you get out of micro lab another small meal (some crackers and dip/spread, or soup, or sandwich, depending on what you had earlier in the day), then dinner later that evening.
I often find myself eating lunch around 11a or 1130a if I've gotten up early and know I have a full day ahead of me like that.
Good luck and I'm sure you'll find something that works. I also tend to eat IN CLASS too :P (I know you can't in lab but maybe the others?)
xoxo
Ashlei
Hi! That is a hard situation. My college had these little "convenience markets" where you could buy premade salads, sandwiches, wraps, microwaveable real dishes (like leftovers), and other foods to go. The meals came with a drink, snack, fruit, cookie, etc. I always brought one to lunch a few times a week. I never felt strange eating in class because everyone else did the same thing. If you don't have a marketplace available you could buy some materials and make your own sandwich to bring. I think the best thing about the meals were that they were always packaged just right so you could be neat and put all the trash together to throw out. PS- eating in class makes the class fly by!
Well it seems that the lunch you always go to a tukey wrap apple and pretzels could be eaten in one of your classes.Just pack your lunch for class. What time do you have your morning snack usually? Your still eating it right? It stressful but you need to gain weight to stay at school so bite the bullet and do whatever it takes!!!
Jenna! I had this same issue last spring. On Monday's and Wednesday's I had class: 9-11, 1-3,3-5,5-7. I did not want to eat lunch at 11am either, but I was normally hungry at that time and just went for it. Then I'd pack Clif bars, trail mix and fruit for the rest of the day. It wasn't the ideal eating schedule, but you get used to it. It is possible!
My go to snacks are lara bars or cligg bars. They are filling and easy to eat in school :)
Remember you are on a weight gain plan and you are trying to eat normally, and not for "ed" so if one day , eating lunch at 11 is that stressful then I think you need to talk to your team. I agree w/ the first comment, and the second. no person's life is set so you eat at the same time-if you eat breakfast at 7, there's no reason you can't eat lunch at 11-but this is up to you. And honestly it isn't our place to give you advice. If you don't eat lunch until 330, you won't eat dinner-so talk to your nutritionist. But, this is your recovery and eating a sandwich at 11 and then maybe having your other grain and fruit after class, well that makes sense. Its all up to you girl. We can't do it for you and bars aren't going to cut it. This is your health, your life and your future.
I just want to say about the comment from Ashlei-that you are on a meal plan from your nutritionist and you need to follow that-not small meals.
You need to fuel yourself even if at times it feels hard, and your schedule doesn't seem like it is going to fit it.It will all work out. Just commit, and it's only one day-think of it as kicking ed's ass.
Hey Jenna! Thanks for stopping by my blog! I just graduated in May so I know all about crazy school schedules! It stinks that your classes are all smushed together! I tried to schedule my classes and work with a lunch break...but you don't have much of a choice. I say, eat at 11:00 and bring a snack for between classes. 3:30 is WAY too late and your tummy will be growling :)
Hi Jenna, thanks for visiting my blog. I actually switched over to a new server and the address is http://dailybalancingact.wordpress.com/. Your blog looks so great, I will definitely be checking back for updates.
I had a similar situation in college and would have a light lunch at 10:45/11, try to eat a small snack between classes (granola bar? fruit?) and then a bigger afternoon snack once classes were over. I hate that feeling of sitting in class and hearing your stomach growl! ;)
haha, my husband and I both had to work so I was wiped. Watched one quarter then was in bed by 8:45am.
Exciting, eh? haha!
LC
i know what you mean! I go to class from 10-5 on Mondays. I'm like when can a girl get some food?!
I think the key is planning ahead. Sandwiches are easy to pack(and fairly "noiseless" for those profs who don't like noise)
maybe by spreading your lunches into "snacks" you could do it.
ie- eat your regular morning snack, then eat a sandwich in English and then maybe your pretzels and apple in humanties. And then you can have your snack after lab and dinner as usual.
I know that might seem like you are "constantly" eating, but just remind yourself its the same amount of food, just spread out :)
my advice would be to invest in gladware with the screw on tops. i've had stuff leak out of the regular snap on tops and onto my school which SUCKS! and i have no qualms about eating in class. i'm paying too much money to be distracted by my growling tum!
I hear you with the back to back classes. I say maybe try eating at 11 one day and if its awful try eating a snack in each class and then a little something after lab. Also, is waking up and eating an earlier b-fast an option? For me if I am able to wake up earlier than I'm at least hungryish by the time lunch rolls around. Let us know what your N says because I'm interested to hear her advice!
hey girl!!
i would say eat every hour or so-in between classes! thats what i do, and it keeps me energized. do NOT wait over 4 hours to eat-espcially while you are gaining!
I always make a wrap the night before and wrap it in tin foil.. with that I'll bring a bar and a piece of fruit for a nice and healthy lunch! And it's so easy to eat on the go.. just peel away the foil as you eat!
if you are eatin gbreakfast before 8 oclock.. so i'm guess 7:15 or 7:30 then 11 is completely normal to eat. i dont know what meal plan you are following but if it is breakfast snack lunch snack dinner snack then why cant you do breakfast lunch snack snack dinner snack? I've done that lately when things have gotten hectic. and it shouldn't be too tough to pakc a sandwich for lunch either.
love ya and am here for ou if you need anything! i'm a little concerned because these are really ed-heavhy thoughts and through my recovery i've been able to let go of some of these..i just hope you are getting the help u need :( i'm worried about u! but im not trying to be mean AT all bc u know i support ou 10000%
xoxo
shelley
Jenna,
It sounds like it is only Mondays that is so jam-packed in the morning, this is something that should be managable. Eat part of your lunch at 11 and the rest between your classes. But I agree, you should talk to your nutritionist about what works best for you.
One thing I've noticed and as a reader I find as a "flag" of sorts, is you haven't talked about your 'eats'-I'm glad you are asking for support about how to make lunch work into your schedule but it tells me that you are still REALLY struggling, honey you were struggling before you went back to school. I hope you are kind to yourself and if being at school isn't conducive to your recovery right now, I hope you will do what you have to do for your health. Recovery is hard-it's the best thing you will do, but it is hard at the begninning and jumping right back into school makes it harder.Maybe you can move home and go back in the summer. Your mom will NOT be disappointed (thinking of your comment a few posts ago). I'm glad you are reaching out-but reach out to your treaters and reach in and ask yourself if you are doing what you need to be doing for you. It is MORE THEN OK to take time for your health. I know it's hard. Trust me.
listen to your gut girl.
Oh man...that is a hectic schedule....reminds me of the crazy college life!!
lucky me we have lunch breaks in China. But here I find the class always starts before the lunch time and stretch to 2pm! that's really annoying. I would suggest you pack mini-meals, like bread, cheese slices or slices of ham, kinda separate out ingredients for a whole meal, and eat it in between classes, keep your stomach working on something instead of becoming starving after 4 hours. Hope it helps Jenna!
oy I say eat 2 lunches. Maybe eat your sandwich and pretze;s at 11, then in between or during classes eat your apple and a granola bar. That is what I would do. :) Good luck!
hey...
on mon and wed i have class from 8-9:40 and work 10:45 to 2 and class from 2 until 7.. this is what I do:
breakfast 7:30, snack at work 11, lunch between work and class.. sometimes carries into class, snack at 4:45, dinner whenever i get home
on t, thur, fri i leave my house by 6:50 am.. ew. i fail these days and have the same problem you do. i eat breakfast so early 6:30 then lunch is either at 11:30 or 12:20 with no breaks from patients. so i eat at 3:30 snack/3rd meal and dinner later
really you just need to find what feels right for your body.. no one can tell you what or when to eat. you must learn to accept the cues your body is sending you :)
When I had 3 hour art classes over the Summer, both fortunate enough to be during my normal lunch and dinner time (11-3, and 4-7) I almost freaked. Fortunately, I brought tear-able sandwiches (pb&j, avocado&hummus) so I could work simultaneously & quietly. Don't bring carrots... they're very loud :)
Thank you oh so very much for your comment on my blog :) I much enjoy yours as well!
I have the same sort of problem and would rather have a "brunch" (ie. early lunch/ brekkie) than eat later :)
also larabars are like gods.
oh that is ROUGH! it's always stressful for me to have weird meal times or to not have enough time to eat.planning ahead is so essential, but you're kind of in a rough spot bc your schedule is so packed. i am with meg, you might have to eat lunch at 11, but that's ok! maybe break up your lunch, like eat most of it at 11 but save nuts/ a bar to eat on your walk to your 12:30 class or before your lab. do whatcha gotta do, but make sure you eat enough!!
I would say disregard comment number one. (sorry). Another person cannot tell you that you're not on the road to recovery. Only you can tell yourself that. Honestly, I would say eat a substantial breakfast, then pack one or two granola bars and some fruit to tide you over until your 1 pm class. Then stop by your school caf or sthg like that to get a small sandwich and 'dessert'. You will feel less hungry and more ready to face your dinner :)
you might have to do 2 snacks instead of lunch. and by snacks, i mean lunch part 1 and then lunch part 2. you definitely dont want to go too long because that will make class torturous!
I run into that a lot to, I usually have a small lunch (more than a snack, not really a meal) before my 11:30 or whatever class/meeting and the the rest after my classes. And, I usually have a granola bar or something that I can eat between class, or even during. Have a great Wednesday, stay warm in all your snow, too!
Usually I make my schedule to go around those hours but sometimes things happen. You can always pack a sandwich, wrap, meal bar, anything portable like you said. If you can eat in class then go ahead. Lots of people do it and everyone around you will be wishing they had something yummy to munch on as well while sitting in class lol. Hope that helps!!!
XOXOX
I feel you girl. I literately eat while walking to my next class. I eat about every 2.5- 3 hours. I'm loving Gnu Bars, YouBars and Luna Bars. I always have baby carrots or an apple too! Ahhh the life of a college student.
What if you ate your lunch at 11, but then brought some filling snacks that you can eat quickly (like fruit, nuts, bars, etc) on your way to class later in the day?
My Mondays look JUST like this!
How about...
Snack in the morning
Breakfast after class
Snack IN class
Lunch at 3:30
Dinner
Snack
I do something similar and it seems to work!
hey girl im in the same situation...sometimes you just have to eat earlier thats what i do on days i have hours of classes, and then just bring snacks but i really think this is something you should talk about with your nutritionist!
I've been in the same situation before. If I had back to back classes and I knew I would have a VERY short time to eat, I would pack bars. But bars that had a lot of calories, like Clif bars. And also some quiet healthy snacks like grapes or a banana. Sometimes you get lucky and profs will let you out early and you have more time to eat. Other good things are pb & j, wraps, dry cereal, nuts, dried fruit, etc. Good luck girl!
As a conscientious student, and now grad student/instructor, whatever you bring to class, don't let it be distracting to people around you! Open it ahead of time, but you can bring anything to non-lab classes!
Personally, I'd rather eat at 11 and snack later. Your nutritionist should be able to offer good wisdom about timing and such to help out! Mine always has suggestions to add things in without flipping me out, to which I am greatly thankful. Good luck!
Hi Jenna, i think (any one of these) cereal Bars / a pbj sandwich / pb banana sandwich+ a fruit / veggie sticks + your favourite milk + trail mix is a good way to keep you going till late afternoon... spread them out... :) hope you'll find something that suits you :) take care!
sandwiches!!! :)
I try to make lunch my big meal of the day because I tend to be the busiest during the morning and evenings. I tend to keep granola bars and lots of fruit on me :)
i eat breakfast at 7 am, lunch at 1 pm and dinner 7-8pm. i'm not a huge snacker, i prefer big meals (around 600 cals each-depends on hunger levels etc) but i've been in your position before and what worked for me was:
breakfast at your normal time, then snack around 11, then lunch around 3.30 and dinner at 8pm. i also tend to make lunch my largest meal of the day because it's when my hunger level peaks
in conclusion, just eat about the same amount of food you'd eat in a normal day but spread out in the way you feel most comfortable. if you like snacking, visualize what you'd eat in an entire day and then play around that... the timing is really unimportant in the grand scheme of life. calories are calories!
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