weight loss while working days and nights...how?

Stacey_Lorraine

Hey all, so recently i changed my job and i now work in a nursing home the only issue is i work both night and day 12 hour shifts and im hitting a bit of a wall on the night shifts....

Im finding that i start work at 8pm and finish 8am but the problem i have is when i finish work im hungry and find myself eating the closest thing to hand...This is where im having problems after 8pm is too late to eat and before 8am is too early for me to eat so im not eating during the 12 hours then eating at the end.... Since doing this ive gained back 10 of the 11lbs i lost and it getting me down....how can i deal with it and tackle my weird hours and eating.

Help please!!

lookitscaitlin

I work overnight, only a couple days a week though, and not as long as you but I study during the week and so my body clock is craaaazy! end up eating way to late into the day when i wake up at like 2pm after work and i end up with not enough calories, which isn't good lol. I'm not sure what you could do, perhaps schedule times you should eat so you are getting enough calories and then prepare healthy food beforehand so when you do finish work, eat that coz you will be way to tired to make something.

Stacey_Lorraine

I work overnight, only a couple days a week though, and not as long as you but I study during the week and so my body clock is craaaazy! end up eating way to late into the day when i wake up at like 2pm after work and i end up with not enough calories, which isn't good lol. I'm not sure what you could do, perhaps schedule times you should eat so you are getting enough calories and then prepare healthy food beforehand so when you do finish work, eat that coz you will be way to tired to make something.

Its a right pain in the rear isnt it... you really can not get into a eat routine properly when doing night shifts >.<

lookitscaitlin

nope, lol but yeah i suggest planning meals , like actually writing it down, kinda like having MFP where u write everything down, MFP keeps me on track for that reason. I try not to have dinner before I go, so i'll take it to work and then eat it there, coz i know I've had enough when I eat dinner but then I'll still get hungry at work.

mandylooo

Why is after 8pm too late to eat if you're going to be up all night?

Stacey_Lorraine

nope, lol but yeah i suggest planning meals , like actually writing it down, kinda like having MFP where u write everything down, MFP keeps me on track for that reason. I try not to have dinner before I go, so i'll take it to work and then eat it there, coz i know I've had enough when I eat dinner but then I'll still get hungry at work.

Im gonna try taking my dinner to work with me and eating it there ^_^

TavistockToad

Why is after 8pm too late to eat if you're going to be up all night?

i second that. if you are sleeping part of the day and then up over night, you still need to eat! sticking to a 'no food after 7pm' type rule obviously wont work.

your cals are for a 24 hour period, so it doesnt matter when you eat them, as long as u get the required number within the 24 hours.

Stacey_Lorraine

Why is after 8pm too late to eat if you're going to be up all night?

Ive trained my self not to eat after 6-7pm so it doesnt feel natural eating after 8pm

lookitscaitlin

Im gonna try taking my dinner to work with me and eating it there ^_^

always helps, then you won't have long periods of time when you're not eating and you won't be hungry.

nurseymanda

I always make sure I buy healthy foods that are super quick to eat. Some of my favorite are whole grain waffles, cereals, oatmeals (I crave breakfast foods when I work nights..lol!) but I also get some frozen dinners as well.

mandylooo

Why is after 8pm too late to eat if you're going to be up all night?

Ive trained my self not to eat after 6-7pm so it doesnt feel natural eating after 8pm

the cruelty of 24/7 shifts is the way they mess up your bio -rhythms. you won't be producing digestive enzymes at the right times and so on.

That said, to repeat what someone else has already said, you should try to adjust your eating patterns to match your waking patterns. The no food after 7pm rule just shouldn't apply if that is the start not the end of your day.