Shift workers & a healthy routine - anyone?!

brittany_hickey87
brittany_hickey87 Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone,

I'm wondering if there is anyone out there that works shift work of 12 hour shifts, day and night shifts, and how they are able to keep a healthy routine.
My job is very demanding and stressful, and paired with night shifts and 12 hour days i'm struggling to make something work.
I'm desperate to lose weight as I have PCOS and my husband and I are trying to conceive.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks :)

Replies

  • pray4mesixx
    pray4mesixx Posts: 9 Member
    I work about 10-12 hour days
    How I work my exercise in is by waking up early or doing exercise before bed
    It is a great stress reliever
  • pineapple_peach10
    pineapple_peach10 Posts: 239 Member
    I'm a nurse so I feel you on the shift work! I haven't been able to exercise a lot recently because I'm so busy but I will go for walks whenever I can.

    I usually just make sure I stick to my daily calories. I bring healthier foods that are high in protein (turkey pepperoni, cheese, etc)

    It can be hard trying to get healthy and lose weight on shift work but it is doable!!!

    Good luck
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Plan, plan, plan. Plan when and what you will eat, when you will sleep, when you will exercise, for how long, and what exercise you will do. If you go into the week with a plan, you'll feel a lot more in control of your circumstances, even if something happens and you can't follow your plan precisely.
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,159 Member
    I'm a night nurse 7P-7A three times a week, the days vary. I also have PCOS. It takes some planning but it can work. This works for me - I eat dinner at home before I leave (busy labor and delivery, getting my official break is a rare thing) - usually chicken and veggies (easy to make, not a big fan of cooking). I log everything here, so I stick with the midnight to midnight hours. I changed my diary to six hour time blocks, rather than the default meal names (what do you call food at 0300? - much easier for me to just stick it in the midnight to 6A slot). I've found prelogging my food at the beginning of each day makes things easier, so when I'm working, I also log what I'm eating after midnight and most of the time that whole day (I hate surprises and having only fifty calories for dinner isn't fun).

    I bring easy to grab foods to work - yogurts, eggs, cheese, cut up veggies, nuts etc. Lots of water and of course, coffee but regular coffee, not the overly priced, overly caloried drinks that our hospital's 24 hour Starbucks has.

  • brittany_hickey87
    brittany_hickey87 Posts: 6 Member
    This is great! It's awesome to not feel super alone and stuck and hear how you all get your proper nutrition and workout in!

    I made a plan with my shift work and what days will be meal prep days and a list of foods to choose from & recipes! (I'm going low carb/keto).

    I also picked 2 days a week that I will make myself go to the gym, for 60 minutes each time. Plus trying to get outside and walk the dog more (bonus for both of us!).

    Thanks everyone! :)
  • rednote49
    rednote49 Posts: 124 Member
    12hr rehab shift worker and fellow PCOS lady here :) I exercise on my off days. So sometimes I only do 2-3 days in the gym and only for an hour. As for meals, I log everything I intend to eat for the day before I leave for work. So i know how many calories I'm going to consume and if I have any left over just in case I want an unscheduled snack. The few times I ever counted my steps at work I got roughly 14000 in 8 hrs alone. So yeah those work hrs do count as exercise :)
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    I work 12.5hr shifts. I walk to and from work, I manage to burn up to 3000 on a work day. I don't always eat the best or go to the gym on my off days, I just think of a shift as exercise ;)

    I actually burn less on off days even with the gym.
  • jenniferdonnelle
    jenniferdonnelle Posts: 5 Member
    I work 8 hour shifts, not 12, 2300-730, but I find that scheduling and prepping meals to be very helpful. I eat breakfast when I wake up and dinner before bed, just like I did when I worked days and evening. I make food on Sunday and portion it out for my lunches while at work and put snacks in my lunch as well. If I can eat them as a snack, I don't often have time for that though, great, if not I just eat them with my lunch. I have a snack when I get home, do whatever exercise I'm going to do, eat dinner while I catch up on my DVR, then bed. Making sure to get at least 5 hours of sleep, in a row, has helped me a lot also.
  • brittany_hickey87
    brittany_hickey87 Posts: 6 Member
    You ladies are great! Lots of ideas and inspiration bouncing off this thread.
    Thanks for all your input! I meal prepped today for my first time in years. Everything smelled amazing and I'm so excited to get started! :smile:

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