Weird hours, need help!

[alirose30]

Hey there!

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to help me out. I am a veteran Whole30-er (this is my third round!) but I'm in a bit of a pickle. The last two times I did a Whole30, I was able to eat a regular three meals a day (8am, 12pm, 6pm-ish every day) which helped me from getting hungry and kept the sugar dragon packed tightly away in a locked chest where it belongs. However, I am a student working part-time with weird hours this time around, and I can't eat during work, so I'm not sure how to get the food I need while complying with my work's policies. My waitressing shifts start at either 3pm or 5pm and go until 11 a few days a week, and I don't get breaks. The rest of the staff waits and eats dinner after work around 11pm, but I work in a very busy restaurant and I've always found that my energy lags during my shifts. I'm trying not to snack this round of whole30, but I'm not sure what to do to get me through those shifts.

 

I'm not quite sure what to do here. I know much of the Paleo community believes strongly in intermittent fasting, so perhaps this is a good opportunity for that. I've got a few ideas-- I could have a small amount of snack things for dinner that I can grab quietly between tasks (chia pudding maybe?), I could fast during those meal periods, or I could eat dinner around 11 with everyone else. I've done all in the past, but I'm not sure which solution is most in the spirit of the Whole30. What do you guys think? Any creative ideas? Solutions you have for when you can't have proper meals? 

 

Thanks so much for your help!! One grateful health-nut to the next,

 

Rose

[ShannonM816]

You may have to try a few things to see what works best for you -- and that may differ some on different days, too, when your shifts are longer or shorter.

 

Probably what I'd start out trying is eat a meal as close as you reasonably can to the start of your shift, and have some easy to eat things on hand that you can grab during down time if you need them. I probably wouldn't go with chia pudding, though, especially since you mention wanting to keep your sugar dragon under control. Maybe sliced grilled chicken or beef, or meatballs or burger patties, some vegetables you can eat raw like carrot sticks or snap peas, or a thermos/insulated cup of a blended vegetable soup if you think you could manage that without drawing attention. Any of those should be okay for several hours at a time at room temperature.  I wouldn't necessarily think of that as a full meal, more a mini-meal to get you through til 11 when you can eat a full meal, or if you've already eaten three meals for the day before you start, it may just be a mini-meal to get you through the evening, either way would be fine, it's going to depend on your timing. 

 

It is okay to eat more than three meals a day when you have longer days.