Overnight Work and Eating Confusion

Dreamin_Skinny

Work Overnight Meal Time
I work overnights from 11p-7am M-F.

I’m finding that I don’t know when & what I should eat. Should I eat at work? What times? Should I eat when I get home before going to bed? How much? What’s too much to eat before bed? (I’m usually hungry by then). Eat after I workout? Eat when I wake up from my morning nap?

I go to the gym MWF from 7am-9am

So on No-Gym Days my sleep pattern is 8am-3pm.

Gym Days 10am-345pm

Then nap from 8pm-1015pm before I go back to work at night.

Help?

jessicamarie81

Watching this! I work on third shifts mainly on the weekends....what I do is take some good healthy snacks because my body just hasn't adjusted to those third shift hours and I'm never hungry for a big meal during those hours...now if 3rds were my regular routine like you then I might bring a bigger meal. Most of the time when I wake up before work I eat my supper...bring some snacks like apples, etc...and then eat breakfast when I get home or even at work...and I try to get a lunch in before laying down and sleeping. It really is so confusing and your body just feels off-kilter, I know mine does!

jmatthews75

I went for a while without eating at work, I would eat when I got home in the morning and that never helped me out. I lost more when I would eat at work. I work midnight to 8 am. So i try to eat something light on the way in. and again a light breakfast at about 6 am. then workout right after work. This shift is hell on the body. but you have to find what works best for you.

mrmarius

i work the same hours what i do is have my"breakfast" after i wake usually 3 pm "lunch"is around 6 or7 and dinner is at 3 am i eat a couple snacks inbetween those meals but nothing after 3

McKayMachina

It REALLY doesn't matter. Just stay within your goals within a 24-hour window. Work it out to whatever is best for you.

scottymcnasty

NIght shift is a killer on the body. Being a Nurse I used to work 2 nights a week. I recomend eating a good meal when you wake up. I would eat a normal dinner meat and veg. etc. I would then eat again about midnight some thing a bit lighter tuna and crackers. I used to go for a 2hr ride and would need to munch some carbs during and then I'd eat some eggs on toast before bed to help recovery. Don't forget to drink heaps of water.

whatwentwrong

since my sleeping schedule is so off, i eat breakfast whenever i wake up be it 7 am or 10 pm, and go from there if i were you, i'd eat breakfast at about 4 pm, lunch at 10 pm, dinner at about 3 or whenever i got my break, and have a snack before or after working out. and snack whenever you're hungry! since you have such long days, i bet it's hard to go between meals without snacks

aalanclose

I work 9.30 to 8 and I used to eat when I came home but I found having my main meal of the day just before i went to bed wasn't good for me. Now I stick to pretty much normal meals. Breakfast in the morning before bed. Lunch when I get up and a meal before I go to work with a snack at about 4.30

Dreamin_Skinny

Thanks a lot. I really didn't expect such prompt feedback. Based on your responses, I think I've devised a plan. Tell me what you think:

12am- 5am Breakfast (while at work)
7am-9am Pre-workout snack - 2 hardboiled eggs
Non-Gym Day- Meal Replacement shake
10am- 3pm SLEEEEEP
3pm- 4pm Lunch
6pm- 7pm Dinner
8pm- 10pm PRE WORK NAP

Does this make sense? Will I be eating too close to my nap?

SandyQ229

wow this info is very helpful. i am in the same boat and have no idea how to work my schdeule. thantks for the help and i dont have anything to offer for input as i am still trying to figure it out myself

efwolfcub

I've been on nights for about 18 months and on MFP for about 20 days now. I generally try to eat 3 meals a day - one at work, one when I get home, and dinner with the rest of the household after I get up.

if I have time at work I will spread out my eating over the course of the night, but I try and eat about 6-800 calories (in other words, a full meal) - otherwise I'm grumpy and exhausted and risk eating too much before bed.

Also re-labeling my meals helped it make more sense. from "breakfast, lunch, dinner" to "work, before bed, dinner"

tiedye

When I worked nights (7p-7a x3 shifts per week) I had a hard time eating overnight. Most other nurses ate "lunch" usually 1-3am. I usually had a decent dinner before work and was so exhausted in the morning I just collapsed in my bed and slept for hours. Sometimes I'd wake from hunger mid-day and other times I wouldn't. Sometimes I just ate one meal a day. It was so unhealthy and bad for my body AND my soul. I didn't lose or gain weight though. Now I'm on days and much healthier.