How To Lose Weight While Working 3rd Shift

Losing weight is hard enough but tackling this feat can be even more challenging for those who regularly toil from dusk till dawn.

Here are 10 tips specific to your schedule to help you keep the weight off and the ways that the night shift affects your body.

Be honest, are you really getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours each night? If you’re falling short on the shut-eye, put sleep down as a calendar item.

Weight Loss Tips For Shift Workers

The selection at 24-hour eateries (think: gas station stops, fast food joints, and vending machines) are rarely healthy. Save some money and empty calories by bringing your own snacks.

Be sure to store any perishable food in the refrigerator at work or pack in a cooler with ice packs to keep it cold (and safe to eat).

If the choice is between sleep and exercise, go with sleep. However, making exercise a priority is critical for getting closer to your goal weight.

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It also has the extra benefit of promoting good sleep. Since the gym (or sun) may not be in your favor, sneak in some indoor workouts.

Soda, candy, cookies, and the like are void of any real nutritional benefit and they lack any satiating power, which typically comes from fiber and protein.

On top of this, a study by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that peak blood sugar levels were 16 percent higher and insulin levels were 40 to 50 percent higher when subjects underwent one night of shift work, compared to one day of a regular work schedule.

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Elevated insulin and blood sugar levels suggest the body isn’t as equipped to manage foods high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars, and this could lead to type 2 diabetes over time.

Disrupting the circadian clock increases the risk for obesity because it alters metabolism by decreasing resting metabolic rate. But, light isn’t the only factor.

One of the major sources of vitamin D isn’t actually a food — it’s the sun — but if you’re sleeping through a greater part of the day, chances are you’re missing out on some of those valuable rays.

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This could be working against you and your weight loss goals because research shows getting adequate vitamin D may help you lose weight and decrease overall body fat.

Unfortunately, these food options are limited, likely leaving you with a selection of ultra-processed foods, i.e. refined grains, high-fat meats, salty snacks, and sugary treats.

While it may seem like unwinding from the night with a drink or two might help you get some solid sleep, the opposite is true.

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A small study found that those working the night shift burn fewer calories, about 50 calories less per day, compared to those working during normal business hours and getting their ZZZs at night.

Paying attention to how much you’re eating — like monitoring your portions or keeping track of calories — can be a helpful tool if you find you’re gaining weight while working nights.

Our cities and towns operate around the clock. To make all this possible,  roughly 15 million Americans perform shift work outside of regular hours.

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A recent review paper looked at more than 40 studies and found that sleep deprivation led to a greater sense of hunger and overall calorie intake — about 250 calories more each day — compared to those who got enough shut-eye.

A Mayo Clinic study looking at 17 healthy, young adults also found that sleep-deprived subjects slept one hour and 20 minutes less than the control subjects but ate an average of 500+ more calories per day.If you are one of the millions of Americans who work night shifts, you are probably sleep-deprived. When you don’t get enough quality shut-eye, your health begins to suffer, and losing weight can seem impossible.Sunlight exposure is vital for regulating your daily rhythms, and humans are diurnal like all mammals. Darkness means it’s time to rest, and light signals energy and alertness. When we go against biology, there is always a cost. So, if you want to lose weight while working the night shift, it will require a commitment to doing whatever you have to do to take care of yourself.The good news is that the rules for weight loss don’t change because you work nights. What changes are the strategies you use to meet the requirements for optimal health and well being. Our nutrition team has created a scientifically-proven guide to losing weight on the night shift, and you’ll be glad to see that it is entirely do-able. With a positive mindset and an awareness of the traps, you’ll find the specific strategies to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Simply put, yes. Working night shifts disrupt your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm. This cycle is your daily biological clock, and the human body likes routine. Shift work throws this cycle off balance along with your body’s metabolic and hormonal equilibrium. This includes the critical hormones that regulate satiety and hunger, increasing your appetite for carbohydrates and high-calorie foods.Disrupting your circadian clock increases your risk for weight gain because it decreases your resting metabolic rate. This can make you feel more stressed, moody, less energetic, and it signals your body to hang on tightly to fat. It also releases the stress hormone cortisol, which directly correlates with weight gain in the abdominal area. Beyond affecting your weight, disruption of your circadian rhythms can also result in other adverse side effects, including:

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The disruption of your circadian rhythm has biological consequences, and if your work night shifts, you are bound to run into some of them. However, there are some actions you can take to maintain a healthy weight and avoid adverse stress reactions proactively.

The goal is to find a better balance of when to eat and what to eat while you’re working the night shift. Check out our best tips to help with weight loss while you’re burning the midnight oil as a shift worker.

Create a Log: Reaching your weight loss goals doesn’t mean giving up everything you love to eat and drink, but you do have to make choices to create a calorie deficit. Writing down exactly what you are eating and drinking, how much sleep you’re getting, and the amount of exercise gives you a starting point. Then you can decide if you need to work on just your diet or focus on exercise. If you are not where you want to be in any category, don’t criticize yourself. Pick one area to work on and first, then add others gradually. This is a strategy that works for many things, and the most critical step is to begin.

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Start with Protein: Get in the habit of eating before you start your shift, so your body has time to transfer those calories into energy. Make sure it is a high protein meal with complex carbohydrates, healthy fat, fruits, and vegetables.

Prepare Healthy Meals: Instead of one large meal, eat smaller, low-fat snacks throughout your shift. Choose local, fresh, organic foods as much as possible. Although almost every type of fruit and vegetable is available year-round, matching your diet to what is in season where you live can help your body reclaim the benefits of natural cycles.

Get Your Vitamin D: When you are sleeping during the day, you aren’t getting any time in the sun, which is a significant source of vitamin D. Your body needs 600 IU daily of this nutrient to help absorb calcium, magnesium, phosphate, and other minerals that can decrease overall body fat. You can increase your intake of vitamin D with supplements and diet. Focus on eating foods such as salmon, tuna, mushrooms, egg yolks, and fortified milk and yogurt. If possible, use your break time at work to go outside and soak up some rays.

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Make Time for Exercise: Doing some resistance training right before bed will increase your resting metabolic rate for about the next 16 hours. Even if you’re not crazy about suiting up for the gym in the middle of the night, doing some bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and dips at home can do the job. Or get a jump rope and make it fun!

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: You can reduce fatigue and increase mental alertness by making sure you are drinking enough water. In addition to consuming water during your workday, drink 20 to 32 ounces shortly after waking. It gives your metabolism a boost and can give you more energy while minimizing your appetite.

Create a Sleep Routine: The amount of sleep you get can dramatically affect how your body responds to food. Doing the same things every night an hour before bedtime can help program sleep triggers. Your brain will start to associate these rituals with the end of the day and help you fall asleep quicker. Because sleep is a critical factor in weight loss, it needs to be as much of a priority as diet and exercise.

How To Lose Weight While Working Night Shifts

Whether you work nights or days, getting the quality sleep you need is frequently the first thing that gets sacrificed when life gets in the way. Sleep deprivation slows your metabolism, making it nearly impossible to turn down high-calorie, high-fat foods. In addition to