Eating At Overnight Job

lumberjacks94 · July 2011

I work overnights, which creates special challenges for eating right. I would like to hear from somebody who works overnights to see how they manage this. I have been bringing healthier things to snack on but it's still hard to do. I exercise first thing in the morning after I get off work, then make a small breakfast before sleeping in the afternoon. Any help on this would be appreciated!

kaitlinmre · July 2011

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Beebs33 · July 2011

I do not work night anymore but use to. It is very difficult because a person's body is not meant to be up at those times so obviously it's not meant to eat. I say keep doing what you are doing. The only thing I did not do was workout in the morning after work. It got me too wired and I couldn't sleep. I would get home and almost sleep immediately and when I got up I would work out and eat "breakfast". I would just make a food scheudle with times by it and see if that works. Try eating every 3 - 4 hours. Just keep it healthy as you are doing already. Nights is very hard on a person. Just keep at it and make good choices.

Also, for workouts make sure you are mixing cardio and strength both. HIIT works great for cardio.

fenix1976 · July 2011

Hi.... it's very very hard! I work overnight, what seems to be working for me is taking in a healthy big meal...Like chicken veg few spuds e.c.t... making sure on thoses night, my meals are almost 800 cal...but 800 healthy cals. Because if your hungery your more likey to eat junk for sure to get a quick fix...

Latoyamary · July 2011

This is extremely hard becuase you are eating throughout the day. I used to work overnight every night, but. now I work overnight once or twice a week. I previously lost 40 lbs while working just overnight. But, here I am trying to get my weight under control after surgery. I treated overnight like it is a day shift. I eat at the beginning and middle. I eat a lot of protein and drink water to keep me full. I go to the gym either right after I get off or right after I wake up, which was usually around 4 or 5 pm. Since it is night time and a little slower, to stay active, I usually get up and walk for 10 mins every hour. Just Remember, veggie, water, and protein!!! I do drink diet wild cherry pepsi, but. it's just for the caffeine. ( No red bulls, or monsters) And, the other thing, get lots of sleep during the day. No sleep will leave you feeling sluggish... I hope this helps a little bit..

lumberjacks94 · July 2011

That's great advice. My first response! Hopefully this forum will help make up the lack of funds for a personal trainer to ride my butt. But i just feel so much better after setting at a desk all night. The workouts make me fall asleep like a baby when I get home so at least that's working for me!

wedjul05 · July 2011

I used to work shift work and nights years ago. I've no real advise re food, just keeping eating healthy, bring fruit with you, loads of healthy snacks, popcorn etc.

Re exercise, I used to head to the gym after my sleep. Some days I was tired and not able to do alot in the gym but most days, it was great. I went home, slept and then got up and went to the gym.

Is there any way you could do this instead? I'd say sleep is wayyyyy more important than exercise after working a night shift.

Happy_endings · July 2011

I work the night shift, feel free to add me as a friend.

What I do is wake up 930 pm eat something small around 200 calorie or less. Then at work I allow myself 350-400 calories (eat around 230 am). I come home around 7 AM and eat my "lunch" again around 300 calories. I will do my daily things and try to exercise. I eat my dinner around 1230 PM ( which is around 400-500 calories) then I go to bed at 230-300 PM.

That makes for a 1350-1400 calorie day. If I am hungry I have a small snack since I am allowed 1500 calories.

My days off.. I of course try to flip my life to a "normal" schedule which I find is torturous. I haven't really "mastered" that. I find myself either going over my calories or really under that day. I do know , it depends on how tired I am when I hit my "dead time" which is around 430-7 PM. I say my body may be "up" but I'm like a zombie who either becomes a total ***** or a starving crazed person.

greenmisty · July 2011

I work nights too. I'm just getting off this morning. But I just keep eating when I'm hungry and eating my normal meals. And I bring healthier snacks with me. I work out in the middle of the night and then eat something bigger after cause I don't eat much before I go to bed. On my first night shift, I get up in the morning, eat breakfast, do whatever, have lunch and then go for a nap. When I get up, I cook dinner and eat or bring it with me and eat when I'm hungry. My job is all sitting. I have some snacks and then I workout on my break. By then, it's past midnight and MFP changes so I add what I eat after my workout as breakfast. And anything else as a snack till I go home and go to bed. Then I wake up again and count what I make then for lunch and if I eat anything bigger that night as dinner. It's tough cause your system is off and your body is hungry at times you wouldn't normally be. But it's possible.

SecretlyBatwoman · July 2011

I do a lot of running, walking, lifting and whatnot at my overnight job so it's not as bad as a lot of people. When I wake up around 7 I eat something that will keep me full, like a big bowl of oatmeal with fruit. At work I either bring a lean cuisine if it's going to be one of the rare nights I can actually sit and enjoy a "meal", or I bring string cheese, vegetables, hummus and fruit and just snack when I can. For dinner around 9 am, I heat up whatever my room mate made for dinner which is usually on the healthy side cause she's a hippie. It's been working for me. If I end up back on a desk it may have to change though.

SeasideOasis · July 2011

My very close friend was/is an overnight manager, so I consulted him on what he usually does.

Before I toss out advice, what do you have available to you? Refrigerator? Microwave? Etc.

pepperedmoth · July 2011

Oh man. I rotate 12-hour shifts days/nights (07-1930 and 19-0730), and this month I'm working all nights and having the same problem!

Lots of people recommend grazing in small amounts, but I go way over my calories if I do that. My best strategy personally is the day before sleep late and miss breakfast (that's today for me), then have "breakfast" when I wake up around noon, "lunch" right before I leave for my shift at 1800, and "dinner" halfway through, around 0000 or 0100. Then I don't eat when I get home- I just fall into bed and pass out.

The second day of my block, I wake up at 1730 and have "breakfast," have "lunch" around 0000 or 0100 at work, then have "dinner" (actually, I almost always eat breakfast foods for this "dinner") either right before I leave work or right after, so between 0600 and 0800.

Coming off my block, I've already had breakfast, lunch, and dinner, at the above-mentioned times, but I tend to sleep until 12-14ish and then have a light snack when I wake up- then I'm back on a regular schedule after that, until my next block.

It works out so I'm eating more calories the first day and fewer the last, (ETA: er, no, other way 'round, sorry) but I figure it all balances. I like keeping my mealtimes consistent.

Good luck!

Second ETA: My only "trick" is that I drink bajoodles (yes, that is a technical term) of green tea for my caffeine intake over a night shift. I like my black tea sweet and milky and my coffee just plain milky, but I like green tea "neat," so it's calorie free, keeps me awake, has gentler levels of caffeine, and the mild diuretic effect makes me happy on the scale.

kitinboots · July 2011

I work in a club, where I'm on my feet and busy all night, with very little time for eating. Depending on the day of the week, I wake up between 12pm and 4pm, have breakfast (muesli with fruit), then I'll have a decent sized dinner about 6 or 7 and be in work at 9. I like to have fruit or dried fruit and nut mix on hand at work if I get a chance to eat, and then depending on how I feel I'll eat a light snack when I get in. I have to leave myself room calorie-wise in case I end up drinking at work (although I keep that to a minimum) but I don't beat myself up over it if I mess up a little. If its a particularly late night (sometimes 7am) I go to the bakery on the way home and treat myself to a fresh quiche, which I figure I've earned through being on my feet an extra 2 hours.

Luckily I'm on my holidays right now so back to normal hours of daylight.

Melaniemarie86 · July 2011

I know what you mean about working overnights and eating right... it's not easy. I work in a group home where there can be a lot of down time and there's free food abundant, so it's been a challenge for me as well. I usually bring my own snacks and meals to work, that way, there's less temptation to pick up something worse there. As for mfp, I record my calories based on 24 hour periods like on the site because that seems to have worked out for me. (It's weird though thinking that I'm eating breakfast sometimes at 3am.) Then, if I work out, I do it after I sleep. I usually wake up between 4 or 5 because I'm there until 9am. But, everyone's different and you just have to find what you're the most comfortable doing and what you can stick with!

Eating At Overnight Job

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