Work-a-holic and overnight shifts...

H

hararayne

New member
So a few weeks ago I was at 221lbs and now I'm pretty steady at 214. Some mornings I wake up and I'm down to 211, but with my sleep schedule I'm seeing a lot of fluctuation depending on how long I've slept and the amount I'm working/time I pop on the scale.

I'm working around 70 hours per week and drive between my jobs about 1 1/2 hours per day. Because of these hours (and right now there is little I can do about how many I have to work) I find myself abusing caffeine somedays and not watchingn what I eat as carefully.

So someone tell me, give my circumstances, what the best thing for me to do would be. I wanted to get down to 165 by Sept...and I'm continually on a diet...that I fail epically. Obviousely down to 165 isn't possible.

Advice would be helpful...but telling me to work less is not going to be helpful.
 
Ironicly, being overtired tends to make people eat more than they usually need.
Try making meals and planning them, as well as snacks. It will make a huge difference that you wont have any reason to buy takeaways or other stuff, because you have your own stuff.
Make time to get some sleep, and make sure its good sleep as well. I found i spent the weekend cooking several meals and freezing them for reheating during the week. Also i deliberatly make extras at dinner so i can take them to work for lunch the next day and know im eating a little bit healthier.
Sign up at fitday.com and log what you are eating, just so you can keep track of it.
 
Thanks Wishes...I just now read your message, lol! I'm a coffee addict too. I've had a fitday account since like 2005. Now I have a mobile calorie counter on my blackberry. I just suck at life apparently, lol.
 
I find myself abusing caffeine somedays and not watchingn what I eat as carefully.

So someone tell me, give my circumstances, what the best thing for me to do would be.
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Well, I think given your statement above, you kinda know what you need to be doing ... :)

I totally understand the whole caffeine thing. I work full time and own a business and so I find myself working long hours and sometimes mainlining the coffee. But even so ... I watch what I eat. It's not always easy, not always fun, but it's one of those things that is a personal choice, when it comes right down to it.

Believe me I know how easy it is to say "I can't because I'm busy". But really what it boils down to is making an excuse. :) Watching what you eat is as easy as making the right decisions - choosing to eat grilled chicken rather than a burger, for example, or choosing to say "no" to an offer of cookies or cake, or choosing to drink a bottle of water rather than a Coke.
 
I don't work a 70 hour week, but I do work rotating shifts, including midnights.

I was also a cola addict, and I used to drink either a can of cola (or two) or a large slurpee, every midnight shift, to wash down the large bag of chips and chocolate bar (or two) that I would consume to keep alert all night.

I don't do (or need) that stuff anymore. I consume almost zero caffeine, and I get through those night shifts just fine. I drink a lot of water. I eat healthy. I have noticed that eating a healthy, balanced diet is giving me more energy than all the junk food ever did.

It can be hard in this rat-race world, but you have to try to make consciously better choices. Plan your meals ahead of time as much as possible. Like wishes says, do your best to get enough sleep, and good sleep.
I'll bet that if you get enough sleep , and eat better, you'll feel better, more alert and energetic.
Get some regular exercise (although I don't know what you do for work - is it a physically active sort of thing?)

Most importantly from your initial post - don't be "on a diet". That's a recipe for failure. Instead, eat a balanced, healthy diet.

Take healthy snacks to eat on the road between jobs. That'll help.
I don't know if a lot of your driving is at night, but I'll share a technique I learned from a friend of mine who used to do long hours of night driving. Take a bunch or oranges on the road with you. When tired, peel an orange one-handed while keeping your eyes on the road and one hand on the wheel. It takes a lot of concentration, which helps you stay awake. The orange gives you energy as well, and is good for you. Win-win.
 
Most importantly from your initial post - don't be "on a diet". That's a recipe for failure. Instead, eat a balanced, healthy diet.
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Amen. When you quit thinking about being "on a diet", it's easier to make healthy choices, I think.

When choosing an apple over a candy bar is automatic, when choosing a string cheese snack over a bag of chips is automatic, it makes the whole process easier.

It's not that I don't eat chips or candy bars any more, but I've removed them from my "snack" vocabulary and added them to my "treat" vocabulary. It's a subtle mindset change, but it really works.
 
getting the green tea down you is always a good replacement, especially as there is loads of reasearch to point the finger at it helping you to lose weight by increasing your metabolic rate!!
 
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