Calorie Counting Insomniac

bbg_daryl

I don't like giving out very much private detail, so I hope this makes sense without all the backstory.

I am a lifetime insomniac. My "normal" schedule to be awake for 36-72 hours at a time, then sleep 10-14 hours. It is extremely rare for me to fall into the schedule that most of the world follows (sleeping 8 hours at night, being awake in daylight). Most of the time when I do sleep, it's in the middle of daytime.

My question is, when do you cut off your daily calorie count when you don't sleep? MFP tells me to eat 1200 calories a day for weight loss (I'm extremely obese, but extremely short, so that's why such a low intake), but what constitutes a "day?" For most people this is easy because they consume their calories while they're awake, then go to bed. I'm awake for 2-4 days at a time and most of the time it's not when the sun is up. Obviously, I'm not meant to stretch 1200 calories over multiple days, so.... what amount of time is a "day."

I hope this makes sense.... =\

kiwitechgirl

I'd say the 24 hour period from midnight until midnight. Even though your sleep pattern doesn't correspond with that, it's going to be the easiest way to keep track.

sunshine1082

I'd say the 24 hour period from midnight until midnight. Even though your sleep pattern doesn't correspond with that, it's going to be the easiest way to keep track.

I agree. It might also be helpful for you to think about your calories as an average over the course of the week to account for days when you might be eating more (or less) due to your sleep schedule.

kMcMahan2010

I would suggest pretty much what kiwitechgirl said by going from midnight to midnight. I'm not sure if you can do it from the app, bu you can customize your log on the computer so it is broke down into hourly chunks rather than "breakfast" "lunch" etc. Then if you are awake for 3 days straight, just log whatever you eat for the corresponding time and day.

midwestmixtape

Proper sleep is essential to weight loss. I too struggle with insomnia. It has gotten a lot better by-

-Turning off my phone two hours before bed and using an alarm clock.
-Limiting computer usage and TV usage before bed - it's not good to look at bright objects before trying to sleep. It messes with your brain's interpretation of how late / tired it is. If I want to go to bed at 9:30, computer and all screens are off at 7:30. Unless you have dire work to do for school or your job, there is no reason to surf the internet. Reading is fun! Writing is fun, listen to music, play with a dog, cook tomorrow's lunch, etc.
-Routine
-Read and wind down for a few hours before sleeping. Or journal.
-Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Try hard on this one. It's not easy, but keep a good routine. One night of bad sleep can throw you off for up to a month, research has shown.

Unless you have dire work situations before bed, adopt reading and google "sleep hygiene" for more tips. This helps me and I feel great and wake up If it's really bad, take Nyquil on nights that you just aren't sleeping, or for more natural (I prefer) melotonin or Valerian root.

bbg_daryl

Thanks for the replies, ladies. I'd never thought of keeping a weekly tally as well, that would surely assist.

Rad, I've employed all those techniques, including not doing anything in bed except sleeping, limiting caffeine and liquids before bed, meditation, and even using a lot of decorating and Feng Shui methods to make my bedroom as comfortable and sleep-friendly as possible. Only OTC sleep aides ever seem to help me sleep, but they leave me feeling just as bad as if I hadn't slept. For some reason in me, drugs don't get me into the right level of sleep to wake feeling rested, so there's little point to them in my case. But thank you for your caring.