Eating after work?

[Adeliek]

Hi Everyone,

I am so glad to have found these forums! I am trying to lose a little bit of weight and get a bit fitter before summer and generally overall improve my health. I use myfitnesspal alongside my fitbit so am on 1,200 calories a day. However I work a lot of evening shifts as a waitress. So I tend to eat breakfast and try and have a bigger lunch before work, but then don't get a chance to eat again until 10/11/12 o clock at night. The only thing that's on offer at work is pizza. I always feel really guilty about eating after 8pm so I never eat anything during or after work. Although I don't feel that hungry after work I only end up eating 700-900 calories a day most of the week as I am not eating anything after round 2pm. As a waitress I am also burning around 600 calories just at work. Is it worse to not eat than to eat late at night? I also do not get breaks where I work unless I work a 12 hour shift so eating something light on a break is not an option.

Any suggestions or advice? Thank you  

[FitFanatic93]

Are you allowed to bring snacks to work? Or can you bring your own dinner to eat on a break? That might help. It is hard when the only thing around to eat is Pizza.

[BurdsNest]

Hi Adeliek, and welcome to the forum.  My first question is.....how are you surviving on 1200 calories a day and you're burning 600?  You have to eat to ramp up your metabolism so that you can burn.  Your body will think it's starving and hold on to your fat.  Bringing snacks to work is a great idea so that you're eating plenty of small healthy snacks.  Pizza is a killer!  🙂

Eating late @ night just means you're not burning off your calories because your're not as active like you are during the day.  I work out and don't get home from the gym until 8:30pm.  Unfortunately, this is when I'm eating, but I've just burned about 600 calories and if I strength train, I'm burning until the next day.

Remember, skinny and fit don't necessary go hand in hand.  I weigh a little more than I did last year this time, but my body is much more in shape.

Good luck on your journey,  I have a FitBit HRCharge and I love it.  Trying to lose a few myself.  It ain't easy!  

Sincerely,

Lovin my FitBit

[Adeliek]

I think I will try taking some healthy snacks with me and then trying to eat them before 8. I don't get a break on evening shifts and by the time it usually quietens down it's gone 9 o clock. I don't do any additional cardiovascular or strength exercises, I'm just trying to eat healthier and walk/move more. It seems to be working as I have lost over 1 stone previously, but put it back on in January so am trying to shape up again with the help of a fitbit charge! I'm starting to notice that I feel more tired and cold a lot which I'm assuming is due to burning more than I'm eating. Trying to come up with a healthy solution is tough! The pizza always looks and smells so good but I know it's not good for me!!!

[josephz2va]

I think your burn system is off if you're only recording 600 calories burned standing, walking around, serving plates, etc. Average calorie burn a walking job would get would be more like 3,000 calories.

Might help to have a portionalized plan setup for those quick fixes. Search online for 6 pack fitness bags, set it up for the day based on your plan system, see if your boss can give you quick breaks to eat one small dish to avoid starvation.