3rd Shift?

FoxyLoxy

Does anyone else work 3rd shift? I am up and about what feels like around the clock so I find myself eating more than I should. Counting Calories has definitely helped - I can't believe how much I was eating before! I've been counting anything that I eat after midnight at work as breakfast and doing normal lunch and dinner. It is really hard - especially the stretch between breakfast and lunch. Does anyone have any ideas as to how I should balance out my meals throughout the day so that I don't feel like I'm starving? Any good, filling, energy boosting foods that I can add to my diet?

FoxyLoxy

Does anyone else work 3rd shift? I am up and about what feels like around the clock so I find myself eating more than I should. Counting Calories has definitely helped - I can't believe how much I was eating before! I've been counting anything that I eat after midnight at work as breakfast and doing normal lunch and dinner. It is really hard - especially the stretch between breakfast and lunch. Does anyone have any ideas as to how I should balance out my meals throughout the day so that I don't feel like I'm starving? Any good, filling, energy boosting foods that I can add to my diet?

TRLTAMPA

I wouldn't be able to handle it. I'm falling down at 11:30! My mom works 3rd shift and she's skinny, but her diet is coffee and cigarettes....not gonna reccommend that one at all!

pettmybunny

Counting your calories is a great start. Why do you start counting everything at work as breakfast? It may be easier for you to start breakfast with breakfast, whether it's at 5 pm or 10 pm (I'm not sure what your schedule is, I see you have kids). Then plan snacks and lunches around your breaks at work, and dinner when you get home. Or, if you get up and eat dinner with your family, plan snacks and lunch around breaks at work, then breakfast with your family in the morning.

Ideas for snacks though, are protein bars with a piece of fruit. Be careful though, some protein bars are high in calories and sugar as well. If I'm teaming it with a peice of fruit, I usually go with the South Beach Cereal bar.

Not sure if you've got access to a fridge, but yogurt is always a good snack, carrots with hummus (I just tried hummus a month or so ago, and absolutely love it!), a hardboiled egg or two with a piece of fruit, cottage cheese is a good snack too, especially with chopped fruit bits, you can also make a small salad with a little bit of leftover meat from dinner the night before.

As you can see, I am a firm believer of combining protien with carbs (healthy carbs like fruit or veggies). I find that when I combine them, I don't feel hungry as often.

sblades

I used to work what we call overnights (is 3rd shift 11pm till 7am?).
When on overnights I used to eat to stay awake (bummer) but I found that having mini meals throughout my shift really helped me, and would eat more closer to the end of the shift, and reverse my times of meals (breakfast wehn peopel were just making supper, eating lunch in the middle of the night and having "supper" when the rest of everyone you know is hittin snooze for the second time :P)
for example: my day eating plan would look like this (and by day I mean whehn I woke up at 3pm to go in for the overnight.
@ 3pm fruit and crackers
@ 5pm oatmeal with 2tbs raisins and 1tbs brown sugar & green tea or black coffee
@ 8pm yogurt and a piece of fruit or cottage cheese and veggies
@ 11pm sandwich and a salad or more fruit & more tea or coffee
@ 2am POPCORN!!! I air pop mine in a microwave popper - no butter or salt but lots of fiber :P
@ 5am soup with rice or pasta in it - or soup with crackers
@ 7am some type of fruit juice to last me the walk home.

I walked home and went to bed by 8 am, to get up at 3pm to do it all again.
I also drank water ALL night as well. usually about 2 to 3 liters per shift.

Let me know if that helps or if you have any other questions

***EDIT***
Just realized you said you have little people and you're probably not about to sleep all day. I think the above suggestions might work for you, if you can get naps in the day, however I don't have little people so I'm not sure if that's plausible. - best of luck! -

mommachag

i work overnights from 10 to 6 with an hour driving time on both ends. I have 4 kids and one with autism so I cant sleep much in the day either. it's good money but it makes for a rapidly growing waist line. I'm a night nanny so I dont always have people who let me eat during the evening (like my last family) but most are pretty good about it

callme911

I work a constantly changing shift. 50% of the time it is from 7pm to 7am. When I work days, it is 7am to 7pm. Yes, I work 12 hour shifts, and I sit the whole shift AND it is a stressful job...so as you can imagine, food is comfort at times.

When I work nights...here is what I do, I wake up around 2-3 pm and cook breakfast. Usually 2 eggs scrambled w/ 1/3 cup of grated cheese and I start drinking my water. I eat dinner with my family but keep it small because it is usually around 5-6 pm and I still have a long ways to go before the end of my day. I usually log that as my lunch. I usually try to make enough to take some as left overs to work for my meal break and log that as dinner. I bring a piece of fruit and whatever snacks I planned out for the day as well, and make sure I have my large (33 oz) water bottle in front of me the whole time. I usually eat my meal around midnight and try not to eat any snacks after 4am.

It takes some planning ahead of time. Especially since I work 3 nights, then go to 3 days, then back to nights and so forth. It's hard, but doable.

Good luck

FoxyLoxy

Thanks for all the help! I especially appreciate all the examples of how you guys plan out your eating times. Yes, 3rd shift is overnight - its an old carry over from a job I had in upstate NY and in fact they do call it overnight here in VA as well. I work 10:45pm - 7:15am. Since I work in a mental health facility we don't always get set breaks and I just lump mine into one 30 minute break anywhere from 2 am - 4 am. I've had a really hard time adjusting my life around this schedule. I will definitely be trying your suggestions - thank girls! :flowerforyou: