NIGHT SHIFT 2015

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brendasteve
brendasteve Posts: 23 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi, I have been working night shift for over two years and have struggled with weight loss more than I ever have in my life. Is there anyone out there who has had success at losing weight while working nights? If so, what can you share that has helped or hurt. Any tips appreciated. I work in an emergency room so they are 12 hour shifts with little to no break time...
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  • fenderfit
    fenderfit Posts: 6 Member
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    What are you finding most challenging about it? Do you have a six pack bag to pack meals?
  • Jokersurv
    Jokersurv Posts: 75 Member
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    I work graveyards. For me the biggest help was cutting out soda. Working out on my days off. Making my own meals trying to cut back on eating at restaurant at work. Healthy snacks
  • brendasteve
    brendasteve Posts: 23 Member
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    I guess i struggle with the food we keep in the ER and not having restraint. .. my problem... working out before or after work. .. and do you eat before you go to bed in the morning?
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Discipline.
  • julie2038
    julie2038 Posts: 142 Member
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    I'm a nurse too. I worked night shift for 17 years and now I'm on days. I wish I could tell you I lost weight while working nights, but I didn't. I know I could have lost it if I would have figured out to care for myself as much as I do my patients. I don't know why as nurses we take care of others, but not ourselves. Make yourself a priority. As soon as I decided, that I'm not letting these long shifts with few breaks, ruin my new healthy way of eating, my weight loss journey began. I make sure I always pack my lunch. In my lunch I have protein bars and shakes to eat quickly if I'm having one of those days. I also pack a salad with lots of veggies and a single serving of hummus. As for the shift you are on, if you go from midnight to midnight and stay in your calorie limit, you can do this too! I know it's hard when all the co-workers bring in all the snack food, but the more you walk away from it the easier it gets. When you start getting the results you want, you will be happy you did! Good luck.
  • brendasteve
    brendasteve Posts: 23 Member
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    Thank you! I'm going to try like heck to beat the night shift gain.
  • allysar
    allysar Posts: 87 Member
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    I have been a night shift nurse for 18 years. I absolutely know that the key for me is always, always bringing my own food. The first night back on my stretch is always a little rough but healthy snacks get me through. Would a typical day help? When I wake up, water!! Then coffee (a little cream, I love half and half, but just a little) then a protein shake on the way to work. I load it up with a banana and some unsweetened almond milk. That will get me through until after the first part of the shift. I work in an ICU so....assessments, 2100 meds, charting, usually physician rounds at 2200. Then it is snack time. An apple and some nuts or rolled up turkey breast. Maybe a Kind bar. Water, water, water. Being dehydrated is my worst habit. Lunch for me is around 2-3am. Always my home food, a source of protein and vegetables. Love the frozen bags of no sauce veggies. No carbs usually for me, I just feel better if I don't eat them at night. Breakfast for me is when I get home. Some eggs, maybe whole grain toast or oatmeal. I am truly never hungry if I make myself eat every 3-4 hours and stay hydrated. No cafeteria food. No family treats. Avoid the pot luck. If there is one, I will do a handful of veggies and hummus or tortilla chips and salsa. It definitely takes planning. Leftovers are great and are quick to grab. If I am smart I make up my meals ahead of time....that doesn't always happen. Good luck, you CAN do this. One shift at a time
  • brendasteve
    brendasteve Posts: 23 Member
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    :) thank you! This definitely gives me hope. Im currently in a week fitbit challenge and that is helping keep me motivated as far as steps go. My eating habits are a whole different issue. Any recommendations on a healthy protien shake? I am also trying to keep my sugar intake at a minimum. Thank you all so much for the advice. Like i said it gives me hope and keeps me moving forward
  • starsjen24
    starsjen24 Posts: 19 Member
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    Im a nite shifter as well. I eat a meal when i wake up in evening ( breakfast) then have small snacks every 3 to 4 hrs. Lots of water, tea. Only one coffee a day. I exercise when i can. Go for a walk after work. If im hungry before bed ill have a yogurt. I do my running around. Hit up the gym or walk the mall with my husband.
  • DLMitch22
    DLMitch22 Posts: 47 Member
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    I work overnight at the hospital in the heart center and I've lost weight when I switched from
    Days to nights .... But I don't eat as much however my schedule is 7p -7a.... I eat my big meals at midnight and 6thirty am. I work out right after work and I eat healthy snacks maybe two or 3 during the day. Sometimes I be to tired to eat snacks tho . I have lost 30 lbs on this schedule ....
  • allysar
    allysar Posts: 87 Member
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    I did some research on protein/meal replacement shakes. I use the IdealShape Ideal shake. Around 100 caloris, 5Gm of fiber, 1G sugar, 9G total carbs and 11G protein. I usually mix it with some unsweetened almond milk. This brand rated high for flavor and nutrition and was reasonable for price. I got vanilla so I can mix in bananas and some PB2 or frozen berries if I like. I drink that on my way to work followed by a glass of water and I am generally full for about 4 hours.
  • Vcorz
    Vcorz Posts: 75 Member
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    I don't know what it is about night shifts, but they do seem to be a special challenge! One new nurse I know gained from a size 2 (tiny) to a 16 the first year of her career! Good Luck!
  • Tintin13
    Tintin13 Posts: 86 Member
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    Going on my 10th year of nights. Finding my first night back as the hardest. I try to drink 3 24oz bottles during the 8 hour shift. I'm also into doing the Fitbit challenges. I eat oatmeal at around 5 or 6 and try not to eat until I wake up. Several snacks during the shift not all healthy. I'm working on saying no to all of the junk food people always bring in. Feel
    Free to add me we can check in on each other and maybe do a Fitbit challenge
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,149 Member
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    Fellow 7P-7A night shifter here (currently back on my first shift after 17 off). My three shifts vary each week, but I keep the midnight to midnight schedule that MFP uses, and changed the meal headings to six hour blocks, so I can log the food in the right block. I eat a real dinner before I leave for work - work in a crazy delivery room, meal breaks are never guaranteed and usually not happening. I bring lots of hand held, easy to grab foods, peanut butter and apples, cheese, yogurt, carrot sticks and space them out accordingly. I prelog food for the day, so I can see what to eat as I go. I try to do some protein as my mini meal after midnight, usually eggs, a few oz of chicken (I love plain cold chicken) or cottage cheese with sunflower seeds. When I get home, I eat light, then go to sleep until 4, get up and do it again. If I'm off that night, I get up at 1 and try to be like people with "normal" jobs do. :smiley: It works for me, I do lose weight. It's not easy, especially when you work with nurses who like to have parties for every little thing. I've gotten better at either bringing something I can eat and not go crazy with calories, or something I have no interest in. The charge nurse office has a bunch of different vending machine type snacks, and a box to throw money in. I've managed not to be tempted by it in the least, which was surprising. I think it's because I keep enough things for myself if I need chocolate or sugar, like a single serving of Oreos. It's not easy, but it is doable.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Worked night shift on and off for years, currently on. The most important thing you can do is plan plan plan. If you just eat whatever's around, you're going to continue to struggle. Pack a lunch and take it with you. Learn to say no to all the work goodies, or at least keep them in your calorie deficit. It take some time to get into the habit of not eating all that stuff, but the more you do it, the easier it'll be. I prelogged for quite a while and found that really helpful. Even if I had to tweak my log (which I did nearly every day), it was helpful to me to have a plan.
    As for working out, I go after work, but that's matter of personal preference. For some, it's maybe easier to talk themselves out of it, or they feel too tired at the end of their shift, so they get up earlier and go before. I don't do that very well. I just pack a bag, throw it in my car, and don't let myself think about it.
  • CrosbyMcDowell
    CrosbyMcDowell Posts: 113 Member
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    Night shift for 2 years, gained almost 15 pounds over first year and a half. Have managed to take off 10 pounds, slowly but surely. So, I also eat on my way in to work or right before I leave, try to have a snack every few hours until 2 or 3, the stop! My problem is always making bad choices when I'm really tired, whether working or not. Make sure I get up early enough to get at least 20 or 30 minutes of exercise before work.

    I eat worse at work because I feel like I deserve a treat just for being alive and functional at 4am! I also really love pancakes and they always sound amazing at 6:30am, but fortunately I'm usually too tired to have any.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    I have worked night shift for nearly 5 years, have steadily lost the past 3 years. I didn't jump on the weight loss and fitness wagon until nearly 2 years into working graveyard. For me the #1 factor in succeeding is sleep. I have a consistent sleep schedule I keep when I work, 2/3PM to 10:30PM. I've found that when I have crappy sleep, I am too tired to workout at the gym in the morning after I get off work and I tend to constantly be grazing on food during my shift to keep myself awake.
  • fedman79542
    fedman79542 Posts: 15 Member
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    Im with u on the night shift work. I work at fedex as a pilot and work a lot of nights. It can be tough. I think that keeping busy is the key. You sleep during the day... if you stay busy @ night that.. well for me has done the trick.. I can honestly say I have tried several different diets before, In my opinion, my fitness pal by far is the best way to keep an up to date average of your daily calorie count allowing you to lose weight and maintain your ideal weight. I like you and many other people have struggles with dieting. (Tonight was one of those nights I struggled) hang in there. If you keep at it you will succeed. Despite my ups and downs I have lost a little over 100 pds. In a year and a half... It works. Truly. Feel free to send me friend request.
    Best of luck
    Fedman79542
    (Todd)
  • brendasteve
    brendasteve Posts: 23 Member
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    Thank you for all of the good advice, i have been doing better and taking walk every hour at work, nice to have co. workers support with this. And seeing all the response from all of you who have made it work and really well i might say, has given me a no excuse attitude. Thanks to all of you.
  • allysar
    allysar Posts: 87 Member
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    Pre-logging and preplanning is the way to go! I didn't have a good breakfast waiting for me yesterday and I stopped and picked up a quick meal that was not in my calorie count, nor did anything to meet my nutritional goals. Even if I don't lose every week, if I stay within my macros/nutritional goals I feel so much better about myself. Eat REAL food.

    Hang in there night shifters.....going to bed now, one more night for this week!! I already have my lunch packed. Have a good day every one, sleep tight!

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