Many
people work overnight shifts. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
almost 15 million Americans work full-time on evening shifts, night shifts,
rotating shifts, or other irregular schedules. Unfortunately, shift work can
make it harder to lose weight. But by taking steps to accommodate your erratic
schedule, you can slim down successfully.
Shift work
disrupts your circadian rhythms, which are the physical, mental, and behavioral
changes that follow a 24-hour cycle (think of it as a clock) within your body.
Circadian rhythms are directed by environmental cues such as sunlight,
darkness, and temperature. People who work night shifts often experience
disruption of their circadian rhythms, which affects their sleeping and eating
patterns. Because of circadian rhythm disorders, people who do shift work can
have higher rates of heart disease and mental health conditions such as
depression. Shift workers are also more likely than 9-5 workers to be
overweight or obese.
Maintaining
a healthy weight is a bit harder for shift workers for several reasons. Shift
working requires you to sleep during the day and work
during the night, forcing you to go against your body's natural rhythm. As a
result, your metabolism can slow down, which reduces your body's calorie and fat burning
potential. Shift workers may also eat more because their mealtimes get mixed
up. And if they don't get enough sleep, exhaustion may negatively impact the
action of their hunger and satiety hormones. It can also be more difficult for
shift workers to get the exercise they need, and it may be harder for them to
schedule stress-relief techniques into their daily life. If you're a shift
worker, you can optimize your weight-loss success by taking these steps.
Watch your food intake
It's tempting to snack on sweets, chips, and other
junk food, especially when you're up in the middle of the night working while
most of the rest of the world is fast asleep. Try really hard to resist those
temptations and stick with diet-approved meals and snacks. Pack meals and
snacks at home, and take them to work in a cooler so you're not a prisoner of
your environment, getting stuck trying to make healthy meals out of vending
machine fare.
Schedule your meals
Eat breakfast within an hour of waking and eat
dinner at least 3 hours before bed. An overnight worker may have breakfast at
2 p.m., lunch at 7 p.m., and dinner at 2 a.m., with snacks spread out
in-between. Figure out the meal schedule that works best for you and stick to
it every day, even if you're not working. And resist the urge to grab a big
greasy breakfast after work! Not only will it pile on hundreds of excess
calories, but it will also interfere with your sleep and slow down your
metabolism.
Schedule your sleep
Do your best to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep at the
same time every day. This can help minimize the impact of circadian rhythm
disorder. Experts recommend sleeping during the day even on your days off in
order to stick to a sleep schedule. This can be hard, because you end up missing
social events and other things that go on during the day. But do your best to
sleep at the same time each day and to get enough sleep, which is key.
Make a plan for exercise
The good news is that gyms tend to be less crowded
during the day, when you're home from work. Try to exercise at about the same
time each day, and for your best chance of serene, deep sleep, get the workout
in at least a couple of hours before bed. Remember, exercise raises
endorphin levels so it's likely that a workout will pump you up,
interfering with a restful sleep experience.
Schedule relaxation
Whether you enjoy meditating, doing yoga, or
engaging in other relaxation techniques, be sure to fit some kind of relaxation
into each day.
Seek help if you need it
If
you are having trouble sleeping or dealing with mood swings or have any other
health problems related to your shift work, by all means, please see your
doctor.
Adapted from Lose Your Final 15
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