Tracking Food on swing shift...

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clhoepp
clhoepp Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
So i work a swing shift every week. Monday-Wednesday I work 2nd shift so i can track my food normally, but Friday and Saturday i work 3rd shift. Im having a hard time figuring out where to put food i eat on my 3rd shift. Is it part of my Friday food or Saturday food if it is after midnight? Friday is the worst as I am usually up from 10am to about 8am Saturday as My body just does not want to sleep the first day. Any advice, or anything i need to explain more.

Thanks

Replies

  • Sunitagt
    Sunitagt Posts: 486 Member
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    For me, I count the day as when I wake up until I go to bed for the night (morning). I work 2nd and 3rd a lot too, so I just shift when I'm sleeping. I had my diary set up so the meals were labeled as times which were in 3 hour increments starting at 9 am, except the time I planned on being asleep for most of the window, that was 9 hours. I decided to switch it back to BLD w/ 3 snacks recently though. Anyway, hope that helps you decide what to do.
  • bren3jet
    bren3jet Posts: 33 Member
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    I work nights but usually have to sleep in two stretches. I calculate from midnight to midnight regardless of when I have slept. This way when the weekend comes and I am awake when I wouldn't be or possibly napping it still all works out because its just over 24 hours. Not based on when I wake up or go to bed.
  • kramrn77
    kramrn77 Posts: 375 Member
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    I kept it midnight to midnight as well. That way on days off I am not trying to figure things out. I generally eat dinner at about 0100 so I log it as "breakfast" and lunch is the small meal I eat at home before I crash for the day.
  • MadDogManor
    MadDogManor Posts: 1,451 Member
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    Midnight to midnight here, as well. I've labeled my meals as times - 12 am to 4 am, 4 am to 8 am, etc. Now, no matter if I'm working or not, I just log food under the time I ate it. Good luck!
  • cincysweetheart
    cincysweetheart Posts: 892 Member
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    I work a graveyard shift and just keep it midnight to midnight. It keeps things straight for me. Trying to change things to fit my schedule is more trouble than it's worth.
  • alereck
    alereck Posts: 343 Member
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    Midnight to midnight, some days you might be higher than others depending on when you sleep but don't worry about it. Calorie counting is more of a weekly thing than daily, what matters the most is the amount of calories you consumed in an average of a week.

    So if you get an extra meal logged on Friday and that means you are above your daily allowed calories by 300 but on Saturday you sleep in, skip lunch and by the end of the day have 200 to spare you're all good.

    Don't over-complicate things :smile:
  • cclepew
    cclepew Posts: 40 Member
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    I just recently changed the names of meals in my MFP diary from Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner, etc. to Midnight-4am, 4am-8am, 8am-noon, etc. I work 3rd shift two nights a week, so arranging them by time of day is easier to keep everything straight. What DO you call the meal you eat at 3:00am, anyway? :p MFP gives you six slots for meals, which works out perfectly to six four-hour time periods. Changing the names will kinda mess up previous entries, though, because meals stay in the same slot in order from top to bottom, even though the name has changed. That really bugs my OCD, but it's worth it to me.
  • jmbond06
    jmbond06 Posts: 90 Member
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    Midnight to midnight here as well. I also own a fitbit which calculates from midnight to midnight so its much easier. Some days it will say I ate 3000 calories and some days it will say 1000. But it all evens out over the course of like a week.

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