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mhollencamp102012
mhollencamp102012 Posts: 165 Member
in Motivation and Support
I start working 3rd shift tonight....any opinions/advice on a good way to arrange meal timing? Dinner before work light breakfast after work? Or breakfast before work dinner after? I will need to go to sleep right / soon after getting home from work due to only having 5 hours before I have to be up again....don't think I want a dinner right before sleep??? How do you overnighters do it?

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  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Hi there ! Meal timing doesn't really matter . it comes down to preference. The " don't eat a heavy dinner before bed because you will gain " is a myth. ( although some people get heart burn if eating directly before bed ) but it always comes down to calories. It makes no difference what time you eat them, just stay under your calorie goal for weight loss.
  • plantedinpots
    plantedinpots Posts: 44 Member
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    I only work a few graveyard shifts every few months because they're awful. I generally eat before I go so I have the energy to do what needs to be done, and if I'm super hungry I'll eat a snack like halfway through my shift. I don't eat when I come home, the main priority is sleep lol. I drink a lot of coffee when I wake up and eat a normal sized meal when I'm hungry.
  • mhollencamp102012
    mhollencamp102012 Posts: 165 Member
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    thorsmom01 wrote: »
    Hi there ! Meal timing doesn't really matter . it comes down to preference. The " don't eat a heavy dinner before bed because you will gain " is a myth. ( although some people get heart burn if eating directly before bed ) but it always comes down to calories. It makes no difference what time you eat them, just stay under your calorie goal for weight loss.

    Not worried about weight gain with eating before bed...I just don't like going to bed after eating...I don't seem to sleep as well...I guess I am most concerned about logging...I know how I get when I work overnights...eating in its self can be a chore...its going to get interesting lol

  • zadowd
    zadowd Posts: 44 Member
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    Hardest thing for me is getting enough sleep. Of I lack sleep than I begin making poor choices and lack motivation to work out.
  • kar328
    kar328 Posts: 4,150 Member
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    I work 7P-7A three times a week and this is what works for me. I eat a real dinner between 4:30-5P while getting ready for work. I work in a delivery room, so not getting a break is more common than actually getting one. I keep my logging on the midnight to midnight schedule but changed the diary settings to midnight -6AM, 6AM-noon, noon - 6PM, 6PM-midnight. I bring a variety of things I can grab and eat quickly if I have to - apples and peanut butter, baby carrots, yogurt, hardboiled eggs, cottage cheese, etc. When I get home, I eat something light. If I'm working again that night, I'm up at 4P and making dinner again. If I'm off that night, I'm up at 1P, caffeinating and keeping "normal" hours for the rest of the day. My biggest issue is trying not to eat too much between midnight and when I get home, if I'm off that night. I hate to wake up at 1P and not have a lot of calories available :smiley: I've tweaked a lot of things over the years, but it seems to work.

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