Working 4pm-Midnight diet plan please

chinny88
chinny88 Posts: 93 Member
edited November 28 in Health and Weight Loss
So I work at KFC on the Drive Thru and I do 4til midnight most nights, normally get up around 10.30... My question is what should I be eating and when... I don't normally get hungry until about 1pm after iv got up but I find I'm crazy hungry at work and then pick all night? Help!!!

Replies

  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    eat when youre hungry and stay within your calorie goals.


    its not rocket science, and the timing of your meals makes no difference to your body. pick a schedule that works for you and go with it.
  • nitroglycerin
    nitroglycerin Posts: 3 Member
    I'd suggest eating a breakfast within the first hour you wake up (good for your metabolism) and a meal before you go to work, that way you should feel fuller and less likely to 'pick'. take a healthy dinner with you that you can heat up and have on your break too. I used to work in pubs so I'd do similar shifts to this so I know how much of a pain it can be.
  • run_lift_ride207
    run_lift_ride207 Posts: 3 Member
    I'd suggest eating a breakfast within the first hour you wake up (good for your metabolism) and a meal before you go to work, that way you should feel fuller and less likely to 'pick'. take a healthy dinner with you that you can heat up and have on your break too. I used to work in pubs so I'd do similar shifts to this so I know how much of a pain it can be.

    please provide scientific proof that breakfast is "good for metabolism".
    an article from yahoo health doesn't count.
  • chinny88
    chinny88 Posts: 93 Member
    eat when youre hungry and stay within your calorie goals.


    its not rocket science, and the timing of your meals makes no difference to your body. pick a schedule that works for you and go with it.

    No need to get nasty? I was looking for advice not the obvious
  • joey4014
    joey4014 Posts: 159 Member
    edited January 2016
    KFC and on a diet - my goodness!
    Seriously though once you're committed and past the one-week mark you're good.
    Follow those queues that you mentioned. I would eat a meal at 10:30. Then eat your largest meal right before you go to work (3:30?). I find it easier to eat two satisfying meals vs three or four teasers. It's also easier to just put it into your mind that you "don't" eat at work. Not that you can't but you just "don't." Eating this - leads to eating that.
    While at work just consider everything that's there - POISON: if you eat it you may die!
    All while picturing how fine you're going to be in three months. ;)
  • nitroglycerin
    nitroglycerin Posts: 3 Member
    edited January 2016
    I'd suggest eating a breakfast within the first hour you wake up (good for your metabolism) and a meal before you go to work, that way you should feel fuller and less likely to 'pick'. take a healthy dinner with you that you can heat up and have on your break too. I used to work in pubs so I'd do similar shifts to this so I know how much of a pain it can be.

    please provide scientific proof that breakfast is "good for metabolism".
    an article from yahoo health doesn't count.

    http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/158/1/85.short

    there's one linking breakfast skipping with obesity, i'm sure I could carry on but why should I?

    And who in the world uses yahoo for anything never mind health advice.
  • shabaity
    shabaity Posts: 792 Member
    Eat the grilled chicken and the veggies not the potatoes and slaw all the time even tho they are really good. And chew gum if you can get away with it to help with the mindless snacking.
  • tara_means_star
    tara_means_star Posts: 957 Member
    It doesn't matter when you eat OP, I do intermittent fasting and don't eat until noon at the earliest and I've lost 35 pounds. Eat when you are hungry. Can you take less calorie foods to munch on while you work? Do you get a break where you can eat a meal? Are you drinking a decent amount of water while you work? Also, what type of food are you eating before you go into work?
  • chinny88
    chinny88 Posts: 93 Member
    joey4014 wrote: »
    KFC and on a diet - my goodness!
    Seriously though once you're committed and past the one-week mark you're good.
    Follow those queues that you mentioned. I would eat a meal at 10:30. Then eat your largest meal right before you go to work (3:30?). I find it easier to eat two satisfying meals vs three or four teasers. It's also easier to just put it into your mind that you "don't" eat at work. Not that you can't but you just "don't." Eating this - leads to eating that.
    While at work just consider everything that's there - POISON: if you eat it you may die!
    All while picturing how fine you're going to be in three months. ;)

    I need to be "fine" in 7 months... I'm getting married lol
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    joey4014 wrote: »
    KFC and on a diet - my goodness!
    Seriously though once you're committed and past the one-week mark you're good.
    Follow those queues that you mentioned. I would eat a meal at 10:30. Then eat your largest meal right before you go to work (3:30?). I find it easier to eat two satisfying meals vs three or four teasers. It's also easier to just put it into your mind that you "don't" eat at work. Not that you can't but you just "don't." Eating this - leads to eating that.
    While at work just consider everything that's there - POISON: if you eat it you may die!
    All while picturing how fine you're going to be in three months. ;)

    Poison??? Die???

    I just looked at KFC's menu. There are several things on the menu that are not high in calories...grilled chicken...side salad...etc.

    I can't eat at KFC nor most restaurants because of the sodium levels but most places offer foods that can be consumed while someone tries to lose weight..if they make the right choices.
  • tara_means_star
    tara_means_star Posts: 957 Member
    I'd suggest eating a breakfast within the first hour you wake up (good for your metabolism) and a meal before you go to work, that way you should feel fuller and less likely to 'pick'. take a healthy dinner with you that you can heat up and have on your break too. I used to work in pubs so I'd do similar shifts to this so I know how much of a pain it can be.

    please provide scientific proof that breakfast is "good for metabolism".
    an article from yahoo health doesn't count.

    http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/158/1/85.short

    there's one linking breakfast skipping with obesity, i'm sure I could carry on but why should I?

    And who in the world uses yahoo for anything never mind health advice.

    Am I missing it? I don't see anywhere in the article where it talks about meal timing's effects on metabolism only a correlation to obesity. It's important to remember that correlation does not equal causation. I've discussed this study before but back in the day, research correlated polio with eating ice cream. More ice cream consumption positively correlated with higher numbers of polio. Did one cause the other? No. It turns out the cause for both was heat. During the summer, Polio skyrockets. Summer is also the most popular season to eat ice cream. Same thing here. They suspect a correlation between meal timing and obesity but there is insufficient evidence that one causes the other and definitely doesn't say HOW one causes the other (ie effects on metabolism).
  • chinny88
    chinny88 Posts: 93 Member
    I live in the UK so the menu is ALOT different :) But I normally have ... A regular baked beans, a corn cob which in the UK contains no butter and no salt and then a small pulled chicken BBQ wrap and a yoghurt but I still find I pick :(
  • tara_means_star
    tara_means_star Posts: 957 Member
    Well, one thing that helps me is if I log everything I pick. Seeing all of those calories makes me reconsider the next time I want to pick. You could also try keeping something to drink near you whether that's water or diet soda so when you get the urge with pick something you can drink instead or chew gum (if you are allowed).
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    I don't know what the laws are in the UK but I am fairly certain that in the US food handlers are not allowed to eat or drink in areas where food is prepped or served. If you are allowed to then maybe you could set your own rule of not eating except during your break.

    Figure out the calories of what you normally eat and then see if there are some other alternatives that are lower in calorie.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    I'd suggest eating a breakfast within the first hour you wake up (good for your metabolism) and a meal before you go to work, that way you should feel fuller and less likely to 'pick'. take a healthy dinner with you that you can heat up and have on your break too. I used to work in pubs so I'd do similar shifts to this so I know how much of a pain it can be.

    Incorrect info. Eating breakfast within one hour of waking up makes no difference .
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Op, as far as weight loss is concerned it makes no difference what time you eat or even what foods you eat.
    For weight loss all you need is a calorie deficit. Eat less then you burn and you'll lose weight.

    If your having trouble grazing at work maybe try bringing foods with you. Pack a dinner and snacks that fit in with your calories. Prelog everything that you have packed and eat it when you feel peckish .

    If you want to stop eating at work then you will need motivation and willpower. Both things have to come from within. You have to want it to make it happen.
  • flaminica
    flaminica Posts: 304 Member
    @chinny88 I work the same hours that you do, also in food handling. This is what I do:

    - 10:30 - Get up. Coffee. Just coffee. I'm never hungry in the morning but YMMV. Something small if you are.
    - Have a good solid lunch before work, around 2pm. Front-load your energy so you don't get hungry at work. Don't snack on the job. The gum suggestion is good, or toss an orange into your purse. There's nothing magical about when you eat. You'll feel less hungry if you eat the bulk of your calories before you expend the bulk of your energy, and you'll sleep better after a smaller meal.
    - Eat a smaller dinner after work. Bring something home with you or pick something up on the way. Takeaway or frozen dinners are fine. It's late--who wants to cook at midnight, right?

    Don't let anyone here or in your real life try to kick you down because it's not "real" food. I've lost eighty pounds eating microwave tikka masala at 1am.
  • tara_means_star
    tara_means_star Posts: 957 Member
    flaminica wrote: »
    @chinny88 I work the same hours that you do, also in food handling. This is what I do:

    - 10:30 - Get up. Coffee. Just coffee. I'm never hungry in the morning but YMMV. Something small if you are.
    - Have a good solid lunch before work, around 2pm. Front-load your energy so you don't get hungry at work. Don't snack on the job. The gum suggestion is good, or toss an orange into your purse. There's nothing magical about when you eat. You'll feel less hungry if you eat the bulk of your calories before you expend the bulk of your energy, and you'll sleep better after a smaller meal.
    - Eat a smaller dinner after work. Bring something home with you or pick something up on the way. Takeaway or frozen dinners are fine. It's late--who wants to cook at midnight, right?

    Don't let anyone here or in your real life try to kick you down because it's not "real" food. I've lost eighty pounds eating microwave tikka masala at 1am.

    Lol I get that. There are some pretty yummy frozen Indian meals.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    I have worked every shift you could possibly imagine and never saw any of them as a hindrance to my eating schedule. I highly advise you to eat what you like but only during waking hours. Sleep eating can get really messy. :)
  • BrideSept2017
    BrideSept2017 Posts: 28 Member
    I'm currently on overnights and I've found that I'm fine as long as I eat my meals all around the same time each 'day'. I usually get up around 6 pm, eat 'breakfast' with my family (usually their dinner), I eat lunch at work around midnight, a snack around 3 am, and dinner when I get home around 8 am.
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