Calories and 3rd shift! Help!

Rawrbyn

Here's my dilemma....
I work 3rd shift. Sometimes, I only get 4-5 hours of sleep during the day. I'm trying to figure out how to do my calories.
My schedule:

Monday:
Work Midnight-8am.
Up from 8am until 6pm with my daughter.
Sleep from 6:30-10:30pm.
Tuesday:
Work Midnight-8am
Up until 10pm.
Sleep 10pm until next morning.
Wednesday:
Off work, normal day.
Thursday:
Wake up around 10am
Up with daughter until 7 or 8pm.
Sleep from 8-10:30
Friday:
Work Midnight-8am
Up until 6:30
Sleep 7-10:30
Saturday:
Work Midnight-8am
Sleep 10am-8pm
Sunday:
Work Midnight-8am
Sleep 10am-10pm

Should I keep my calories going from midnight to midnight? Or reset them when I sleep?

Missevanston

I say...whatever you can be the most consistent with...if that is Monday to Monday..then that should be it...

Tiggerrick

One of my MFP friends working the night shift set hers up like this:
7am-12noon
12noon - 5pm
5pm to 11pm
11pm to 7am
Supplements

the idea is to keep track. It all averages out in the end, but I thought this was a fairly good way for night shifters.

Crystal817

I work nights, 7pm-7am.

I track my food from the time I wake up, until I go to sleep. Works the best for me. (But I also probably get a bit more sleep than you)

monchand

I work 12 hour night shifts. So I continue to keep myself my tracking for midnight to midnight. Its the only thing that seems to help me be successful. After midnight I eat plain veggies if I get hungry. Like cucumbers,carrots, broccoli, califlower ect. so it contains little calories. Keeping the weight off for people who work nights is hard:frown:

rahonda28

I will say this is wonderful. Knowing there are other 3rd shifters out there haveing the same issues. I work 11pm to 7ams 3 to 4 days a week and every other weekend. I sleep when i can where I can. I have found so far that keeping track midnight to midnight works best for me. Because my body sometimes need the calories at night for the work I do. I just dont go and eat hog wild I eat a chichen wrap with lots of veggies or a tuna sandwich on letuce or celery instead of bread or maybe a salad. Its all about portion sizes I still try to keep within my calorie amount and below in that 24 hour period. It just may mean I eat smaller amounts more often on days I work. I have ate oatmeal at 3 in the morning because I want something hot and filling other times its carrot sticks or yogurt. That helps set the pace for the rest of my 24 hours. If I have callories leftover maybe I can have that cookie. If Ive ate the cookies first then it also keeps me in check for the rest of the day. WHEN YOU TOTALY GO OFF ON A EATING SPREE ONE DAY YOU GET BACK ON TRACK THE NEXT DONT GIVE UP.