Rotational Day and Night shift workers??

meganhite
meganhite Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I work at a hospital and my work schedule is never the same, but are always 12 hours. Some weeks I work all night shifts, sometimes its all day nights, and sometimes a combo of both. My problem lies in the fact that I don't know how to adequately change my eating patterns(times) from day to night. Like I'm working 5p-5a tonight but tomorrow technically starts at midnight tonight. As a night shifter you usually eat a meal (at least I do) past midnight as my lunch/dinner/whatever you want to call it. But I can't because I have to be awake during the day tomorrow and will need those calories for the actual day time. Follow me? It's difficult to understand, but equally hard to live with. Any ideas?

Replies

  • meganhite
    meganhite Posts: 6 Member
    Switching between days and nights on a regular basis is one of the hardest things to do
  • aimeemarie150
    aimeemarie150 Posts: 354 Member
    I work nights 3 days a week, and my day shift job varies each day. I try to eat as normal as possible. On lunch on 3rd shift, I'll opt for a protein bar, or banana (something for a little extra energy), but then I will wait until I wake up after sleeping to really eat a meal. It works pretty decently for me. I also eat later if I know I'll be working 3rds that night so my body has fuel.
  • songdogshooter41
    songdogshooter41 Posts: 39 Member
    I too work night shift 12 hour "days".
    one thing that I have found is by starting my day at Noon.
    meal plan looks kind of like this

    noon (Breakfast)
    3 P.M. Snack
    9 P.M. Snack
    Midnight (Lunch)
    3 A.M. Snack
    6 A.M. (Dinner)

    By the time "Dinner" hits, I am tired and really want a beer! lol. If I have enought calories I will, If not, I will go to bed.

    Hope this helps.

    I eat small snacks like an apple or banana early to get my sugars to keep me up. :)
  • songdogshooter41
    songdogshooter41 Posts: 39 Member
    the nice thing about this "schedule" is it's still pretty easy to maintain when your on "daylights"
    :yawn:
  • JDMarlowe
    JDMarlowe Posts: 327 Member
    I feel your pain... I work 2 day shifts, off 2 days, work 2 night shifts, off 3 days, work 2 day shifts, off 2 days, work 2 night shifts, off 3 days.... endless crazy cycle.
    I still eat 3 meals a day... I just log them at diffent times than most other people.... I work 12 hour shifts from 7-7 as a 911 dispatcher, so i just make sure to log everything.. even if my meal at work on night shift is after midnight, that is still my "dinner" so i log it on the day befores dinner...
    it gets a bit confusing at times, so i look at my week as a whole to double check myself and make sure i keep control.
  • Mutant13
    Mutant13 Posts: 2,485 Member
    I too work night shift 12 hour "days".
    one thing that I have found is by starting my day at Noon.
    meal plan looks kind of like this

    noon (Breakfast)
    3 P.M. Snack
    9 P.M. Snack
    Midnight (Lunch)
    3 A.M. Snack
    6 A.M. (Dinner)

    By the time "Dinner" hits, I am tired and really want a beer! lol. If I have enought calories I will, If not, I will go to bed.

    Hope this helps.

    I eat small snacks like an apple or banana early to get my sugars to keep me up. :)

    I am rotational and I do pretty much this also
  • meganhite
    meganhite Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks everyone! This really helps.
  • anadra323
    anadra323 Posts: 1
    I also work 12 hours shifts and mostly nights but occasionally other shifts.
    My hardest part is that I work in an ICU and we are only "guaranteed" one 30 minutes break per 12 hr shift.
    Most nights I get that (some I don't).
    But snacking? Forget it, not enough time.
    So right now I only take in 800 calories max on work days because I eat before going in to work and then once during work.
    I don't eat when I get off because I am normally going to sleep within an hour and don't believe in eating right before bed.
    I love the idea of 5 small meals a day but for some of us its unreleastic.
  • Jump1979man
    Jump1979man Posts: 23 Member
    I have the same issue and I used to not count my next day till I went to bed and woke up when I worked overnights however that was a pain and now when midnight hits I just start a new day.

    It really shouldnt be that big of an issue because you technically should be eating the same size meals just at different times throughout the day.
  • jennpaulson
    jennpaulson Posts: 850 Member
    I work overnights although I don't flip back and forth I do have two days (Tuesdays & Fridays) of the week that I stay up all day because I watch my two year old nephew. So on Monday night right around midnight I eat something really filling for me like oatmeal because I know I'm going to be awake and will end up eating when I feed him breakfast and lunch when I would normally be sleeping.

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