Working night shift can be challenging when trying to implement and practice healthy eating habits. There is always the temptation to snack, on top of the constant battle between sleeping and eating at the appropriate time, along with finding that extra time to squeeze in exercising. Going through the 12-week Transformation Program was a life changing experience for me. As a newcomer to IMAGO, I was hesitant to do the Transformation Program since I work the night shift. I remember feeling limited because of my odd work hours. As a result, I always thought I was at a disadvantage to diet or work out. To my surprise, I found a lot of benefits in my favor with my work schedule. The meal plan was customized to accommodate my odd work hours. It was definitely not easy, but with the help of Coach and the IMAGO staff, I was able to achieve nutritional and physical success.

Here is how it worked for me:

1. FASTED CARDIO IN THE AFTERNOON:

For most people, their mornings start between 7am-9pm. However, my mornings begin anywhere from 1pm-3pm, so getting my fasted cardio done as soon as I woke up and before work was actually a piece of cake!

2. MEAL PREP:

Like most people in the Transformation Program, I always meal prepped ahead of time. I cannot stress how much this benefited me as it saved a lot of time especially on my 12-hour work days. When you plan ahead, all you have to do is heat up your food when you wake up or before you leave for work. One thing I invested in was a Pressure Cooker! It gave me the option to cook frozen food when I was really pressed for time or the option to slow cook some of my meals when I got home from work which was nice and ready by the time I woke up!

3. MEAL SCHEDULE:

Sticking to a meal schedule helped tremendously with controlling my hunger. I'm a snacker… a late night snacker at that!!! Having my meals prepped at work prevented me from giving into temptation of unhealthy snacking. I have a work schedule that does not allow me to take breaks at a scheduled time. So my meal schedule was not always perfect. One thing that helped was I always made sure to eat a meal before I left for work or right before my shift started.

4. FLEXIBILITY:

The best part of working three 12-hour shifts a week is having four days off. This meant more time for working out, grocery shopping, meal prepping, and recovery.

The way I choose to juggle my schedule may not be the best fit for everyone who works nights. But I was able to make this work for me. The most important thing I took away from the Transformation Program was my schedule did not limit me in any way. All things are possible! Know that if you can find a way to make it work, you can make that change and be on your way to a healthier life.