Starting my fitness journey (again :( ) but now with the added challenge of working nights! help?!

jmillig1337

Hello,

I keep trying to get into a healthy life style, I get in the right mind set and do it for a while 1-3 months, but than I fall off the wagon and it takes me MONTHS to get back on.

Now I'm trying again but I have an added challenge. I now work nights. 10pm-8:30AM and am struggling to figure out what to eat, when to eat, and when to work out.

The biggest reason that I fall off the wagon is I do not see results, and that gets SO fricken frustrating. So I sit there thinking, well if I'm not seeing results while eating all this healthy food that has no taste, I might as well say screw it and eat what I enjoy!

I know it is bad, and I'm trying to work on it, I just don't know what to do at this point. I need help formulating a meal plan that actually tastes good, but is healthy. I do very well when I meal prep and just have my stuff ready to eat. It's after a 10 hour shift and I'm going home and realizing I have nothing made and I'm mad hungry that I grab fast food.

I just feel really lost and I feel like I don't see results even after changing what I am doing.

wishfuljune

Plan your meals a week in advance, including snacks. When you get the chance, do a day of batch cooking (roasting a huge pile of vegetables, making quinoa, your own sauces, shredding chicken). I use websites like Skinnytaste and Gimme Some Oven for my meal plans, but there are tons of healthy food blogs out there for you to explore. I would check the Food & Nutrition section here for some quick ideas too.

How long does it take you to get to work? Would it be possible to walk/run/bike to or from work? If you can, maybe work out before you go to work.

pvju

I feel your pain - been there, still working through it all. I've just been back on this site again for about 12 days but I've lost weight. One thing that finally clicked this time around is protein - if you look at what the calculator on here spits out it gives protein, fat, carb, etc counts for the day and tracks it as you go. I was trying to eat all the bland healthy foods, seeing no results and quitting. Now, I'm making sure I have enough protein, which is way more filling and I'm able to have enough foods that taste good to keep going. You might try putting something in the crock pot before you leave for work - so when you come home you have something warm, full of protein and low calorie waiting for you. Plus, you'll likely have leftovers that you can bring to work for the next few days.

As you plug things into the food calculator you'll see where you get the most bang for your buck in terms of flavor, satiety and calories and you'll gravitate towards those foods. Keep trying!!

RachelElser

oof, nights suck! I worked 7pm to 7am for three years and that's how I packed on my extra 50 lbs Anyways, near the end I realized some helpful things. Food wise- on your days off pack little ready to eat meals you can quickly scarf when you get home. You can get some of those divided Tupperware dishes and have everything all ready to go asap, also keep granola bars in you car so you can eat them as you drive by the evil fast food places. Exercise- does your work have stair? If so, take 10 minutes on your break and walk up and down them. That sounds SO much easier then it really is. Ordering out- we did that a lot at the hospital- so I would bring m food and leave my credit card at home. I hope this helps a little! Good luck you vampire

75poundgoal

I totally understand and have been there throughout my adult life. For me it just comes down to planning better, staying focused, and not beating yourself up to bad if you slip up. Just get back on track because over the long term you will continue to shed pounds even with a few mistakes along the way. You have to find what works best for you and I dont think anyone can tell you exactly what that formula is. As long as you keep trying and dont give up you will see results. Good luck!

Adah_m

I have done this before, and while it wasn't during a time that I was trying hard to lose, I remember how disorienting it can be.
Here's my advice:
1. Results will come very slow. Expect that. 1-2 lbs per week feels like nothing sometimes. The reality is that eating healthy food feels hard and like it's not making a difference but if you go back to eating crap you probably won't break even, you'll likely gain. Even if it's slow. I thought I was breaking even for years and when I weighed myself had gained 30 lbs. 30 lbs is a lot when you think of how many weeks it takes to lose at 1-2 lbs per week. Doing it is hard, but remind yourself that not doing it is unthinkable. If it takes you a year to lose 50 lbs, guess what? The year was going to pass anyway, and do you really remember most of the meals you ate last year?
2. Keep the routine just as you would for a day job, even if you work at night. I like intermittent fasting because I get to eat higher calorie meals during a shorter timeframe because I only have 8 hours to eat as opposed to 12 or 18. What I do is wake up, get to the gym about 2.5 hours later, and then eat my first meal around noon. (I work out in a fasted state.) So if you wake up in the evening you can still do the same thing. Wake up, workout, then eat. Then eat when you're hungry throughout the day. Pick the hour where you stop eating and start your fast, (if you want to do IF). You can totally do it.
3. Have food waiting for you at your house that's VERY easy to prepare so you're not tempted to hit the drive through. If you do have to hit the drive through, have a list ahead of time of the lowest calorie and healthiest options. When I need to fast food I do taco bell because their shredded chicken soft taco, fresco style has like 120 calories I think (going from memory here). I grab two of those and an unsweet tea. It's a lot of sodium but not a lot of calories and has a good amount of protein.

dubird

Weight loss happens in the kitchen, so you'll need to do some planning ahead. Measure out snacks that will fit your calorie goal so you have something to grab quickly when you get home from work. If you take a couple hours one day a week and portion out multiple things, you'll have a variety and don't have to worry about it.

Also, I understand getting frustrated by not seeing results. We as a society are conditioned to see weight loss as something quick and you'll get viable results in a couple of weeks! Reality is that healthy weight loss is slow and it will be a while before you start visually noticing results. Make a plan and tell yourself to stick with it for a couple of months. It does work, as many many people posting here can tell you! Sometimes you just need to remind yourself of that. ^_^

rabblescum

Nights are awful for weig it loss. They suck all umph right out of you. I have been on them for years. I too am guilty of the on again off again ambition. I start off reasonable, I know me and I know I hate the gym. I love to bike, so I bike when I wake in the evening. Or use a bike trainer in the winter. Then I use my breaks at work to pack in an hour of fast walking. This sneaks in extra exercise and keeps me awake and away from the vending machine. Food wise I cook a meal in the evening then pack smaller snacks for work. The morning is a battle, I am always so tired. I will make some things ahead of time when I am on the ball. I make fruit and grain sticky bars, precooked home made oatmeal, or egg bake in a muffin tin for mini omelets. Things that can be heated quick. Is there a route you can drive home that doesn't take you past fast food. I find it helps if it isn't right there in my face. Good luck it is a battle, especially if you also have to make meals for others. Add me of you need a night sbif

giha111 wrote: »

Nights are awful for weig it loss. They suck all umph right out of you. I have been on them for years. I too am guilty of the on again off again ambition. I start off reasonable, I know me and I know I hate the gym. I love to bike, so I bike when I wake in the evening. Or use a bike trainer in the winter. Then I use my breaks at work to pack in an hour of fast walking. This sneaks in extra exercise and keeps me awake and away from the vending machine. Food wise I cook a meal in the evening then pack smaller snacks for work. The morning is a battle, I am always so tired. I will make some things ahead of time when I am on the ball. I make fruit and grain sticky bars, precooked home made oatmeal, or egg bake in a muffin tin for mini omelets. Things that can be heated quick. Is there a route you can drive home that doesn't take you past fast food. I find it helps if it isn't right there in my face. Good luck it is a battle, especially if you also have to make meals for others. Add me if you need a night shift budy.