Anyone else work graveyard shifts??

bookcancer
bookcancer Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just started my first full time graveyard job and I already missed one day of calorie tracking because my schedule is sort of outta whack. Does anyone else work graveyard? How do you do your tracking since technically our "days" are split between two days? Its also a desk job so being dormant for 10 hours is also concerning to me. How am I supposed to lose weight??? Helllpppp!!

Replies

  • Eve53
    Eve53 Posts: 178 Member
    I used to back when I first started using mfp. I would just log on the next day.

    As for sitting all day, I'm in the same boat. It sucks! But I set my log to sedentary and I work out. I'm hoping for the best.
  • nicole2792
    nicole2792 Posts: 23 Member
    I eat at breakfast at 4pm lunch at 9pm & dinner at 3,am..
    Though it's 2 different days I track that as one and it's working for me.
    I don't go to bed til 7am. So my stomach is pretty empty by the time I go to sleep. It took me a couple days to get use to that but now it's no problem. I was told to eat dinner a few hours before going to sleep. I forget why..
  • nicole2792
    nicole2792 Posts: 23 Member
    I also recommend getting a fitbit. I have the charge HR. It's really helping me. Though you don't need it to be successful, its the only thing that's worked for me. Good luck!
  • lindaloo1213
    lindaloo1213 Posts: 283 Member
    I work 9pm-6am.. I count my days from 6am to 6am. I get off and go home and straight to sleep for about an hour until I get the kids up for school, so that starts my day. breakfast is around 11am, and I eat my last snack about 430am.
  • 21deadmonkeys
    21deadmonkeys Posts: 20 Member
    I eat breakfast around 10pm and just log it for the next day.
  • lukos05
    lukos05 Posts: 39 Member
    edited July 2015
    I work 7p to 7a. I track a 24 hour period from midnight to midnight, making my shift cover two days. I pre-log my meals and snacks that I take to work and stick to that: no vending machine runs or slice of pizza or donuts. :) I have also personalized the 'meals' into: 1st meal, mid snack, 2nd meal, 2nd mid snack, 3rd meal, and etc snacks (where I put my coffees!) in order to make my OCDish brain happy.

    As for the sedentary jobs, please make sure to move every two hours. It isn't just for calorie burn and weight loss; it is also to prevent blood clots and keep a healthy heart (says the critical care nurse;). Just working while standing at the desk helps. I know people who take light weights to work or do body weight exercises every few hours, like squats, lunches, push ups against the desk/chair/wall. Make a lap around the cubicle. I have seen a lot of '30 day challenges' doing things like squats and pushups pop up on facebook and pinterest that would be perfect short breaks at work. One simple workout a day is not enough to maintain cardiovascular health; moving is key. You are headed in the right direction!
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    I work graveyards 7-7. On my work days I eat breakfast at 5 pm, lunch at midnight and dinner at 4 am. I eat at regular times on my days off. It worked well for me, I am in maintanance now, but lost all my weight that way. It doesnt matter what times of day you eat, and I always prelog my meals right before I leave for work,
  • Billy213
    Billy213 Posts: 31 Member
    I work 5pm to 5am. I'll get up around 2pm and have big lunch, have dinner around 10pm with plenty of healthy snacks and water in between. At about 3am when I'm struggling I'll have some porridge which sees me through till 7am bed time and doesn't leave me feeling too hungry when I get up.

    The hardest part is when your shift loves a take away and biscuits!
  • mokaiba
    mokaiba Posts: 141 Member
    bookcancer wrote: »
    Just started my first full time graveyard job and I already missed one day of calorie tracking because my schedule is sort of outta whack. Does anyone else work graveyard? How do you do your tracking since technically our "days" are split between two days? Its also a desk job so being dormant for 10 hours is also concerning to me. How am I supposed to lose weight??? Helllpppp!!

    i've worked 3rd shift for almost two years.

    -->

    I weigh all my food and put it in ziplock baggies then freeze it. e.g., green beans are 4oz and ground turkey 6oz.

    I also work from home, so I can prepare the food during a break but you may need to prepare a meal and a snack before work.

    Breakfast: I make it 30 minutes before my shift starts (shift starts at 1030pm).
    Snack: 4oz cottage cheese when I get hungry sometime around 2/3am.
    Lunch: If I have time, ill make it at 5am, if not Ill wait until my shift ends at 630am.
    cardio for 30 minutes then moderate exercise (typically an hour) then shower
    Dinner: when I get hungry (varies). typically 9/10am.
    I go to bed at 12pm or I may stay up later to 1pm. I aim for 8 hours sleep but have physical conditions that wake me several times so I get 6-7 hours.

    days off--> Friday, I stay up to 8pm. Saturday, I wake up around 5/6am. I power nap for 2-3 hours at 5pm and then stay up to 12pm on sunday and go to sleep until 10pm to be back on my schedule.
  • bookcancer
    bookcancer Posts: 6 Member
    Thank you everyone for your very helpful comments!!! I will start logging on my new schedule tomorrow. Your advice has really helped. Time to start pre-bagging some meals!!
  • lindathom209
    lindathom209 Posts: 19 Member
    I've worked nights for 12 years. I'm a cna so I spend most of it on my feet though. Whatever I eat after midnight and before I go to bed I just go back in my diary and add to the previous day. I keep a pretty regular sleep schedule though, even stay up on my nights off, so it doesn't get too complicated for me.
  • tkdchick1985
    tkdchick1985 Posts: 12 Member
    I work 12 hour night shifts fairly often, but mine are also mixed with day shifts. I don't eat at a specific time each day, but I take each "day" to be the full 24-hour period of that calendar day. So, my diary headings are changed to 12am-4am, 4am-8am, 8am-12pm, 12pm-4pm, 4pm-8pm and 8pm-12am. This way no matter when I eat in a day it is fairly easy to not exceed my calorie goal for that calendar day. I usually pre-log these shifts as it is easy to just mindlessly snack at my desk.
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    Ive been working 9 pm to 5 am. I've been counting calories for a year now. I track the same as if I'm working a day shift, and haven't had any issues with weight loss. Yes, once midnight rolls around i have a fresh calorie budget to work with, but I make sure I always stay within my budget day to day. There is no special tinkering with the journal required, or transposing of meal logging times. Just use everything as it is.
  • Tamlyngo
    Tamlyngo Posts: 96 Member
    I do two 19-07 shifts a week with some middle of the night call shifts. I've continued to calculate based on every 24 hours. I find that the days I work nights, the next day MFP yells at me about not eating enough calories that day (hello! I'm sleeping!!) but I make up for it the next day. I figure it balances out eventually.

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