I currently work in an Urgent care facility which gets extremely busy, but I have managed to get a few snacks in to try my best to hit macros. I may be getting a job at a hospital where breaks are not generally given and only a 30 minutes lunch. Is it healthy to hit macros on only 3 meals a day?  Could I slam a 1k calorie breakfast?  What is your advice so I don't lack in my macros and drive myself nuts over it.  When I miss meals I get grumpy and I don't want that to affect my work perfomance.

Kevin,

There has actually been a lot of recent nutritional research which has shown the body processes calories the same regardless of time of day or how much is eaten in one day. The Warrior Diet is one extreme example of intermittent fasting where you fast all day then eat ALL your daily macros in one big meal at night. While I think this is a bit too extreme and hard to cram 2000+ calories in one meal, it still has tangents to your question.

I would suggest trying to eat as many of your macros at breakfast and fill in the rest throughout the day when you have a chance to do so. Breakfast, or your very first meal if you do extended fasting like me, is a good meal to consume the most calories. Your body will utilize the majority if not all the calories versus storing any as body fat since it has been in a fasted state for at least 8 hours or more.

John

@jmboiardi  A little has changed since this post. I actualy just had an interview at a local hospital as an x-ray tech. I got accepted, I find out more details this coming Monday. I do know that my schedule will be 1p.m. to 9 p.m. monday through friday.  This is a good thing compared to my current schedule as its easier to prep for.  HOwever do you have some more good advice on how I should go about my meals?  I feel coming home at 9:30 will be late to consume a huge meal, however I know I will be hungry regardless of how big my breakfast and lunch will be. That brings me to another question is now I have to consume a ton for breakfast and it seems like I may have to resort to liquid calories as well, no?  Lunch breaks will only be 30 mins, what should i do, to consume quality macros in that short amount of time?

Kevin,

1PM to 9PM is a perfect 8 hour feeding window for intermittent fasting (IF). I would eat 3 meals spaced out between 1 to 9pm. Then you don't need to worry about meal timing. Calculate your macros and ensure you meet those totals each day within the 8 hours. Eat more in the first 2 meals than the last meal if you want. I don't remember if you said you tried IF or not but your job new job schedule makes it easier to follow and track.

John

@jmboiardi  Why would it be spaced out between 1 to 9 if I am awaking at 7 a.m.?  Just trying to think this through because thats a long time to go without any food.  

Kevin,

That is the science behind intermittent fasting - it is an eating protocol not a diet that naturally manipulates your insulin and growth hormone levels to help you gain/keep muscle and burn body fat. When you sleep, you are in a fasted state. Intermittent fasting is just extending the fast from 7-8 hours to 16 hours. You still must eat only nutritious foods and you still must eat all your daily macros and calories you just eat them all in an 8 hour feeding window versus throughout the entire day.

Contrary to popular belief, we do not need to eat food when we first wake up and the body processes calories the same whether you have 2 meals or 7 meals in a day. The key is to eat only wholesome and nutritious foods. When the body has no food in it, glucose and insulin are low so the body releases growth hormone in large quantities to tell the body's fat cells to release their energy for fuel. When you eat foods with carbs, the body releases insulin which shuts off growth hormone release and has the body use the glucose in the blood as fuel and store the excess as body fat. Current research has shown that fasting is excellent for health, longevity, preventing chronic diseases, and gives the digestive system time to repair itself. Our genetic code was not designed for constant intake of food which is how we live today. Too much food all the time with little nutritional value and full of man made sugars, fats, and salts is the root cause of most of the diseases we face today.

John

@jmboiardi very good response. I am very new to the whole IF idea. I definitely need to research more on this topic. What if I tried eating the majority of my calories before work so that way while at work I don't have to stress about consuming so much and can just enjoy a 30 minute lunch. Also arriving home just intake 1 scoop of whey and hit the sack?

Meal frequency is going to have minimal impact on your results, whether your eating, 2, 3, or 6 meals per day. Go with what suits your lifestyle and personality. Some people use frequent meals to manage their hunger. They always feel satisfied when they eat more frequent smaller meals. Other people never feel satisfied with smaller meals so they prefer larger more filling meals. It helps to pay attention to how many calories you consume at the end of the day depending on the frequency. Some people have a tendency to eat more at the end of the day when they consume small frequent meals... and vice versa. As long as you hit your targets by the end of the day you are good to go.

Kevin,

IF requires a set feeding window. If you want to eat before you go to work, you have 8 hours from the time you first ate to eat your last meal. After that your fasting window begins again. So if you eat your first meal at 11am, you eat your last meal at 7PM and then don't eat again until 11Am the next day.

John

@jmboiardi  I have been busy with interviewing etc. I got the job at a local hospital and start this coming monday. I have been trying to plan out my meals on paper for the week as this is a much easier way for me to stay on top of my daily macros.  Im trying to figure out what my macro percentage should be at for carbs, protein and fats.  IM reading too much protein is bad, but if I consume 1.5 g per lb I am over 250g.  To compensate for lower protein I have to increase fats or carbs, but I feel my body doesnt respond to high carbs as well, always feeling bloated.

With this being said I am going to consume most my calories upon waking around 7:00 a.m. go to the gym around 9 a.m. then eat another big meal immediately after my work out around 10:00/10:30 a.m.  so that puts me at a smaller meal around say 5/6 pm. then fasting from that point until waking again at 7 a.m. does this sound right?

Yes, that should work. Give it a try and see how your body responds.

John

@jmboiardi, @scotttousignant, @Scott_Herman and whomever else wants to charm in.

I am looking into this fasted nutrition plan. I have been playing with numbers all day yesterday and a little today. 

At 177lbs 12%BF, BMR at rest 1827, BMR in motrion 2832, my average is 2329. I decided from what I gathered is my protein intake was too high so I lowered it, by doing so it forced me to increase carbs and fats. I didnt want to be in the range of 300 for my carbs, so fats was increased. Intaking 200g protein (800 calories), 282 carbs (1129 calories), and 100g fats (900 calories). This brings me to 2829 calories if Im correct. These numbers are for my work out days.  

I decided to layout my meal plan by leaving me to choose from a selection of foods which I cant type all of it, but hopefully you get the idea. I seperated each category (protein, fast carbs, slow carbs, fats, vegetables) into groups A-E. I am having trouble splitting these to only 3-4 meals. My workouts will be in the morning after meal 1.

SO here is an example:

Meal 1:    7a.m

Group A (60g)

Group B (60g)

Group D (20g)

Group E Handful (probably spinach)

Gym: 9a.m.

Meal 2:    10/10:30 a.m.

Group A (60g)

Group B (60g)

Group C (60g)

Group D (20g)

Snack:    12:00 (before I work 1-9pm at the hospital)

Group A (30g)

Group C  (40g)

Group D (20g)

Meal 3:    5/6 p.m.  then fasting begins till 7 a.m. next day. roughly 13 hours without food.

Group A (50g)

Group C (60g)

Group D (40g)

Group E Handful

Non workout days I decreased to 2579.  Protein stays at 200g (800 calories), Carbs drop to 220g (880 calories), fats stay at 100g (900 calories) now I haven't put together my plan for this yet, wanted to see what thoughts were on this, maybe some assitance.

I guess this makes my other post irrelvant when I asked for your current calorie goal etc. haha.

This looks good. You don't really need to worry too much about how you split up your meals. As long as you get your macros in at some point during your eating period, that's the main thing.

Jordan