My husband and I have been trying to get back on track and diet. We both did Medifast and lost a good amount of weight but unfortunately have gained some of it back and cannot get back into doing Medifast.

My problem is this, I have no problem counting calories and exercising. I have now realized after all these years of yo yo dieting that the only way to lose the weight is through diet and exercise....

My husband though is having problems. He has a crazy work schedule which really doesnt allow much time for exercise and I really dont know how to figure out how he should be eating. Below is his schedule...

Works - Midnight to 8:00 a.m.
Sleeps - 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Awake from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Nap: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Leaves for work at 10:30 p.m.

With a schedule like this I dont know what diet would best suit him, when he should really be eating, since we usually eat together around 6:30/7:00 but then he goes to sleep for a nap. He is binging on food and I know he is frustrated.

I have suggested everything.... Can anyone suggest anything...

Thanks

Since he comes home at 8, maybe he should eat a light "breakfast" when he gets home. Then he could have a light "lunch" at 3, and then eat his larger meal when you guys eat together at 6 or 7, since he will be working all night. Really, he just needs to find a schedule so he can stop binging. If he needs to bring a fruit snack to work, he could do that, too. If his schedule is as consistent as possible, he will feel less pressure to eat. The stress and bodily confusion of working strange hours is likely encouraging binge eating. Good luck, I hope this helped.

I agree that getting into a routine would be the best bet for him. He only works 8 hours a day, so that leaves PLENTY of time to get in a workout! What if he did something like this;

*1600 - Get up, have a light snack/breakfast
*1700 - Workout
*1800-1900 - Post Workout Meal/Dinner with you
(I don't think he needs a nap if he gets his diet and workouts on track... he should just be able to sleep from 0900-1600)
*2200 pm - snack
*0100 - Meal
*0500 - snack
*0900 - Bed time!

It's really not that difficult to do if you just set up a plan and stick to it for a few days. I've been in the military for 10 years now working up to 16 hours a day at all different times of the day, and I've found that routine is all it takes.

Good luck to you both!

Why does he get up at 3? Do the kids get home from school then or something? If can sleep longer then and skip the pre work nap that would add so much more time.

6 hours of sleep is borderline but by breaking it up the way he is he is devoting much longer to sleep than most people. He would probably feel more engergized at work if the nap were at least shorter. I tend to sleep about 6 hrs at night and occasionally nap, but my naps are about 10 minutes.

If he has access to a 24 hr gym and the family is why he wakes up at 3 I would say keep the 7 pm nap to an hour MAXIMUM and hit the gym before going back to work.

If the family is NOT why he is waking up at 3 and he just wakes up then, he should try for his workout right when he wakes up, no need for a preworkout meal.

Also you might want to rethink him having a big meal with you. Can you pack up the majority of it to have during his "lunch" at work? Or if he just simply HAS to eat when you eat (I get that, no matter how many times I say I am not going to eat a big dinner with the family, I usually do) then just make that his big "breakfast" and pack good stuff for at work.

I would probably eat the big meal with you, a small meal at work and a protein meal before trying to sleep. But you might do well with trying to make the evening meal smaller for both of you because it sounds like he crashes with food (I do. I'll have lunch soon and then struggle to keep my eyes open no matter the food selection)

MTA: if he wakes up at 3 because that is what time YOU come home then I would suggest you schedule YOUR workout then away from home to give him some more time.

It doesn't matter when he eats. Ideally he would follow a regular eating pattern but what matters is calories and to a much lesser degree what kinds of foods he eats.

Exercise is not mission critical for fat loss. It is a good idea to do some for health reasons but brisk walking 20 minutes 3 times a week gives you most of the health benefits exercise provides.

Thanks everyone for your help...

Yes, he gets up at 3 because thats when the kids get home and he is then doing homework with them, driving them to activities, cooking, and getting kids ready for bed. I usually get home around 645/700 and then its my turn with the kids...

I always pack him healthy food for work but I think I am going to change things up a bit for him and make his big meal at work and smaller meals for when he goes to sleep...

what john said - it's a myth that going to bed with a full stomach means it will all automatically turn to fat. the worst that could happen is killer heartburn:

(A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens, 1843)