Night Shift Nurse needs help!!

fitfunnybug

Hi there! I am trying MFP again after trying and quitting about a year ago. My biggest challenges: No accountability last year, full time night nurse, age 44, mother of 3 young girls ages 3, 4 and 11, starting grad school online this fall. I've gained an additional 6 pounds in the past year to bring me to 154 pounds. Not great for a 5 foot tall girl. I am really starting to feel the weight, the shifts and the age!! Looking for help with success tips on strategies for night shift as eating patterns are so erratic and my current exercise regimen non existent. When do you eat? When do you exercise? I work at least three 12 hour shifts per week and am looking for buddies willing to keep me accountable. Thank you so much!

mystgrl1604

Hiya! I work rotating hospital shifts as a nurse as well, and struggle so much with night shift eating! I've just started my weight loss journey (got 100+lbs to lose!) and have found the following helps:

~I go midnight to midnight when im tracking my food. It doesnt matter what meal you put it in as long as it's in. Track track track!

~I will eat before going to work, middle of shift, and grab something on the way home. It doesnt matter if it's day or night. Always have protein-rich snacks on hand to keep you going in between "meals".

~i go to the gym before my first night shift and after my last shift, if they're all together. If not, i'll just go before and after a shift. I treat my days/nights at work as my gym rest days. So like this week, i had to work thurs/fri night, i went to the gym thursday afternoon and saturday evening after i've had some sleep. And it's gym day every day off. Of course, i dont have ang kids to take care of, so that's something else you have to take into account.

Morganlily96

Hey I'm not a nurse so my job isn't as hectic but I do work nights! 4 nights a week. I wake up at about 3/4, could wake up earlier but I have an underactive thyroid which makes me so tired all the time. I have bowl of cereal or wholegrain toast with some fruit when I wake up, go to the gym for about an hour/ hour & 30 mins depending on the time but I find even a 30/45 min workout is still sufficient! I then have 'lunch' before I leave for work at about 7:30pm, which consists of wholegrain pasta/rice, quinoa or cous cous as the carbs for energy, protein in the form of lean meat with a low fat & low sugar sauce and lots of salad or veg, if I fancy something sugary I have a soya yoghurt, fruit or some light popcorn. I then have a 15 min break at 12am and i have another meal similar to my lunch but a little smaller as I don't have much of a break, at 3am I then have another break where I'm not too hungry so I usually have a low fat yoghurt, fruit, salad, nuts or light popcorn. I get home at about 6:30 when I'm usually too tired to eat but if I am hungry I'd have something warm like porridge or some more cereal as I go to sleep soon after so is not too heavy on my stomach.

Morganlily96

If I don't really get time for the gym I just go on YouTube and find a workout on there and do it in my living room or garden, if it's warm enough.

I'm also at university so I know how hard it is to keep healthy whilst studying. I know that when studying you get bored, I recommend healthy snacks like fruit, nuts etc and when you need a break from revising go for a 15 minute power walk.

You sound amazing and if you can achieve all that you can achieve your fitness goal!!

fitfunnybug

Wow! Thank you so much for those great tips! The food ideas are particularly helpful including the times that you eat. Any night shift work is challenging in my book, healthcare or otherwise! I have a bit of time before my classes begin this September so I hope to be in a good routine by then. Going to study for my midwifery degree as I have been a labor and delivery nurse for a while. Thanks for your encouragement! Hope to add you as a buddy for accountability. Cheers!

fitfunnybug

Mystgrl1604 - thank you for your shift ideas! I particularly love how you plan your workout times. I also USUALLY try to do my shifts 3 in a row but it doesn't always work out. I think you have given me some great tips and I am looking forward to incorporating them. The midnight to midnight tracking makes a lot of sense as well. I will really focus on tracking on shift...grabbing quick calorie rich foods are way too easy when you are getting tired.

mystgrl1604

fitfunnybug wrote: »

Mystgrl1604 - thank you for your shift ideas! I particularly love how you plan your workout times. I also USUALLY try to do my shifts 3 in a row but it doesn't always work out. I think you have given me some great tips and I am looking forward to incorporating them. The midnight to midnight tracking makes a lot of sense as well. I will really focus on tracking on shift...grabbing quick calorie rich foods are way too easy when you are getting tired.

Haha no problem! I had to go through a whole lot of trial and error before finding something that suited me, so hopefully you'll be able to find something that works for you too. And I so agree regarding the high calorie foods during a night shift, sometimes it's the only thing keeping you awake! I've tried working out everyday before, even on the days im working, but I think you'll agree with me that you're usually so tired to even think about going to the gym after a shift. Working out on my days off usually leaves me with 3-4 gym days a week, which is not that much as compared to people working out 6 days a week and getting some amazing progress. But I'll get what I can and I walk around 7-9miles per shift anyway. Lol! Sometimes I wonder why im not losing weight as fast as I should but then I'm still trying to revv my metabolism up after a lifetime of bad habits.

Good luck with your weight loss journey!!