Official Nightshift thread!!!

leanmass24

So I created this for all the night shift people to come hang out and talk about whatever is on your mind. Doesn't have to specifically about weight loss. If you need some help with something, just ask. I am sure that someone will have an answer for you.

BlueLikeJazz

Hey, cool idea on starting the night-shift thread. I just started work at 10 PM, am here 'til 7 AM. I work at a residential facility for developmentally disabled men, and I'm basically here to make sure no one comes or leaves and to take care of the guys in an emergency. There's not much I actually have to DO at night, so I feel blessed to have this position because it allows me to go to school!

Lately I've been wondering if this shift and my whacked-out eating/sleeping schedule is affecting my weight-loss, though. Or maybe I'm just hitting a plateau, we'll see. I feel like my schedule is probably even a bit weirder than the average person on the night-shift because I'm allowed to sleep during my shift. I usually only sleep about 4-5 hours during my shift because I do have to get one of the residents up to go to the bathroom at midnight or later and I don't like to fall asleep before then because it's hard to get back up once you're sleeping. So after that, I usually eat something and fall asleep between 1-2 then wake up around 6 to get residents up for the day. At 7 I go home, do schoolwork 'til noon (I only have online classes right now), eat, then go to bed for 2-3 hours.

I think I may need to try something different because I think not getting a full 8 hours at once is kinda screwing with my head. By the end of the week I'm usually just so ready for a break, and often that "break" includes from my diet. I am trying to adopt healthy eating as a lifestyle, but 1200 calories really gets old. It'll be so nice once I can maintain at 1700 again :happy: Unfortunately I still have 70 lbs. to go before that happens.

Anyways, I guess this is just late-night blathering now! Just nice to know (from reading the other night shift thread) that there are others who can relate.

LastFighter

I do the same thing as you jazz, however I have to be awake all shift.

I wish I would work out here with all the spare time I just end of playing video games. Being here bymyself makes it easy to stick to a decent diet.

leanmass24

Yeah I don't think that night shift is good for your body but we all gotta pay bills

leanmass24

I really wish that could sleep at work... That would be my dream job...lol I have to stay awake drive around a few times..do medical assistance if someone needs it. Answer the main phone line. Sweep, mop take out trash and wash the vans everynight. Not sure what my job title is anymore... Security/ EMT/ secretary/ maid.... And whatever other duties they decide to throw on night shft for the day. I was issuing scale tickets for a long time, that just recently got to be part of the actual scalehouse operators job recently.

Anyway enough of my rant... Where are all of the night shift people tonight I know y'all are out there.

mysi019

Thanks for doing a night shift thread, i too work mids with 2 afternoons thrown in a week also. Gets my body all confused especially every monday when i work 7pm-7am and then have to be back at 3pm on tues. No time to work out and most of the time i am running through a dirve through for food. Though my boyfriend is trying to make a habit of having something for me when i get up or i run to subway instead. Its hard on midnights, i dont know about the rest of you. But i have a boyfriend who i love with who works days so i usually tend on my days off to follow his schedule. I dont think my body knows whats going on half the time.

mysi019

i ment to write live with not love, but i do love him LOL

truecaligirl

Well I'm a night shift person too. I work from 6pm to 6am. The one good thing about my job is that we have treadmills and get to exercise during our breaks. So I get to earn some extra cals. Just until recently it was soooo much easier to go in the kitchen and sit there for all my breaks and lunch hour and just eat. I had been trying to gain will power for the past 6 months to start eating right and exercising but I just couldn't. I even contemplated having either the lap band or gastric bypass but it just didn't make sense cause I don't have any health issues other than being over weight. And even If I did get the surgery I would still have to learn to eat right but now with possibly other health issues due to side effects from the surgery. So I chickened out and decided to eat right and exercise. And here I am, reading success story after success story to keep myself motivated.

MamaRandall

I work the night shift and have for a year now. At first I thought it was going to be great money wise, because we won't have to pay day care for the kids, but it is SO exhausting. I think the biggest reason I can't lose weight is because I can't sleep to recover. I work out very hard but my sleep schedule sucks! And then I hit "burned out" and take a week off of it all! And I do what it sounds like everyone else does on my days off, change my schedule to match my husband and kids'. I think it takes a LOT of will power!

leanmass24

I don't think that you ever truly get used to night shift... I have been on nights for 4years and before that I was on a swing shift.... The swing shift was the worst cause you never have a set sleep schedule to go by. I find that if I work out before I go to work I have the energy to push through till I get home and go to bed... Of course it helped with any shift I have worked.... I don't have any kids to deal with when I get home so that is a plus for me... Just have to feed the dogs and let them go potty. Then I can rest in peace most of the time.
I work 6pm-6am on a 3-2-2-3 schedule in case anyone was wondering. They are trying to get us to pull a 7 on 7 off schedule... That would be hell for me I have enough time as it is to get everything done.... Grrr I wish they would just leave thing alone

allie7383

I also agree that I don't believe you ever really adjust to nights. I've been working 11pm-7am for 3 years in a hospital lab, and therefore can't sleep on the job. On the one hand I enjoy nights because I never have to sit in traffic on my way there, plus the bosses aren't walking through, looking over your shoulder. It's def a much more laid back environment. The downside is I never work the same 5 days a week, so if I want to go to a concert or something at night I'm always checking to see if I have off, or if I can get off. Lately we've been down in admissions, and have been feeling it in the decrease in workload. There's nothing worse than it being 3am and nothing to do, especially if you haven't gotten enough sleep before work! I've learned to avoid the cafeteria at break time just to avoid the temptation of the fries and other such things.... They're talking about doing 12 hour shifts, so we'd be off for 4 days. I'm all for it!

leanmass24

12hour shift are a whole other ball game. If you think it is hard to stay wake for 8 or 10... 12 is bad. I have been working 12s for 4 years now and it is not too bad now, however when I first started it almost killed me..lol. I was soo tired by the time i got home. i didnt want to do anything. I will say that when you have a normal exercise routine it helps tremendously. The days off are nice, but the first day is wasted do to sleep from working the 12 the night before, most of the time, unless you have enough energy to stay awake that day and get things done. Then you run into the problem of getting back on a day schedule on your days off. It is a never ending battle for me.

allie7383

So a small victory tonight at work.. I managed to not induldge and have a piece of the chocolate cake that was leftover from earlier lol. I instead got my chocolate fix from the chocolate cheerios I brought for break. Def a great snack! I'm also going to make a conscious effort to fill up my travel container with water and get my fill throughout my shift.

megamom

I work a 12.5 hour night shift also and of course can't sleep on the job. I am a nurse. I have been doing it for 10 years now. I work a week, off a week. It does mess you us and if I couldn't get sleeping pills to help me sleep the day away I wouldn't be able to do this shift.

But I do like it. Quieter, no docs or families around so we can concentrate on just the patients. Who don't sleep either. Since I have been eating better and everyone on my floor is dieting it is easier to not have junk food and I walk during my breaks. Unfortunately we are also losing staff as new people will take this shift but as soon as possible they move to the days. So I am always training.

megamom

I work a 12.5 hour night shift also and of course can't sleep on the job. I am a nurse. I have been doing it for 10 years now. I work a week, off a week. It does mess you us and if I couldn't get sleeping pills to help me sleep the day away I wouldn't be able to do this shift.

But I do like it. Quieter, no docs or families around so we can concentrate on just the patients. Who don't sleep either. Since I have been eating better and everyone on my floor is dieting it is easier to not have junk food and I walk during my breaks. Unfortunately we are also losing staff as new people will take this shift but as soon as possible they move to the days. So I am always training.

kmc3986

I'm a nurse, as well and work the night shift. I think it's the hardest lifestyle to lose weight successfully. I am really interested in how to be successful and not go over my calorie limit when nights turns into days and days into nights. Any suggestions or "tricks" to continue to lose on the night shift?

megamom

So far it has been working just thinking about healthy food, staying within my calories and continuing the exercise. If I think of it as breakfast, lunch and supper it can mess you up because sometimes I eat a supper for breakfast. It does work if you think of what your putting in your mouth and stay away from the vending machines or the pot lucks were a killer on my floor. Christmas there was so many fattening foods sitting their all day it was terrible. Just remember good foods and 500 less calories in then what you burn.

leanmass24

The best advise that I can give is to plan your meals, and stick to the plan. Yes the vending machines are satan, so dont make a deal with the devil. I wake up everyday early so that I can go to the gym and cook my food for the night. going to the gym before work does wonders for my energy levels also. So that is a thought if you are not already doing that.

Time to go back to work tonight... I wish I could somehow acquire the winning powerball numbers...lol:happy:

mysi019

One of the things I do is keep my days the same no matter if i am working nights for 12 hours, 8 hours or if i am off. I recently just got switched and now i do 2 afternoon shifts (3-11) every week too. when i count my calories, i go from 7am-7am. That way it keeps it the same all the time. Its easier for me to keep track and not stack one day with too many calories and not get enough the next day. But i am also someone who never eats when i get home from work. I try and stop eating by 3-330am when i am at work

leanmass24

Also scales and measuring cups are a great tool to help figure out exactly how much you are eating, and help with meal planning.

kmc3986

Thanks for all the helpful hints. Just joined today and hope I can continue to do as well as you all have.