Working overnights

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mathews78
mathews78 Posts: 3
in Food and Nutrition
I have started to work overnights and I need some help!! I am finding I am not eating right, not sure when to eat what and what to eat when!! HELP ME please!! I use to work days so before this I ate at normal times. So all you overnighters please help me! I need good snack ideas to get me through the shift and when should i eat my meals (breakfast, lunch and supper)

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  • mursey
    mursey Posts: 191 Member
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    Can you bring food to work? I don't eat breakfast/lunch/dinner, I just eat little portions all day long. It's recommended you eat small meals but about 5 times a day to speed up your metabolism.
  • blueeyes7117
    blueeyes7117 Posts: 3
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    When I work night turns, I eat meals during the day with less calories then take cereal or oatmeal for at night. The oatmeal is very filling so it keeps me full for a while. Or you can try the canned progresso lite soup with a salad. If I o the soup, then I take a breakfast bar or oatmeal for in the morning before I go home so I'm not eating and going right to bed.
  • cindy4mica
    cindy4mica Posts: 777 Member
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    i'm going to be in your same boat shortly! my husband works nights now and is home with the kids during the day while i work. he has applied to a phd program and if he's accepted, he'll be there 9-5 mon-fri so instead of paying a sitter, i'm going to look for work in the evenings/night so i can be home with the kids during the day. i, too, worry about how this is going to affect my eating habits/diet. i guess it's just something we'll have to work on and adjust our diets accordingly. let me know how things work out - good luck:)
  • Missevanston
    Missevanston Posts: 361 Member
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    I don't know what time you start work, but I get up at @ 2:00am to start my morning job at 3:00. I eat an english muffin and yogurt before I leave, and bring a banana, orange and or protein bar to tide me over. I am usually done by 9:00-9:30, so I eat a regular lunch.
  • Lorelei19
    Lorelei19 Posts: 107 Member
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    I was on the midnight shift for quite some time. My recommendation is to eat like a normal day. Here's an example of two ways I handled my day: Wake up at 3PM, eat breakfast. Have a snack if I needed. Eat lunch around 8 or 9 PM. Have a snack if needed. Eat dinner around 3 or 4 am. Snack if needed. In bed at 9AM. OR. Wake up at 9PM and eat breakfast. Snack if needed. Lunch around 3 or 4 am. Snack if needed. Dinner around 8 or 9 am. Snack if needed. In bed at 2 or 3PM. As far as snacks go, pack what you would normally pack for snacks. Just remember that your body doesn't think of breakfast lunch and dinner as morning noon and night. It thinks of it in relation to when you sleep and wake. As far as recording it, If you wake up on the 1st, all meals you eat during the time you're awake fall in on the 1st. Hope that helps.
  • FaithandFitness
    FaithandFitness Posts: 653 Member
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    I work one or two 12 hour night shifts a week as a nurse. It really messes everything up. I try to keep my 24 hour calories under goal, I bring veggies to munch on, I drink plenty of water . . .and the sleep issue still causes me to hold onto weight. I am up virtually 28+ hours, I catch a small nap when I come home and then go to bed about 9pm the next night. All told I am up about 38 hours with only 2 hours of rest. I just do the best I can, the weight I retain usually comes off again in a day or two . . .just in time for another shift!
  • alisonstrickland
    alisonstrickland Posts: 22
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    Hi
    I work nightshift I start at 9:30 pm and finish at 7:30am I eat a snack at midnight then lunch at 3am then when I get home 8am I have breakfast (because I find I can t sleep on an empty stomach) then I wake up around 2pm have a snack then eat dinner around 6-7pm. Before I started my journey of change I would eat my way through the whole shift soft drinks chips crackers and dips chocolate the lot!!! Now I have 1 caffeine drink at midnight (it helps me stay alert) then water or caffiene free drinks the rest of the night. Basically you just shift your lunch because you will be sleeping through it in the daytime, and have your breakfast maybe a bit earlier. It works for me. Good Luck :smile:

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