I work 3rd shift need help with balancing

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dallastxranger93
dallastxranger93 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I work 3rd shift.
Sunday nights I work 8pm-6:06am, the rest of the the week I work 10:36pm-6:36am. And Saturday night I work 4:45pm-10:30pm. I'm having a hard time finding when I should eat what meals and snacks and when is best for me to workout but still get enough sleep! Thank you!

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  • dinosaurparty
    dinosaurparty Posts: 185 Member
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    I would say eat when you're hungry, and workout when it's convenient for you to do so?

    I don't envy you, that sounds like a really stressful schedule. Maybe just rotate your meals around when you wake up, and go from there? It's up to you to decide whether you'd rather workout before or after a shift. Everyone is different.

    There's no rule that says you have to eat at the same time every day, or that breakfast needs to be in the AM :)
  • Smallc10
    Smallc10 Posts: 554 Member
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    I work a rotating shift so I understand your frustration. When I'm on 3rd - 12AM to 8 AM I go to sleep at about 9 AM or earlier if possible, then get up between 5 and 6PM eat a small breakfast/snack and head to the gym (ours closes at 7 so I have to really get moving)
    - I come home and have a protein shake because I like to have one as a recovery since I do some heavy weight lifting
    I usually end up having a meal with my husband at around 8-8:30PM since I like to have that time with him (I usually don't eat that much here, just depends on how hungry I am)
    I have a snack when I get in to work at 12:30ish AM
    I usually will eat my big work meal at about 3:30-4:00 AM
    and then I have another snack at 6:30-7:00 AM so I don't wake up hungry during the day

    On days I don't lift/workout I just skip the workout and the protein shake, but the rest stays the same.

    Sometimes though it is really hard to eat big meals for me when I'm on third shift so I end up splitting my big meal in to 2 snacks sized portions throughout the night. It just depends on how my stomach takes to flipping my schedule 12 hours, but that isn't an issue for you.

    Hope that helps! It certainly isn't easy!
  • dallastxranger93
    dallastxranger93 Posts: 2
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    Thank you so much, such great advice! Excited to try it out
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    I track from midnigh to midnight every day regardless of if I'm working or not. I also work overnights and I have found this keeps me consistent.
  • mokaiba
    mokaiba Posts: 141 Member
    edited March 2015
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    dallastxranger93 wrote: »
    I work 3rd shift.
    Sunday nights I work 8pm-6:06am, the rest of the the week I work 10:36pm-6:36am. And Saturday night I work 4:45pm-10:30pm. I'm having a hard time finding when I should eat what meals and snacks and when is best for me to workout but still get enough sleep! Thank you!

    I work 1030pm to 630am Sunday through Friday.

    I eat breakfast at 3/330am.

    I sleep from 7am to 1pm (or to 3pm if really tired from gym).

    I eat lunch at 130/2pm (or when I wake up)

    I exercise in the afternoon.

    I eat dinner at 6/7pm (or 8pm if I slept in).

    I don't eat anything after dinner up to breakfast. If I get hungry, I drink tea or water until 3am. If you get the shakes or headaches from not eating after dinner before breakfast, I recommend eating 1 glucose tablet (pharmacies sell them). Itll' raise your blood sugar (which is probable reason for the shakes and headache when low) for about an hour.


    Basically set times to eat during the day and dont eat overnight. Hope this helps.

  • mslilpat8
    mslilpat8 Posts: 3
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    I sympathize with you! When I worked 12mid to 8am, I brought two healthy meals and two tasty snacks. In between each meal and snack, I made sure I dranked plenty of water. When I got off at 8:00 a.m., I would run a couple of errands, making sure to be home by 11:00 a.m. I would fall asleep about 2:00pm and sleep 6-8 hrs. Upon waking, I would shower and eat a filling meal before going to work and drink plenty of water. I would eat my next meal about 3:00 a.m and a piece of fruit in between. My next meal would be eaten just before 7:00 a.m. with plenty of water. If I go straight home, I would watch TV and eat a small snack around 11:00 w/ plenty of water. Then I would fall asleep about 2pm and start the cycle all over again. Of course, I would get exercise in by parking two blocks away from the job and taking the stairs to the 9th floor!
  • hlvincent15
    hlvincent15 Posts: 34 Member
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    Is it possible for you to eat snacks on a frequent basis. I eat healthy foods in between proper breaks.
    Things like hot air made popcorn, homemade hummus, homemade falaffal balls, slices of red pepper and carrots, ryvitta wholemeal crackers will keep me full and balanced. Some people also eat nuts. You need low Gi snacks...keep you full and energy levels high.

    Preparation and organise your food in advance if you can it really helps.

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