Help for a Shift Worker

MeSept11

Ok, so I just joined a few weeks ago and I work nights....so my question is, should i keep my food diary from midnight to midnight or from the time i wake up, which is usually in the afternoon/early evening til I go to sleep the next morning? Right now Im doing it midnight to midnight, as the website is set up but Im wondering if im getting an accurate count since I have a crazy schedule! Any suggestions are much appreciated!!

Thanks,
Lydia

leopardvice

i would say from when you wake up til you go to bed

SarahBeeMe

Personally I keep it exactly as it is - so that I don't confuse my system. I eat breakfast in the morning after a night, before I sleep. Then I sleep... have a snack if I wake up mid afternoon, then I have a light dinner around 17:00. Then (and this is the confusing bit!) I eat my LUNCH at around 23:00. (So lunch after dinner....) Sounds backwards but it works for me. If I need a snack after midnight I add it onto the following day's snacks. That way when I have days off, I can still eat at normal times and my body clock isnt confused! I hope that makes sense.

MeSept11

That's what i was doing so far, maybe im just thinking too hard about it, thanks ladies!!! Great suggestions....

ejohndrow

Meh. I eat food and log it in, my body doesn't know the difference. Healthy calories are healthy and unhealthy are unhealthy at all hours of the day.

MeSept11

Im keeping it as it is, the way the site is set up already, instead of when i wake up til I sleep again (posted my last reply to quickly)

babyworms

You can change the names of your meals, so you could have it in time periods instead, so something like 0600-1200, 1200-1800, 1800-2400, 2400-0600 or something. that may help!

JaneDoughSanAntonio

I too work nights, and I just consider it the same day until I go to bed. Like I'm still adding to Monday's food journal now. It's easier for me that way! But I do log my exercise on the day I actually do it ... otherwise I'd forget to go to my boot camp class, because I'd get the days confused.

awdamm

I work 11pm-7am and I track once I go to work. When I eat dinner sometimes before I go to work that would fall on my previous day tracking. Once I get to work after midnight I start tracking the new day. If i eat at work thats "breakfast" usually just coffee and some yogurt or oatmeal and that usually around 200am/300am i'll usually have a snack somewhere in between breakfast. Then I go home and have some "lunch" either before/after or split it up and eat before and after my workout. (around 800/900am) Then try and sleep as best I can then track my dinner that night. has worked out thus far but can be a bit confusing. I just make sure I track everything as long as its within its 24 hr period.

VemmaMom

Hi...well I wouldnt think to hard about it and just do what is the easiest for you to do. If you stick to the real day it may make more sense and then you are keeping it simple without confusing yourself more ya know????

Soccer_chick916

I am the same way! What I did is renamed the meals to fit my schedule. So I have mine: after work meal; snack before work out; meal after work out; 1st snack at work; meal at work; 2nd snack at work. Most of the time I don't need a meal after work but I have it there in case I get hungry. I usually work any where from 3:30 -2am my shifts vary so it makes it hard to diet.