Third shift and tracking

XianC
XianC Posts: 93
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Hey all. So I work overnights. 6pm to 4am from Monday through Thursday. On my days off, I generally seem to stick to the same sleep schedule give or take a few hours but sometimes am also just so tired by 11pm on a Friday night that I'll go to bed at that normal time. So needless to say, my sleep schedule fluctuates a lot.

That said, I'm now confronted with the decision as to when to hit that "I'm finished tracking" button for the day. I'd be interested to see if there is anyone out there who works overnights who might have come up with a good way to decide on a cut off point.

Replies

  • izWHATitIz
    izWHATitIz Posts: 73 Member
    I'm working 10-6 and still use my normal day schedule. Midnight to midnight. But I also try to stick to a 8 hr feed window also. What are you feeding time typically?
  • ricosuave65
    ricosuave65 Posts: 1
    I work 1030pm to 7 am. What I do is what i eat while im at work I log as my lunch for the next day. I have a small breakfast when I get home and sleep. when i get up I have dinner. and just end my daily log then. I don't know if its right but its the best way I figured out for working overnites.
  • karensdream
    karensdream Posts: 135 Member
    I have worked 7pm to 7am for the last 25 years. I have found when keeping my food diary, I list as Meal 1,2,3, and snack 1.2,3. That way, whether I am on a work day or an off day, when I reach meal 3 and snack 3, I am done, whether it's 7 pm or 7 am. It works for me. On a working night, our lunch is between 1am and 3am, generally that is my last "meal" for a 24 hour period. When I get home in the morning, I eat a light breakfast, and that starts as Meal 1 for the next 24 hour period. Hope that helps you.
  • ElsaVonMarmalade
    ElsaVonMarmalade Posts: 154 Member
    I work second shift, so not quite the same - but my "day" is from when I get up until when I get off work. If I eat something after I get home but before I go to bed, I track it on the next day. I don't need to eat right before I go to bed but it's often tempting, and this stops me because I want those calories to use tomorrow.
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
    I log midnight to midnight and have my diary labeled with time slots instead of meal names. I close out my day when I'm done eating for the day.
  • ksavy
    ksavy Posts: 271 Member
    I do time slots as well because my shifts change a lot, and have no rhyme or reason to what shift I work or my days off on a given week. I tried to do the meals when I first started on here but some "day" would be over 24 hrs for me and others I would only be awake for 8 hours before trying to go back to bed to switch shifts again.
  • MsFutureDavis
    MsFutureDavis Posts: 1
    I work midnights as well and I just do from 12 to 12 like normal people. For example I just had a yogurt, I logged it as a snack for today.
  • XianC
    XianC Posts: 93
    I like the midnight to midnight idea. My eating patterns are so random which is something I need to work on for sure. Sometimes I'll eat right when I wake up (which could be anywhere from 10am to 2pm). Sometimes I won't eat anything until I got to work at 6pm. Sometimes we eat right at the beginning of the shift and sometimes we don't have time to grab a bite until like 2am. Then of course on my days off, everything's different.

    I think the midnight to midnight plan will work. The only pitfall I see is those days when I eat after midnight at work but then eat before midnight during that next night shift. Technically, I'd then have an extra meal in that day. But for lack of a better option, that's probably the way to go.

    Thanks for the feedback, everyone.
  • Sjenny5891
    Sjenny5891 Posts: 717 Member
    MFP tracks from midnight to midnight. If you finish your day after 1am the next day it doesn't post if you have chosen that option.

    I work 10pm to 6:30am. I finish my day before I go to work and track whatever I eat at work on the next day.

    Whatever you do, keep it the same every day.
  • colortheworld
    colortheworld Posts: 374 Member
    I work 11pm to 7am... I just log a 24 hour period or from when I get up to when I crash.
  • TheFitnessTutor
    TheFitnessTutor Posts: 356 Member
    If it's any comfort it doesn't matter. Eat when you like, track when you like. unless you run into a problem of it confusing you as to what you recorded. Otherwise your body doesn't care when you eat and either your running consistent deficit,surplus, or maintenance, or whatever your goal....or you're not.
  • Alatariel2002
    Alatariel2002 Posts: 65 Member
    I actually have my time zone setting for Hawaii time...that gives me until 6am in the mornings to hit the finish logging button.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    If it makes you feel better, hitting that button doesn't mean anything. It doesn't do anything.

    I work overnights, I just keep track from midnight to midnight.
  • rayfu75
    rayfu75 Posts: 209 Member
    I've had the same question myself. I work 6pm - 6am sun / mon and 10pm - 6am tue/wed off thur/fri/sat. I just log midnight to midnight because my off days I transition to a daywalker. So when I walk up on Sunday I'll have my first meal around 3pm another around 8 and a third before midnight. If I go home and have breakfast I log that for Monday as my 1st meal. So far it's been working for me ok.
  • JumpinJill
    JumpinJill Posts: 63 Member
    I am also on a night schedule some days of the week and other days not. I thought it would be best to just do my diary from when I get up to when I go to sleep regardless of what time of the day it is. Because things can vary daily, I call my meals just by number, meal 1, meal 2 etc and then I have snacks for random food items I snack on during the day/night.
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