working nights and trying to sleep and eat enough

[Megan Mayorga]

I have been overhauling my diet over the past year and have made some great progress (lost 45 pounds!) but something still feels off. I have decided to start my whole 30 in the morning. I work nights so I generally get to bed around 9am. I am up at 1pm to get a workout in before I have to pick up my babies from school. Once they get home we do homework together and I cook dinner and any other little chores and sometimes lie down for another hour or so before going to work. I am trying to plan my meals for the day but I dont really have any clue what would be best. Also, being up all night and running on such little sleep leaves me without much appetite but then when I do get hungry I end up binging on sugary processed foods. Any suggestions?

[whitjm5]

Truth be told, I'd cut the workouts in lieu of more sleep. Without it, your cortisol levels will stay high, stifling your efforts for better body comp. Five hours of sleep per day is NOT enough.

I work midnights, too, so I feel your pain.

On my "weekends" my wife and I do as big of a cook-up as we can for the week. I TRIPLE the no-fuss salmon cake recipe from ISWF and have those a couple of times during the week. Bagged salad mix with avocado, tomato, and canned meat (think compliant tuna or chicken) on top. Make your own dressing. Boiled eggs are super quick and easy if you're fighting a craving. We try to make way more than we need when we cook. The book Well Fed has an awesome time saver called "Hot plates" in it. Super simple and tasty. Get off the sugar. Plain and simple. If you don't, it's a revolving door that you'll be stuck on forever.

[Robin Strathdee]

Yes, skip workouts and opt for sleep. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but the cortisol levels in your body from lack of sleep and shift work will turn your efforts for good (workouts) into obstacles for your body. You will see the best possible results from this program if you get as much sleep as you possibly can.