Question on calories when Rolling from Shift to Shift...

nightsrainfall

For those who roll from Night shift to day shift, or go from day shift to night shift - what do you do about calories (or what's your goal for eating) when rolling?

Personally, It's hard for me to not end up going greatly over my calories during the day-to-night work shift change because of how poorly I roll over. I'll starve at day breakfast, day lunch, (thus waking up), eat a normal dinner, then be hungry at night lunch, and then it's back to morning meal. I'm pretty much eating a whole second meal because of how use my body is to day shift and how hungry I'll get during the middle of work...

Night-to-day, I way under eat mostly because I'll just sleep though everything at that point. So both of these time periods I tend not to log only because I know how poor it will look, but I'm wondering what other people do.

Lyadeia

I pre-log my meals. I always plan out everything. Then I know that my calories and macros will be right, and it matters not *when* I eat the planned meals, as long as I get them in.

vegaspfmf

If they even out then their is no problem. Timing has nothing to do with it.

link136937

I try to regulate my portions better when rolling shifts. Instead of larger "meals" i have a protein shake or bar between and have a smaller meal. Sometimes, because of how my work is set up, this isn't always possible bc i have to eat when I can but so far it works for me.

jk262

I do midnight to midnight. I know other on the night shift and swing shift that has their diary split up into blocks of time and they just log their food in those blocks. Check out the Official Night Shift Thread!

nessab5

I wake up at 4pm everyday and thats when I start my first meal. After that I eat about every 4 hours small meals. 8pm 12am & 4am that way I am not sleeping with a full stomach. I go to bed a little after 8am after taking my daughter to school. On my days off I follow the same four hour rule. I know it's hard to not eat everything that is placed infront of you but if you slowly start eating smaller meals and drinking more water it will help you fill full. At least this is what has helped me. Good luck I know it's hard. This is coming from someone who has worked the graveyard shift for almost 6 years.

I also just started using My fitness pal but like mentioned above it should all even out.

danielleburwell97060

I would also recommend the midnight to midnight approach. My husband works graveyard but on his days off gets up a lot earlier than on days where he sleeps after work and he's found midnight to midnight works better for him.

Also, try not to get down too much about how bad ONE day is. Look at your weekly average. On the phone it shows you how many cals you had left or went over at the end of the week and that's a nice way to not have to stress so much just about that one day.