Working shift work is hard – no question. But if you’re working shift work and trying to lose weight, then it can be even harder.

Because not only do shift workers have to work crazy hours, they also have to eat at irregular times as well.

And considering our digestive systems slow right down during the night when we should be sleeping - weight gain amongst shift workers is certainly a common place.

You’re also more likely to eat high processed, sugary foods, along with a vast array of high-caffeinated energy drinks to help keep you awake.

So how can you break away from this bad eating cycle?

Well it’s about taking responsibility for your health and being aware of the toxic food that you are putting into your mouth every single day.

You cannot expect to feel vibrant and healthy if you’re continually feeding your body processed foods . They cause havoc on your digestive system not only causing you to gain weight, but they also make you feel even more tired and lethargic than you already are.

But if your diet consists of whole foods – that is, foods that have undergone little on no processing, then your body will eventually discard the excess weight. You see weight loss is actually quite easy – if you stop eating junk.

It really is that simple.

So you may not have complete control over when you eat, but you certainly have complete control over what you eat.

It’s time to give up the soft drinks, crisps, lollies and fries. It’s not about depriving yourself of these foods – it’s about replacing them with good healthy food that will not only energize you – but keep the scales under control as well.

Now if you’re in search of some handy shift work diet tips then I’m certainly not surprised. Because quite frankly when you work irregular hours it can be very hard to find the time and energy to maintain a healthy diet regime.

And I have to say, this became increasingly evident to me as I conducted a training session at work the other day.

You see as staff arrived into the classroom, I was horrified to see a few finishing off their hamburgers, donuts and soft drinks.

And when I questioned the ‘donut eater’, her response was “I’ve been up since 2:30am – I need some sustenance!”

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but donuts and sustenance really don’t go together in the same sentence. In fact if you look on the back of most donut packets instead of listing the ingredients they call it ‘Nutritional Information’.

Now I can’t see any nutrition in something that contains a lot of trans fats and sugar.

These types of food only sap your energy levels because they have undergone so much human intervention, that your poor body has no idea how to digest it.

So if you’re looking for some shift work diet tips, then just apply the following:

1. Avoid processed food as much as possible.

2. Eat raw foods as much as possible.

3. Everything in moderation.

By just incorporating the above 3 things into your shift work diet, not only will the weight fall off but your energy levles will begin to skyrocket too. Because despite what you may think, hamburgers, donuts and soft drinks are definitely not your best friend.