Tips for shift workers

raymondo85
raymondo85 Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
I work 12 hour shifts days/nights, I find sticking to a diet fine on my days off but when on duty its hard as i find i have to eat at all different times of the day and night.
Does it really matter when you eat, get conflicting articles back from the web.
Oh and type 2 diabetic as well.
Any tips or recomendations would be welcome.

Replies

  • ridders83
    ridders83 Posts: 1
    hi

    i also work 12hr shift works and i find taking two main meals with me full of nutritional value for my lunch breaks works well. i also take lots of snacks that i can eat on the go

    hope this helps
  • Siebes1
    Siebes1 Posts: 14 Member
    I also work shift and I find I have to stay away from really heavy foods while I am working nights or my stomach will hate me! So I eat alot of fruit, vegtables and oatmeal.
    I don't have set meals on nights as I find it is hard to eat a large portion at 3am. I snack alot and drink a ton of water.
    For myself, I found that it didn't matter when I was eating just what and how much I was eating. As long as I was in my daily budget im good to go.
    It takes alot of trial and error but you will find what works for you. Hope this helps! :smile:
  • Amandawith3kids
    Amandawith3kids Posts: 367 Member
    when i was working weird hours, some o/n, sometimes 6p to 3am, and sometimes 2:30p to 11p, i did this. the meal i ate when i woke up was breakfast, then lunch was at work, and dinner was before bed sometimes. its really the same thing everybody else does, just at different times of the clock. think of it that way.

    as far as the diabetes goes, just dont go too long without eating, unless its your sleeping time.
  • arainiday1
    arainiday1 Posts: 1,763 Member
    same here, i work nights on 12's. my day starts when i wake up so my breakfast is whatever i eat first and because of the weird schedule i usually only eat two meals a day and snacks. same on my days off though. just be consistant when you start and finish your days. feel free to add me!
  • arainiday1
    arainiday1 Posts: 1,763 Member
    oh yeah BRING food with you. try not to eat out much and if you do eat out try to get healthy options. its SO MUCH easier for me to control my calories at home. SO MUCH
  • nancybuss
    nancybuss Posts: 1,461 Member
    I've never been on the odd shifts, but certainly eat at the right intervals for your diabetes when you're awake. I would "think" it would be best considering the times between meals, and keeping that food flowing correctly vs what the close says.

    Good luck!!!!!
  • dlbredesen
    dlbredesen Posts: 122 Member
    I have found that no matter what shift I work I am only successful if I bring my food to work with me. I prepare my work food several days in advance. It's easy after you get the hang of it and takes out the guess work and bad choices.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    i work shift work and it sucks.

    try and control your cravings. i had pizza and mcdonalds today. ugh.
  • Siebes1
    Siebes1 Posts: 14 Member
    I totally agree with bringing food to work with you! I also find working 12's I get so tired and don't want to cook so I use it as an excuse to eat out. Meal prepping is important. I prep on my last day off for my shifts ahead so I have no excuses. I also keep some meals on hand in the freezer so on days when I didn't have the time to meal prep or decided I wanted an extra half hour of sleep, I just grab a meal out of the freezer and i'm good to go! A slow cooker also works great so dinner is ready when you get home.
  • raymondo85
    raymondo85 Posts: 2
    Wow so many replys, thanks for all your input I wasn't expecting that!
    Will take on board prepping my own food and bringing to work rather than buying shop made sandwiches etc (chicken and bacon sandwich 522 calories).
    Lots to think about and try, just got to keep at it.
    Had enough now weight is ballooning, difficult to find clothes in shops that will fit and its affecting my life in ways i never thought could.

    Cheers Guys
  • Cath_Taylor
    Cath_Taylor Posts: 104 Member
    Wow so many replys, thanks for all your input I wasn't expecting that!
    Will take on board prepping my own food and bringing to work rather than buying shop made sandwiches etc (chicken and bacon sandwich 522 calories).
    Lots to think about and try, just got to keep at it.
    Had enough now weight is ballooning, difficult to find clothes in shops that will fit and its affecting my life in ways i never thought could.

    Cheers Guys

    Get a small cool bag (I have a Thermos one) stick a cool pack in it & you can take all kinds of goodies & it'll stay cold :)
  • Vegasbride14
    Vegasbride14 Posts: 7
    It's definitely all in the preparation! Planning what you're going to eat throughout your shift
  • winterchildel
    winterchildel Posts: 15 Member
    I always take plenty of healthy snacks (carrots, radish, cherry tomatoes, apples, etc) and a packed lunch box with me. Eating at odd hours is more manageable when you have options :-) I wish I could say I also avoid takeout at work, but that's not really the case. Best advice I can give is know what you eat and be reasonable.

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