Shift work and weight loss

[Claire_7]

Hi. New to this so hope I'm doing it right.

I work shifts including nights and have been finding it difficult to lose weight. I really need to before it starts to really effect my health. I need to lose at least 5 stone.

Does anyone have any tips to help lose weight whilst working odd hours?

[nteapea]

Hello clair_7 and welcome to the forum. Many of us started with the NHS 12 week plan. It is an excellent starting point and gives lots of useful information about breaking bad habits. Perhaps you could read the pinned posts for newbies on the right hand side of the screen on your screen. Again it gives lots of helpful advice about how to use the site. The forum is full of lovely forumers who can help advise you and motivate you the trick is to stay active and join in with some of the challenges. I wish you luck and determination 😀

[MrNiceGuy]

Hello Claire and welcome to the forum.

As nteapea has suggested, the NHS 12 Week Plan is a great starting point, since it allows you to appreciate the kind of foods that ought to be consumed (to benefit weight loss) and those that are best avoided.

It also benefits from a BMI calculator, allowing you to ascertain recommended minimum and maximum calorie allowances, based upon current measurements and level of activity, allowing weight to be lost.

As a former night shift worker of over ten years, I wholly appreciate just how difficult it can be to maintain both a healthy and regular eating pattern.

However, over the years, I found that forward planning assisted greatly, in addition to ensuring that nocturnal work was treated in the same manner as 9-5, in that upon waking, breakfast consisted of porridge or eggs (and not an evening meal), a light snack (such as yoghurt and nuts) was eaten before heading into work and that lunch consisted of something fairly substantial (chilli-con-carne & rice).

Later in the shift, tea was usually something fairly light, such as a salad pot (check out M&S’ Taste of Summer’ range still on sale) or simply peanut butter sandwiches on wholemeal bread.

Upon returning home, I’d usually heat milk in the pan alongside a scoop or two of chocolate whey powder, enjoying a fulfilling hot chocolate before I retired.

Again, the above is purely representative of my eating pattern when I worked night shift, but you should seek to ensure that it closely mirrors eating habits during the day.

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello and welcome Claire_7 😊

Good advice there from nteapea and mr nice guy 😊 I hope you find it helpful 😊

Best wishes