Any advice on how to loose weight on funny shifts?

alexp44
alexp44 Posts: 28 Member
edited September 24 in Health and Weight Loss
hiya all. I've been using MFP since new year and I've managed to loose about 20lbs but I'm really struggling to loose any more at the minute. I suspect that this is all to do with me having random shifts at work for the past 3 weeks. I start work at 2-4am so I'm getting up and having breakfast between 12.30-3am depending on the shift. At work I finish most the time before the staff canteen opens for breakfast (normally finish around 8-9am) this means I can't eat at work (apart from all those chocolate bars in the machine I have to resist) but then when I get home I'm so tired from the early start and not getting enough sleep I can't be bothered to exercise and most days just go to bed for a few hours sleep which means I can't sleep at night and the whole cycle starts again.
Any advice on how I should be splitting my meals or even sleep patterns that would a) make me feel more human and able to get out and exercise (or even want to go for a walk!) or b) convince my body to start loosing weight again?

Replies

  • Melis25Fit
    Melis25Fit Posts: 811 Member
    This is what I would do if I were you. Sleep from 9am-5pm. (or 6pm if need be) Get up, work out then. 45 mins to hourish. Come home, shower get ready for work- that puts us around 8 or 9ish. Make your meal then, and prepare something to take to work- whether it's a salad or even a healthy choice meal to pop in the fridge at work... grab a few special k bars to replace those evil chocolates in the vending machines... the only way this is going to happen is by changing it up!
  • funnythunder
    funnythunder Posts: 47
    I have this problem with shifts, trying to get my body clock in a half decent routine is horrendus!!

    I find If I always take my own lunch in, premade before I go to bed if I feel like I can't be bothered, works wonders. I don't take any money to work with me so that I don't have to resist buying chocolate or crisps from the machine because I can't! I also cant buy fizzy drinks which is my major downfall.

    Mondays I always have really bad days calorie wise, because I stay up longer than I should do so although it's bad on a Monday, I use hardly any of my calories on a Tuesday because I am back in my 'normal' pattern.

    Exercise is always a struggle, but I find that once I do it, I feel great so unfortunately the only advise I can give on that is Just Do It! Even if you feel crappy and don't want to. I have also found that exercising in work is good too. I jog round the car park at around 2-3am instead of a lunch break (I can eat at my desk anytime). That way I am getting the exercising in and oing at work so I don't have to worry overly much about just wanting to go to bed when I get home!

    I hope that helps!

    Lxx
  • alexp44
    alexp44 Posts: 28 Member
    No time to exercise at work :(. I only have a 30 min break for breakfast :( luckily it is a rather physical job so I'm not stuck at a desk or anything and am active (I think that's the only reason I stay awake!)
    So you think I should try and sleep through the day and just turn nocturnal instead of trying to just shift myself a few hours early? May try that next week when I have 3-11s all week (47 hour week. yay!). I guess I'll have to start looking up healthy snacks to take with me. The sausage sarnies I'll be around next week will be stupidly tempting. I'm normally rather good at resisting the chocolate - I've only given in once so far.
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