Workin' The Night Shift!

As I've mentioned before, DH works shift work and I change with him.  We flip between days and nights (6:30-6:30, either way) with days off in between. It's challenging at times, but not too bad in our situation. (Young, without kids.)

A while back I received an email asking how I deal with the changes. And I'm finally getting around to answering her. :S

To start with, days are 'regular days' and we keep the 'normal' schedule and eating pattern. It's just a LONG day with a 12 hour shift. Nights is where we get tricksy. Instead of having breakfast-lunch-dinner like most people, when we're on nights we do breakfast-dinner-breakfast. Yep! Two breakfasts. The main reason for that is when DH gets home around 7am, we eat and go straight to bed, so we need something lighter.

Also, when we're on nights, DH is typically one dinner behind me. All that means is that if I'm cooking chicken on Monday, he's eating it on Tuesday. So I'm cooking dinner for me and putting some straight into a glass container for him to take to work. (Not crazy about microwaves, but at least I nixed the plastic.)

Being on shift has it's advantages. Living in Ontario, electricity is cheaper at night and on weekends (read: they jacked up the prices for when you actually WANT to use your stuff). So while I don't avoid using my appliances during the day, night shift and weekend shifts are when I do the laundry marathons and get all caught up so I can go back to the FLYlady way of one load a day.

Also, I love the summer heat, but DH... not so much (he likes warm, but not HOT). We don't have air conditioning, but I'm able to have the windows open from 2-6am and cool the house down (when I think of it, of course). I can only do an evening thing, but tend not to go out too much (I do LOVE that my grocery store is open until 10pm, so I can still do groceries on night shift, I just have to do it first after DH goes to work), so I have to do 'everything' on days so that's when I schedule time with my sister and friends and maybe do a little shopping.... But not every 'day'. :D

So anyway, thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!!

Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.com

Have great day!

Valerie :D

Losing It With Leanne Challenge Day 9

January 20, 2011

Man, flipping your sleep schedule around not only messes with your sleep, but with your eating, too! I followed the plan, but I missed one snack. But that was because I went to bed too early ;) No worries. I'm doing well.

Made SouthWestern Crock Meatloaf. It was easy and delicious.

Went on the wii, still losing more, so that means it wasn't just a fluctuation. - When you don't go on around the same time of day, the wii fit tells you that your weight actually fluctuates up to 1kg (2.2 pounds) in a day due to various bodily processes... But! Anyway, two downs, means it wasn't just a random fluctuation, it's REAL :D

I tried some different routines to change it up a bit. Instead of playing my circuit of games, I did the posture, tummy, and figure routines that were already programmed in to target those muscles. Each was two yoga moves and a game as opposed to mostly all games like I had been doing. I still have my wii fit goal set at a 115 calorie flan per day. And I've been hitting it each time.

Going to be out all day tomorrow, I'll let you know how that turns out. :D

So anyway, thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!!

Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.com

Have great day!

Valerie :D

Losing It With Leanne Challenge Day 7 - Weigh In

January 18, 2011

OK! A whole week on the Losing it with Leanne plan, and I'm loving it! I feel good physically, I feel good about what I'm eating, I'm not hungry, and I don't have to think very hard when it comes time to eat! That can be a problem you know, you're a little hungry, you want a snack, you're looking in the pantry and the fridge, nothing looks good unless it's bad for you.... Well, LWL definitely solves that problem!

Weigh in! OK at the end of the day I quick went on the wii just to weigh (more shoveling, so I didn't need to exercise). And I'm down 0.6 of a kg (1 1/3 pounds) and my BMI is down to 26.96 from 27.18. Making progress, that's not too bad for a week. They say it's healthy to lose 1-2 pounds a week, so I'm happy with this. Plus, I'm really at a good place to start with, and I was eating good food mostly (with a few too many treats thrown in... but it was Christmas not that long ago). It's not like I was eating horribly and then lost 5 pounds of water-weight. That's different.

Eating was weird today. Since we're switching back to days, but are totally wiped from 12 hour shifts, we slept in and went to bed early, so I only had breakfast and lunch and two snacks, no supper and no third snack. But that's fine, I was awake for less time and not hungry. But I did drink my water very well! At the end of the day we were watching tv and every time the episode finished, I was getting up to go to the bathroom and re-fill my water bottle. :D

So anyway, thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!!

Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.com

Have great day!

Valerie :D