Long work day question.

I'll be going back to wok hopefully within 30 days after my surgery(Teaching Assistant). I have very long work days.(7:45- 6:30 back home) I work 2 jobs and can't really afford to quit the 2nd (no weekends). I may cut back to 3 days per wee****il I get the swing of my body changes. My question is.. what are some of your work schedules like and how do you pack your days meals. Do you keep a lot at work or do you bring most things daily? Once cleared for the gym I will be doing mornings and evenings after work. How does a late day work out for you if you  have one? Any tips will gladly be accepted. My weekends are free so those aren't a problem.

I was wondering the same thing. I work 12 hr shifts as a respiratory therapist.

When I worked in an office with a normal refrigerator, I kept tubs of cottage cheese, yogurt, shakes, etc there and just kept plastic bowls/silverware. Now that I only have a litle fridge that I have to share, I bring my lunch every day. 

Depending on how long i plan to work, sometimes i pack 3 meals a day lol. I bought little 1 cup tupperware things so I can fit maybe 3 of them in my cooler plus some other snacks. I keep my shakes at work and just pop them in the fridge every day.

I do a protein shake on the way to work, yogurt w/protein powder snack, Deli turkey or tuna salad and veggies for lunch and some LF stringcheese for afternoon snack.  It all fits in  a small thermal lunch bag.  I leave for work at 6:45 AM and wor****il 6 pm and get home by 7pm.  That seems like enough food for the day.  I add 1/2 chicken breast and more veggies if I need to work a longer shift.  I bring everything daily.  I get the food ready for the next day ready while dinner is heating up.  I usually cook on weekends and freeze correct sized meals.  Every night I take something out for the next day.  I cook 10-12 portions of each meal for variety in the freezer.   I work 4 days/week.  It's almost easier on workdays because I know I can only eat what is in the bag!  And I know how much protein I'm getting without working too hard at tracking.

At work I live on ready to drink shakes (I like the EAS Carbadvantage) and boiled eggs.  Not very imaginative, but easy to eat & keep around.  You can also keep the prepackaged string cheese, as it doesn't require refrigeration.  I find that having my shakes and eggs makes eating easy, and I am less tempted by the cafeteria offerings.  I also keep my vitamins at work, as I never remember to take them before I leave the house.  I can't offer any experience with exercise, as I have not managed to get into that habit during the work week.  Thus, I try to make a special effort on weekends, though this is not my strong suite.

I pack my meals for the day plus extra snacks of string cheese and deli meats for those times when I am not able to get home in time, I also add crystal light packets and 12 oz water bottles (the baby bottles just so I have water.  I work at 4:45 am til 1pm so I have to have everything I need for the day in my cooler lunchbag, I put in the fridge at work but it can't stay overnight so I just pack it at night and take it with me in the morning.

I work 12.5 hour shifts and go to the gym afterwards 3-4 days per week and get plenty of protein without an issue. I pack a protein shake (either 17gm or 30gm depending on the type of workout I'm planning and what else I packed to eat during the day) to have after the gym, an eggwhite and LF string cheese omlette for breakfast (20gm) cooked the night before, a tupperware with 3oz fish (18-22gm) and some veggies or a boiled egg and two cheese sticks (20gm), some pepitas or roasted edamame to munch on if I get hungry (9-13gm), a Babybel Light cheese round (6gm), maybe some cut up peppers or cucumbers, and two jugs of water with lemon or flavoring. I usually don't eat all of it and end up coming home with a boiled egg or cheese leftover to bring for the following day.

It stays cold all day in the insullated bag with those blue freezie ice squares.