night shifts

I work 8:30pm-8:30am. 24 hours is 24 hours no matter how you look at it. I have my food diary split up into time segments and Iog my food into the time slot that I ate it, being sure to not go over my goal for the 24 hour time period. I bring all of my food to work with me and pre-log everything so there's usually little variance. If it doesn't fit in my budget, I (99% of the time) don't eat it. On my overnights, 4p-8p is when I am on my way to work. I usually have a protein bar to prevent me from eating stupid things. Then I eat my breakfast before clocking in. Around midnight or so I eat a meal and I eat another one closer to morning so I'm rarely truely hungry.

8am-12pm
12pm-4pm
4pm-8pm
8pm-12am
12am-4am
4am-8am

Or whatever works for you. No need to complicate it. My diary is always open but I currently have the flu so don't judge.

I also work part time during the day, so I just log my food in whatever time slot it fits in.

i just added "at work/nights" to my log. Keep it as simple as you can.

To combat boredom eating, or staying awake, i just make darn sure i don't pack very big of a lunch and i don't bring cash. I had to do this because i used to bring in extra food just so i would have something to do.

It definitely messes with your metabolism and makes it hard to lose weight. Preplanning is probably your best defense. I found my self getting hungry in the middle of the night and tried a lot of different kinds of snack items. For me, protein was my best bet. I use protein powder in milk and add it to my coffee all night long. Nuts are a great crunchy snack and beef jerky is a favorite filler too. My current favorite is Nice! Maple Bacon Jerky from (I couldn't believe it either) Walgreens. It takes a while to find what works for you. don't be afraid to try new things and think outside the box. Good luck!

I also changed my settings to reflect the times of day, as others have done. It's been working well so far, I never have to question where something belongs. Try to keep your log starting 12AM to 12PM, that way you don't have to fight the system which will automatically change to the next day.

I used to believe that the midnight shift was responsible for making me fat, but that seems to have only been an excuse.

nights does make it harder but it is only an excuse.

nights does make it harder but it is only an excuse.

^ This. I've lost all my weight working nights. It's just a workshift. No-one forces you to overeat just because it's night. I get 5 hours sleep max between my shifts and work 3 jobs. I refuse to hide behind excuses anymore, and I've got some pretty good ones.

Weird. I think it's a matter of making conscious choices no matter what time of day the shift is.

I'm not just talking, I do night shifts.

I used to do more of them than I do now, and EVERY time I'd do a set of nights, I'd drop a couple pounds. I used to eat a lot of things like fruit, protein shakes, oatmeal with flax, eggs (before I was vegan), etc. I never want junky foods on night shifts.. just famiilar healthy breakfast foods for the multiple days I was on night shifts. I was also eating the exact same amount of calories as I would on any regular day. Now that I do night shifts less often, I find I barely eat on them now. I'm just too tired, my body is cold and slowed down. I just cannot get enough water at night though! I'd be fine if I ate early in the evening before my shift, then just went through the night with lots of water, some coffee, and a bunch of soy milk for my coffee.

If I did ALL night shifts, I'd adapt intermittent fasting to my work schedule where I get all my calories in a shorter span of time so I'm not eating that much at night. It doesnt restrict calories, just a smaller eating window. For example, on a 10pm-8am shift, I'd eat all my calories in 2-3 large meals from 4pm-2am daily. Currently I use intermittent fasting but on "normal" days I eat between 10am-6pm.

I agree and by no means am I trying to use it as an excuse. It has just been really hard because my body is used to me eating all these unhealthy snacks during the night that now that I don’t eat them it’s pretty hard to have them around.

yeah, it seems to be a common and legitimate concern for people.

People I work with always bring in grocery bag of junk food (chips, pop, chocolate) and subway or fast food with multiple cups of coffee to prepare for the night. I just personally never understood it. From the first day I EVER did night shifts all I crave is cereal, oatmeal, fruit, protein shakes, coffee, water, and toast! Breakfast food all day long! lol. I'm glad I never started that habit, because I can see how it would be difficult to break it once it's established. I'd likely eat out of boredom if I brought snacks.

The worst part about night shift....having all the candy to the right of me...next to the pop tarts

I agree and by no means am I trying to use it as an excuse. It has just been really hard because my body is used to me eating all these unhealthy snacks during the night that now that I don’t eat them it’s pretty hard to have them around.

If you stop eating these foods, you'll stop craving them. Promise. At my work there is always a bowl of candy (usually mini chocolate bars) on the breakroom table. I used to find it physically impossible to avoid them. But one day I just decided I'm not allowed to have them. The cravings were pretty intense at first. But eventually they went away. I can look at that bowl now and not be the least bit tempted.

Yes I have made the commitment and I will stick to it. What I find to be cruel are the co workers that see how hard I am trying and feel the need to insist that I eat all that junk. I even had one girl get mad and say I am ungrateful because she cooked the cupcakes especially for me.

stick to your guns and they will all get used to the new you.

I work 7P-7A three nights a week and this is what I do on the nights I work. I eat dinner before I go to work. I have a snack at 10PM, then "lunch" at 2AM, then another snack around 6:30AM so I will have energy for the gym, which I go to on my way home. Then I have breakfast before going to bed. My diary is open if you want to take a look. My non work days are usually higher calorie than my workdays.

I know what you mean about avoiding candy at night. There is always a large tray of candy where I work, and I used to eat candy all night, tons of it. I finally decided that enough was enough, it has been about 6 weeks since I touched the candy. I had the hardest time when someone brought in doughnuts.... not kidding, I had dreams about doughnuts that night. I bought a creme stick from a better bakery that weekend, it was awesome. IMO, you should get to enjoy crappy foods sometimes. Moderation has always been my key to success.

I worked days through the fall last year and found that there was much, much more food to avoid. I probably gained 5 lbs working days.

Wow, that's a generous perk from your company. Good for them and you!