Night shift and weight loss tips

itsirkmr

In May, I will start working 7a to 7p as a nurse. I have lost 31 pounds since 12/31/11, and I have 88 pounds to go. I am so worried the switch will cause problems for exercise and diet. Anyone BTDT?

IvoryParchment

You mean 7p to 7a?

Whichever, you need to be able to bring your own food, healthy stuff that no one will want to steal out of the fridge, and filling enough you won't be tempted when people are ordering out. Lots of raw veggies and greek yogurt dips, cottage cheese, fresh fruit, yogurt cups. Buy produce in the morning on the way home when the stores have the best stuff.

usafcbcsgrl

I have been a Nurse for 6 years and we have to work rotating day & night shifts in the same week. I take all my own food, don't be tempted to get takeout or snack all night long. Many RN's that work nights bring shopping bags of horrible foods to eat.

My biggest issue is I track what I eat and the day before I end up being well below my calorie count because I sleep till noon or 2pm, but the following day I am over my calorie intake. I mentally balance it out, because I rarely sleep more than 2 to 4 hours after a night shift so in 36 hours I am getting only 2 to 4 hours of sleep. None of these sites take that into account when counting things up.

Sorry for rambling. Anyway I eat "breakfast when I wake up, take healthy snacks (almonds, apples, cheese sticks), some meat & veggies for "dinner" and usually something I would eat for breakfast at home (yogurt/fruit, hard boiled eggs & precooked bacon, oatmeal and fruit) to eat in the morning around 4am that way I have about 4 hours before I go to bed.

Hope this was at least a little helpful.

WorkoutMaine

I currently work 11p-9a. As previously stated it is very important to bring your own food and stick with it. Get in the habit of saying no when people ask you if you want anything. My sister-in-law works overnights in a hospital and they are constantly getting donuts and coffee and things like that. Resist this as hard as it may be. I am in the habit of pushing foods out of the way that I can't have. This may not work for everyone but for me it keeps me from eating those extra snacks. It won't always be easy but we are here for you when you need us.

robinxhope

I feel ya! I'd like to know what others do. I have yet to find much advice about working with diet/exercise and shift work. It's almost never mentioned in forums, literature etc. All the diet and fitness reading makes assumptions people work 9am-5pm weekdays.

My routine:
I try to sleep in the day before I work the night, eat a late breakfast at around noon or so, nap, eat lunch at 4pm or so before work, eat dinner on my first or second break and add a few snacks in between and in the AM before I go home to sleep. Then sometimes I eat a breakfast before I sleep in the day, have lunch before work and then a meal on my first or second break.

I hope this helps, feel free to add me and watch my diary for night shifts to see how I manage. I don't have many nights for the rest of this month due to vacation but will be back on day day, night night routine in April and I generally make a note in my diary that I am working nights. So I do a lot of switching back and forth between days and nights generally.

Extra ideas: I generally boost my daily intake slightly if I am working a 12 hour shift because my general setting for activity is low for 12 hour work days. So I generally add 300-500 extra calories depending on how busy it is. Sometimes I do stair sets on my breaks. It helps me wake up when I hit that 4am wall. I have been losing 0.5lb-1lb per week since last August. So I feel it's working. I don't have kids or outside responsibilities so managing night shifts is ok albeit tough. I feel for my colleagues with a lot of other outside work related responsibilities.

miami_mimi

I started working from 4-12:30shift at my job. Although it is not an overnight shift, it has been a huge adjustment. The key is definately going to the grocery store and planning ahead, I cook during the day and bring my dinner and snacks. Gotta be really careful, I had a few slip ups and ate the cookies/chips/sweets brought to the unit.

Hang in there and you can do this

robinxhope

I agree with the bring your own food idea too. I only pack what I know I can eat and still be within my range. Sometimes I even pre-chart it. And I bring a few healthy yummy things too like dark chocolate for if I get the midnight munchies. And lots of tea to sip on.

IvoryParchment

Get a smart phone to use the MFP mobile app. If people at work bring treats, log the food before you eat it, so you choose a portion size you can' accommodate in your daily totals. People aren't going to stop having birthdays on our account.

It's a shame hospitals don't have fitness rooms for their employees.

deedog007

Workout before you go to work.. man i learned this the hard way..

If you workout after you get off work, its hard to go to sleep, the next thing you know you are back at work tired!!!

WorkoutMaine

Workout before you go to work.. man i learned this the hard way..

If you workout after you get off work, its hard to go to sleep, the next thing you know you are back at work tired!!!

Yea this is really good too :laugh: I remember the first time I worked out after work I tossed and turned all day trying to sleep then was exhausted trying to work that night. What a nightmare.

onequirkygirl

What they said.

I know how tough working 7pm to 7am was for me. So kudos.

The most important thing I can tell you is, tired people make poor food choices. Be regular about it, and dont't eat the kitchen before bed when you get home.

I wish you the best!!

itsirkmr

Thank you for the tips! Yes, my mistake, I meant 7p to 7a

KELLYJO38

This is basically what I do too. Sleep in on my first night back. Get up, eat breakfast, have lunch with my family (their supper) before leaving for work, and then eating my supper around 0300. I used to be starving when I got home in the mornings. I would eat and go to bed. That wasn't good and I know it added to my weight gain. Just since I have started MFP, I have been trying to eat my supper at around 0300. That way when I get home, I am not so hungry and just go to bed. There have been a few times though....

aprilgraciete

I did night shift for years and at first I gained weight. I would stay awake for 30 hours 2 days a week. The extra awake time gave me extra eating time which wasn't good. I was going to school full time during the day and thats why I skipped sleep on the first overnight of the week and the last overnight of the week. Once I got pregnant I had a hard time staying awake for so many hours and would end up falling asleep in my car for an hour before classes started and also had an easier time napping before an overnight. this cut down on my constant hunger. When you are up for 36 hours and getting hungry every 4 hours or so that is alot of calories. Funny thing, I stopped gaining once I got pregnant (that of course changed once the pregnancy progressed)

Anyways, my advice is to make sure you get enough sleep. Don't force yourself to stay awake for the entire day after your last overnight so you can get onto a normal schedule for your "weekend". It isn't worth it. Also, never let a job make you work every other overnight. That absolutely sucks! Try and get the normal amount of sleep needed per 24 hours period. I think overnights wouldn't have affected my weight much if I slept more.

KELLYJO38

I tried the staying up thing on my last night that I worked for the first couple years. I felt like I was losing a day. I can't do it anymore though. After each night shift (normally 3 or 4 in a row), I usually go to bed as soon as I get home around 0745 and sleep until the kids walk in the door at 1500. I probably get more sleep on night shift than if I worked day shift. I still hate nights though!

neftfs

I've worked nights and even two full time shifts and it is not the best health wise. Check out this article on ways to reduce risk of shift disorder - http://jobsworkingnights.com/ways-to-reduce-risk-of-shift-disorder/

jaslyn684

What has worked best for you all as far as tracking food? Do you start counting calories at midnight or in the morning for "breakfast"?