Need ideas/advice

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toots99
toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so here's the deal. I work nights as a waitress, only nights, and I go in to work at 4PM. I work in a gourmet pizza restaurant (ugh, soooo tempting!). I get up and go to the gym in the morning after eating an egg or toast and a banana for breakfast. I am usually home by like 12 or 1. I'll have a small healthy meal that I make myself, then do chores and such until about 2:30PM when I have another healthy meal so I am not hungry in the middle of my shift. I do not eat at work because there really isn't anything healthy, even the salads are drowned in cheese and ranch (they're DELICIOUS but so unhealthy!).

The problem is that means that dinner time, for me, is at about 10 or 11PM! I'm too busy bringing everyone else dinner until then! Is this bad for me? I don't want to not eat, but I don't want to eat so late at night! Bringing snacks to work isn't really an option either.

So should I eat my biggest meal before my night shift, and just have a light snack when I get home? Or is it okay to do what I've been doing?

Replies

  • Malvys24
    Malvys24 Posts: 66 Member
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    Hey girl
    A rule of thumb is not to eat anything 3 hours before going to bed!! If you go to bed on an empty stomach your metabolism is burning up stored fats instead of digesting your lat food intake. Since you work there, can't they make u a special salad without so many toppings?? Can you start packing a lunch 3x out of the week as a start? Focus on your end results and that should motivate you to not eat unhealthy. Its always good to have a cheat day but within moderation.

    HOpe this helps,
    malvina
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
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    I've always eaten something before bed- I can't sleep if I don't. It's ideal to get the majority of your calories earlier in the day, I think, but it's never stopped me from losing weight.

    I can't imagine working at a pizza place and trying to lose weight...pizza...oh my.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    Well eating healthy isn't the problem, I do well in that department. It's just that I literally don't have time to eat when I'm working. Waitresses don't get breaks, and I'm busy making money! :wink:

    Should I make lunch my main meal and just eat a snack when I get home? I usually have about 300 or so calories left at the end of the night as it is...if I am not eating before bed, I'll go into starvation mode!
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    I've always eaten something before bed- I can't sleep if I don't. It's ideal to get the majority of your calories earlier in the day, I think, but it's never stopped me from losing weight.

    I can't imagine working at a pizza place and trying to lose weight...pizza...oh my.

    Yeah, it's tough! I've just gotten in the habit of saying no when someone wants to split a pizza or yummy dessert with me...pretty much everyone has heard me say "I don't eat here" over and over and over again! :laugh:
  • twilight1542
    twilight1542 Posts: 403
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    Assuming of course that you go to bed w/in a couple hours of getting home from work, I'd definitely suggest having your main meal of the day before work. For 2 reasons: you're gonna burn lots of calories working so you'll need fuel for that & you'll burn off a lot of those calories while working. Then when you get home you can have a snack to tide you over.

    I totally feel ur dilemna...in college I had a second job cocktailing at a dinner theatre (5:30-1am). On fridays I would either not have time to eat before or not be hungry. So I'd end up eating then going straight to bed :( I worked there for 6 years and until recently still had the bad habit of eating before bed if I hadn't had dinner.

    Good Luck :)
  • Losetheweightnat
    Losetheweightnat Posts: 53 Member
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    Well eating healthy isn't the problem, I do well in that department. It's just that I literally don't have time to eat when I'm working. Waitresses don't get breaks, and I'm busy making money! :wink:

    Should I make lunch my main meal and just eat a snack when I get home? I usually have about 300 or so calories left at the end of the night as it is...if I am not eating before bed, I'll go into starvation mode!

    I would say yeah go for it! you will burn the calories off from that big meal and just eat a light snack when you get home. I can't go to bed hungry, my body will not let me sleep if i don't LOL! and i've still managed to loose weight. I eat a light snack like a bowl of cereal or yogurt or a piece of fruit and some water. Good Luck! :flowerforyou:
  • bikegirl777
    bikegirl777 Posts: 33
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    I know how you feel... sometimes it doesn't feel like the day is really over until you have something to eat at home. I don't work quite as late as you and I do have a dinner break, but I often have a little snack when I get home around 10. Cereal is a good idea, fruit is fabulous if you can satisfy yourself with just that. Another thing that I like is vegetable soup. The warm broth is comforting and homey and you can fill up your tummy without breaking the calorie bank. I make it with my veggies that are getting a bit past their prime and a tablespoon of olive oil.
  • astridfeline
    astridfeline Posts: 1,200 Member
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    It's not "bad" to eat before bedtime--it's a matter of calories in vs. calories out. Still, as someone pointed out, you might have more energy if you eat your main meal before work.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    Maybe I'll try that, having dinner for lunch. Hopefully that will kick me off of this plateau I've been on for the last few weeks too!

    Thanks for the input. :flowerforyou:

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