12 hour shifts have led to binging and weight gain...

lollie1285
lollie1285 Posts: 239 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hello lovely ladies and handsome gentlemen!

I've recently switched jobs and am having some major issues with working out as well as portion control with my meals. I was previously working in an orthopedic office and had access to tons of food (for the most part, I avoided all of this deliciousness), but I would work a normal 8:30-5:00 day so my meals weren't anything out of the ordinary. A normal, healthy breakfast, healthy lunch and dinner with some healthy snacks thrown in there throughout the day. Fast forward 9 months later and I'm working at a dental office with very demanding hours. We work two twelve hour days and two eights (one without a lunch break. we get a fifteen minute break, but nobody takes it--so I'm working an 8 hour shift with little to no food and my meals are ALL screwed up). My main issue is that we're not allowed to eat in front of the patients. We either have to sneak food when we're not on our lunch breaks, or we just don't eat. So naturally, during a 12 hour shift, I load up at my meals and wind up eating way bigger portions that I normally would!

For instance, I'll work 8:30 until almost 9:15 at night on a Wednesday. I'll eat my breakfast, have a lunch break around 2pm, and then work until 9ish. On a Friday when we get no lunch break, I'll work from 8:30 until 3pm, have my breakfast in the morning and then maybe a protein bar around 12 but by the time I get home, I'm ravenous! I want to eat EVERYTHING!!! This has lead to quite a few binges in the past few months because I'm just so damn hungry. I suppose I just need to snack a little more during the day (healthy, of course), but it's hard.

Any tips? I know there has to be someone else out there with a demanding schedule! My co-workers snack on unhealthy things all day and I really don't want to fall into that routine. Just went to the store last night and got some Kashi bars and a few other wholesome snacks. Also got myself a personal trainer that I'm seeing once a week as of this past Friday. Boy are my muscles SORE!

What do those of you with a demanding work schedule do in terms of food? Is it a better idea to load up during meals or am I better off doing little snacks throughout the day? I just want to avoid these awful binges. I've put on 10 lbs since starting these office jobs and I'm not a happy camper.

Replies

  • rachelhowell38
    rachelhowell38 Posts: 5 Member
    Hi!
    Im a student nurse. We work 12hr shifts (0730-2000) 3 days a week. It is difficult to manage food as the shifts are usually really busy and time does just fly by!

    We are entitled to breaks and have a certain amount of choice about when we take them. I tend to split my breaks into three shorter ones so that I have one mid morning one around lunch and one a couple of hours before finishing this seems to help with craving food when i get home. However it doesn't always work like this so i try and have small snacks with me as well such as fruit, granola bars etc as these can be eaten in a relatively short space of time.

    I know its difficult to take breaks when others dont but if you are entitled to the 15mins then i would say take it, you need the time to refuel, and working solidly for that long isn't good for concentration.
  • alyssa92982
    alyssa92982 Posts: 1,093 Member
    I always pack a protein bar, then some kind of fruit to grab. Basically anything that's like finger food u can grab and go with( peanuts, fruit , granola bars)
  • CherV96
    CherV96 Posts: 28
    I also work 12+ hour shifts and have found it difficult to stay on my eating plan. Here is what I do: definitely eat breakfast, take snacks/ meals with you that are high in proteins as they generally make me full longer, and when in doubt I pack a protein shake. As I can always find a bottle of water to mix it with and it doesn't take that long to drink. On days when it is really crazy and I have no time for snacks, I make sure to drink a protein shake on my way home and find that it takes the edge off that "I'm starving" feeling so I'm not cramming junk in my face as soon as I get home.
  • CaffeinatedConfectionist
    CaffeinatedConfectionist Posts: 1,046 Member
    I work two 12 hours and two 8 hours, as well, and although I also don't have meal breaks, there are no strictures about not being able to eat in front of residents (I work in a residential transitional facility). But I still face the issues of being tempted by food, especially since the residents tend to eat a lot of junk, despite our best efforts to encourage them to eat healthy. So there's always cake, chips, soda, etc, in front of my face.

    What I usually do is pre-pack meals that I can eat quickly, because I don't like eating in front of the residents even though I can - they tend to make a lot of comments about what I'm eating, and I generally just don't like chatting while eating. Drives me nuts, takes away my enjoyment. I often pack baked oatmeal, because I can eat a serving of that in like 5 minutes, and it's very filling. I also bring Kind bars as snacks, as well as nuts and dried fruit. Like someone else mentioned, if you can have a protein shake, that might help keep the edge off.

    One other thing that I do is pre-log all of the food I plan to eat on that day - this makes me more aware of what portions I ought to be eating and makes me more mindful of the consequences of going over my goals.
  • klovis
    klovis Posts: 1
    I've worked 12 hour shifts for a few years now, and I find that food prep is key. That, and having a protein packed snack before you head home or on your way home to lessen the almost inevitable post-shift binge.
  • wilsoje74
    wilsoje74 Posts: 1,720 Member
    I believe your employer is required to give you breaks, legally. You need to let them know about labor laws. You should be getting a lunch and dinner break.

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