Anyone else work crazy hours?

I work some crazy hours, 12 hours a day 18 days straight then get 4 days off, work normal 9-5 for a week then repeat. I find it hard to find self motivation with the schedule anyone else in the same boat?

Replies

  • alhebert1979
    alhebert1979 Posts: 13 Member
    What do you do to have to work 18 days straight?? I'm a commercial claims adjuster and I have some seriously high stress levels but I only work 5 sometimes 6 days a week. And to be honest, I have no motivation right now.
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    I'm in the army, been in 15 years
  • angulajohnson9
    angulajohnson9 Posts: 1 Member
    Yes...I work 12 hr shift two days on two days off then three days on....EMT
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,126 Member
    I'm not any more but have been in the past, I worked overseas and was pretty much on duty 24/7 but that was also when I was at my slimmest in recent years because I was always on the go. Are you based at home or on ops?
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    I am even based at home.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,126 Member
    What are you doing in terms of food? do you eat at home/on base? What aspect of you schedule do you struggle with - motivation to eat better, exercising, etc?
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    I meal prep constantly, and I always take 3 meals a day with me so thats not so much an issue but it's motivation to exercise that I am constantly riding the struggle bus with.
  • chamblisk
    chamblisk Posts: 296 Member
    I have taken to early morning exercise....it is the only quiet time in my days (also 12-15 hours per) Just getting outside in pre-dawn cold air jumpstarts my day. Housework or TV time is overrated....none of that happens! I just fall into bed at night pretty much as soon as I get home.
  • boehle
    boehle Posts: 5,062 Member
    I work 6 days a week. 3 days are just 8 hrs. 3 days are 15 hrs :s
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,126 Member
    edited February 2018
    Wes15R wrote: »
    I meal prep constantly, and I always take 3 meals a day with me so thats not so much an issue but it's motivation to exercise that I am constantly riding the struggle bus with.

    Well on the plus side if you're looking to lose weight or maintain you don't need to worry too much about exercise, you can lose or maintain without exercise, it's all about calorie intake as long as you're eating less then or equal to what you burn you can manage your weight.

    Perhaps focus on increasing your non-exercise activity level? Park further away if driving, take steps instead of lifts/escalators, if desk bound get up to stretch your legs more regularly.

    If you really want to try and motivate yourself for exercise, what about cycling to work, going out for a run at lunchtime or using the gym before/after work so it's done.
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    It is so hard to want to exercise when exhausted, the first few days I start is usually sustainable, but around day 6 I'm pretty much a zombie and it's like being wasted 24/7 and the memory gets foggy and the body gets achy.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,126 Member
    Wes15R wrote: »
    It is so hard to want to exercise when exhausted, the first few days I start is usually sustainable, but around day 6 I'm pretty much a zombie and it's like being wasted 24/7 and the memory gets foggy and the body gets achy.

    Are you eating enough to fuel your days?
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    Are you eating enough to fuel your days?[/quote]

    I stay around the 1800 Cal/day mark and still weigh 215, my build is naturally stocky so idc about weight as much as composition and distribution of said weight. I spend quite a bit of my day sitting in a hmmwv staring into an open field watching people work, followed by short bursts of super intense go go go so I think the calorie mark is ok, I dunno though.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,126 Member
    edited February 2018
    1800 could potentially be quite low for you, I am around the same weight and spend 8 hours a day at a computer and lose 1lb per week eating 1800 net, on my active days I am eating around 21-2400 (bearing in mind as a female I also have a lower BMR) that could be impacting your energy levels and causing the zombie feeling you're having, which in turn won't help with wanting to exercise.

    How tall are you?
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    I'm 5' 11", the zombieness is definitely lack of sleep lol, I sleep about 6 hours a night max and with my schedule after a few days compounded of little sleep and being at work so long for so many days in a row it's just blah. I don't get a lunch break or anything, once I go in I am confined to one area and can't leave it just sucks all around lol
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    edited February 2018
    Wes15R wrote: »
    I work some crazy hours, 12 hours a day 18 days straight then get 4 days off, work normal 9-5 for a week then repeat. I find it hard to find self motivation with the schedule anyone else in the same boat?

    Motivation for working out or eating right?

    For working out, try going at lunchtime. with 12 hour days you better get a full hour, plus other breaks fo free time.
    jest read... 12 hours with no lunch break. I would be leaving the Army and find a job that is "reasonable". Doesn't what they are asking you to do break a bunch of labour laws? Or is Military above the law?
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,126 Member
    Wes15R wrote: »
    I'm 5' 11", the zombieness is definitely lack of sleep lol, I sleep about 6 hours a night max and with my schedule after a few days compounded of little sleep and being at work so long for so many days in a row it's just blah. I don't get a lunch break or anything, once I go in I am confined to one area and can't leave it just sucks all around lol

    Your TDEE at Sedentary is 2300 calories per day and if you are active at all in work you will be looking at higher than that, it may be worth increasing your intake a little and it might even help with your sleep. That again is something to look at because if you're not sleeping well it impacts life in all sorts of ways.
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    Wes15R wrote: »
    I'm 5' 11", the zombieness is definitely lack of sleep lol, I sleep about 6 hours a night max and with my schedule after a few days compounded of little sleep and being at work so long for so many days in a row it's just blah. I don't get a lunch break or anything, once I go in I am confined to one area and can't leave it just sucks all around lol

    Your TDEE at Sedentary is 2300 calories per day and if you are active at all in work you will be looking at higher than that, it may be worth increasing your intake a little and it might even help with your sleep. That again is something to look at because if you're not sleeping well it impacts life in all sorts of ways.

    Thanks I'll try that today and see how it fairs!!!
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    erickirb wrote: »
    Wes15R wrote: »
    I work some crazy hours, 12 hours a day 18 days straight then get 4 days off, work normal 9-5 for a week then repeat. I find it hard to find self motivation with the schedule anyone else in the same boat?

    Motivation for working out or eating right?

    For working out, try going at lunchtime. with 12 hour days you better get a full hour, plus other breaks fo free time.
    jest read... 12 hours with no lunch break. I would be leaving the Army and find a job that is "reasonable". Doesn't what they are asking you to do break a bunch of labour laws? Or is Military above the law?

    Yeah we have our own laws and it isn't illegal by our regulations, they are required to allow us an opportunity to eat not necessarily an amount of time or when we want to. I've been doing it for 15 years so I'm used to the suck. Just finding motivation to keep moving has increased in difficulty with age.
  • alhebert1979
    alhebert1979 Posts: 13 Member
    Well, first, thank you for your service. Second, is there time for you to schedule work outs maybe three days a week starting out? Even if it's just 20-30 mins a day? You could start there and build up.
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    Well, first, thank you for your service. Second, is there time for you to schedule work outs maybe three days a week starting out? Even if it's just 20-30 mins a day? You could start there and build up.

    That's what I've been doing, time not so much I have to sacrifice sleep to make it happen. I am confined to one area when at work and it's a field in BFE so I walk circles alot lol
  • Hendrickus
    Hendrickus Posts: 1 Member
    How do you all got so motivated so you all can work more than 9hours a day ? indeed, this app is helping me to lose my weight and belly. But i dont know it has any connection to work more. Can i have a suggestion from you guys?
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    mij140 wrote: »
    1,800 calories seems really low. I'm 5'7" and 135 lbs. I eat 1,700 calories a day and am still losing a bit of weight. I'd google "scoobysworkshop calorie calculator" and figure out your numbers.

    I hear you about breaks. I'm lucky if I get 10 minutes to eat sometimes. I've eaten a banana in the locker room or shoved a protein bar down my throat in the med room. Lol.

    So I used the Scoobysworkshol and it says 2100 Cal/day for me, yet my goals on here is what I've always followed and I even recalculated on here to see what it said and it still has me at 1710 Cal/day for my HT/wt goals
  • bogiepower
    bogiepower Posts: 2 Member
    Firefighter schedule so typical 24hrs on 48 off.

    O.t. and required training can throw that out of whack.
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    mij140 wrote: »
    Wes15R wrote: »
    mij140 wrote: »
    1,800 calories seems really low. I'm 5'7" and 135 lbs. I eat 1,700 calories a day and am still losing a bit of weight. I'd google "scoobysworkshop calorie calculator" and figure out your numbers.

    I hear you about breaks. I'm lucky if I get 10 minutes to eat sometimes. I've eaten a banana in the locker room or shoved a protein bar down my throat in the med room. Lol.

    So I used the Scoobysworkshol and it says 2100 Cal/day for me, yet my goals on here is what I've always followed and I even recalculated on here to see what it said and it still has me at 1710 Cal/day for my HT/wt goals

    Are you trying to lose weight? I lost 94 lbs and I followed a philosophy called "eat more to lose weight." I was eating lower calorie for a while and my weight loss stalled. Upped my calories and it came off easily. Took me 9 months to lose 94 lbs. Just something to consider.

    Not a lot of weight just like 15 lbs is all, wanna slim up some.
  • Roger15Z
    Roger15Z Posts: 97 Member
    And holy smokes 94 lbs congratulations that's awesome!!!