3rd Shift Worker | How do you calculate?

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getfitceci
getfitceci Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey fellow MFP! I am starting my weight-loss journey again. I work 3rd shift and wanted to know how to calculate my food. Should I do it from 12am-12am as a complete entry? If anyone has any tips please leave responses below. Thank you kindly -- & hope everyone is doing well :smile:
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  • TheDoughnutTheif
    TheDoughnutTheif Posts: 349 Member
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    I am in the same situation. I just track the day I wake up on and if that means having to go back to the previous day to finish my log then I do. IMO, as long as you are consistent I don't think it is going to make a difference.
  • getfitceci
    getfitceci Posts: 14
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    Thank you for replying. It's hard to calculate since my days are backwards. I did calculate last year when I first started out but then I stopped. I was losing weight but I wasn't sure if I was eating enough. This time around I want to do it the "right" way so in the long run; I don't have to keep entering food I eat.
  • LadyRN76
    LadyRN76 Posts: 4,275 Member
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    I calculate MN to 0400, 0400 to 0800, "Sleep time", 1400-18:00, 1800 to MN.
    I work nights...12 hours shifts. You just have to find what works for you. Good luck on your journey!
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
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    Your body doesn't have a clock, and meal timing has been proven to have no effect on weight-loss except as it impacts satiety. What this means is that it doesn't matter in the least what times your "day" encompasses. It only matters that you are consistent. I work for a newspaper and my schedule changes, but often ends after midnight. I count my days from the time I wake up til I go to bed, regardless of the actual time.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I check over the week ... Always staying close to goals across the previous 7 days - the app reports are best for this - nutrition-weekly

    So track wake up to sleep
  • cincysweetheart
    cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
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    I also work a graveyard shift… I just calculate midnight to midnight like normal. I start work at 11pm… and since I don't eat or drink anything in the first hour of my shift… my new day starts with the beginning of my shift. The first meal I eat is the one at work, which I log as lunch. The meal I eat when I get home I log under breakfast (since it is morning and that's when I eat the stereotypical breakfast foods). My evening meal I still log as dinner even though I eat it when I'm just getting up. It's just what makes sense to me. But you've got to figure out what works for you.
  • getfitceci
    getfitceci Posts: 14
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    Thank you lots for the help. I'll try the wake up to sleep. I work from 11pm-7am; and try to eat every 3 hours since I like to snack more than eat sometimes. I head to the gym after I get off instead of going to bed.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    If I woke up at 8 pm on say Wed, and had breakfast at 9 pm before going in to work, then most of the day is on Thu.

    So breakfast is logged on Thu, along with the lunch and dinner and snacks that really did happen on Thu.
    Then waking up Thu night and eating breakfast - goes on Fri log.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    Midnight to Midnight. My food diary log is broken down like this:

    Breakfast
    2nd Breakfast
    Elevenses
    Luncheon
    Afternoon Tea
    Dinner & Supper

    I don't really worry on meal stereotypes. For an example If I want to have spaghetti for 2nd breakfast or if I want pancakes and eggs for Dinner & Supper, then I will. I focus more on hitting my macros and staying at my calorie goal.
  • harlequin0318
    harlequin0318 Posts: 415 Member
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    I do midnight to midnight also - and i typically eat 4/5 "meals" per day, which i usually pre log since i currently work 16 hour shifts. Pre logging helps me ALOT
  • LadyRN76
    LadyRN76 Posts: 4,275 Member
    edited December 2014
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    ^^^^Agreed @lacroyx^^^^
    It's not about maintaining "traditional meals" at "traditional times". Working the night shift is a beast that unless you do it, you don't understand. Not every method works for everyone. Staying at your calories goal and logging everything you put in is the most vital part of being successful. imho.
  • getfitceci
    getfitceci Posts: 14
    edited December 2014
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    Cool beans :smile:

    When I first started this journey last year I cut out the "white" food and switch to whole grains. I was losing weight pretty well then but just a month ago I did the low carb plan and I wasn't losing weight as fast. Plus, I was out of energy when I worked out as well.

    I know everyone's body is different but is there any logic behind it by chance? How certain ppl can lose weight with the low carb while others eating whole grains?
  • loribethrice
    loribethrice Posts: 620 Member
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    getfitceci wrote: »
    Hey fellow MFP! I am starting my weight-loss journey again. I work 3rd shift and wanted to know how to calculate my food. Should I do it from 12am-12am as a complete entry? If anyone has any tips please leave responses below. Thank you kindly -- & hope everyone is doing well :smile:

    I have my MFP set to Hong Kong time. When I wake up at 6pm I eat breakfast and when I get home from work after 7am is dinner. Everything else in between is either lunch or snacks. And then I log my gym stuff after work in the mornings because that is when I go.

  • getfitceci
    getfitceci Posts: 14
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    Pretty cool idea @loribethrice‌. I may have to try that as well :smile:
  • loribethrice
    loribethrice Posts: 620 Member
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    I live in Pittsburgh, so it makes me like 11 or 12 hours ahead. So right now MFP thinks it's 250pm here I think. I'm at work, so it helps! I changed my Fitbit to Hong Kong time to so it syncs right with MFP.
  • getfitceci
    getfitceci Posts: 14
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    Awesome!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    lacroyx wrote: »
    Midnight to Midnight. My food diary log is broken down like this:

    Breakfast
    2nd Breakfast
    Elevenses
    Luncheon
    Afternoon Tea
    Dinner & Supper

    I don't really worry on meal stereotypes. For an example If I want to have spaghetti for 2nd breakfast or if I want pancakes and eggs for Dinner & Supper, then I will. I focus more on hitting my macros and staying at my calorie goal.

    Hobbitses :smile:
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited December 2014
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    getfitceci wrote: »
    Cool beans :smile:

    When I first started this journey last year I cut out the "white" food and switch to whole grains. I was losing weight pretty well then but just a month ago I did the low carb plan and I wasn't losing weight as fast. Plus, I was out of energy when I worked out as well.

    I know everyone's body is different but is there any logic behind it by chance? How certain ppl can lose weight with the low carb while others eating whole grains?

    It's all different ways to package up a calorie defecit

    Personally I need carbs to fuel me ...and I like the taste... Yummy...eg the breakfast that I've just finished would be totally against your no white food rule but delicious and filling and less than 200 calories ...white toast, egg white, mushrooms and laughing cow light wedge, with milk in my coffee

    Do whatever you need to do, that you can stick with for life, to eat at a calorie defecit and you'll be good
  • lilgrudzy115
    lilgrudzy115 Posts: 1 Member
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    I log the day from when I wake up at 3 pm until I go to sleep at 7 am. It's a day in the life of a night shifter. It doesn't mean your calories allowed changes. ;)
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    It seems like the easiest thing to do is to track midnight to midnight, since that's the way the tool is setup.

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