I have just read your book, slowly and carefully. It has been really, and will I know continue to be, really useful to me. And thank you.
I have two particular difficulties, which doubtless also apply to many other folk, and wonder if you could suggest any advice, please?:
I work shifts.
One week I start early, about 5 a.m. clock-in (or bit earlier or later, it varies daily), and the next week I start late, about 2 or 4 or 5 pm (again the actual start time varies daily). Each shift lasts between 6 and 10 hours. Then back to earlies for a week, then lates for a week. And so on.
Also, in my own case, I travel while I am working (I work on trains) so I lug my own meals and snacks about with me, which works pretty well actually
The 1st problem, is what to do about Breakfast when I'm on an early shift. If I get out of my bed at 3 am or 4 am (normal) and expect to get into my bed at 9 pm (being realistic), then when should I eat breakfast, and indeed also lunch and dinner? But breakfast is the real bugbear.
At the moment I'm experimenting with 2 breakfasts: eg if I wake up at 4 am, an initial tiny breakfast at about 5.40 eg an apple and 2 ryvitas. Then, at 7 am, a more substantial breakfast, eg 2 pieces of wholemeal/Burgen bread with good amount of homemade egg mayonaise (I find protein is very effective at satisfying my hunger and desires.)
So far, this is only partly successful, as still a struggle with a lot of ‘hunger’. But it seems silly to eat a serious breakfast at 5.40 a.m. with the whole long day still before me.
This brings me to the 2nd problem, which is that when I am on Late shift (and also applies when on Earlys), I may not get to bed until after 2.30 a.m when I’m on Lates.
This means that I can and do fit a 4th main meal into my day very easily. Indeed I feel ravenous if I don't have a 4th meal (and the snacks in between of course, and a late big snack when I arrive home very late) on a long, normal, day.
What could you suggest? This is really an obstacle for me, and I imagine also for many others in similar positions.
Hoping you can give me some useful practical Tips, because these shift-related problems are really large obstacles and I'm at rather a loss what to do.
Thanks very much, and also very good luck to all the other weight-strugglers out there.
Hi there Mimi.
I have just read your book, slowly and carefully. It has been really, and will I know continue to be, really useful to me. And thank you.
I have two particular difficulties, which doubtless also apply to many other folk, and wonder if you could suggest any advice, please?:
I work shifts.
One week I start early, about 5 a.m. clock-in (or bit earlier or later, it varies daily), and the next week I start late, about 2 or 4 or 5 pm (again the actual start time varies daily). Each shift lasts between 6 and 10 hours. Then back to earlies for a week, then lates for a week. And so on.
Also, in my own case, I travel while I am working (I work on trains) so I lug my own meals and snacks about with me, which works pretty well actually
The 1st problem, is what to do about Breakfast when I'm on an early shift. If I get out of my bed at 3 am or 4 am (normal) and expect to get into my bed at 9 pm (being realistic), then when should I eat breakfast, and indeed also lunch and dinner? But breakfast is the real bugbear.
At the moment I'm experimenting with 2 breakfasts: eg if I wake up at 4 am, an initial tiny breakfast at about 5.40 eg an apple and 2 ryvitas. Then, at 7 am, a more substantial breakfast, eg 2 pieces of wholemeal/Burgen bread with good amount of homemade egg mayonaise (I find protein is very effective at satisfying my hunger and desires.)
So far, this is only partly successful, as still a struggle with a lot of ‘hunger’. But it seems silly to eat a serious breakfast at 5.40 a.m. with the whole long day still before me.
This brings me to the 2nd problem, which is that when I am on Late shift (and also applies when on Earlys), I may not get to bed until after 2.30 a.m when I’m on Lates.
This means that I can and do fit a 4th main meal into my day very easily. Indeed I feel ravenous if I don't have a 4th meal (and the snacks in between of course, and a late big snack when I arrive home very late) on a long, normal, day.
What could you suggest? This is really an obstacle for me, and I imagine also for many others in similar positions.
Hoping you can give me some useful practical Tips, because these shift-related problems are really large obstacles and I'm at rather a loss what to do.
Thanks very much, and also very good luck to all the other weight-strugglers out there.