Night Shift Nurses

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GreenEggsNHan
GreenEggsNHan Posts: 27 Member
in Motivation and Support
Anyone else working night shift as an RN (or as another profession) and finding exercising and eating healthy to be even more difficult now?? I've been on night shift for 2 months now, and I am constantly tired and feeling foggy. It makes working out that much harder for sure. And the eating situation is a whole other problem. Seems like I'm eating the normal times in the day and then still starving during the night when I'm working, so I'm pretty much eating an extra meal every day! Anyone else in this position? Would love to have some people to support each other through this!

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  • sjda123
    sjda123 Posts: 36 Member
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    I'm a night RN too - it's hard to stay on track but it is doable. Seen a couple of friends really succeed and I'm determined to also be one of those success stories in 2014!!! Feel free to add me for support!
  • fmlindert92
    fmlindert92 Posts: 3
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    I am a RN going to school for my NP and have fallen off the wagon as far as my weight goes. I lost a bunch last summer and have gained it all back. I have clinical Mon thru Thur and then work 12 hour night shifts Friday and Saturday night. All I do is eat. I need motivation to get back on track as well.
  • tjfharo
    tjfharo Posts: 9
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    To Green Eggs N Ham and fellow NOC Crew!:

    I have only been a nurse for 3 years, and have just recently found myself BACK on night shift since we moved across country. I somehow pulled it off my first year of nursing in the ICU by:

    7pm - 8am Work
    8:30am - In bed asleep
    3:30pm - 4:00pm - Awake. 1 cup black coffee/ or tea. Lean protein (6-8oz chicken, white fish, turkey), and a fruit. (A protein shake, or piece of chicken)
    4:30pm - GYM/Run
    5:30pm - 6pm - Post workout meal. Protein, Carbs(wild rice, lentils, or quinoa), Veggies.
    7pm- back at work
    10pm- snack (apple w PB, lentil soup, protein shake, or greek yogurt, 1L of water to stay full)
    2am- Protein and 1L water.

    I found the extra gulps of water while working really kept me full while working night shift. It also help curve my sleepy cravings for carbs. I swear, the more tired I am the more fatty carbs I want. Like breadsticks from Olive Garden. Terrible!!! Thats why I sometimes allow myself a greek yogurt for the sugar fix. But it is best from a health standpoint to avoid fruits/sugars within 8 hours of sleep so my timing is terrible but I rationalized with the thought that greek yogurt was better than Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream. The routine was incredibly boring, but once I forced myself to stick to it... the weight shed right off, and I started to feel a little better while working nights.

    Since moving across country and getting put back on nights I am desperately trying to stick to this plan once again!!! Fingers crossed! It is just what worked for me, as suggested by fellow night shift crew. Everyone is a little different. So it might need tweaking for your needs.

    What does everyone else do?????
  • GreenEggsNHan
    GreenEggsNHan Posts: 27 Member
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    Tjfharo thanks so much for posting that! That sounds like a really smart/healthy schedule, I'm going to give something like that a try! It really does take a lot of dedication when you're on night shift, but totally doable with the right attitude.

    You don't put cream in your coffee?? Ugh I tried black but it ruins the whole experience... right now I'm hooked on sugar free peppermint mocha cream :/ haha
  • sjda123
    sjda123 Posts: 36 Member
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    I find it really tough to workout on the nights I am working. That's what I need to try and figure out. I also need to plan my meals a little better on my work nights. I do bring in my own food but would like to be a bit more organized. Sounds like you have a good schedule there. How are your off days?
  • Kidsrn23
    Kidsrn23 Posts: 45 Member
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    I've been a nightshifter for a long time. The biggest thing I do is count my calories from midnight to midnight then it doesn't matter when I eat as long as I stick to my calories. Days I am back to back I have a rest day for exercise and then get back on track when I have a day (or night) off. Good luck!
  • e1izab3th2
    e1izab3th2 Posts: 148 Member
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    I work nights as a nurse too! I am on maternity leave but go back next week. I don't eat very well at work (cafeteria food), so I am planning on bringing my food. Luckily I weight less than a pound from my pre-pregnancy weight, but I was overweight before I became pregnant and want to lose about 30 pounds by June. Feel free to add me and us night shifters can work on this together! :-)
  • Torgrills
    Torgrills Posts: 103 Member
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    I'm a night shift hospice nurse, working 3 back to back 12's a week. I'm finding it hard to get in enough calories on the nights I work, which leave me with little energy once I wake up. I'm working on fixing this issue in the coming weeks with more condensed, higher calorie meals on my work nights. Feel free to add me!
  • 24910
    24910 Posts: 1
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    25 years of shift work! So for me ensuring I get some sleep is paramount for me. Surely you sleep at some stage? When you wake you exercise - then you have a meal ( who cares why time it is it is breakfast, THEN the next meal you have is lunch ( 5 hrs ) then the next meal you have is dinner( 5 hrs) its really the same. You MUST sleep though. Yes some times its just 3 hrs some times it 6. This is what you need to plan. No sleep no lose weight or maintain my friend... and yes you still fit in exercise no matter how much you feel lethargic and wasted. You would be surprised how much clarity you get from 'just' a walk/ sunshine/ daylight at these times. The biggest problem - sugar cravings- do exist! This is when you get out your a protein shake and enjoy it.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    I work in IT 11pm-7am. It was difficult at first adjusting to the medications I was taking but as time went on, I improved and no longer need them. Sleep is critical for me. When my sleep suffers, I do as well. If I am sleepy I over eat while at work to help me stay awake and don't bother excercising since I am too tired to do so. I usually eat my calorie allowance for the day while at work and work out 3-4x a week for 1-2 hrs after I get off work in the mornings. I also have the luxury of going out on walks on the weekends for 20-30 mins. It's super slow almost every weekend at my job so I take advantage and it gives me that little boost of energy when nights are dragging on.
  • sjda123
    sjda123 Posts: 36 Member
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    I know sometimes its hard to use this community board on your cell so if anyone is interested I am the Admin for a group on FB called "Shift Work Healthy Lifestyle" Come check us out :) Extra support is always handy.
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
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    Night shift x 14 years. I am an RN for a major metropolitan hospital. Also take care of my mother-in-law after I get home from work!
    I pack my lunch before I go to work. And the sugar cravings are strong when the shift is over. I interviewed other night shifters and they have told me that they too are ravenous, ESP for carbs. Knowing that helps one to plan for it. I snack on cherry tomatoes or raw snap peas on the way home from work, sometimes grapes or cherries. Really sweet fruit or vegetables. I log from midnight to midnight.I try to sleep as much as I can between shifts. Brush your teeth as soon as you get home. I used to take melatonin-it. Will really help your circadian rhythms.
    I don't exercise. On the days that I work. On the other days, I hit it hard. I use a heart monitor to track calories burned and try to stay in fat burning mode.
    This year I signed up for mini-marathon, a half marathon race to have a fitness goal.
    I hope some of these tips help you.
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I've been a night-shift RN for a long time, too. What has worked for me is signing up every Fri&Sat night (extra money working weekend nights) and cutting my nights down to two instead of three. This works better for us all around--all my kids activities and my karate classes are on week nights. Husband is home and takes the kids out of the house for several hours during the day on Sat & Sun so I can sleep better. And working the same two nights every week with a long break in between keeps me on a routine. Sunday is my rest day that I spend recuperating, then I'm ready to go again by Monday morning.

    Also, our cafeteria is also closed on Fri & Sat nights, and my coworkers very rarely order out, so I have to pack my lunch and snacks. I just make sure to prelog and pack what I've logged.

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