Anyone else work nights?

TANGOCAT
TANGOCAT Posts: 6
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I am more than likely going to be moved to the midshift at my job in the near future. For those of you that work nights (in this case 11p-7a), any tricks you can share to eating healthy and sticking to a eating routine?

Replies

  • pezperry5
    pezperry5 Posts: 21
    Hi! I work nights and I find if you pre-make the things your going to take then it makes life alot easier. I generally take salad and a tin of tuna with low fat mayonnaise or something that is convienient but not high calories i.e. super noodles. I usually also take a piece of fruit a yoghurt and snack a jacks. I hope this helps! The key is plan ahead and it works!
  • CFAITH_WARD
    CFAITH_WARD Posts: 281 Member
    It seems no diet is tailor made to night workers......I drive from 6pm to 5 am. I wake at 11 am ane excercise have my first meal after (kinda lunch) then I eat right before leaving the house (my big meal) I take lots of snacks with me (turkey bites, almonds, carrots, celery, snap peas all the right serving size in snack baggies) At 12;30 I eat soup that I make each weekend. I bring usually 1 or 2 extra snack just incase I need them. I also drink lots of water and nothing else. drinks are extra empty calories for me. Oh and if you can find time at work like a lunch to walk it really help.....I have an hour once I get to my location and I walk.....Heart monitors are real jewels in this case....It helps push me...Good luck.
  • Melanie1967
    Melanie1967 Posts: 238 Member
    I am a truck driver. I get up between 12:30am-1:30am every night and go to work. Sometimes it's a 7 hour day, some 9 and some up to 15 hours. I try to pack a bunch of small items, because I like to munch when I get bored, which is why I weighed 255lbs when I started here. I usually try to do a 200 calorie breakfast and 200 calorie lunch, or less on both and then pack lots of fruit so I can snack. Cherries, pineapple, watermelon are a few of my favorites. I get lots of pieces for little calories or sodium. I try to workout when I get home, then dinner 2 hours before bed. If I have a short day I save 100 calories for a snack after dinner. Seems to be working for me so far, as long as I have plenty to munch!
  • CFAITH_WARD
    CFAITH_WARD Posts: 281 Member
    One additional thing is I chew sugar-free gum between meals.....I have heard that we burn an average of 11 CA an hour by chewing gum...I like orbits it is only 3 Ca and it gives me something to do...I don't get quite so bored.
  • TANGOCAT
    TANGOCAT Posts: 6
    Thanks for the helpful replies. I agree, planning ahead is a big help on any diet. Im sure it will take adjustments, but adapting is key.
  • Kkmama
    Kkmama Posts: 544 Member
    Hi,
    I also work nights. I have set up MFP food diary into four hour blocks so that I am more aware of what/ how I am eating. I generally have a breakfast when I get home, around 7:30 of yogurt, berries, 1/3 c bran buds. Then go to sleep. I usually wake around 3pm and have a fruit and some almonds to tide me over until dinner with my family which is a well balanced meal. I usually do not have a starch at dinner when I am working nights because I know I crave something like that in the middle of the night when I am working. I usually bring some veggies to snack on, a fruit, a salad , a starch of some sort (tonight I brought a thinful bun to make a toasted tomato sandwich). I drink water and green tea through the night also.
    Nights are tough on eating healthy and keeping my resolve to eat well since I crave "comfort" food during the night when I am dragging.
    Good luck.
  • EGio
    EGio Posts: 4
    Hi!

    I'm a waitress so I don't work overnight, but I do work fast-paced nights. My breaks are far and few between and very short when they happen. Being around all that food doesn't help much either! But I can tell ya that planning and packing my meals ahead of time makes a huge difference for me! Instead of snacking on junk...I snack on the goods I bring. It's worth your time! :-)
  • LastFighter
    LastFighter Posts: 175 Member
    It depends on the nature of your job. I have a very easy job that leaves me bored. I was eating a lot out of boredom. Im not sure what you do but make sure your mind is engaged as well.
  • aujourdhui
    aujourdhui Posts: 16
    I worked 11 to 7's for a long time, and it was challenging for me. The best advice I can give you is when you get home and go to bed, have something really light if you're hungry- but not really any carbs or sugar. Have an egg or some kind of protein. Also, the only thing that really helped me with this shift was the fact that I rode my bike to and from work, which was a good way to ease my way into and out of the shift. On my lunch break, I would make sure I stepped outside and walked around, and I would just eat a banana or grapes or something. I wouldn't eat a heavy meal before work or during work, because that just makes you sluggish when you're working at such an odd hour. My main meal would usually be in the early afternoon, and I would try to fit in a half hour workout after to get me pumped up and energized. I think the other thing about working in the middle of the night is to make sure you make the most out of your afternoon so that when 7 am rolls around, you are tired and can go right to bed. Good luck to you very much!
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