Any shift workers advise on calories!!

cbs1974

i work volatile shifts
for instance i start at 430am tommorow so will be up at 330am
so usually have enough time for a coffee and a banana for breakfast

then will probably have 400cals through my shift then 400-500 for my dinner

then im usually knacked so no gym and usually an early night !!

some weeks i work nights so have had near my calories for the day them im eating through the night aswell so you get 2 lots!!

what does everyone else do?

help

colochel

.....bump.... I hope you get some good answers! My husband works 10 pm - 7 pm, just curious what others do...!

cerysrhi

I'm not sure if i can help but i tend to eat every 4 -5 hours breakfast lunch and dinner and then have 3 snacks, mid morning mid afternoon and early evening so I'm thinking that no matter what time you get up have breakfast and try to stick to the set timings I have my last snack at 7.00 and go to bed about 10 up at 6.30

monkeyhead1975

I work night shift, and this is what I do. I get up 15 minutes earlier to "make" breakfast. I eat frozen microwaveable egg patties, and bagel thins with spray butter or laughing cow cheese spread with my coffee. It takes only five minutes to prepare and five minutes to eat. If I don't have time I grab and eat on my way to work, and will take a granola bar or granola bar and bananna. That will give you a little more fuel than what you are getting now. Or eat a bowl of cereal. Breakfast kick starts your energy for the day. Take time for it! Throughout my shift, I too don't always get a dinner break. You are consuming some calories while you are there...you should choose things with a little more caloric value. Don't pack so light. If all you are doing is snacking, then your snacks need to have a little more substance to them. I try to eat all but a few hundred calories before I am off work. I work at a hospital, and breaks/lunches are few and far between sometimes. I just have to pack knowing that my snacks or meal needs to count. I go straight to the gym after work, and feel that I have enough energy when I get there to get through a pretty intense workout. However, if you are working out....you have to eat more, so that you will have the energy to continue working out. If you aren't getting your calories, eat a bigger breakfast. Then I come home and have a no carb snack before bed. I get up and do it all over again. I don't know if your work has a fridge or if you have a locker, but I store different types of things in there so I can adjust based on how busy I am and what time frame I have. I keep granola bars, quick soups, popcorn, TV dinners, Slimfast shakes, fruit, cottage cheese, and yogurt in there. That way I have plenty of fast things that have enough calories. Hope that helps.

monkeyhead1975

Also, mixing yogurt (strawberry is best) with cottage cheese is actually quite tasty, and gives you a great quick snack!!!

crystal_sapphire

i work night shift day shift you name is. woo nurses

anyway, i jut treat each meal as i do through the day from the moment i get up. So today I'm got up at 3 pm and just finished my breakfast. Then I eat something a few hours later for lunch. before I go to work, I have dinner or I bring it with me depending on which job I go to. I always have a can of tuna on me jut in case and I would log it as "evening snack" even though it's 5 AM when I eat it if I do. :laugh:

jjjghoffert

That's a tough one! One thing that might help is planning ahead by several days to a week and have food and meals ready to go for the next day.

stephanielynn76

I am a nurse who works prn 12-hr night shifts. I bring at least one filling meal and lots of easy snacks and eat every few hours.
Snack suggestions:
carrots or other raw veggies
apples
banana
protein bars
protein shakes
boiled egg
cereal and skim milk (in measured portions)
etc.

It's definitely hard when you are up all night. That is part of what has contributed to my weight gain... munching all night to help me stay alert. I've just replaced the cookies and chips with healthier options!