Shift work and Eating - UK-Muscle Body Building Community

wildcard996 · 13-11-2007, 06:07 AM

I think my body clock is rejecting my eating plan.

I work 2 days followed by 2 nights.

On day shifts I have no trouble eating 5 - 6 times a day, but nights my metabolism must be slowing up.

Today looked like this

0730 - 1530 Sleep
1545 - 45 mins cardio - running
1645 - MetRx Big100 protein bar (not ideal but i stop in a hotel and the nearest hot food is Burger king)
1845 - Chicken breast & Low fat cheese bagel
2130 - Turkey chilli & Rice
0030 - Struggled to eat Chicken breast & Low fat cheese bagel
0100 - 0300 Nap time at work
0330 - 1/2 Chicken breast & Low fat cheese bagel Couldn't force anymor down

It's now 6am and I know i wont feel like eating between now and when I get home at 9am.

It'll be a couple of protein shakes between now and bed.

I'd rather be eating proper foods but is it okay to rely on protein shakes?

Anybody else work shifts and had this problem?

Slamdog · 13-11-2007, 08:12 AM

I dont eat after 5am...

my meal times are 3pm, 5pm, 8pm, 11pm, 2am and 5am....

Neogenesis · 13-11-2007, 02:09 PM

I've worked shifts mate.

Of course you can live on protein shakes. I only have one serving of meat a day, mainly because I need about 4,000 cals just for maintenance. But it hasn't effected my body composition in any way different to meat.

If you're doing shift work it's hard to have the energy to cook as well.

I think you should cook meals on your day off (or even book a day off to do it, makes life easier in the long run) and freeze them in lunchboxes ready to defrost and take to work, and take protein shakes with you.

G'luck.

Slamdog · 13-11-2007, 02:45 PM

a while back i actually did the v-diet which was only protein shakes bar one clean meal a week. only 4 solid meals in a month...

easy for shift work...

you can live on shakes for a long time assuming they are better than average shakes rather than maximuscle stuff. whole food is better...

I cook my nights food when i'm cooking the family evening meal. box it in those clip fresh box things and either eat cold or nuke in the works microwave depending what it is and when i'm eating it.

hotelcalifornia · 13-11-2007, 02:59 PM

on night shifts (11pm-7am) I use to take one MRP before work (at 10pm), then at 2am I have a solid meal, between 4 and 5am I am drinking an MRP, and at 7:30am I drink my 'night' shake. It has been easy to deal with this day/night shifts, and specialy at night shifts I find very usefull have an extra supplementation of c+e+b for antioxidant purposes.

Slamdog · 13-11-2007, 03:03 PM

i'm sort of lucky that i do permanent nights, only having the one super long day in every 8... its balanced by the super short day 4 shifts later...

wildcard996 · 13-11-2007, 04:33 PM

Well this morning i put in a concerted effort. Threw a shake down my neck at about 6am. BY the time i got home at 9.30 i was starving. Egg white scrambled eggs before hitting me pit.

Slamdog - i spend the last of the 4 days off prepping all my food for the 4 days at work. Saves time and brain power trying to decide what to eat. Also stops the temptation of the night time take away

Slamdog · 13-11-2007, 04:57 PM

i work somewhere where there is no temptation...... you cant get out and you cant eat anything cept the choccy in the machine... and i think choccy tastes like lard....

mind you... you can drink as much fizzy liquid sugar as you like.. i stick to water though...

13-11-2007, 06:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
wildcard996 Newbie Trainer Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 42	Shift work and Eating I think my body clock is rejecting my eating plan. I work 2 days followed by 2 nights. On day shifts I have no trouble eating 5 - 6 times a day, but nights my metabolism must be slowing up. Today looked like this 0730 - 1530 Sleep 1545 - 45 mins cardio - running 1645 - MetRx Big100 protein bar (not ideal but i stop in a hotel and the nearest hot food is Burger king) 1845 - Chicken breast & Low fat cheese bagel 2130 - Turkey chilli & Rice 0030 - Struggled to eat Chicken breast & Low fat cheese bagel 0100 - 0300 Nap time at work 0330 - 1/2 Chicken breast & Low fat cheese bagel Couldn't force anymor down It's now 6am and I know i wont feel like eating between now and when I get home at 9am. It'll be a couple of protein shakes between now and bed. I'd rather be eating proper foods but is it okay to rely on protein shakes? Anybody else work shifts and had this problem?

13-11-2007, 08:12 AM	#2 (permalink)
Slamdog Who nicked my hair? Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northampton Posts: 1,802	Re: Shift work and Eating I dont eat after 5am... my meal times are 3pm, 5pm, 8pm, 11pm, 2am and 5am.... __________________ I'd like to see it your way but I can't get my head that far up my own ar$e

13-11-2007, 02:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
Neogenesis Newbie Trainer Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 8	Re: Shift work and Eating I've worked shifts mate. Of course you can live on protein shakes. I only have one serving of meat a day, mainly because I need about 4,000 cals just for maintenance. But it hasn't effected my body composition in any way different to meat. If you're doing shift work it's hard to have the energy to cook as well. I think you should cook meals on your day off (or even book a day off to do it, makes life easier in the long run) and freeze them in lunchboxes ready to defrost and take to work, and take protein shakes with you. G'luck.

13-11-2007, 02:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
Slamdog Who nicked my hair? Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northampton Posts: 1,802	Re: Shift work and Eating a while back i actually did the v-diet which was only protein shakes bar one clean meal a week. only 4 solid meals in a month... easy for shift work... you can live on shakes for a long time assuming they are better than average shakes rather than maximuscle stuff. whole food is better... I cook my nights food when i'm cooking the family evening meal. box it in those clip fresh box things and either eat cold or nuke in the works microwave depending what it is and when i'm eating it. __________________ I'd like to see it your way but I can't get my head that far up my own ar$e

13-11-2007, 02:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
hotelcalifornia Newbie Trainer Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 52	Re: Shift work and Eating on night shifts (11pm-7am) I use to take one MRP before work (at 10pm), then at 2am I have a solid meal, between 4 and 5am I am drinking an MRP, and at 7:30am I drink my 'night' shake. It has been easy to deal with this day/night shifts, and specialy at night shifts I find very usefull have an extra supplementation of c+e+b for antioxidant purposes. __________________ "Nenhum vencedor acredita no acaso." Friedrich Nietzsche

13-11-2007, 03:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
Slamdog Who nicked my hair? Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northampton Posts: 1,802	Re: Shift work and Eating i'm sort of lucky that i do permanent nights, only having the one super long day in every 8... its balanced by the super short day 4 shifts later... __________________ I'd like to see it your way but I can't get my head that far up my own ar$e

13-11-2007, 04:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
wildcard996 Newbie Trainer Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 42	Re: Shift work and Eating Well this morning i put in a concerted effort. Threw a shake down my neck at about 6am. BY the time i got home at 9.30 i was starving. Egg white scrambled eggs before hitting me pit. Slamdog - i spend the last of the 4 days off prepping all my food for the 4 days at work. Saves time and brain power trying to decide what to eat. Also stops the temptation of the night time take away

13-11-2007, 04:57 PM	#8 (permalink)
Slamdog Who nicked my hair? Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northampton Posts: 1,802	Re: Shift work and Eating i work somewhere where there is no temptation...... you cant get out and you cant eat anything cept the choccy in the machine... and i think choccy tastes like lard.... mind you... you can drink as much fizzy liquid sugar as you like.. i stick to water though... __________________ I'd like to see it your way but I can't get my head that far up my own ar$e

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