[brandyirish]

I need help with planning my meals around a somewhat unconventional schedule. I waitress from 9am to 4pm 5 days a week. However, I am up at 5am with my daughter. I try to eat by 6:30 am and the latest I have time to grab something to eat is at 10:30 am. After that I am too busy. The problem is I am starving by 2pm and cant always stop to pee let alone eat. We usually have dinner by 5 because my husband works midnights. Any suggestions on meals that will get me through until then?
I usually try to have a bowl of oatmeal with 2T pb (360 cals)for breakfast and a small apple and slice of string cheese (160 cals) for a morning snack. Getting all of that down is a lot by 10:30. I've even tried switching them around so that I have the more filling meal at 10:30.
Am I stuck wolfing down a meal replacement in the bathroom at 2 just to make it to dinner?
Thanks
Brandy

[rodeogirl]

If you're in the U.S. it's illegal for your boss to not give you breaks. I would cook the night before and bring lunch to work with you and eat during your 15 or 1/2 hour break. One of the reasons the law require the breaks is because it's unhealthy to make some one work 6-8 hours without time to eat or use the bathroom.

I would start by having a conversation with your boss about appropriate breaks.

[PhotoChick]

Yeah. What rodeogirl said. The law REQUIRES that you get a minimum of one 30 minute break for every 8 hour shift that you work (I think plus 2 15 minute breaks as well). I have worked shift work before and been a cocktail waitress as well as a bartender, so I do understand that there are times that you just CAN'T take your break because you're slammed or short handed. But that should be an every-once-in-a-while thing, not a daily occurrence.

But I would say that if you have no other choice, a protein bar and shake to at least give you something to work with would be in order. I am *not* a big proponent of the bars/shakes normally but this would be one situation where I would say better than nothing. And you just shouldn't be working the hard kind of work that waitressing requires on no nutrition for 8 hours.

.

[brandyirish]

My day from 9-11 is one big break from 11-2 noone gets break as that is lunch time. After lunch is over I finish up and go home. So while I do take my break mandated by law it has to be before 11 am.

[cdiem4994]

It is so not the best case scenario, but can you bring a protein bar with you and eat it in the bathroom or something? You can eat it fat and if you pick a good one, they can be somewhat filling. There are a couple that are uber high in protein and hav almost no sugar. You really have to read the label carefully because most are junk. My favorite is an atkins one that has something like 18 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber, but they are expensive.

I understand about the realities of work and breaks, laws sound great on paper, but a paycheck is not optional.

[brandyirish]

I may just have to suck it up and have some kind of meal bar. I really only need something to make it through from 2 to 5, on the run, so I don't overdo it at dinner.
I wonder if I can find a recipe for one so I have a little more control over what I'm putting in my body.
Anybody have one?