Hello all !! Anyone out there work nights?

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dlmarkley66
dlmarkley66 Posts: 51
in Introduce Yourself
I'm wondering how the night shift handles their food diary? My sleep and work schedule are always different making it difficult to keep track. Also when is the best to weigh? First thing in the morning I have been eating all night, so will it always be after sleeping? Any ideas are appreciated!

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  • Beebee78
    Beebee78 Posts: 703
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    Welcome to MFP! I don't work nights but just wanted to wish you luck on your journey xxx
  • verydangerous
    verydangerous Posts: 1 Member
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    I work 2 days, 2 nights, 4 off.
    I calculate my food for nights from the day before, so if I'm working Tuesday night then I start Wednesdays diary after I get out of bed.
    I avoid weighing at all when I'm on nights because your body is just totally screwed up. If you really do want to weigh then I would do it when you wake in the afternoon.

    Hope this helps, Jim.
  • mommy0612
    mommy0612 Posts: 44 Member
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    Sorry I don't have answers really. But I do work days and nights and look forward to hearing some answers. Good Luck on your journey. Some things I have done lately is eat smaller meals, low cal, low carb, cut out white foods, you know breads and such.
  • LinnPitt
    LinnPitt Posts: 55
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    hi... I worked nights for 8 years. I had to make adjustments for my meds and simply switched them to the night hours. depending on what your work schedule looks like and how many nights a week you work you may or may not be able to do that.
  • carbonbeing
    carbonbeing Posts: 16
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    I always work nights. I use the Breakfast slot for my last meal before going to bed. It is usually a breakfast type meal also. I fill out a day in advance when working also. So I use it to plan my meals and make decisions prior to eating. I only record my wake up weight but I track an evening weight on a spread sheet. I look to see that both go down over time. Your weight will fluctuate with hydration and salt intake so do not get discouraged. And if you are a vampire avoid the light....
  • dlmarkley66
    dlmarkley66 Posts: 51
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    Thank you for the reply. And just how did you know I was a VAMPIRE?? LOL :laugh:
  • dlmarkley66
    dlmarkley66 Posts: 51
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    Thanks for the reply! I'm thrilled to be a part of the community! Working nights is a challenge with many things. Meds included. It's seems like a simple thought to just reverse everything, but the day routine is so engrained that it seems very confusing. I have gained 55lbs since going from a nurse making rounds in the hospital to working nights as a Telenurse in my own home. Wow. I've had enough, so here I am!!
  • kiwimum
    kiwimum Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi - I work 7 nights on - 7 off - 10:30pm to 7am (ish) and have been doing it for 21 years this month (although not so many until the last few years). It took me a long time to work out what was right for me and what I learnt most was I have to be organised or I just pick at anything available.

    The hardest day for me is the day I start but now I just accept I have an extra meal as I eat normally that day and then go into night mode.

    What works for me is when I get home from work I have a small snack (usually rice cakes which I love) or if I am hungry I have my favourite breakfast of AllBran, banana and yooghurt. I have learnt if I go to bed hungry I don't sleep and that makes keeping to a plan harder. When I get up I have my 'lunch' and before I go to work I might have a small snack or my AllBran meal depending on what I had earlier.

    When I first arrive I have a lot of paper/computer work to do and thats when I used to snack on rubish so now I take a small amount of fruit and nuts and nibble on those as I work. My main meal is about 3am and I generally have a huge salad, some protein, often chicken and some noodles or potato left from dinner or maybe a small roll. All of this planned and mostly bought before I start my nights. And I drink pleanty of water and as I don't drink tea or coffee - some diet Pepsi.

    Of course there are days when I change it a little - I might not feel well or be sick of salad or someone else has bought a treat in but generally it works for me if I stick to the same thing most nights - and there is no thinking needed.

    I hope this helps someone but I am always interested in what others do - everything can always be improved and I am always looking for something to make it easier lol.
  • dlmarkley66
    dlmarkley66 Posts: 51
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    Thank you for the welcome! I am sure this is what I need to keep things going. I wish luck to you, although your are doing very well on your own! Good luck in your adopting journey. I am adopted and know that adoptive parents are very special and so are the child they give there life to. Stay strong !
  • dlmarkley66
    dlmarkley66 Posts: 51
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    Wow, 21 yrs!! I have been a nurse for 22 yrs but started working nites about 2 yrs ago. The best thing for me is that I work from home now, taking phone calls from patients who need medical advice. It's been great, except for the weight gain. I have become a vampire, staying in my basement day and night and hoping to be alone at all times because I have become so accustomed to it. It has been a big factor in my weight gain and the fact I get no exercise. I also have chronic migraines and a back problem, so exercise is a difficult thing at best. So I am thrilled to have this community to bounce things off of. Thank you for your information and good luck in your weight loss endenvors!
  • dlmarkley66
    dlmarkley66 Posts: 51
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    oh boy, I'm sure it's hard for you to keep things straight. I work nights, full time, but also work a lot of OT during days and evenings. I have assigned my diary meals as Meal #1, snack, Meal #2, snack and so on. I'm not sure if it's the best but so far I'm keeping track of everything. It's confusing, as I will be on yesterday's diary when it's actually the next day. That is the way night shift is tho, as you start working on one day and finish the next. I never know what is going on when I wake up to work. I am always confused about what day it is and why I am awake! Oh well, it will all work out I'm sure! Good luck to you in your weight loss!
  • robynrae_1
    robynrae_1 Posts: 712 Member
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    Hi and welcome,

    I have been working nights at a hospital for over 2 years now. Pick a time to go to bed and stick with it everyday if you can, even on your days off. I go to bed at 10 am everyday and get up at 6 pm, this gives me a little time before work to spend with my day shift husband, and a little time when I get home to unwind. I find this also helps with my workouts. When I get home from 10 hours of work I don't want to do anything but veg. So now I walk the dog when I get up.

    There is another mfp thread called the Offical nightshift thread look us up and come read that other "vampires" have to say lots of different ideas
  • squishyfishy
    squishyfishy Posts: 108
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    I work either day or nightshift in 2 wk blocks. I pick a weigh in day and weigh when I get up that day so it can be 5 in the morning or as late as 4 in the afternoon. I also still count my days as midnight to midnight and don't worry about going over on my 1st night too much as I'm up for over 20 hrs because I can make up for it on ny last day.
  • tinalcross
    tinalcross Posts: 11
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    I work 12 hr night shifts/ 3 days a week. I tend to weigh in a couple times a week when I make sure I have slept all night. I guess you could weigh yourself in the afternoon when you wake up... I NEVER weigh in after work.
    *My sleep diary? I have been using my nightime meals as 'breakfast' and 'lunch' , than I will have a "snack" when I get up in the afternoon.
    Hope that helps!
  • nicrus24
    nicrus24 Posts: 12 Member
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    I track my meals midnight to midnight. So my first meal which is usually around 1-2am is breakfast. It has worked out for me pretty well. And I weigh in when I wake up in the afternoon, if you weigh in the morning after you have worked all night then it will be no bueno. Good luck and welcome!
  • dlmarkley66
    dlmarkley66 Posts: 51
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    Thanks for the welcome! I have gotten a lot of great ideas from everyone. This is a great community. I have been trying to start my day when I get up in the evening. It gets a bit confusing tho. So when you get up in the afternoon, or early evening, then you still have a meal left on your diary from the previous day, right?
  • suzie1983
    suzie1983 Posts: 65
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    hey check out the Offical nightshift thread with the rest of us who work overnights...
  • Damage483
    Damage483 Posts: 23
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    Hello and welcome to the site! There are some great ideas and posted replies to your subject. I've been working nights for 19 of the last 20 years so I guess you could say i'm a professional vampire too. :) I can only tell you my experience and how i've gone about handling the night shift issue. But again, there are alot of helpful ideas on your post as well.

    As for me, when I get up in the afternoon or evening (depending on when I went to bed), the first meal I have I consider it to be my breakfast (and i'll post it as such on my food diary). My shift begins at 10:30pm and I might pack a fruit snack and/or lunch with me for the shift. The meal I have there at work I consider my lunch and then when I get home in the morning after 7:30am, I'll eat my dinner (whatever that might be). Sometimes I'm not hungry and just want to go to bed and end up skipping that meal or might eat something small. Depending on when I eat when i get home, I won't lay down immediately after. I'll try to occupy myself with doing something.

    Hope this helps a bit and you are able to set about a good schedule for yourself. Best of luck to you on your journey. Know that you're not alone out there and there are many people pulling for you. Take care.
  • karenpinkchick
    karenpinkchick Posts: 85
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    Hey,

    I work nights (and the occasional day) and just weigh myself on a day off when I get off... or once im up from my sleep. I try and get up, eat a cooked meal before work, something little like soup at work then cereal or smoothie in the morning. For me its more the chocolates and biscuits the kids leave us when they are discharged (im a children nurse). Last night there was a tin of chocolates and I managed not to eat any :smile: The fact my work trousers fastened comfortably for the first time in ages was inspiration!! Saying that im so tempted to bake banana cake for my long day tomorrow :grumble:
  • robynrae_1
    robynrae_1 Posts: 712 Member
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    You can change the names of the meals on your food log, and add extra names in different slots. Like if you wanted to be more specific as to when you had your snacks.

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