Weight gain is one of the most common complaints that I hear from shift workers every single day. And unfortunately when the weight stacks on and the clothes get tighter, depression usually sets in.

So what can a shift worker do to beat the battle of the bulge?

Well it’s all about introducing an effective eating plan that is conducive to working crazy and irregular hours.

And let’s be honest here – this can be a really hard thing to do.

But at the end of the day, you and only you, have complete control of what does and does not go inside your mouth. So if you’re not happy with your weight right now, the good news is that you do have the power to change it.

You see if you’re doing the same things over and over again, yet expecting different results, then you’re only setting yourself up for disappointment.

You have to be willing to change what you’re doing right now, in order to lose the weight, and beat the battle of the bulge.

The food that you’re putting in your mouth is a vital part of any successful weight loss plan. The old saying ‘We are what we eat’ is very true but unfortunately for most people, the simple truth is that we are eating all the wrong types of foods.

And in many cases, we’re also eating too much of the wrong foods.

So first and foremost I want you to start eliminating processed foods from your diet – no excuses. Take a look in your pantry and refrigerator and if it’s full of food that is packaged in some type of box, jar or container, then it has gone through some sort of processing. And the more food undergoes processing, the fewer nutrients it contains.

Now as shift workers, good nutrition is vital because we are pushing our bodies to do exactly the opposite to what it should be doing and that is being awake when we should be asleep, and being asleep when we should be awake. Oh joy!

But when you give your body optimum nutrition, it has an amazing ability to heal itself and this includes shedding any excess weight.

What I also recommend you do is find someone you can trust and who is knowledgeable about weight loss and diet, and work with them. I personally recommend you have a chat to a well respected doctor who specialises in Nutritional Medicine – that way you can almost guarantee that he or she will be able to ensure you get the right nutrition specific to your needs.

Any money you spend will be an investment in your health and your future. The truth is that it will actually save you a fortune down the track, so please don’t be cheap when it comes to your health.

Most people end up saving a fortune by switching away from processed foods, so that’s got to be a good enough reason and motivation to stop eating them!

Sleep deprivation is no doubt one of the hardest things about being a shift worker. Trying to catch up on lack of sleep can certainly be a very difficult thing to do. In fact let’s not kid ourselves here, it can be darn right impossible on some days!

And this is definitely the case if you work long hours, work a lot of early shifts in a row, or heaven for bid – work the notorious night shift.

So for today’s tip, I’ve decided to include 5 things that you absolutely must avoid 3 hours before bedtime if you are serious about wanting to get a good night’s sleep – no matter what time of the day or night that may be for you!

1. Eating - people are 7 times more likely to experience heartburn if they go to bed within 3 hours of eating, and you really don’t want to be going to bed on a full stomach.

2. Sugar and Caffeine – both keep you awake so avoiding these is a must.

3. Alcohol – Can actually help put you to sleep however it does disturb your sleep pattern. So the sleep that you do end up getting, won’t be the restorative, refreshing sleep that shift workers desperately need.

4. Drinking any liquid – can wake you up from your sleep. You want to avoid having to get up to go to the bathroom whilst you’re trying to sleep.

5. Strenuous exercise – Your body temperature needs to be low in order for you to be able to sleep. And it can certainly take quite a few hours for your body temperature to drop if you’ve had a hard workout at the gym.

So the next time you’re struggling to get to sleep, take a look and see if you’re guilty of doing any of the things above. If so, then now might be time to start changing some of your habits for the sake of your sleep and definitely your health!