Night Shift!

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allie7383
allie7383 Posts: 865 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all, I work the overnight shift (11pm-7am) in a hospital, and was wondering if anyone else out there deals with similar hours. If so, what do you do to adjust your eating habits, since breakfast time for most is bedtime for us!
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  • Rhonnie07
    Rhonnie07 Posts: 36
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    I use to work that shift. i always tried to eat my heaviest meal before I went to work. Had a nice lunch at work and then just had a bowl of cereal when I got home. Unwind a little with a night cap and went to bed. it is hard to get use to that shift, but it falls right into place when you get a routine down. The hardest part I had about it, was my days off.
  • duckchick
    duckchick Posts: 3
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    Hi there! I work night shift in a warehouse, and adjusting eating times was a tad tricky. I had an advantage because, though I was working days for a year, I had worked nights for 4 years before that, though back then I didn't try to have healthy eating habits.

    To answer your question, I've simply tried to push myself into a routine. A shake or smoothie and small bowl of oatmeal or quinoa for breakfast, and make lunch my main meal. Usually I'll pack lettuce wraps (which for me are VERY filling!) or a healthy sandwich, good sized, too, and a salad of lettuce, spinach, red peppers, a sprinkling of cheese, and a vinaigrette dressing. I have snacks here at work, but I try and make them healthy, like backed crackers and pita chips, peanut butter, and granola bars, which I'll at at break times. Dinner once I get home is usually unnecessary, as I'm generally satisfied appetite wise. But if I am hungry by chance, then I'll make it something small, like a bowl of soup or a salad of greens or fruit.

    EDIT: Rhonnie07, I have the same problem! My days off can throw me, big time. I have to work hard to stick to my routine!
    But no matter what I eat, I find that sticking to the routine is more helpful than anything! Small breakfast, small dinner, healthy lunch. Hope this helps! :)
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
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    I do!!! I am always looking for people who0 work this shift. I start logging at midnight. So I start with lunch at 2am, snack, breakfast is usually right before bed ( i have tons of posts on this, and Im struggling big time with it), I would like to start eating breakfast around 2pm when I wake up, then Dinner around 8p, before work. Seems to work for me, but I am always hungry when I get off and then eat and go to bed ; ( I think Im gonna start the bowl of cereal routine.
  • allie7383
    allie7383 Posts: 865 Member
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    Thanks guys! I've been working this shift for 3 years now, and I also get thrown off schedule by my nights off! To an extent you do get into a routine, though sometimes those days... Ugh! Just recently I really started this whole weight loss goal.

    Lee- I start logging at midnight as well. I actually just changed my food diary settings, so instead of it saying "breakfast" it now goes by times of the day. I used to eat terribly on break, but since I've been bringing my own food, that part's gotten better. Now, depending on how hungry I am, I ry to get in some fruit, along with maybe leftovers, or cereal.

    When I get home I put my stuff down, and go right upstairs to bed, no stopping at the fridge! The worst part is the time from when I wake up, usually around 2pm, through the time i leave for work. My biggest weakness is snacking. I'm working on drinking more water to curb that habit.
  • annecolorgreen
    annecolorgreen Posts: 116 Member
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    I've worked nights shift for 17 years and it definitely messes with your life! My "day" starts at midnight and I try to eat light during work, then something like a glass of skim milk right before I sleep. When I get up, I eat a light meal ("lunch"), and then a bigger meal before work.

    I've always found it hard to have regular exercise--it's hit or miss. Sometimes, I'm up to it when I get off work but usually not. So...I exercise when I can work it in. I wish I could keep a regular schedule, but it's just not possible for me.

    Take care of yourself!
  • sarwood1
    sarwood1 Posts: 48 Member
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    I have worked night shift for almost 8 years, and this has been a constant problem for me. Now, that I am logged my food into MFP, it has taken away some of the anxiety about it. I think as long as you are staying in all of your food goals (Calories, protein, fat, etc) that you are ok. I find that taking fresh veggies and fruit to work for snacking helps because even though I eat a meal at work I have to have my snacks too... and water! Drink lots of it.
  • leanmass24
    leanmass24 Posts: 304 Member
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    Been on night for 4 years 6pm-6am. I used to go otu for fast food all the time. I am at a different job now, but the same shift and I cant leave so I have been cooking before i go to work. I just use my first meal of the day as breakfast in the planner. It helps that i usually eat breakfast food at that time anyway. I usually wake up between noon and 2, make all my meals for the day, eat breakfast, then go to the gym, come home and shower have a heathy snack like and apple or something, to work around 5. I eat a meal a little while after I get to work another snack around 9, dinner around midnight, and another snack around 3am, them I am off at 6am, somtimes have another little snack at 7 when i get home so i dont wake up starving. I think i need to work on my times a little better so i dont snack when i get home, but I am not usually hungry after midnight. i have to force myself to eat something.

    I am trying to lose all my weight back so I can go back into the military. Life was soo much simpler then. I wish everyone luck in reaching their goals, just remember not to give up. Also remember once you get there, you have to maintain your healthy lifestyle or all that you worked so hard for will be lost.
  • allie7383
    allie7383 Posts: 865 Member
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    Anne- I hear ya about the regular exercise! I used to go to Curves not long after I started on nights and it was great because they were open when I'd be out of work. Sometimes I'd go straight there after work with a change of clothes.. Well that worked for about a week or so before I was exhausted, which led to me not going at all for several weeks! Now I find it easier to just make myself get outta bed a little earlier in the afternoon to fit the exercise in, and catch a nap before heading to work.
  • leanmass24
    leanmass24 Posts: 304 Member
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    As far as the gym goes, i joined a 24hr gym so i dont have to worry about when I can go... i am sure that not everyone has access to one, but it is a great tool to have, if you do. Now if I can just quit smoking everything will be peachy. I am not a heavy smoker just enough to help keep me awake and alert at night. Maybe half a pack a day(night), but even that little bit helps me function a whole lot better than without. I might smoke 3 a day on my off days. i wish i could just qiut but it is really hard.
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
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    Hey everyone...we should have a group for night people! Not sure how to do that.
    Anyway, Allie...I usually work out when I wake up. The only problem with that is if I don't want to wake up! That keeps me busy during the day though, and I shop and cook, I try to stay busy and not stay home, otherwise I find myself in a similar problem.
    Lean...Im gonna join a 24 hr gym soon near my job, it gets real, real slow here. I have a desk job, so I have time to go worout for awhile at night. I think that would help.
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
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    Anne- I hear ya about the regular exercise! I used to go to Curves not long after I started on nights and it was great because they were open when I'd be out of work. Sometimes I'd go straight there after work with a change of clothes.. Well that worked for about a week or so before I was exhausted, which led to me not going at all for several weeks! Now I find it easier to just make myself get outta bed a little earlier in the afternoon to fit the exercise in, and catch a nap before heading to work.

    what time do u go to bed? I find it hard to work out in the mornings after work, because then I can't sleep.
  • allie7383
    allie7383 Posts: 865 Member
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    Lee- I was thinking the same thing about a night people group! However I'm not sure how to do that either lol. I get out of work at 7, and, provided there's no traffic, I'm home in about 30ish minutes. I try to get right to bed. I find that if I get a snack or something I end up being awake much later than I'd like. Most of the time I'm passed out before 9, though on the rare occasions if I can't sleep or have a meeting or something of that sort, it's later. I try to get up around 2 simply because I feel like I've wasted the day if I sleep til 4 or so, regardless if I have plans or not lol.
  • leanmass24
    leanmass24 Posts: 304 Member
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    Yeah, i know what you mean about working out in the am, I can never go to sleep when i do either. I usually stay up til at least 10 then it messes up my whole routine. I try to go to bed right after i get home(within an hour, 2 at the most) so that i can get up early and do everything that needs to get done.
  • lee112780
    lee112780 Posts: 419 Member
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    yea I try to get to sleep by 8am. I just always find myself getting up and eatin tho, which caused me gain weight. I have to try to relax and go to slepp and stay asleep.
  • leanmass24
    leanmass24 Posts: 304 Member
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    Nah, once i go to sleep that is it.. i dont get outta bed til it is time. Most of my weight came from depression, my marriage falling apart, and a bunch of other bad things all happened about the same time.
  • allie7383
    allie7383 Posts: 865 Member
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    Lean, sorry to hear you went through those rough times. Hopefully you're coming out of them strong. :smile:
    Yeah for a little while I got into this bad habit of stopping at Dunkin Donuts on the way home, or making myself something that wasn't light and then having it in bed just before going to sleep. Fortunately that mess has stopped! lol. I felt some success today at work. We're doing a Biggest Loser Challenge here in our dept, and my friend and I tied for the most weight lost since the last weigh-in! Woohoo!
  • sheyna1983
    sheyna1983 Posts: 137
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    I work 10pm-8am ...6 days a week. I've been doing this for just over a year.

    What works best for me is to eat a big meal before work (80% protein) and then snack every 2-3 hours or so and have another large meal around 4am - I eat a snack at 6am and then stop eating - then I go to sleep at 9am and wake up at 6pm and exercise for 30 minutes and then do it all over again. Works for me. :smile:

    I read a study that people on night-shifts gain an average of 10 pounds a year - I gained 14 my first year doing it.....so far I lost 8 of it sticking to the above schedule. Night shift really messes with your metabolism. Sucks :grumble:
  • leanmass24
    leanmass24 Posts: 304 Member
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    Thanks allie, yeah I am much better ... that was a few years ago now.... i just havent gotten around to getting myself healthy again. Night shift is really bad for your diet, but if you want it bad enough you can make the changes you need to. just have to keep trying til you succeed.
  • allie7383
    allie7383 Posts: 865 Member
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    Yeah tell me about it Sheyna. I was never really thin, but once college came, and I didn't have the activities I did in high school.. forget it! From then on the weight came on, and this night shift def doesn't make it easier. Just got home, and gonna work out since I know I won't have time later. Hopefully I can get to sleep afterwards!
  • sheyna1983
    sheyna1983 Posts: 137
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    Yeah tell me about it Sheyna. I was never really thin, but once college came, and I didn't have the activities I did in high school.. forget it! From then on the weight came on, and this night shift def doesn't make it easier. Just got home, and gonna work out since I know I won't have time later. Hopefully I can get to sleep afterwards!

    Let me know how that works for you! I've always wanted to try working out after work but I'm scared it'll funk up my sleep....and I neeeeed lots of sleep or I can't handle this shift....lol

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