In our latest blog, our Re-Shape team are here to share why shift work can make weight management more difficult and tips you can use to help manage your weight.
Working shifts can make eating well more challenging. Irregular hours, tiredness and limited food choices at work can affect your eating habits and your weight.
Why does shift work make weight management more difficult?
Working irregular hours and different shift patterns can result in:
- Skipping meals or eating at irregular times
- Increased snacking due to tiredness or boredom
- Foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar may become easier choices
- Reduced physical activity due to fatigue or shift patterns
- Disturbed or poor sleep, increasing likelihood of cravings
While there is no ideal “shift work diet”, the good news is that a few simple tweaks to your diet and routine may make weight management just that little bit easier. Here are our 5 Top Tips to help you manage your weight while working shifts.
Tip 1: Consistency is key
Try to eat at regular intervals and keep your meal timings similar across your shifts. Planning your meals and snacks across your shift and eating in a regular pattern may help to regulate hunger and reduce snacking or grazing throughout the shift.
Tip 2: Plan ahead
Skipping meals can lead to a “crash and crave” and if you aren’t prepared, this can make it easier to overeat and make less nutritious food choices. Planning your meals and snacks ahead of your shift means that you are well prepared when your meal breaks arrive.
Tip 3: Think lighter
Whether we are working or sleeping, our bodies are less efficient at digesting large amounts of food during the night. Aim to have your main meal before your shift starts or after waking so that you can eat lighter, more easily digestible meals during the night.
Tip 4: Be cautious with caffeine
It’s really tempting to top up with caffeine if you are working through the night, but excessive intake, particularly in the last few hours of your shift can affect your sleep quality. Poor sleep is one of the main barriers to weight loss, affecting your hunger hormones, your blood sugar balance and increased cravings. If you feel the need to reach for a coffee, try a glass of water first as you might be dehydrated, or go equipped with a supply of herbal or fruit teas if you’d like a warm drink.
Tip 5: Stay active
Physical activity supports sleep quality, energy levels and weight management but it can be challenging to maintain a routine while working shifts. Instead of visits to the gym, think about the activities of your daily life to support you during this time, for example taking a walk to the shops instead of driving, an hour or two gardening, or try some of the many home workouts that you can find online. Find something that works for you.
Shift work may make healthy eating and weight management more challenging, but it doesn’t have to stand in the way of your goals. Focus on making realistic choices that you can maintain over time as it is this consistency that can make a difference to your weight, energy levels and overall health.
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