Weight gain diet plan for Indian night shift workers

Working in a night shift isn’t an easy thing to do. Our body is so designed that it sleeps during the night and stays awake during the day. However, a person working in a night shift goes against this law of nature. He works during the night and sleeps during the day. We have observed that after a while some night shift doers gain weight due to stress and mismanagement of biological clock , while most of them start losing weight. Hence we have designed this Weight gain diet plan for Indian night shift workers. Due to the hustle-bustle that goes on during the day and the day light, many a times, a night shift worker is unable to get a sound and sufficient amount of sleep which further contributes to weight issues . Read on to know about, How to gain weight while working in Night shifts.

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How does working in shifts affect your health?

• As stated earlier, the first and foremost effect of working in shifts is lack of sleep. It is very common to see a night shift worker with dark circles, puffy eyes and a fatigued body.

• Another very serious effect of working in a night shift can be emotional Aloofness or feeling of being ignored and lonely. Although this may not be a case with all, but definitely affects the life of some night shifters. The feeling of being alone and left out can set in because of not being able to spend time with friends and family. A little time management can help you overcome this problem.

• Night shift workers are more likely to suffer from cancer of various types, such as prostate cancer and breast cancer. Research has shown that shift workers are also at a higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

• Most night shift workers suffer from various gastrointestinal problems such as constipation, diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome. This can happen due to two reasons. Firstly erratic meal timings and skipping meals can upset the stomach. The second reason is snacking unnecessarily. When you’re awake at night, you’re bound to feel hungry. The body would not like to eat a proper meal in the middle of the night and you end up eating chips, biscuits and other junk foods.

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• Eating at incorrect time and eating incorrect foods also increases the chances of acidity and heartburn. Blood sugar levels may fluctuate and this puts night shift workers at a higher risk of diabetes.

• Due to a disturbed biological clock, a lot of hormonal imbalances also occur in body. This can lead to thyroid and other disorders of the endocrine system. Women experience problems in their monthly menstrual cycle and may also face fertility issues.

Effect of Night Shift on your diet

Before we see the Weight gain diet plan for Indian night shift workers, it is important to know  the effects night shift on your diet schedule.

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While working in shifts, a person is unable to eat proper meals. Night shift workers sleep during the day. Hence they may not eat as many meals as another person would do during the day. Hence many of them who work in night shifts lose a lot of weight and become undernourished. The body is deprived of nutritious food and is not given food at the appropriate time. Eventually the situation gets worse and you feel very weak. It becomes impossible to concentrate on work and the sick leaves start increasing. Before the problem goes out of control, you need to look for a solution and get back to work. so here is your Life saver Weight gain diet plan for Indian night shift workers.

Tips on Healthy Eating during Night shifts

It might not be possible to get your shift changed and even tougher to get a new job but it isn’t actually difficult to take care of your health and gain some weight. Just calculate your current dietary requirement and consume at least 500 calories more than that per day. The only thing you need to ensure is that you eat healthy foods. If you eat junk, your weight will increase by leaps and bounds and it will bring lots of unwanted health problems along with it. Keep your caffeine intake to the minimum, since it causes acidity.

Although it isn’t easy to get in to this routine but it is better if you eat your meals at the proper time during the day. Do not skip any meal. If you work all night and reach home early in the morning, do not go to sleep on an empty stomach. Have a glass of milk and then sleep soundly. Try to get a good amount of sleep. Talk to your family members and make it very clear that you don’t want to be disturbed till a certain time. If you get about 6 hours of undisturbed sleep, it is good enough. Of course, you won’t mind another 2-3 hours but 6 hours is the minimum you should get on an average day.

Weight gain diet plan for Indian night shift workers

Here is a detailed Weight gain diet plan for Indian night shift workers

Food Item	Amount	Calories (kcal)	Protein (g)
Dinner  7.00 – 8.00 pm
Chapati	2 medium with ghee	200	3
Veg (potato/ cauliflower/ ladyfinger / bottlegourd/ ridgegourd/ brinjal etc)	2 cups	150	1
Dal / legumes (soyabean / moth/ mung etc) / chicken or fish curry	1 cup	150 / 200	5 / 9
Rice / biryani / pulav (veg / non veg)	1 cup	150	2
Mix veg salad	1 bowl	30	–
10.00 Pm
Tea / Coffee / Milk	1 cup	25	–
with
Oats Biscuit	2	56	2
01.00 am
Groundnut chikki / Dry Fruit chikki	3- 4 pieces	150	8
Or
Roasted soyabean / Almonds /boiled egg whites (2 eggs)	handful	150	7
or
Lassi	1 glass	150	6
3.30 – 4.00 am
Milk	1 cup	100	3
Roasted channa / soyabean	1  small cup	100	6
5.30 – 6.00 am
Skimmed milk (you can add protein powder )	1 glass	150	4
Museli with almonds	1.5 Tbs	150	6
Apple / Orange	1	45	–
11.30 – 12.30 pm
(Lunch same as dinner )		730	15
3.00 pm
Milk  (you can add protein powder )	1 glass	105	4
wheat rusks	2 medium size	120	6
5.00 Pm
egg white omelet	4 eggs	160	16
Brown bread Toast	3	90	6
Fruits	1  bowl	40	–
Total		2751 kcal	91 g

Weight Gain Diet Tips for Night Shift Workers

Weight gain is easy but it should not be very fast. You need to gain weight slowly and gradually and you must exercise for some time so that you do not become obese in the process of gaining weight.

Here are some foods and food groups that you must include in your diet:

• Dry Fruits – Dry fruits are full of nutrients and contain lots of calories. Since they don’t go bad so soon, you can easily keep a jar in office and eat them at night when you feel hungry. This is one of the healthiest snacks you can have. Not only are they delicious; they give you a lot of energy so that you feel refreshed while burning the midnight oil. You really don’t need to depend upon those coffee cups.

• Healthy Fats – Try and consume foods that contain healthy fats. For instance you can consume some chia seeds or flax seeds. They are loaded with fiber and omega-3 fatty acids and they contain lots of fats but they are extremely healthy and keep your cholesterol under control. No need to shy away from chocolate. You can consume some dark chocolate while working at night. It contains healthy fats along with various other nutrients and helps to keep you rejuvenated and alert. Avocados and coconuts are very rich in fats and you can include them in your diet to gain weight fast.

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• Healthy proteins – Include as many healthy proteins in your diet as you can, since proteins help in building muscles. Eggs, fish, chicken, soya bean, tofu, oats, peas and beans are good source of proteins and you can easily incorporate them in your diet.

• Full cream milk and other dairy products – Consume all sorts of dairy products such as full fat milk, full fat yoghurt, cheese, butter and ghee. Not only are these high on fats; they are healthy when taken in moderate quantity. A banana shake can make a great start for a day and is apt to gain weight. When you can’t think of anything to eat at night, just grab a slice of cheese.

Since each individual has a different body and metabolism, each person may not gain the same amount of weight in the same duration. Some people gain fast while others take time to gain weight but do not give up and do not stray away from healthy foods. If you continue to eat healthy foods, you will definitely benefit in the long run. Hope this Weight gain diet plan for Indian night shift workers be of help to you . All the best ! If you have any questions or confusions, please feel free to leave  it in the comments section and we will try to help you out with the solution.