The Basics
First, you need a minimum of one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight regardless if you are trying to gain or lose. To gain or lose weight, simply adjust your carbs. I won't elaborate here as I am certain you already know this or can find this info elsewhere on Animalpak articles.
Determine Your Daily Macronutrient Needs! 
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What I like to do is prepare for 2-3 days worth of eating, ahead of time. I will cook 2 big steaks and 12-15 baked chicken breasts or thighs. I will then boil a large amount of rice for my carbs. Sometimes I will mash up a bunch of potatoes.
I leave for work sometimes at 4:30 A.M., so eating a big meal isn't usually on my agenda at this hour. So before I leave work everyday, I take one Animal Pak along with 2 scoops of Universal's LAVA with skim milk.
I am getting around 50 grams of protein right off the bat, along with a day's supply of vitamins and minerals, all this before I have even left my home.
On the way to work, I suck down some coffee to get me ready for the day. Most of us shift workers get 3 breaks a day, or can at least find time to have 3 quick meals on a long shift (you have to make the time). I treat my first break, around 8:00 A.M., as breakfast. I eat 3 hard-boiled eggs, some fruit, and often times bring in whole grain cereal and skim milk (another 40 grams of protein, bringing us up to 90 or so before 9 A.M.).
Now for lunch I can have 2-3 chicken breasts, frozen vegetables, and rice. I like to drink diet soda with my meal. If I am gaining, I will have a dessert here as well, and if not, at least some rice cakes topped with cinnamon and Trans-Plex Sweet-n-Up (another 50 grams of protein here bringing us up to 140).
For afternoon break I usually repeat the lunch meal, or will substitute the chicken for steak (50 more grams-we are up to 190 grams). When I get home, it is time for another meal. This one a bit smaller as it is a pre-workout meal: one chicken breast, lots of rice, and one scoop of skim milk with Universal's Whey for another 50 grams (up to 240 for the day thus far).
After the workout, its time for one more scoop of the whey protein with skim, a small meal of chicken, veggies, and usually a few rice cakes. Or I'll treat myself to a low fat dessert. I watch some TV or relax and drink Crystal Light or diet soda.
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Now the night shift routine is a bit different. I treat my first break on night shifts (8:00 P.M.) as my biggest meal, usually steak, rice, veggies, small low cal desert or fruit and diet soda. The second meal is a chicken and rice meal. Now you have to be careful with the third meal. The human body processes food super slowly past 2-3 am until 6-8am, so even though I'm hungry, this is not the time to eat a huge meal.
I usually have 2 hard-boiled eggs and a granola bar here. I get home around 7:00 A.M. and have a typical breakfast of 3 eggs, whole wheat toast with jam, and either oatmeal or grits. I finish it off with one scoop of LAVA with skim milk.
When I get up, I start my meals all over again. I always make sure I get 250 grams of protein minimum daily, along with 1-2 Animal Paks, 4 scoops of LAVA or Ultra Iso Whey, 10grams each of glutamine and creatine.
Conclusion
With a little planning, this will all become routine for you. You can be a blue collar guy and still get great gains in the gym.
To Reiterate, You Must Follow These Three Steps:
- Plan your meals ahead of time.
- Take the right supplements and have them ready (for example, Animal Paks, whey, creatine and glutamine).
- Plan your sleep times and workouts accordingly.
Working long frequent shifts doesn't have to be a huge obstacle. With the right planning, you can still become an Animal. Semper fi.
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What Does Semper Fi Mean? Always faithful. Abbreviation of Latin [Semper Fidelis]. It is the marine corps slogan. |
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