weight loss on night shift

jingermanko
jingermanko Posts: 14
in Introduce Yourself
Hi, I work night shift, I work 3-12 hour shifts a week and when it's my day off I stay up to flip back to day light hours. This is because I have a little one at home and need to be up during the day. My question is how to I handle my calorie intake for those days? Lately I have been just continuing to eat small meals every 3 hours and just record under the new day. I am not sure if that is how to do it or not. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to do that?

Replies

  • cpeters29
    cpeters29 Posts: 7
    im in the same postion i work 4-10hr night shifts a week, so i want to know if i should eat during the day or at night at work?
  • SirRunningShorts
    SirRunningShorts Posts: 77 Member
    When I used to work shift work, it was reccommended to me to keep a weekly total, instead of a daily. You are going to eat at weird times and sleep when others are active... so if you to your daily allowance X 7 days, you will get the same results.Tonight I had a 24 hour shift that I have once a week. I eat more on this shift because I am up longer. So I combine 2 days worth of calories and work with that number instead of stressing about one long day.

    I hope that helps or gives you an idea to help.

    Chris
  • jingermanko
    jingermanko Posts: 14
    That is basicaly what I do. I just wanted to hear it from someone else if that was what I was suppose to be doing or not. thanks
  • bufger
    bufger Posts: 763 Member
    I did nights last week but i recorded the same as usually. If i ate dinner at 6am I would count that as breakfast for the next day on the tracker. So for breakfast in my diary you'd see stuff like spaghetti! Then i'd sleep and count my 3/4pm meal as breakfast and my midnight meal as lunch. On average it balances out when you look at your weekly total.
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
    I count from midnight to midnight and have my diary broken into blocks of 6 hours so it works on my nights off as well. My diary is open if you wish to see an example.
  • jingermanko
    jingermanko Posts: 14
    I eat at night when I work. I just continue to eat into the day when I stay up to flip my schedule. I just make sure I still give myself 3-4 hours between meals. I record my food a little differently than what is set up on MFP, for instance, I am still logging my food for tonight in my Sunday 10/07 diary even though it is technically Monday 10/11. If tonight (Monday night) was my night off...I would start logging in my Monday diary after 6am which would be about 4 hours after my last meal....and that would be the start of my next day.
  • ferrytrip
    ferrytrip Posts: 497 Member
    When I used to work shift work, it was reccommended to me to keep a weekly total, instead of a daily. You are going to eat at weird times and sleep when others are active... so if you to your daily allowance X 7 days, you will get the same results.Tonight I had a 24 hour shift that I have once a week. I eat more on this shift because I am up longer. So I combine 2 days worth of calories and work with that number instead of stressing about one long day.

    I hope that helps or gives you an idea to help.

    Chris

    Thats a great idea - I hadn't thought of that - thanks
  • mistertug
    mistertug Posts: 51
    When you're on night shift I've found that strict dietary control helps a lot, not just for weight loss but for mental fortitude as well.
  • elebel82
    elebel82 Posts: 69 Member
    I do 2 x 12 hr night shifts and 2 x 12 hr day shifts each week or so.

    Personally I count a day as from when I wake up until I go to bed, otherwise I get all sorts of confused. I eat every 3 hrs or so, but tend to not be hungry after about 2am on the night shifts. I think it's a bit of trial and error to see what works for you.

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