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A Shiftworker's Holiday Challenge

© Stephen Weistling

The holidays are a season of joy and a time to count blessings. Unfortunately for shiftworkers, the holidays are also a season of adjustments, missed parties, guests in the house, and fatty, gooey foods. This not to say that the holidays only represent additional obstacles to coping with shiftwork. This time of year can be very special for all of us, and some of the same challenges shiftworkers face, we all face. One such challenge is the holiday diet.

It all starts with Thanksgiving, which starts a nonstop consumption party that usually doesn’t end until New Year’s. We North Americans can gain as much as six extra pounds during this time. And if we’re lucky, we will diet and exercise our way back to “normal” by summertime. And if we’re not lucky, well, you know the rest.

For shiftworkers, the story doesn’t get any better. Coupled with aggravations to our circadian system, the ingestion of sugars, fats, and starches exacerbate the problem. Try eating a few donuts on the night shift and see how you feel. The problem isn’t really staying away from holiday food. That’s impossible. The challenge is to participate in the holiday rituals without ruining your weight and your health. And it is possible with tips suggested by the Lean Plate Club (NOT the Clean Plate Club of which I am a charter member).

The Lean Plate Club challenges us to not gain weight through the holidays. With all those temptations, let’s get real. Dieting to lose weight is counter-productive right now. Let’s just see if we can hold the line. Here are some pointers:

1. Start by weighing yourself, at the same time each day, in the same kind of clothing, etc. Don’t worry about what you weigh right now. This is our baseline, and let’s just try not to let it increase. Studies with people who have been successful in losing weight and keeping it off suggest that those who regularly monitor their weight are the most successful. Do this at least once a week, and preferably, daily. Okay, so now we’re off to a good start.

2. Have a goal in terms of calories. A holiday dinner with the trimmings will cost you about a thousand calories – if you don’t go overboard. You can calculate your dinner’s calories at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Website: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut...

3. Keep physically active, at least by walking. In a study to examine everything from stress levels and depression to smoking and physical activity to see how they relate to weight gain, the factor that mattered most was physical activity. So keep moving!

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