This has probably been asked before, but... Night shift work

tfcolvett

I have only been using this site and diet for two days and I'm conflicted! I work three 12 hour night shifts a week and I spend two of those days sleeping during the day. Should I eat my calorie goal during the night or should I still try to maintain it during the day?

Note: I am going to the gym every morning as soon as I get off.

sheets03

I am a night nurse and work either 3 12s or 4 12s in a row. When I am up, thats my day- so I eat. I get up at 5pm, eat (which I log as dinner) Have a snack around 9pm. Then my new day starts at 0000. I eat "breakfast" at 0100, and at 0600 I eat a quick "lunch." I go home and am asleep by 0800. Then up at 1700 and eating "dinner." This is what has worked for me. So, all in all, my calories reset at midnight.

Robyn_T

I work nights and I do the same thing as Sheets. To do otherwise would be a pain. I figure that, if I'm at or under my calorie goal by midnight each day, it doesn't matter.

Btw, there is a thread for those of us who work night shifts, if you're interested. It's a great place for support from people who understand that life is a bit different and has it's own difficulties when you work overnights.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/251107-official-nightshift-thread

Cait_Sidhe

I work 3 12 hour overnight shifts. My day starts when I wake up, and ends when I come home and go to sleep.

I do stay up the whole day after my last overnight though so I can rearrange my schedule back to days. I start a new food diary for a new day when I get off working my last overnight. 24 hours is 24 hours. Does that make sense? I have the flu right now so I'm not as good at explaining myself.

Brooke1542

I work 3 or 4 nights in a row, 12 hour ****s. On the days that I work, when I wake up around 2:00 PM, I eat breakfast, then go work out. Then when I go to work at 6:00 PM, I eat lunch. I eat dinner around 10:00-11:00 PM and then eat a snack around 2:00 AM. I get off work at 6:00 AM and go home and go straight to bed.


It's worked pretty good for me, and I found that it is still pretty easy to switch back to a regular schedule on my days off.

jolteon00

Eating at night isn't actually bad for your diet, so eat whenever works for you. Honestly, the taboo around night eating is because people tend to overeat at night when they're not even hungry, so it's easier to just say that you shouldn't eat at all.

tfcolvett

Thanks, ladies! I was almost positive I was overthinking it. Haha. Second opinions are always helpful.