Shift worker eating times!!

[grc878]

Hi,

I work a double day shift rotating weekly, I’m finding it hard to lose weight and when are the right times to eat , especially breakfast when I get up at 5am , I’m not really hungry at this time.

My shifts are

Week 1 : 6am -130pm (20 min break)

Week 2: 100pm - 830pm ( 20 min break)

Any help and suggestions??

[JennyWrenn4]

What times are your breaks and what sort of kitchen facilities do you have at work? What do you mean by double shifts - split shifts, 8 hours on 8 off? My husband does shifts so have some sort of understanding.

[grc878 in reply to JennyWrenn4]

Hi we have a canteen at work that supplies a good range of hot/cold food.

We have a microwave too if we bring in our own food to cook/reheat

The break times are at ,

920am for week 1 shift

440pm for week 2 shift

By double day shift I mean we work shift 1 for 1 week then change to shift 2 the following week,

So I would work , what we call the early shift for a week then change to the late shift the following week.

Hope that helps

[JennyWrenn4 in reply to grc878]

OMG but depending on what sort of work you do

Week 1 : 6am -130pm (20 min break)

A protein shake taken to work in a flask and have when you arrive

9:20am Summer - small tin of flavoured fish or chicken over a tossed green salad with a crusty roll or leftovers from dinner - equ of protein, veg and carb

At home low fat cheese with a few crackers and a piece of fruit

Dinner late afternoon or early evening - grilled marinated fish or chicken with half a plate of vegetables and either a baked potato or other carb with low fat sour cream

(eating at this time means not going to bed on a full stomach)

Week 2: 100pm - 830pm ( 20 min break)

Depends on what time you get up

A fruit/veg/protein smoothie or eggs on toast

12 pm Light meal of either chicken or fish with salad or cooked veg pasta salad

4:40 pm Pannini split, spread with mustard, gherkin relish or similar and filled with a small piece of steak grilled and sliced, a few lettuce leaves finely sliced and mixed with red onion, spring onion, tomatoes, peppers, etc or roast pumpkin, sweet potato, onions, beets etc

Something light when you get home such as a puree of veg soup with croutons or a small tin of flavoured fish on toast (should mean not having a full stomach at bed time)

Hope these ideas help somewhat - with the early one planning to cook a bit extra to take is a big lifesaver

[grc878 in reply to JennyWrenn4]

That’s a big help, thanks Jennywren4

[BadHare]

Going without “normal” sleep can mess up our body clock & hormones, so that loosing weight becomes harder when our gherkin & lepton balance goes awry.

Make sure you drink plenty of water so your body is well hydrated. If you’re not hungry, drink water, & drink a glass half an hour before meals. A spoon of organic apple cider vinegar, the type with a probiotic culture will improve digestion & nutrient absorption. Make sure you have enough unprocessed protein for your body’s needs as that can help with weight loss. Try cutting out as much starchy food as you can, & eat plenty of high fibre low GI foods, so that you’re not hungry. Are you able to cook healthy meals at home that you can take into work?

Try to give yourself a fasting break each day of over 13 hours, if this is possible whilst you’re on nights. This will help your body utilise the food you eat better, & help you use up excess fat you want to loose. Alternately, look at the 5:2 diet where calories are restricted on two non-consecutive days, though that might be hard to maintain on shifts. It’s important to make sure your food intake is beneficial, so avoid empty calories such as refined starch & sugar, processed foods, artificial sweeteners, & what Mark Hyman refers to as “food like” substances that mess up our hormones & digestion.

Look at some of my past posts on probiotics, prebiotics, & good gut health, as this is essential to our absorption of nutrients & good/better health. The ANH posts/posters are useful re what to eat & what to avoid

Please ask if this doesn’t make sense to you! I’m on my phone, so it’s harder to write a lengthy reply 😁

[grc878 in reply to BadHare]

Thanks very much all makes sense,

Will give the 5:2 a try have been reading about this recently.

I don’t work a night shift as such but all your information is greatly appreciated

Thanks once again!

[BadHare in reply to grc878]

You’re welcome! 😁