any night shift workers out there??

anyone out there work night shift and have difficulty with trying to diet and exercise??

I work from 8pm to 4am (only part time tho) and I do find that it's hard not to eat during the night and still exercise the next day when I am exhausted. I used to eat all night to keep myself awake, and I'm sure that is what has caused some of my weight issues. So what I have been doing recently is bringing either a protein snack (egg or baked/broiled chicken strips) or a low carb granola bar and a cup of fresh fruit. This will carry me through the night, with LOTS of water of-course. Saturday and Sundays are really hard for me...to stay awake and motivated to move...But Saturday morning I get up early (because my 4 year old doesn't let me sleep in) and I push through my workout, and Sundays are my 7th day away, so I do not have to do a workout. So far it's been working. (I'm currently at 19 pounds down since 2/14/11) I just keep telling myself "if I don't do this (exercise or eat right), how am I going to feel tomorrow when I step on the scale?" Hope this helps. Best of Luck!

I don't work nights now, but I did for about 7 years. I did 4 ten-hour shifts. I averaged about 4 hours of sleep a night, since I was also taking care of my kids during the day. I put on 40 pounds during that period of my life. I relied so much on food/sugar/caffeinated soda for my energy during the day and night, that it was very hard to keep the weight off.

I wish you luck...it is quite a challenge! It used to help me if I tried to get a little exercise in on my breaks. Even just a 5 minute jog around the building gave me energy to make it another couple of hours without needing a Snickers bar!

When I'm working night shift, I black out my bedroom windows with tinfoil. I sleep 100% better if my room is blacked out.

During my waking hours I eat 6 small meals. I eat within the first hours of waking up to fire up my metabolism. I then eat about every 3 hours. My last meal is very small. A small amount if hq protein.
I stay energized all the time with this pattern.

I've been doing good during my shifts,it's when I turn my days and nights back around for my days off,,I find myself going over, I also have to exercise before going to work,I found that if I exercised after a shift, I couldn't sleep. congrats, you look very close to your goal.

I also work night shifts 7pm to 7am and find myself eating to stay awake plus drinking lots and lots of coffee. Any tips out there would be greatly appreciated

Perhaps swap coffee for green tea. Healthy choice. 4 cups of green tea a day gives you decent dose of egcg. I find tea doesn't upset my stomach like coffee can.

I work nights 10:30-7:15am. It is very difficult but I am just thinking of where I want to be and don't want to be. I work in a grocery store and it is even harder. I am going to start walking around my parking lot at lunch instead of sitting on my butt. Good luck!

After a hectic schedule it is necessary to sleep minimum six hours a day to give rest to our body. Those who work at night must have to take a balanced diet to be fit and fresh.

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Beyond Diet Review