My schedule is a mess :(

v_wich86

I am progressively getting more and more unhealthy as the weeks go by. Back in April I started working night shift (7pm-7am) 3 days a week in the middle of no where, an hours drive away from my home. Since then every week, I have less energy, and binge on more crap, and eat less actual meals. I work for 3 nights, and then because of my busy home life flip my schedule the rest of the week to suit my families needs. I'm exhausted and feel like there is no way I can get in shape with this schedule. I have gained weight, I always feel bloated, and I have worse cravings than I ever have had in my entire life. Any advice? Has anyone else had to deal with flip flopping schedules, and found a way to manage working out and eating healthy at the same time?

cityruss

Work is work, either find a new job, or deal with the schedule you have.

Only you can change you family life setup. But I can't believe that you can not spare an hour every day or so to go for a run.

Nothing you have posted above should dictate the foods you choose to put in your mouth.

Francl27

Personally, I'd focus on getting enough sleep before worrying about exercising. I'm more likely to make bad choices when I'm exhausted and it's probably one of your problems.

But stop buying the crap. Have some healthy snacks available.

heyfaahmed1992

Hello

I work both day shifts and night shifts (6:30pm - 6:30am) I get two breaks one for an hour and one for 30min, the best thing I do is prep my food one meal and one snack. By prepping I avoid binge eating. When I get home from my night shift it normally takes 30-45min to get home I have breakfast then go to bed. When I wake and am well rested i then find time to workout. I hope this helps you

Heyfa

BoxerBrawler

I agree with above. Find some time to prep your food for the week for you and your family. Get some sleep. Most importantly, stop buying and eating crap. Stop making bad choices (if that's what you think they are), and stop using a new work schedule as an excuse. You still choose what and how much you are eating, schedule doesn't matter really, does it?

jdleanna

People who have never had to flip their schedules throughout the week maybe don't understand why it is so tough. It is physically incredibly challenging and for many I can absolutely see how it leads to chappy eating, and the exhaustion from asking g your body to change its rhythms every other day makes exercise seem impossible.

My advice: prep snacks in advance. Have healthy choices portioned out already so you can grab them easily throughout the week. Meal plan and prep. With the flipping schedule your body is not able to get into the habit of regular meal times at roughly the same times. You'd really likely do better with eating every couple of hours, small meals/large snacks.
Get the sleep you need however you can fit it in. After you figure that part out, then worry about exercise. For now, try just walking more.

kshama2001

I worked third shift for a few months in the 90s. It was hell. Never again. Wouldn't matter how much I was paid.

Some people can deal with shift work. If you're not one of them, I don't think you should try to force your body to do something that unnatural. You've given it four months.

callsitlikeiseeit

i would focus on calorie intake. prepare snacks ahead of time (raw veggies in particular will fill you and are very low cal) and stop buying the higher calories ' faster' options.

i dont have a flip floppy schedule, but due to a death in my immediate family and moving, its been over month since i ccould work out. ive had to be much more cognizant of what (rathter, how much) i eat. for the most part as long as i eat at home its not an issue but we eat out a lot. ive still lost over the past month, though not at the rate i *usually* do.

needless to say, i am very happy to be rejoining the gym today

v_wich86

Wow, some of you really lack people skills. All these years I've posted on here and have never been met with such arrogance and condescension. Oh, and cityruss, it may behoove you to know I have a plethora of other obligations outside of work, but don't bother yourself with putting more consideration into your response. How could there possibly be other factors you aren't aware of... You should be ashamed of yourself. I am here, I am trying to be healthier, and I am asking for advise. If you're gonna be so judgmental then pass right on by my question and don't bother leaving your negativity.
For the folks that did leave advise, thanks. I can see that my sleep depravation has a lot to do with it. If only finding a job that better suits my schedule was that easy. My last job gave me an amazing schedule, but paid beans, and I couldn't afford to stay there anymore. Which is why I ended up working an hour away from home on 12 hour shifts. I pretty much have time to drive home, shower and pee before I'm passed out and up to do it all again. I will keep looking for a better job, and in the mean time I will focus on sleeping better, and not stressing if I don't have time for a run. If I'm not sleep deprived, I'm sure I'll do better with meals.

amyrllin1

I know your pain as only another shift worker can! Night shift is so hard on your body, mind and spirit! I have worked 12 hour days and night (flipping 2days 2 nights) for years! I absolutely hate the nights, I find I want a carb fest! My only solution is prep, I only take healthy food for nights, I cannot eat a full meal so I snack all night on fruits, veggies, a protein smoothie, oatmeal, anything that is light and easy and healthy. I do not take crap and I leave my money at home so I am not tempted by the vending machine or ordering out! Some nights I eat everything some hardly anything. When I get home I will have something light then hit my bed. It is then difficult to get up and feed your family! I do not sleep well so that makes it worse. My kids got used to breakfast for supper when they were growing up! The most difficult day for me is my turn around day, I go to bed at 7:30 and I am up by noon. I have no energy or ambition to cook or workout so it is a putter day around the house and my hubby usually make supper. The next day I spend feeling hung over but I try to do something physical and eat healthy. Trust me it is an effort but in the end you do feel better.

I have no concrete advice, you sort of have to find your own groove and what works for you. I know people who can eat full meals on nights, this nauseates me, others who can go to they gym before or after work, I am too tired for this!! I hope you find your groove! Good luck and know that people who have never worked shifts have no idea how it feels.

spanderholic

I have a flipping shift as well... 2 days and 2 late shifts both being 10 1/4 hours and then 2 night shifts at 8 1/4 hours. I then get 4 days off and repeat. It is hard because your body is in a constant state of confusion regarding eating times and sleeping times. I'm exhausted all the time but I have to fight through. Prepping food in advance is the best advice I can give. Sometimes I will come home at 3am after a late shift and make dinner for the next night, because that is when I'm awake and I know it takes the stress away from later on. I also know that sometimes I'm going to have to have a takeaway but I try to limit it to something that I can find accurate nutritional info for if possible. Regarding exercise... I also find it incredibly hard! But it's worse after a day shift. If I have a later start I will go to the gym before a day shift, but never after. I try to time gymming to before my late shifts or straight after my night shift, before I have had time to slow down and actually crash. I know it's hard right now but you will get more used to it and will slowly be able to function better with the schedule. You just have to find what works for you. Think about the meal prep though, as it makes the healthier eating so much easier. You could freeze some healthier meals like stew or soup or even a curry, and then just pull it out to take with you. Make sure you have healthy snacks available also, so you aren't tempted by cake etc. I take frozen berries and yoghurt as a snack and it gets me through to lunch nicely

hborelli

I've worked split shifts and swing shifts for years while raising two kids so I can relate to the struggle to adapt to the new schedule and balancing family/life responsibilities that really can't be altered. What works best for me is to prep snacks and meals in advance - easy to make a week's worth and freeze them, just remove one the day before and let it thaw in the fridge. Cutting out simple carbs and increasing the protein in the my night shift meals also helped boost my energy for a 14 hour stretch (12 hr shift + 2 hr commute). Without enough protein, the lack of sleep really made my cravings for candy and junk carbs - donuts/pastry/cookies/soda - leading to some very poor food choices.

I agree with others who recommended focusing on sleep and fitting in exercise where you can. While I don't have time for a run or full workout on my overnight days I always squeeze in a quick "energizer" workout during my 30 min break, it literally takes 5 minutes and helps me power through the the last few hours. If you can get more than 5 minutes you can do multiple cycles. Here's what I do - yes I sometimes get funny looks in the break room soemtimes - 10 squats, 10 pushups, 10 spider lunges, 1 min jumping jacks, 45 sec plank, 10 side lunges. After my shift, most nights I walk or walk/jog the perimeter of the parking lot twice (it's a big lot - about 1/2 mile) to wake myself before driving home and to squeeze in a bit more exercise.

Give yourself a break and focus on quality foods, increase general movement, and sleep until you find the right groove for you, then you can work on fitting in more exercise and getting back into running. Good luck!

Need2Exerc1se

Francl27 wrote: »

Personally, I'd focus on getting enough sleep before worrying about exercising. I'm more likely to make bad choices when I'm exhausted and it's probably one of your problems.

But stop buying the crap. Have some healthy snacks available.

I agree with this. It's likely the lack of sleep that is causing your cravings. If you can fit exercise in then fit it in, but focusing on sleep might be the best thing you can do right now. And, having healthier food ready to eat can keep you from grabbing crap when you don't feel like preparing something.

janiep81

I work a crazy on-call schedule and sometimes I'm here at like 2:30 in the morning. I wear a step counter. If I get to 10,000 steps for that day (which I often can do in a regular shift), then I'm more worried about getting enough rest. When I don't get sleep I make poor food choices! I hope that helps!