Workin night shift and counting calories

solid09
solid09 Posts: 12
in Food and Nutrition
I work 3-4 12 hour shifts a week and take care of my daughter the days I'm off.

How should I count my calories? On the normal 24 hour schedule and keep it the same whether I'm working or not? Or change it according to my sleep/wake cycles on days I work.

It's probably a lot more simple than my mind is trying to make it.

Replies

  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    I always track from midnight to midnight. On my first day switch back to nights I would be way under, but then on my switch back to days, would be way over. It evens out in the end. This doesn't work for everyone though :smile:
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
    I work straight nights Sunday to Friday, 22h30-6h30. I get up at 9pm, and that's when I start logging. Got to bed around 2h30-3pm the next day, and that's when It ends the day. On weekend, I switch my sleep patterns to a normal schedule, but I normally don't count calories Saturday and Sunday.
  • Dreamingallday
    Dreamingallday Posts: 47
    I am actually resetting my sleep schedule for nights right now. I count my first meal after waking up as my breakfast and continue on from there.
  • allysteven880
    allysteven880 Posts: 75
    night work is very difficult task and due to that you whole schedule will go slow. it is really the factor of weight gain. this is effective to take complete rest on weekend and get turn in normal schedule.
  • strive4more11
    strive4more11 Posts: 213 Member
    I work a "rotating" schedule with overnights for a week once a month. I track midnight to midnight and have my diary set up by times instead of meals. I found thats what works best for me since most of the time I don't know what day it is, let alone what meal time it is.

    Hope that helps! :flowerforyou:
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    I work nights and I track midnight to midnight.
  • jakemaxwell1234
    jakemaxwell1234 Posts: 2 Member
    I work night shift as well. Midnight to midnight is the easiest approach
  • metulchik
    metulchik Posts: 59 Member
    I log midnight to midnight as well. I work nights but I switch back to a daytime schedule on my days off so I find this works best for logging, otherwise it tends to get all messed up on switch days.
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  • Dalker
    Dalker Posts: 44 Member
    I'm on nights tonight (first of three, 6pm-6am). I will log everything I eat until I get home as todays. I might eat a little more today as I am going to be awake more hours but I'm a light eater at work so I hopefully won't go over. If I do I just make sure it balances out tomorrow (as I will be asleep most of the day I won't be eating much). I don't like the idea of having my calories reset at midnight as I feel it would tempt me to eat more. But you just need to find out what works for you.

    I actually find it hard to eat a lot when I'm on nights as I don't like eating much at night and I am asleep during the day. I usually try to have a big meal before work then little snacks and a small meal (usually ryvita and cottage cheese or something very light) on my break. Nights are hard enough as they are and I think it's important to eat in a way that helps you get through.
  • solid09
    solid09 Posts: 12
    I'm down right starving on nights so I cut my sandwich in half and bring a wide variety of fruits, veggies and complex carbs to eat every few hours. I've been doing midnight to midnight and it sounds like the majority run that route too
  • HappyNewTamera2014
    HappyNewTamera2014 Posts: 91
    Even though it would take a bit more work you could do weekly instead of daily.

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