Shift work + 3 Jobs + trying to lose weight

lost4words_ox

So this is my first time posting, I've been following and tracking off and on since 2012. With some success, don't get me wrong. I lost 30 pounds and have kept that off, but I still have 115 pounds I'd like to lose. I've taken a different approach this time, instead of this being a diet this is about changing how I think and making lifestyle changes that will result in a happier life, regardless of the scale.

Now I work 3 jobs. I have a full time job where I work day shifts on wednesday, thursday, friday, and sunday, with the occasional tuesday thrown in for fun. Additionally I work casual for 2 hospitals which requires shifts from 1530-2330 or 2330-0730. Often I go from one job to another. Tomorrow, for instance, I work 0700-1500 at one job then I come home and sleep until 2200 and then I work from 2330-0730 and then work Saturday from 0800-1600, and repeat this cycle for Saturday-Sunday. Its not like this every day but i work anywhere from 4-8 shifts at the casual jobs per 2 week pay period.

I guess what I'm asking is how would you eat and exercise in this schedule? When do I eat? do I track based on the clock or do I track based on sleeping patterns. Like the meal I have at 2200 before work, is that todays or tomorrows?

And what about excerise? I often have such short intervals in between I really need to be sleeping.

Anyone have a similar experience or some advice to give?

Thanks!

KateTii

I have a similar work schedule and all that I can recommend is:

1. Prepare meals in advance (freezer friendly meals recommended) that have calorie contents that fit into your daily goal. For you, it might be easier to work to a weekly allowance and name your categories time periods eg. 9am to 12am.
2. Eat when you are hungry/can, sticking to your calorie allowance
3. Exercise when you can - do what you like so you feel more motivated. If you like cardio, do cardio, if you like weights, do weights etc.

terbusha

I think the best thing to do is work on consistency. Like you said, this is a lifestyle change for you, so developing consistency is key. For your workouts, I would just do your best to fit them in where you can. I would aim for 4-6 intense workouts/week. They don't have to be long...just tough and to the point.

As for nutrition and logging, here's an example that might help. My wife is a night-shift nurse and deals with this a lot. What she does is eat a normal day before her first shift of the week. Her meal at work counts as the next day's lunch. She comes home to sleep and gets up at ~2ish. She'll eat breakfast when she wakes up and the dinner before her shift that night. That completes that day (lunch, breakfast, dinner). Then her mid-shift meal is the next days lunch. When she's coming off of her shifts, she'll get up at 2 and have breakfast and then dinner with us at a normal time. At that point, she's caught back up to a normal day schedule for eating. That seems to work the best for her with tracking her calories and macros. The key is to just find a system and be consistent.

The nutrition research suggests that meal timing does not matter much. Just do your best to hit your calorie and macro goals for the day.