Shift Work Eating

pachelbella321
pachelbella321 Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone! I have a question. I have recently began working a 12-hr night shift job and I work 3-4 nights per week. On my "days" off, I try to flip to a "regular" schedule so I have time with my family and friends...and pretty much the rest of the world for that matter. I know that it is best for our bodies to eat on a regular, consistent schedule, but considering my wake/sleep schedules fluctuate so often, how do I balance my eating times to best serve my body's needs and to improve my metabolism? Should I consider maintaining a regular eating pattern on set hours regardless of my sleep/wake routine? (Like waking up to eat my small meals on the days when I'm sleeping for my shift?)

Has anyone else run into this situation? If so, what have you found to work best to support good nutrition and weight loss efforts?

Thanks!

Replies

  • holmesd450
    holmesd450 Posts: 20 Member
    Just like a normal person. Meal timing is irrelevant
  • Stacimfit
    Stacimfit Posts: 298 Member
    Good question........ My hubby does shift work but 8s, not 12s. Work 7 days on days, off a day, work 7 days on noons, off 2 days, work 7 days on nights, off 4 days, its ridiculous. Id look more into seeing if you should really wake to eat, you need your sound sleep to.. When he's done with nights and wakes up after sleeping at 3pm, its breakfast to him so he likes breakfast... Weird!! Sorry not much help to answer you but can relate. Maybe talk more later.
  • pachelbella321
    pachelbella321 Posts: 2
    I've pretty much been just sleeping through the day (9am - 3:30pm) and then eating some breakfast before my shift. My biggest culprit is cereal...I could eat cereal all day long if I had to. Love the stuff! Thankfully I'm not a "Fruit Loops" or "Lucky Charms" type cereal lover - definitely the sweetest I get is honey nut Cheerios or Rice Chex. But either way, if I work several days in a row, I've been known to eat a bowl when I get home (time of the day) and then another bowl when I get up (because I just woke up and that's when you normally eat breakfast...when you wake up)! lol I was just trying to get an idea of how others have been able to do it and stay nutritionally sound and healthy and loose weight also. Most of the time I end up not eating much at all the days I work and then there are some days every now and then that I end up eating too much. I need to find a balance. Thanks for replying!
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Don't wake up just to eat if that is what you are saying, good sleep patterns are important in health and in weight management. Just spread your servings of different food types (produce, dairy, proteins, whole carbs, etc.) through your waking hours or through a 24 hour period. Any cereal that has added sugar should really come out of your maximum 10% of daily calories as junk/ processed/ sugary foods.
  • Mutant13
    Mutant13 Posts: 2,485 Member
    I do pretty much the same hours as you. Feel free to add me and view my diary
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    I work a swing shift 1 days 2 afternoons and 2 nights every week. It is not easy but honestly it is not impossible either. I ignore the clock and try to imagine everyday the same. when I wake up I eat breakfast wheather that is 7am or 3pm and so on. time of the day is irrelevant as others have said. It has worked well for me. Good luck to you. Just get plenty of sleep, that is super important and I try to work my sleep in a sleep bank almost like your calories, I have a one day a week i call my sleep makeup day when I get off at 8am sleep my normal 6 hours then switch to off days, and sleep that night as well. it takes some getting used to but now it works great for me.
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    A lot of people will say that meal timing is irrelevant and throw studies at you to prove it. But I honestly think that such a claim is nonsense. In my opinion, meal timing - eating every 2-3 hours - is key to success.

    Just do what you can to your best. If you find it hard to eat every few hours, start with small snacks every now and then and build up to eating. Also, try eating with family and friends rather than alone, it might help you to relax and not stress about xyz.
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    I work 8pm - 6 am right now 4 days a week. I usually eat when I get home by 6:30 am, or sometimes when I wake up (but I usually workout when I wake up ~3:00 pm and eat around 6pm)
  • vanguardfitness
    vanguardfitness Posts: 720 Member
    A lot of people will say that meal timing is irrelevant and throw studies at you to prove it.

    It really is irrelevant though :P

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