weight loss while working long hours

[whatever123noname]

I work long and very unpredictable hours. I can leave the office at 6:30 (never before, face time culture) or 9pm or midnight. Usually 9pm. I've decided to stick it out in this job another year to save up for a house but it's destroying my waistline!! It's so so hard, I can't plan or do a weekly shop - I've done it before and all the food goes to waste if a big project comes my way. Any tips? Afternoon cravings and evening meals are my downfall. I've put on 14 pounds since starting and I can see myself putting on more.

Ready meals?

What timings are you eating your meals? Are you eating a main meal after work?

Food shop to arrive at home very early in the morning.

Telling yourself no food after 6pm.

Lo-calorie meals like soup or salad around.

Stairs instead of lift.

Identifying triggers (stress, vending machines...) and making plans to avoid them.

For dinner once your home have M&S ready meals with steamed veg (you can even get pouches of frozen veg you steam in the microwave) or Stir fry is super quick

Take a healthy packed lunch for during work hours

Have porridge or eggs for breakfast

My meals are usually eaten at work, it's essentially restaurant food. The worst are periods when I work until 10pm Mon-Fri which means no time to cook etc as I'm barely home to sleep. But some good suggestions there, thank you! Lack of ability to have any kind of routine is just killing me (and making me fat)

Could you put aside 1-2 hours on a Sunday to prep a weeks worth of meals? I follow an Instagrammer called Work Week Lunch who has brill ideas.

5 small tubs of overnight outs can be made while making a cuppa, then they last in the fridge for the week.

Then cook a big chilli (slow cooker if you have one), and tub up 5. Pack of flatbread to have with it.

Prep 5 cous cous boxes (cous cous, fry some chorizo, chop up some peppers and a dollop of hummus).

Pre weigh out some 30gportions of allbran or similar just in case you get hungry before bed you know you have a small "fail safe" option.

Buy a bag of apples to keep on your desk at work.

Both me my OH worked shifts for a long time without a kitchen to prep meals in so I understand your pain!

Do you have access to a microwave at work? Because then healthy ready meals or meal peeping can work. Even taking a tin of soup with you and some bread?

If not, snacks are going to be your best bet, which is what I did when I started working 14 hour shifts without access to make food. So think small packets of nuts, fruit, veggies and hummus, pitta breads, overnight oats, cereal bars. Things you can make in advance, or things you can just grab and chuck in a lunch box in under five minutes?

Eat a big meal when you're at home - so can you have a good filling breakfast before you leave in the morning? And make sure you're drinking enough water.

How is your sleep? Cortisol is not good for weight loss, and not sleeping properly is going to send your cortisol levels through the roof!

Some good suggestions here which I appreciate so much! The key here seems planning which is so hard to do when you don't know what time you'll finish work every day. But I will make it a priority. I always thought ready meals were very bad for you but I guess at least you then have some control over what you are getting ?

There are ready meals and ready meals really. Look at the calories and bulk them up with a side of veg if needed (broccoli/cauliflower is healthy, cheap, filling and great from frozen, for example). Or buy soups - the ultimate ready meal, filling and generally healthy.