NIGHT NURSES: What's your secret?

MsEndomorph

Bump!

I don't have any tips, but I could sure use some!

gtpjamie1

Thanks for your words of encouragement! It's always nice to see how someone else manages working nights and staying within their calorie goal. I'm glad to see MFP has really turned up your weight loss goal! I'm excited to start using this app again, because I know it works and keeps me accountable.

gtpjamie1

When others join you it does make it easier! What shake do you use?

gigi_RN2013

^^ Bump for later

I just graduated from Nursing school and need this information once I get a job LOL

gtpjamie1

Thanks! I'm trying not to look at it as a diet but I need to be accountable thats for sure! I am looking to lose about 40 pounds too and it seems so far away. Its always nice to hear from someone standing on the other side. Congrats to you on your weight loss!

Sparlingo

Bump for when I'm on a proper computer, but I'm a nurse in Emerg and about half of my 12 hr shifts are nights. I thought I'd stop losing for sure when I returned to work after my mat leave and couldn't go to the gym 5x a week anymore. But I've lost 6 lbs in this last month. I have a strategy, I'll post it later .

gtpjamie1

Love my coffee could never give it up! I have been using flavored creamers too since I started the night shift, where I used to just use milk. I know it can be done! I just have to put one foot in front of the other and start saying "NO" when people bring in all the garbage for us to snack on. THANKS!

gtpjamie1

THANKS! Good tip. Fill up on your own healthy foods first and leave no room for all the sweets and carbs. I am going to use all this good info.

KANGOOJUMPS

WHISKEY.

cinrn68

I'm a nurse as well, and I work 12-hour shifts, rotation. Whether I work days or nights, I bring all my food with me and only eat what I bring aside from 1 coffee on my dayshift morning coffee break. At night, I eat my big meal around 10 pm and then have a protein bar around 3 a.m. This gets me through the night until I get home when I have a good breakfast before I go to sleep for the day. When I wake up, I have breakfast again LOL (around 5 p.m.) before I go back to work. This is what works for me. As for exercise, I try to schedule my "off" days when I'm on night 2 or 3 of my 3-night stretch because I don't ever seem to have the time or energy to get in anything when I'm working nights. It's not "easy", it takes lots of planning, but it IS doable!! Good luck!

Oh, and I don't give in to any of the temptations when people bring in sweets/chips/junk. That's just too easy to consume tons of unnecessary calories. I did it for years, which is why I'm here now!! LOL When there's something that I think I may want to have, I ask myself if it will really benefit me to have it. Then I wait a good 15 minutes, go drink a ton of water, and by then I'm usually so busy doing something else that I don't bother!! LOL

psychRN83

I have been a night shift psych nurse for seven years. I started out as a LPN and am now a RN house supervisor working Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 12 hours 7p-7a. I am going to school for my masters during the week. What I have learned those seven years about eating during night shift...eating a lot of heavy carbs makes you slow, heavy, and tired!! Now every night I pack protein shakes, cheese sticks, greek yogurt, and fruit like grapes and oranges. I eat light throughout the 12 hours and carry water with me when I travel to to the three units I am in charge of. One nurse I work with brings a gallon of water and trys to finish it before he leaves. I avoid buying in for pizza most nights. I will buy pizza for my staff once in awhile because they enjoy it and most of the mental health techs are young college kids so it feels nice doing something for them:-)

tfire77

Bump

dcmitchell01

Hi! I worked nights for years, but when I finished grad school was able to move to a day shift job (I'm a nurse practitioner). Congrats on graduation, and plans for school! I'm in the DNP program now, and know how hard work, school, and a family can be to juggle.

So I agree, when I worked nights in the ICU, I needed to eat for sure, and yes, someone was order in either pizza or Chinese food every night. Pack your lunch, a little planning goes a long way. My diet is not super clean now, I'm doing nutrition bars as a meal replacement for breakfast. If you are OK with things like that, I highly recommend the Life Choice Wellness bars. I found them at Wal-Mart, and the Fudge Graham (15g Protein) and the Dark Chocolate (15g protein) are actually quite tasty (only flavors I have tried), and a box of 6 are $3.47 instead of like $6 for a box. Yes, a fair amount of carbs, but they have a little fiber too.

danibodani

I am currently in Nursing school so this thread is a super interesting read and will be invaluable in the future. I can't life, it does scare me somewhat... I am definitely not a night owl.

psychRN83

Night shift scared me when I first started nursing but once I got used to it I found out that I liked working 12 hour nights rather than days. It is less hectic on night shift at many places of employment although we do hit our rough patches as well. The downside is most places have less staff on night shift depending on where you work. All in all, being a nurse was the best decision I made after getting out of the military, night shift included:-)

danibodani

Night shift scared me when I first started nursing but once I got used to it I found out that I liked working 12 hour nights rather than days. It is less hectic on night shift at many places of employment although we do hit our rough patches as well. The downside is most places have less staff on night shift depending on where you work. All in all, being a nurse was the best decision I made after getting out of the military, night shift included:-)

hehe I have found this on my evening clinical placement. It is sooooo much quieter than on days. I am so excited to graduate and make a difference in peoples lives.

williamlilly66

I wish I had known a secret, 11 years of night shift and added approx 120#. I worked in a pizza manufacturing plant and free pizza was always available in the break room-what a perk, now I really can't stand store bought pizza. I really didn't pay much attn as it came on slowly, but now I am VERY aware of my failing. Started new day shift job, much more active, going to the gym with my better half. Time to take back my health.

gtpjamie1

Hi! I worked nights for years, but when I finished grad school was able to move to a day shift job (I'm a nurse practitioner). Congrats on graduation, and plans for school! I'm in the DNP program now, and know how hard work, school, and a family can be to juggle.

So I agree, when I worked nights in the ICU, I needed to eat for sure, and yes, someone was order in either pizza or Chinese food every night. Pack your lunch, a little planning goes a long way. My diet is not super clean now, I'm doing nutrition bars as a meal replacement for breakfast. If you are OK with things like that, I highly recommend the Life Choice Wellness bars. I found them at Wal-Mart, and the Fudge Graham (15g Protein) and the Dark Chocolate (15g protein) are actually quite tasty (only flavors I have tried), and a box of 6 are $3.47 instead of like $6 for a box. Yes, a fair amount of carbs, but they have a little fiber too.

Thanks! I am also going into the grad nurse practitioner program so I have 2 more years of a crazy schedule!! All this helped me so much and the inside on the protein bars helps too. I always stand there in the store staring at the billions of options and have no idea what to buy. So thanks. Feel free to friend me

kar328

How'd I miss this thread when it started?

I'm a 7P-7A nurse. Three shifts a week, sometimes three in a row like this weekend (weekend differential $$). I've been doing MFP since January.

I changed my food diary to read Midnight to 6 AM, 6AM to Noon, Noon to 6 PM, 6 PM to midnight. I log on the appropriate 24 hour midnight to midnight day keeping with MFP. Like right now it's just after midnight, so I'm starting fresh.

At home before I leave for work, I eat a regular dinner - I work in a crazy delivery room and sometimes you can have shifts where you can't even get to your food, so I make sure I've eaten something. I also make sure I have at least 8 glasses of water before I go to work, then anything I do here is extra credit - it's hard to drink water and suddenly be stuck in a delivery or the OR and really have to pee. I usually have some calories left for a protein bar, and a couple of cheese sticks. I used to not eat before my meal - ideally somewhere between 1-3AM, but realized this wasn't a good idea. I've found prelogging all this helps me see what's still available. I eat something for whatever you want to call this meal after midnight, and then have something light before I go to bed in the morning. If I'm off the next night, I get up at 1 or so and eat lunch, then try to be normal for the rest of the day. If I'm working, I get up at 4 and make a real dinner before going to work.

It's definitely hard. I used to use the cafeteria but the limited night menu is pretty much all fried and even with the employee discount, it's overpriced. I had started bringing food before the weight loss thing. We have a 24 hour Starbucks and I am proud to say I haven't been in it since February. I drink coffee on the way to work and try to keep it to one large cup per day. Saves money and calories. Nurses are notorious for food and parties for all occasions, so I just try and take really small portions of things I can log and do the best I can.

Gotta go close out last night's diary and start drinking water for today.

AfricaLatina

Bump