Working overnight shift...fitness and nutrition tips needed

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lil_missfit
lil_missfit Posts: 565 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

Does anyone have advice for working an overnight shift and trying to get your body on board with the changes.

I am not asking for myself. My sister in law asked me yesterday what could she do. I have no idea. So I thought I would ask all of you. Perhaps one of you actually works that type of shift and are successful with your health and nutrition goals.

She doesn't really work out. When she has time, I think she walks. She plans on getting a treadmill for the house. She is 138 and 5 ft 1 in. So I guess she is within her normal weight. She is happy at this weight and feels she doesn't look good at a lower weight.

The problem:

How does she tone up and lose belly fat AND maintain this weight while working overnight. She works 4 overnight shifts per week from 10 pm to 7 am. She sleeps until about 2 or 3pm. She says her eating is all screwed up as a result.

She wants to know...

1. How can she schedule her meals?

2. She is up all night.working (and busy)...can she eat?

3. When should she turn on/off the eating?

4. What food should she stay away from while eating throughout the night? carbs?....What foods should she focus on??

5. How can she lose belly fat and still stay 138?

I am asking for her because she works overnight and is busy after she gets up either handling business or tending to her 4 y.o. I have encouraged her to get on here whenever she gets a chance though.

NOTE: She is working on her eating habits but has been taking an appetite suppressant prescibed by her doctor to lose 15 pounds and gets vitamin B shots. Her biggest worry is how to maintain once suppressant is gone and shots have stopped.

I've been there, done that...but in order for me to get good advice for her, I need to provide all the backgound info. Thanks in advance for your advice. I will pass it along:smile:

Replies

  • alyssa92982
    alyssa92982 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    I work 11p-7a, I eat my dinner late like 8pm, then eat a piece of fruit(referrably an apple because of natural caffeine) at like 2am with a fiber bar then a coffee and crackers w/ peanut butter at like 5am to get me by rest of shift. I also may make a green tea too to drink. Then I go to bed around 9am and sleep till 2:45pm. I eat again light snacks like rice cakes or something like that with my almond milk the n another light snack later around 7. I eat larger meal 8ish or 8:30pm then and start over. As for working out, I do it around 7 in the evenings once I'm up and got some light snacks in me-also depends on how well my kids are behaving too :-( I do cardio 1-2 times a week then the rest strength or toning dvd's the other days. This has worked as I have met my goal weight
  • lil_missfit
    lil_missfit Posts: 565 Member
    Options
    I work 11p-7a, I eat my dinner late like 8pm, then eat a piece of fruit(referrably an apple because of natural caffeine) at like 2am with a fiber bar then a coffee and crackers w/ peanut butter at like 5am to get me by rest of shift. I also may make a green tea too to drink. Then I go to bed around 9am and sleep till 2:45pm. I eat again light snacks like rice cakes or something like that with my almond milk the n another light snack later around 7. I eat larger meal 8ish or 8:30pm then and start over. As for working out, I do it around 7 in the evenings once I'm up and got some light snacks in me-also depends on how well my kids are behaving too :-( I do cardio 1-2 times a week then the rest strength or toning dvd's the other days. This has worked as I have met my goal weight

    Thanks!! Perfect! I will pass this on.:smile:
  • Chosen4Greatness
    Chosen4Greatness Posts: 8
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    I have a pretty simple solution for your sister, my husband works night shift he works out and eats really healthy, but when he first started this he was also kind of confused on how he would pull it off with his work schedule, he goes in at 6p.m - 6a.m. So we had to pre-plan all of his meals he eats dinner before he leaves to go to work, and packs like another light meal for a few hours after he arrives at work it might be a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with pringle light chips or maybe a lean pocket. He also eats snacks as well( I mean he works 12hrs) a day so he might take some fruit or nuts to snack on throughout the course of the night. Now if he is hungry by the time he comes home in the morning he might eat a light breakfast before going to bed such as Special K cereal or turkey bacon and a whole wheat toast. No matter what you always have to pre-plan its the key to successful eating. It maybe difficult at first but her body will begin to line up with what she is doing. Next thing is she wants to maintain her weight but tone up her midsection and probably everything else as well the key to this is to continue to walk because regardless if you are trying to loose weight cardio is still essential even when toning up the body in order to loose belly fat you have to shed the fat that is on the belly and then do exercise that contribute to the toning up of that area such as crunches, sit-up, ect. For her height and weight she should be taking in at the most 1200 calories per day, and with minimum exercise she will be able to maintain her weight but yet tone at the same time. Now I myself am doing the b6-b12 injections as well as appetitesuppressants, and I'm using these aids to help condition my body to have portion control during meal time many times we over eat not because we are still hungry but because we just cant pull away so it helps me to back off when my stomach gets full so when I do discontinue the use of these aids I have now conditioned my body to eat only what it needs and as far as the injections it just gives a essential amount of vitamins that you need so after I stop those I will just purchase a regular oral b12 vitamin to take everyday. I hope that this information will be helpful to your sister on her journey to living a more healthier lifestyle!!!!
  • lil_missfit
    lil_missfit Posts: 565 Member
    Options
    I have a pretty simple solution for your sister, my husband works night shift he works out and eats really healthy, but when he first started this he was also kind of confused on how he would pull it off with his work schedule, he goes in at 6p.m - 6a.m. So we had to pre-plan all of his meals he eats dinner before he leaves to go to work, and packs like another light meal for a few hours after he arrives at work it might be a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with pringle light chips or maybe a lean pocket. He also eats snacks as well( I mean he works 12hrs) a day so he might take some fruit or nuts to snack on throughout the course of the night. Now if he is hungry by the time he comes home in the morning he might eat a light breakfast before going to bed such as Special K cereal or turkey bacon and a whole wheat toast. No matter what you always have to pre-plan its the key to successful eating. It maybe difficult at first but her body will begin to line up with what she is doing. Next thing is she wants to maintain her weight but tone up her midsection and probably everything else as well the key to this is to continue to walk because regardless if you are trying to loose weight cardio is still essential even when toning up the body in order to loose belly fat you have to shed the fat that is on the belly and then do exercise that contribute to the toning up of that area such as crunches, sit-up, ect. For her height and weight she should be taking in at the most 1200 calories per day, and with minimum exercise she will be able to maintain her weight but yet tone at the same time. Now I myself am doing the b6-b12 injections as well as appetitesuppressants, and I'm using these aids to help condition my body to have portion control during meal time many times we over eat not because we are still hungry but because we just cant pull away so it helps me to back off when my stomach gets full so when I do discontinue the use of these aids I have now conditioned my body to eat only what it needs and as far as the injections it just gives a essential amount of vitamins that you need so after I stop those I will just purchase a regular oral b12 vitamin to take everyday. I hope that this information will be helpful to your sister on her journey to living a more healthier lifestyle!!!!

    thx!!

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