Shift Work and eating healthy? Help!

SweetlyVague
SweetlyVague Posts: 172 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so I'm a shift worker. I work as hospital dispatch and I work four 12-hour days a week and then I have four days off. I've been doing relatively well, but I am finding that eating healthy and staying on track is REALLY tough for two reasons:

a) A lot of my coworkers eat terribly. As much as I love my healthy foods, sitting next to a pizza someone ordered in is killer.
b) Sitting there for 12 hours when it's not always busy leaves a lot of time to sit around and think about my stomach grumbling, or even debating the dreaded "eating because I'm bored".

On the same note, MFP has me set at 1300 a day and I've been struggling with that, especially when I'm on the day shift. My day shift is from 5:45 am to 5:45 pm and I'm generally SO beat by the end of the shift that I don't feel like going to the gym or I just don't have the time to go to the gym. I function much better on nights and go to the gym almost daily then and I go on my days off (generally burning about 400-600 calories). Without the extra cushion from working out, 1300 calories seems so little. >_<

Any suggestions?

Replies

  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    I also work a swing shift but in 8 hr blocks, I find 3rd shift to be the hardest not to eat constantly, so i just planned it that way, i bring around 700-1000 calories of healthy snacks with me when I work nights and have one sensible meal in the evening. It works for me, when I work days and seconds i eat normal meals. we have a whole community of nightshift people and if you ever want to chat come to the Official nightshift thread, you do not have to be on nightshift , just being awake is good enough.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/750039-official-nightshift-thread?page=12#posts-11109388
  • urglewurgle
    urglewurgle Posts: 224 Member
    I find it helps to take my meals with me... I eat a protein shake when I get up then take all my other meals. I know it's hard when people around you are eating rubbish but once you start seeing results it does make it easier to stick with it. If its a special occasion in work (last few months have been my birthday and my last day) I do partake in the cake! But just a little. I do know that if I hadn't had my healthy food with me I would've caved in on all the other days too!

    I actually find it harder to stick to my routine on my days off when I'm in the house with not much to do and lots of food around...
  • urglewurgle
    urglewurgle Posts: 224 Member
    I would also say to log as you go, if you can, so you know exactly where you are for the day. No nasty surprises!

    Oh! Another thing that happened is when I started to look like I was losing weight other people joined in and started eating more healthy too. You may get more support than you imagine!
  • 4nurseapril
    4nurseapril Posts: 2
    I have the opposite problem... doing shift work.. I have trouble getting all my calories in.

    but. an above poster make a good point.. when you start eating healthier and losing weight... others often follow suit.

    Bring healthy but good foods so you dont' feel gyped.

    when you DO cave... eat a smaller amount... and don't guilt yourself and give up the next day... just get back to it.

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