Lindy – Shiftworker (Paramedic)

I’ve followed years of yo-yo dieting, gained 5kg and tried to lose it then put it back on immediately. I ate huge portions for meals, then didn’t eat all day and existed on hot chips and chocolate brownies. My work uniform was starting to get tighter around the arms and bum area. I was determined that I wasn’t going to go up a uniform size, as that felt like a slippery slope to me. What was to stop me from going up multiple sizes and accepting it as the new norm?

I was addicted to liquorice bullets, nuggets, potato chips and ice cream to get through 12-hour night shifts, caught in a vicious cycle of sugar eating, feeling starving, bingeing, then crashing and bingeing all over again.

I was doing HIIT sessions at the gym but could barely complete a 1hr class; I was exhausted.

Roger has taught me about increasing the amount of protein in my diet and how it helps with satiety. He’s talked about the importance of sleep and how lack of sleep impacts my hunger and feeling full hormones.

We’ve looked at what to eat on night shift, and most importantly, the exact times of when to eat on night shift. This could only come from someone who has worked night shift for decades like Roger has. He has an innate understanding of the challenges of shift work and how to look after yourself while navigating shift work.

Roger implemented four 30 min LISS sessions a week for me. I complete these on my 4 days off, and I’m literally at the gym sitting on a bike with a 65%max heart rate watching Netflix. I don’t have to torture myself with HIIT classes anymore.

No food is off-limits; he’s opened my eyes to a world of different choices with food.

Following Roger’s advice with my eating, sleeping and exercise regime, I am starting to feel like I have more energy. I’m thriving on night shift, not just surviving!