Attention 3rd shift nurses!!!!

ashleyh3156
ashleyh3156 Posts: 177 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am having trouble keeping my hands out of the cookie jar at night....and the whole exercise problem, do you exercise before or after work? I find myself exhausted after, and afraid to exercise before! I have usually been a 1st shifter, and now my oldest daughter has entered kindergarten and I have a 7 wk old so nights is a lot more convenient. Suggestions wanted please!!!

Replies

  • ashleyh3156
    ashleyh3156 Posts: 177 Member
    anyone?
  • VanessaGS
    VanessaGS Posts: 514 Member
    If I had the chance I would do workouts first thing in the morning. I notice when I do my energy level is way better and since I worked out it helps me to remember to eat healthy through the day. You should try it and see how you feel. Unfortunately I work mornings so can't work out till about 6-7 PM.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    I'm not a nurse but I do work 3rd shift. I workout as soon as I get off of work. Usually 8am.
  • akrnrunner
    akrnrunner Posts: 117 Member
    Ugh I feel your pain! I'm currently not working to stay home with my kids but was a graveyard shifter forever! If it's an option ever... get off of it! Otherwise, I would say exercise before you go to work. If you're anything like me and already trying to sleep during the daylight hours your internal sleep timer is already screwed up and the last thing you need is your body being ramped up just before trying to get some much needed sleep. Otherwise, stock up on healthy food snacks that you can eat on the go at work. Finger foods like cut up veggies will help keep you feeling full and stay out of the break room as much as possible. I don't know if you're allowed to have drinks out where you work but I had to have something sweet to curb my cravings and to avoid eating too many treats that people feel the need to share with everyone at work... so it's when my diet coke habit got established... through a straw... I don't know which is worse but I would feel better after sipping on a diet coke vs eating a darn cookie (or 4!). Best of luck to you!!!
  • LoreneRN
    LoreneRN Posts: 11 Member
    I always work out in the AM after I get off shift. It is way more convenient for me and there is no way I am getting up early to go work out. I also make sure I keep things in the freezer at work for when I have to graze. Edamame is always good, I also keep the broccoli with cheese steamers in there because for 45 calories and you get something with cheese heck yeah! LOL I also keep MHP pudding with me which is a high protein pudding that really can fill me up with half a can when I need it.(I get it at GNC) Sugar free pudding, and I keep lean cuisine and stuff like that, or tuna pouches etc . I always overflow my lunch box for the just in case, that way I have smart choices and I stay away from the cafeteria. Everyone says to drink a ton of water but that never works for me LOL. Hope this helps. If you have to have the crunchy craving get the Fat Free Microwave popcorn, or if you are feeling like you really need to be "bad" veggie straws, or baked chips will give you a little indulgence without out ALL the fat and calories. Good Luck!
  • erisians
    erisians Posts: 15 Member
    I only work a few night shifts a month, but when I do I find it easier to exercise before the shift, usually because I'm feeling pretty shattered afterwards. Although, it can be hard to find the motivation because you want to conserve your energy for the shift ahead. But the times I have exercised before a night shift, I usually feel pretty good and not tired during the shift.

    Snacking can be hard to avoid. Rather than depriving yourself for 8-12 hours, I find it easier to eat smaller portions/ lower calorie food during the day and allocate some calories for overnight. Try taking your own food to work for overnight, it makes the cake and biscuits less temping.
  • joybedford
    joybedford Posts: 1,680 Member
    Hi I am a midwife working a lot of nights. I do 3, 11 hour shifts a week and these tend to be together so if i didn,t workout during these periods i would miss out on working out alltogether. I usually take the kids to school and then go for a run or lift weights and then go straight to bed. This isn,t ideal as i have to be back up again to collect the children from school at 1500 but working out is important to me and I have learnt to cope on a little sleep. If i try to workout after collecting the children from school it doesn,t happen as I have there homework to do, uniforms to get ready, a meal to cook as well as baths and sorting out my workgear. I have found a system that kind of works. On my days off I workout while they are at school and that way i don,t feel guilty about leaving them with there dad. They are fine with him but like me to be around. I prefer to workout in the morning if i leave it till after they go to bed I am too tired. I do it but I don,t enjoy it as much.
  • Onaughmae
    Onaughmae Posts: 873 Member
    When I work, I usually stop at the gym on my way home. On my days off I switch back to a day routine so I just go whenever. It is hard on the body flip flopping back and forth but I think over the years I have just gotten used to it.
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
    I work 7p-7a on the weekends. I normally will exercise before I go in to work on Friday nights (it gives me more energy for the night), but Saturdays are my rest day. And then I normally go work out with my instructor when I wake up on Sunday afternoons. I don't think I'd work out on Sundays otherwise--I'm tired! But since I'm with others and it's outdoors, I drag myself over there, and I'm wide awake once we get started.

    I keep snacks in my locker or bag to combat the munchies--Special K crackers, those 100 cal bags of microwave popcorn, a box of cereal, etc. And then I try to take fruit and/or yogurt, maybe a bag of raw almonds with a tbsp dark chocolate chips, etc.
    Pre-logging for the night helps me.
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
    When i worked nights i tried working out first thing in the morning and that didnt work out so well, so I switched to evenings, usually around 5-6 and that was what worked best for me!
  • ashleyh3156
    ashleyh3156 Posts: 177 Member
    thanks! some days i feel like a wreck in the am. I will try b4 work. .
  • Opal6779
    Opal6779 Posts: 5
    I do nights but only 2 shifts a week right now. So I usually try to work out during the day before I go in on the first night and then I take the next day as a rest day, I am too tired after working all night. I couldn't come home and exercise after, I am usually asleep within 20 minutes of stepping into my house!
  • rjrn
    rjrn Posts: 14 Member
    Hey. My shifts change all the time ...12hr days/nights. I've been waking up EARLY to get my WO in before days b/c it's hard to talk myself into doing it after! ...and I work out in the morning b4 my first night... and when I get up btwn my other nights (no wonder my metabolism is so screwed up...). I almost NEVER w/o b4 going to bed after nights...

    ...I need to do more Days....
    or stop working :0)
  • krissagray
    krissagray Posts: 105 Member
    I do nights but only 2 shifts a week right now. So I usually try to work out during the day before I go in on the first night and then I take the next day as a rest day, I am too tired after working all night. I couldn't come home and exercise after, I am usually asleep within 20 minutes of stepping into my house!

    Same here. I work every saturday and sunday night 7p-7a in the ER. There is SOOO much junk in there that it is silly! So I make sure to get in a KILLER workout at abotut 1130am on Saturday and pre-plan my meals. I started making more progress once I got my weekends right. All week I would be great and then the weekend would come and so would about 2000 extra calories from crap. It kept putting me in almost depressed moods until about Tuesday when I recovered from the sugar coma and lack of sleep. So tuesday through Saturday I would rock again...then eat crap again. A horrible cycle. So to get it right, I always workout on Saturday hard. Then Sunday I added in an extra workout for a while when I would normally take that day off. Getting up and burning even just 200 calories put me in the right mindset to stay away from crap food. Now I am back to taking Sundays off but old habits are creeping in so Sunday will be a 200 calorie burn before work.

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