Can I eat more when working nights

PR1NC355N1X

I'm working nights tonight and tomorrow and I do this every 10 days. Can I have more calories on these days. The first day I'm awake all day and night so I will probably eat all my day allocated plus more to keep me going all night through.

blondie1238

I work nights, and I try to keep it level all the time...

Onesnap

MFP is based on how much you eat during those 24 hours, and the body is on a 24 hour clock. Just log everything you eat during that 24 hours and log any exercise (even walking) and you'll be fine. Different work schedules do not change your body's natural clock.

Onesnap

Think of it this way. Nurses eat more on the days they work the night shift. There's cake, there's pasta in the middle of the night (I used to work with a lot of hospitals). It causes a lot of nurses and doctors to deal with weight issues because they are eating all night to "keep going"

PR1NC355N1X

Thank you for your answers. I'll try and keep it level.

bmontgomery87

If you're up and moving around for additional time as opposed to regular days then I'd say yes you can eat a bit more.

Being awake for 16 hours and working 8 will burn x amount of calories.
Being awake for 20 hours and working 8 will burn even more.

Just being awake and conscious is going to burn more calories than if you were normally sleeping.