Night shift workers how do you do it?

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Tomboly1
Tomboly1 Posts: 42
in Health and Weight Loss
I just got offered a great job for night shifts 7p-7a 3 nights a week. I am very excited but also very worried how I am going to fit a healthy diet and exercise routine around it. Any shift workers out there? I would love to hear when you eat your meals and such on your work days.

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  • oiypus
    oiypus Posts: 30 Member
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    I balanced a school schedule and night shifts for a year. I would go to school Monday-Thursday and work at a fast food restaurant Thursday-Saturday (10PM-6AM). I could eat anything I wanted because there was no one there to care, and sometimes I did get out of control.

    The key to not overeating at night is sleeping enough. I promise.

    I had an extremely rotten sleeping pattern. I would sleep about 4 hours per night, sometimes being awake for 36 hours+. Then I wondered why I was craving white starchy carbs when I got into work! Truth was, I was totally wiped out. Graveyard shifts are doable--many people do them and are fine. But you must not compromise your sleep schedule. Also, if you work in an environment with junk food, bring something from home.

    Also: if you want to work out, hit the gym in the afternoon, take a shower, eat something, then go to work. It's very hard to motivate yourself to have a great workout after working all night.

    Best of luck :flowerforyou:
  • firepxy
    firepxy Posts: 13
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    Considering most gyms are 24hr, I always did my night shift just like it was a day. get up, eat breakfast, go to work, after i got off, gym and then wind down.


    I just shifted everything. main thing I would have to watch to make sure that I didn't indulge on junk.
  • Tomboly1
    Tomboly1 Posts: 42
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    Ha! I agree. I have done nights before, but never while trying to diet. In fact I gained 30lbs last time I worked nights which is why I am worried. I know I barely had any energy at all after work.
    I know sleep and eating will be the hardest things. When you are so tired, normally you don't feel like preparing healthy food, you just want to grab the first thing you see. I'll have to avoid the temptation to get a quick dinner after work at mcdonald'ss and the like
  • madmish29
    madmish29 Posts: 13
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    i currently work 2 nights per week (19.30-08.00) but i don't work them consecutively as i have 5 kids that i need to care for take to school etc, so this also means that i do not sleep either before or after a shift!! i generally work Monday and Thursday nights on a Maternity ward. I try not to eat until lunchtime on the days i work and usually have a homemade soup which is quite filling. I eat dinner with my family around 17.30 usually a steak and salad and then throughout my shift i eat fruit, low calorie yogurts, and maybe take some cereal or a low calorie ready meal. after midnight anything i eat i class as the next days calories, and then through the rest of the shift and the day when i get home i fill up on fruits and veggies until dinner again, then i am usually in bed at 20.00!!
  • Tomboly1
    Tomboly1 Posts: 42
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    I agree with you Jerry to an extent. However I think the hard part is that I can't keep my breakfast and lunch at the same time. Those will now be my sleeping hours, and I will be eating dinner with my family when I wake up. I know I will generally be working 2 nights in a row with a few nights off in between, so that middle day will leave me little time to make sure I can eat healthy and exercise as well.
    Madmish29- Sounds like you have it down pat! I will keep that in mind when I start.

    The hardest part I remember from working nights before is always feeling tired. Even on my days off, I felt I was just recuperating from staying up all night. Thanks for the advice everyone! its some interesting things to think about
  • ashzacher
    ashzacher Posts: 114 Member
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    My boyfriend currently works night shift (6p-6a). His schedule is usually crazy too, especially with a 1 hour commute (can be harder in winter because he has to allow more time).

    What currently works for him: He eats breakfast with me when he gets home (something small) and goes to bed not long after that. Usually showers right when he gets home too. Gets about 7-7 1/2 hours of sleep. Wakes up, eats "lunch" and goes to the gym for about 45 minutes. Showers again and goes to work. He usually takes a bulk of his food to work - Usually a dinner, plus fruit and a snack since he is there so long. I try to make meals ahead of time (sometimes in bulk) that he can take with him so that he isn't stuck getting food there or going through a drive-thru. It helps to stay prepared and stay on top of things, fail to plan, plan to fail! :)

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