Night Shift Snacking

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pattya925
pattya925 Posts: 398
in Chit-Chat
I'm a nurse and work rotating day-nights. When I work daylights, it's fairly easy for me to stay near my recommended calories/macros. Night shift is a whole different story. I am constantly nibbling - if I don't have something light in my stomach then I become nauseated to the point of being ill. I never know when to eat, what to eat.... and days I switch back (like today) are rough. Anyone else have this issue??

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  • gigidalrymple
    gigidalrymple Posts: 3 Member
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    I find the same problem also. I work only nights but when I am off work, I find it so easy to stick to my calorie limits. I don't really know what to do about it either as if I don't eat past 9pm which I know people tell me I shouldn't, I can't work either. :-(. If you have any tips I would appreciate it.
  • MrsSenecal
    MrsSenecal Posts: 312 Member
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    I pack my food and snacks and dont ever go to the vending machine. Its a rule of mine!
  • ScatteredThoughts
    ScatteredThoughts Posts: 3,562 Member
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    I pack my food and snacks and dont ever go to the vending machine. Its a rule of mine!

    ^^ This is what helped me the most when I worked a 9pm to 9am shift. I also found that the more engaged I was in a problem or project, the less I thought about eating. Is there more idle time when you are on nights? Maybe you could find a pet project which interests you.
  • kornaco
    kornaco Posts: 146 Member
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    Interesting you "feel" different when working on nights compared to days--even though the same temptations are available. Are you eating similar pre-work meals? Anything different that would lead to getting the run-down, sick feeling?? :frown: Lack of rest beforehand?
  • MrsSenecal
    MrsSenecal Posts: 312 Member
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    Its funny because at my place of work, you can almost tell by looking at people what shift they tend to be on. The over night workers are the heaviest, When I worked nights I put on like 15 pounds. I ate out of boredom and being tired. I work 4p-12a and it has been easier for me to go to the gym and eat working this shift.
  • hornsofulmo
    hornsofulmo Posts: 4
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    I spent the last couple of summers interning in observational astronomy, so I switched erratically between night and day shifts depending on the weather. Regardless of which shift I was on that day, I tried to make sure I had the same amount of time between meals. If I had breakfast at 8 and lunch at noon while working days, then when I was working nights, 'breakfast' would be when I woke up and 'lunch' would still be 4 hours later. It helped me make sure I was still eating when I needed to even if the times were different on a day-to-day basis. I also made sure to pack my own meals and snacks instead of going to the vending machine or ordering pizza (because, yeah, 2-am pizza deliveries to the observatory actually existed)
  • Parmcat
    Parmcat Posts: 268 Member
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    Another nurse here. I work straight 12 hr nights.

    I also find it difficult, but I am getting better at packing for the shift. Salads, low carb snacks, and fruit. I also drink a TON on nights....I flavour my water, and it makes a huge difference!
  • pattya925
    pattya925 Posts: 398
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    Interesting you "feel" different when working on nights compared to days--even though the same temptations are available. Are you eating similar pre-work meals? Anything different that would lead to getting the run-down, sick feeling?? :frown: Lack of rest beforehand?

    Well, the first night is the hardest since I have a child... so it's not uncommon for me to wake at 7 or 8 am and be up until the following morning at around 9:30 am.... then I can sleep til about 3 pm, get him off the school bus, and repeat... I am not a night person by nature. I used to be asleep every night by 9 pm and wake at 6 am before I started the shift work. Even with adequate rest, I just feel crappy... I actually have been physically ill around 4-5 am unless I have something on my stomach. It's really the transitions that kill me too... when I may have a brief turnaround from nights to days... So if I work Tues night into Wed morning, I can crash around 9:30 am, but don't want to sleep all day since I have to sleep that night to be back at work Thursday morning at 6:30 am. Just hard to know when to schedule sleep/meals...
  • pattya925
    pattya925 Posts: 398
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    I pack my food and snacks and dont ever go to the vending machine. Its a rule of mine!

    ^^ This is what helped me the most when I worked a 9pm to 9am shift. I also found that the more engaged I was in a problem or project, the less I thought about eating. Is there more idle time when you are on nights? Maybe you could find a pet project which interests you.

    I do pack healthy snacks and never bring cash... it's more a question of how to space the meals out... esp because my first night shift, I am sometimes awake for 26 hours straight, etc... so I ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner before work and now have the whole night shift to get through and won't be eating during the following day since I am asleep... As for the projects, I am almost always busy on nights taking care of my patients... I don't have much down time.
  • kindasortachewy
    kindasortachewy Posts: 1,084 Member
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    I work 6pm-6am - I try to really fill up on water water water and only bring the food I'm going to eat, if i bring more I'll eat it! Have you looked into IF? Intermediate fasting seemed to help me get ahold of my nightshift/day shift switch as I switch to regular hours on my days off
  • pattya925
    pattya925 Posts: 398
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    I work 6pm-6am - I try to really fill up on water water water and only bring the food I'm going to eat, if i bring more I'll eat it! Have you looked into IF? Intermediate fasting seemed to help me get ahold of my nightshift/day shift switch as I switch to regular hours on my days off

    not familiar with that at all... will look into it... Thanks!
  • marcimlarson
    marcimlarson Posts: 54
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    I pack my food and snacks and dont ever go to the vending machine. Its a rule of mine!

    i also have turkey deli slices and swiss cheese, i also drink water all shift, and i walk for 20 min on my lunch break. never any sugar snacks or sodas or ever vending machine candy EVER. im serious. i dont eat cake at weddings. i wait till i can get real food at TACO BELL. lol.
  • pattya925
    pattya925 Posts: 398
    Options
    I pack my food and snacks and dont ever go to the vending machine. Its a rule of mine!

    i also have turkey deli slices and swiss cheese, i also drink water all shift, and i walk for 20 min on my lunch break. never any sugar snacks or sodas or ever vending machine candy EVER. im serious. i dont eat cake at weddings. i wait till i can get real food at TACO BELL. lol.

    aaaaaaaaaah, a lunch break! I am so jealous!
  • Ocarina
    Ocarina Posts: 1,550 Member
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    I work nights and feel in control more when at work then when at home. I just eat every two hours a snack of some quantity amount. Divy it up before hand so you are able to figure out calorie content. I'm trying to stop eating too much when I'm off work, lol

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