T Nation

Trouble Maintaining Diet and Training with Work

Beginners
#1

I am a warehouse working and peak season is already here and growing. My company is having me work 10 to 11 hours for 5 to 6 days a week. Im on the graveyard shift and I only get two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute break to eat while at work. I try to cram my face in those lil time windows. But I usually end up hungry a half hour later.

I do lift a lot during my work day too. Boxes range from just a couple pounds to 50lbs+ pounds. Lately we’ve been having a problem with Heavy boxes falling off the conveyors. So I have been spending more time lifting 30lbs+ boxes. By the time I get home I am wiped! I have already noticed weight lose, 6lbs. My time working out is usually just one big boy lift with 1 or 2 support lifts. But I usually can only train 2 to 3 times a week.

I am just wondering if anyone has tips to help me out with balancing my diet and training with work. Or if anyone knows of a few small calorie dense meals I can start eating more of. I am just struggling and any advice would be appreciated.

#2

Get a gigantic water bottle. Mix in some whey and a fat source like nut butter with water or milk. Sip on it throughout the day between meal breaks. Though you’ll probably wanna just stick with water if you want it to make it a few hours.

Carb up on something easy like rice cakes. I know whole foods sells some rice cakes that pack like 18g carb per cake. Really easy to put a few of those away.

Get a plan down on paper. Set out how many grams of protein/fat/carbs you want on the day and make yourself a plan and set it all up the night before so you can actually visualize everything you’ll have to put away for the day. Will make it alot less stressful.

Oh and canned salmon, or tuna. Buy yourself a cooler.

Your training sounds just right.

#3

Milk and D-bol.

#4

[quote]Terrax wrote:
Milk and D-bol.[/quote]
Not funny - this is a beginners forum.

#5

fast food…protien rich burgers loaded with calories …skip the fries and cokes

edit : no , Im not kidding

and carry a supply of nuts on you while at work ; every time you get chance , throw a handful in the pie-hole .

#6

[quote]pcdude wrote:

[quote]Terrax wrote:
Milk and D-bol.[/quote]
Not funny - this is a beginners forum.[/quote]
I laughed. Must have been funny. You may be confusing the beginners forum with a kindergarten, Politically Correct Dude.

OP: Cashews are small, dense and tasty. Endorsed by the Mighty Stu to boot!

#7

We can only have water out on the inventory floor. No food or flavored beverage allowed outside of the break room.

I have a two person cooler I take to work with me. But with more temps coming into work I have no place to fit it. I usually fill it up with 2 peanut butter sandwiches, two breast of chicken or a 12 oz steak, 1/2cup of rice or 2-3 serving’s size bowl of pasta drench in butter and evoo, along with a Serious Mass shake and 2 Gatorades.

I try down down most of this food. But I usually only have time for 3/4 of it all. I munch on the rest on the 1 hour drive home.

#8

2 BK double-cheeseburgers…900 calories , 50+ grams protein…5 to 7 minutes

http://www.bk.com/en/us/menu-nutrition/index.html

#9

I work grave yard and by the time I get off all of the 24hr fast food joints are selling breakfast.

I usually hit up a 24hr diner and get a big meal, or make one at home.

I also have 500-800 calories fro breakfast with 80-120 grams of carbs.

Being a really small guy I don’t really have to worry about getting enough protein.

#10

High-protein foods will keep you full for longer, so consider taking stuff like hardboiled eggs and pieces of cheese and cuts of meat with you to eat. Really, eat anything and everything you can until you stop losing weight. You will benefit from a pretty well-rounded diet with a physically intense job with long hours like that.