Eating right on night shift.
mdbishop
Posts: 2
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to stay on track while working night shift. I'm a RN and work 7pm to 7am. It's really hard on the long nights when everyone is snacking on candy bars, chips, candy and ordering take out. A girl can only eat so many carrot sticks! Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks
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Replies
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really..
i also work night shift..its simple..pack your own lunch and have some will power. they all do the same thing here..i come into work and there is cake and snacks everywhere. People ask me if i want to order out some food, i just say no thanks brought my own.
i usually bring my lunch, an apple, orange, greek yogurt, a more filling snack like pb&j or a veggie egg roll.0 -
I am a nightshifter RN as well.. and I bring my own stuff. I have a cinch sack bag full of handy snacky things like almonds, protein bars, raw vegetables, fresh fruit, Blue Diamond nut crackers (looove those!), tuna, cream of wheat instant packets, etc. I bring things that I can eat every couple hours, on the go, because we really don't get the luxury of a sit down 30 minute meal on nights. It's peck as I go type eating.0
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I am a CNA and I work full time on night shift as well. It can be really hard @ times for me not to eat the junk they bring in as well. Luckily I bring a lunch and drink water to try and fight off the cravings. Sometimes it works and sometimes it don't.0
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I work night shift also and find it extremely difficult to have willpower! I pack my food every night and every night I snack with the rest of them. UGH!0
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girl.. i am right there with you
i get messed up by eating when i am at work and then when i get home at 6:30 in the morning i want to eat again and then go to bed!!!
how do you handle that?
i have been trying to just do yogurt, nuts, cearl and of course coffee when i am at work
i work 10pm to 6am
i am doing okay but i feel like i could do so much better:bigsmile:0 -
I work night shift as well, I take my own lunch. I take a meal, and snacks. I take low fat puddings, nuts, fruit. Stuff like that. I try to snack every couple of hours. My co-worker is a snacker too. We have a small unit so it's usually just me and her, or me and another nurse. Sometimes we will have 3 nurses or a 2 nurses and a cna, and we all snack all night long. We all have our own diet thing going on, so when one is snacking we watch each other's pts until they are done and vice versa. You just have to plan your night for a few months and when you get yourself to a place where you feel comfortable to go without an eating schedule, your body will remind you.
I set my diary up so that I have time periods to eat when I am working and BLD and a snack on my days off. On my days off, I actually have to set an alarm to remind myself to eat, because I work 5 nights a week and am off for 2, usually Monday and Thursday. But you too can set your alarm on your phone, to remind you to eat a small snack, because we have to sustain our blood sugar while we are working. At first I set mine for every couple or 3 hours, but everyone has different needs, so just do what works best for you.0 -
I'm a radiographer in the NHS so there's lots of various shifts for me, I've told everyone that I'm serious about loosing weight and since fewer people are asking me if I want junk, which is nice
still trying to find the right foods that will see me through 8pm-8am with out having to resort to caffeine drinks.
Best of luck to you, just remember working in a hospital your surrounded by kind and caring people so just ask for help.
Mel0 -
Permanent night shifter here (working right now!)- I feel your struggle. If only it were so easy to just walk away from the snacks! My biggest problem is the eating to stay awake factor. I don't get to sleep before coming into work so by 2 or 3am, my body is craving carbs & caffeine to simply stay awake. I give into the caffeine - I drink lots of tea - it helps to curb my hunger for the sweets. I also pack my own food - I'm in the midst of P90x so I am focusing on a good amount of protein - which also helps with the energy factor. In packing my dinner/snacks, I try to account for the idea of having something to eat ever 2-3 hours. I bring fiber 1 (90 cal) bars, string cheese, peanut butter, veggies, fruit, 100 cal bags of popcorn, etc for snacks and then try to bring a solid regular dinner as if I were to be eating at home. If I can stay busy until after midnight, I am usually ok. I always have a protein bar on my ride home from work and do not eat anything else once I get home. I do find I consume most of my daily calories (probably 75%) between the hours of 12a-9a.0
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girl.. i am right there with you
i get messed up by eating when i am at work and then when i get home at 6:30 in the morning i want to eat again and then go to bed!!!
how do you handle that?
i have been trying to just do yogurt, nuts, cearl and of course coffee when i am at work
i work 10pm to 6am
i am doing okay but i feel like i could do so much better:bigsmile:
I work out and eat a bowl of cereal or a peice of fruit before I go to bed. I sleep like a queen, and Have no problems with not being able to sustain. I also don't wake up feeling like I am starving in the afternoon.0 -
I'm a radiographer in the NHS so there's lots of various shifts for me, I've told everyone that I'm serious about loosing weight and since fewer people are asking me if I want junk, which is nice still trying to find the right foods that will see me through 8pm-8am with out having to resort to caffeine drinks.
Best of luck to you, just remember working in a hospital your surrounded by kind and caring people so just ask for help.
Mel
You are right about being surrounded by good people. Most of us have the same goals in mind, as to rather they carry them out or not is a different story. But I do love my family I have here at the hospital.0 -
I worked night shift and I packed my own lunch. When I did 12 hours I packed enough food for 12 hours. Take a quick break at 9 and eat some fruit, mini quiche, etc. For around 12 I had a real lunch and at 4 grab another small snack. Left overs, sandwhiches. I also made a few simple things in big batches (like pizza dough with hamd and cheese in it and made my own hot pockets) that I kept frozen and would stick in my cooler.0
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How many of us in this post are working right now? Slow night for me - logged in to update my food diary and check the message boards!0
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I quit my job to look for a day job. I couldn't sleep during they day which resulted in me taking a nap right after my daughter got home from daycare (was sulpposd to sleep while she was in daycare) and then going to work. I was exhausted, couldn't think, cried voer anything and missed my daughter so much. I couldn't stand it.
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I'm a night shift RN working right now as well.......and I had just posted in my newsfeed here that I always eat too much at work. Boooooo....Not to mention I left my snack bag at the house. Sigh.0
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I always work nights, but for the police dept. I bring my own meals like a chicken breasts, green beans, tuna packs, a ziplock bag of fruit usually blueberries and cherries. But most importantly I bring a protein mix and take it around 7am or a packet of low sugar oatmeal so that when I get off at 8am and get home I can go to bed instead of eating.
Even though I bring meals from home the Taco Mayo and pizza places near the dept sound amazing and are tempting. It is okay eat that sometimes for me I allow myself one meal of whatever I want once a week.... that helps so that I do not cheat all the time on my diet. Good luck!0 -
I work 12 hour nights as an RN also, and it is difficult. Try eating a good meal before you go in, and take healthier snacks with you. I usually have a KIND bar and some instant oatmeal, maybe a cheese stick or yogurt. Then eat a good breakfast in the morning!! And, if you can manage a quick walk before or after work, you can burn off a few more calories so you can snack a little more!!0
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Hi,
I have found chewing gum helps and there are some jubes that have hardly any calories in them. I also told everyone at work and they have been super supportive and try to not snack on junk around me. it is harder to stick to eating right on nights, but it is worth it in the end.0 -
STAY AWAY FROM THE BREAK ROOM! There's always temptation in there. Bring lots of healthy snacks! Sometimes I find myself binging on my snacks to stay awake, but I feel better knowing I'm at least binging on healthy snacks than running to the vending machine or eating bad snacks. Drink lots of water, too!0
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I pre plan my week, and pack everything in a lunch kit. Usually, it's two snacks (one with veggies and one with fruit), and soup for lunch (currently, I've fallen in love with curried butternut squash and sweet potato soup), plus a granola bar (usually fibre1 100cal bar) for the home stretch (eaten roughly an hour and a quarter before I leave - I work 10 hour shifts). Lots of water as well.
I also found that my temptation to order food diminished significantly when I left my debit card (or your credit card) at home, and only carried what I term "oh ****" cash - enough change to make up $5.00 in case I lose my bus pass or other minor emergency. If you don't have the money with you, you can't spend it!0 -
i work overnight as well ... and am working right now. Since i work at a hotel and am the only overnight person at the hotel at this time its kinda easy for me to stay away from snacks. I usually bring a sandwich of some kinda made with the 40 cal bread and usually pretzals or popcorn of some sort. I also bring some kind of fruit and a vegetable and that usually holds me over till 7am when i go home. I work a ten hour shift and usually dont even eat lunch till 130 - 2 am .0
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How many of us in this post are working right now? Slow night for me - logged in to update my food diary and check the message boards!
Me! It's a slow night here too. I like it like that. It makes my 3rd night easier to defeat.0 -
I do shifts as well- a mixture of evenings and nights mostly. The key for me on nights more than anything is to make sure that the dinner and snacks I pack are things that I love. No leftovers of food that is just food. I have to make sure it is something I am really looking forward to eating and that way I don't mind knocking back other good things.
It helps with my motivation and keeps me mentally satisfied0 -
i'ma nighter too. ( hospital O.R clerk )
just had an amazing sammie on wheat hit the spot! and i didn't even buy any chips like i usually do.
the main thing i have to remember when i'm eating is to EAT SLOWWWWWW!!!!! i'd eat a lot less if i ate slower!0 -
Permanent night shifter here (working right now!)- I feel your struggle. If only it were so easy to just walk away from the snacks! My biggest problem is the eating to stay awake factor. I don't get to sleep before coming into work so by 2 or 3am, my body is craving carbs & caffeine to simply stay awake. In packing my dinner/snacks, I try to account for the idea of having something to eat ever 2-3 hours. If I can stay busy until after midnight, I am usually ok. I do find I consume most of my daily calories (probably 75%) between the hours of 12a-9a.
I edited the above some but I basically do the same thing. I work 10pm to 830am at a local Casino at an IT Support Specialist. ( I sit in front of a PC all night long lol) I eat with my wife when i get up around 4-5pm. I count that on the previous day even though i just woke up. ( I might change that in the future but it works for the day's i'm off.) After midnight i start my new day. I bring in my own food most days.
I love the Special K cereal, all of them. The Oat's N Honey, and Cinnamon Pecan are probably my favorite though. I've also discovered this oatmeal made by Better Oats. It's $1.29 for 5 packets and averages 130-160 cals. It has flax seed so that helps out with other areas too. Keep clear of the Pop if all possible, it's just unneeded calories.
What's really helped me stay awake is these multivitamins i've been taking. GNC Mega Men's Energy & Metabolism. I'm sure there is a Women's formula of this too. I just feel much more alert, and not so darn groggy.
Do try to eat more often and smaller portions, those oatmeal packets don't keep you full long but they don't have many calories either. Try to find small snacks, meals you can eat. I've got this little Copco reusable cup (They can be had for like 5-10 bux.) i keep on my desk. It holds 3 cups of water. I try to drink 2-3 of them each shift. It also helps when i do eat i don't eat so much.
I hope my ideas and rambling helps you some. I'm just typing things out as I think of them.
Good Luck!0 -
it's hard but it can be done. I work 11pm-7am . I pack my lunches and just graze from it through out the night. I work weekends as well and I luckily have the advantage of being able to get away for 30 mins. I'll go outside to walk, jog, whatever. one of my biggest challenges was fast food. many places close to my work that are open 24 hrs. I simply left my wallet at home for the first few months. no money = no fast food!
there's a small MFP group for shift workers on here
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/508-night-crawlers0 -
Another night shift RN... I have been bringing a lot of healthy snacks with me as well as my dinner. I figure it is easier when you have choices so I make sure I have them. Whatever I don't eat I take home and do it again the next night. I am also at work right now. I do anywhere from 3-5 12hr night shifts/week. I quit going to the cafeteria at night too. I have lost 11 lbs. since the first of the year and I have to say, it's getting easier for me to say no to the not-so-good stuff!0
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maybe take something so you feel you are having a treat and that your no deprived. Yes pack a healthy packed lunch but look into some healthier treat for example weight watchers do some lovely things like choc jaffa mini rolls only 77 cals.0
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Working nights can definitely be hard. (Also currently at work - med tech in a hospital lab) I usually eat a breakfast meal when I wake up, then have a healthy snack during break (cottage cheese, cucumber, carrots, etc) and then I do best when I pack my own lunch. Eat a protein bar on the drive to the gym after work, protein drink when I get home and maybe a light dinner after my shower before bed in the morning.0
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I work 4:30 a to 4:30 p. I eat every two to three hours at my desk. I also have the opportunity to workout here in our gym. I usually go there at 11:00 pm.
Some healthy snacks, rice cake with almond butter and a protein shake, grapefruit and almonds, meal replacement shakes, I drink Shakeology. Just make sure you are eating a good carb with some sort of protein. Stay away from any "low calorie" processed snack. Just because something is only 100 calories, doesn't make them good calories.0 -
I'm working nights, but my situation's different. There are only 2 of us in our office, so I don't have the outside influence that you do.
However, I've found that using myfitnesspal keeps me focused on where I am in regards to my daily goal.
I still have the candy/coke machine available (don't say I shouldn't bring cash, because these machines take atm/debit cards).
Hang in there, it's worth it.0
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