WHEN TO EAT or NOT TO EAT
 

When my mom became ill over a year ago I had to work night shift (10:00pm to 6:00am) so I can take care of her doing the day.

I have 3 teenage kids that want and need all my attention and on top of that my job went to 12 hour shifts (6:00pm to 6:00am) so in all this madness I have gained backed all but 2 of the 35lbs I worked so hard :exercise:to lose the year before.

What I want to know dose it matter when I eat, my schedule is so hectic. I eat when I can and most of the time it is out of the vending machine at work:cbg::jeno: because, I dont have time to eat at home.

Should I just eat at night when I am awake, or should I set a schedule. It was so much easier when I was working normal hours. I feel so off balanced.:dizzy:what should I do?

If you are working an off shift, then ideally, you should eat when you are awake. My husband used to work 3rd shift, and he would eat dinner when he woke up, lunch at work, and breakfast before he went to bed. Still three meals a day...but opposite of first shift folks.

The only thing that I would recommend, is not eating your lunch out of the vending machine. Can you pack a lunch to take with you? Something healthier?

well you just flip it. if you get up at 3 pm you eat breakfast at 3 pm and then a few hours later you have lunch (on your lunch break at work which is still called lunch even if it's in the middle of the night) then dinner when you get home... and small snacks spaced within that too... and instead of eating out of the machines plan for the quick times and pack things like baby carrots, string cheese, small servings of nuts... that sort of thing...

Well, first of all, you're headed in the right direction by recognizing you need to get back in control. :bravo:

My guess would be that that nasty old vending machine is the culprit in your regain. Our bodies can be remarkably adaptable if we put the right stuff in them so I think your eating schedule can be made to fit your work schedule and get you back on track. The trick is to make healthier choices at the grocery store. Sounds like you life is pretty hectic but you can still fit good foods in there. Do you have access to a microwave at work? There are tons of good, healthy soups on the market that you could take with you for your "lunch" no matter what time you get to eat it. It only takes a second to throw a can of soup, a couple of hard boiled eggs and a couple of pieces of fruit in a bag. I make up my next day's food before I go to bed so all I have to do is grab the lunch bag out of the fridge on my way out the door. But, I also keep a can of tuna (and a can opener :D ) and a bag of raw nuts in my desk drawer in case I didn't have time to pack a lunch so I don't get tempted by The Machine.

You also need to make sure you are getting enough sleep - shift workers often have disrupted sleep patterns that can give you that off balanced feeling - and I've read that not getting enough sleep can make weight loss more difficult not to mention other adverse effects on your health. I know you have a lot of people demanding your attention but you aren't going to be much good to them if you get sick yourself. Take care of yourself first - you not only need it, you deserve it!

I've been living on graveyard shift (7pm-7am) for nearly 4 years now and you absolutely have to adjust your eating to fit your life as it currently stands. I do exactly what Aphil described... eat dinner when I wake up, lunch halfway through the night and I eat breakfast right before I go to bed. I also usually throw in a few snacks.

I agree with the poster(s) who said that your gain is most likely to do with what you're eating rather than when you're eating. Vending machine food is garbage, 100% garbage. Pack your food and take it with you to work. If you don't have the time to eat at home, pack more than one meal to take with you and eat 2 or 3 meals at work. Whatever you have to do to not eat from a vending machine.

Good luck! Many people have lived on (and survived) graveyard. You can lose weight no matter what schedule you're on, it just takes perseverance and an understanding that your life and eating habits won't look just like "normal" people's.

hey we are the same weight and height and i have 4 teenagers so we should buddy up lol we could help each other out alot hope to hear from you soon

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I have totally forbidden myself from the vending machines at work, I bring everything from home now. When I get home from work I have a bowl of cereal or a scrambled egg and some fruit, then I fix my lunch and dinner for work that night and pack two snacks a piece of fruit, a cheese stick or some jello, since I have followed your advice I feel so much better and I have even lost 1lb. All it took was a little time and planning ahead. Thanks everyone for the support and advice.

Great job! :cheer:

I started my weight loss journey by bringing lunch and snacks and banning the vending machine too. It has been VERY successful!! Sometimes it's small changes that bring big results!