12 hour shifts

learningtolove
learningtolove Posts: 288 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How would you divide your calories up?
I work 7-7,and go home to put my little one to bed. I usually want to eat again at this point,but know that I shouldn't.
What would a balanced day look like?

Replies

  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Do whatever suits you and what will promote the best chances of adherence.

    It doesn't rally matter as long as you create a sustained deficit of calories. I do waking to sleeping as a logged day as I'm all over the place with work shifts, some people do midnight to midnight.

    Barring issues such as reflux ar bedtime you can eat at whatever time of the day you want, it will have no impact on weight loss. There's no reason you can't put your child to bed and then have a meal.

    Find a pattern that suits you and stick to it.
  • learningtolove
    learningtolove Posts: 288 Member
    Looking for suggestions of disbursement that have worked well for others! I havnt been able to find a good balance thus far myself.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Eat when you can/want to. It isn't necessary to stop eating after a certain time unless it can cause sleep issues.
  • learningtolove
    learningtolove Posts: 288 Member
    I know,I just don't usually have calories left by this point cause I feel hungry all day long and use them up.
    Was more hoping for some examples of what others on shift work did with their calories.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    How do you normally break your meals up? I would try a light breakfast (oatmeal, cereal, breakfast sandwich), maybe a sandwich and salad or leftovers for lunch, and a light snack (fruit, protein bar, etc) in the afternoon to hold you over. If you plan for dinner when you get home, you can save/allot the appropriate amount of calories. If it helps, you could prepare your dinners for the week in individual containers so you can prepare and pull them out and heat them up every night.
  • learningtolove
    learningtolove Posts: 288 Member
    MotherOfSharpei wrote: »
    How do you normally break your meals up? I would try a light breakfast (oatmeal, cereal, breakfast sandwich), maybe a sandwich and salad or leftovers for lunch, and a light snack (fruit, protein bar, etc) in the afternoon to hold you over. If you plan for dinner when you get home, you can save/allot the appropriate amount of calories. If it helps, you could prepare your dinners for the week in individual containers so you can prepare and pull them out and heat them up every night.

    Im only 2 days back into being committed. Usually I eat all day long,and all evening long- but thats why I've gained 25 lbs.
    Today I did a 1/2 scoop protein powder with coconut milk for breakfast,tea in the morning to tide me over,quinoa with carrots and green beans for lunch ( plus a small slice of ice cream cake the girls brought in),a tea and an apple in the afternoon and a few small potatoes for dinner- I definetly need more protein obviously,and I still have a bout 230 calories left for tonight when I get home- but I feel like scarfing down about 600 calories.
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,855 Member
    I work 12s at night, 3-4/week. I just have my diary broken up into 4 hr chunks and plop my food in to whenever I ate it. If I am working, my food tends to fall between 4pm-8pm (wake up and eat before work) and 12am-4am (a quick lunch at work). Of course, I don't eat all shift, often just have an iced coffee when I come in and then my lunch, if I get time to eat it. When I get off work and head home, I don't eat prior to going to bed either.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    edited September 2016
    learningtolove wrote: »
    I know,I just don't usually have calories left by this point cause I feel hungry all day long and use them up.
    Was more hoping for some examples of what others on shift work did with their calories.

    Why are you feeling hungry all day long ... I'm assuming it's your eating time? Perhaps take a look at what you are eating as some of those foods may be triggering phantom hunger ... you eat and then within 2 hours you want to eat again ... this type of action happens to me when my carbs are high for the fat and protein in the food, or my carbs are just plain high ... like more than 45 grams in a meal. (45-60 grams is the advice I got from my diabeties management nutritionist)

    And when it does happen to me, I cannot get a satisfied non-hungry feeling until my glucogen store drops again from going low-carb the next day or two (not crazy low carb, just under 150 for the day.
  • learningtolove
    learningtolove Posts: 288 Member
    Nikion901 wrote: »
    learningtolove wrote: »
    I know,I just don't usually have calories left by this point cause I feel hungry all day long and use them up.
    Was more hoping for some examples of what others on shift work did with their calories.

    Why are you feeling hungry all day long ... I'm assuming it's your eating time? Perhaps take a look at what you are eating as some of those foods may be triggering phantom hunger ... you eat and then within 2 hours you want to eat again ... this type of action happens to me when my carbs are high for the fat and protein in the food, or my carbs are just plain high ... like more than 45 grams in a meal. (45-60 grams is the advice I got from my diabeties management nutritionist)

    And when it does happen to me, I cannot get a satisfied non-hungry feeling until my glucogen store drops again from going low-carb the next day or two (not crazy low carb, just under 150 for the day.

    Thank you, that's a good point! The feeling hungry when I feel like I'm eating all day long anyway has been driving me crazy. You may be right about the carb heavy bit. I'll have to take a look at things more closely from now on.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    I've worked 12 hour shifts in the past and they were overnights which were a struggle for me. I get hungry when I don't sleep enough so the next day after working I would overeat. I think as long as you just eat the same as you would if on an 8 hour day schedule you will do fine. Maybe break up your meals and eat a lot of small ones throughout the day.
  • medic2038
    medic2038 Posts: 434 Member
    I work 24s, it's really not any different than eating any other day (except you prep a bit in advance).

    On my days off basically throughout the day I eat, then log, then figure out what I have left calorie wise and go from there.

    On work days I get everything together the morning of, or the night before. Once I have my lunchbox packed I tend to spread it out, but I know that I have all of my calories for the day in there.

    So yesterday my diet was something like:

    630am-2x eggs and toast (before work)
    830-9am- greek yogurt + piece of fruit
    noon- protein shake+fruit
    2p- Piece of fruit + beef stick
    6pm- roast +kraut
    9pm greek yogurt (and I forgot my sardines but I normally have them then)

    I don't tend to get too hungry between when I eat, which is why I have it spread out like that. Food timing is pretty much a bunk concept, so base it on your hunger.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    learningtolove wrote: »
    MotherOfSharpei wrote: »
    How do you normally break your meals up? I would try a light breakfast (oatmeal, cereal, breakfast sandwich), maybe a sandwich and salad or leftovers for lunch, and a light snack (fruit, protein bar, etc) in the afternoon to hold you over. If you plan for dinner when you get home, you can save/allot the appropriate amount of calories. If it helps, you could prepare your dinners for the week in individual containers so you can prepare and pull them out and heat them up every night.

    Im only 2 days back into being committed. Usually I eat all day long,and all evening long- but thats why I've gained 25 lbs.
    Today I did a 1/2 scoop protein powder with coconut milk for breakfast,tea in the morning to tide me over,quinoa with carrots and green beans for lunch ( plus a small slice of ice cream cake the girls brought in),a tea and an apple in the afternoon and a few small potatoes for dinner- I definetly need more protein obviously,and I still have a bout 230 calories left for tonight when I get home- but I feel like scarfing down about 600 calories.
    If you want more protein, drink cow milk or soy milk instead of coconut milk. Also, skip the apple and potatoes in order to have cheese, eggs, broccoli, beans, tofu, kale.
    Are you getting enough sleep? Sleep can affect appetite.
    How many days a week do you work 12 hours? You could do a daily average for the week. For example, on days that you do not work, you can eat a little less in order to have more food on the days you work.


  • ericar21
    ericar21 Posts: 71 Member
    try meal prepping. it saves a lot of time and its easier to stay on track with eating healthy!
  • learningtolove
    learningtolove Posts: 288 Member
    Thanks everyone! Im almost a week in now,and already getting the hang of things better!
    I dont drink cows milk or eat eggs,but am working to up my protein and lower my carbs (pending next grocery shop)
    Ive started going to bed by 10 and its making a real difference. I appreciate all the advice!
  • olymp1a
    olymp1a Posts: 1,766 Member
    I usually work 8-8 7 days a week during summer season, sometimes it can even stretch to 9 or 10 in the night.

    I eat a very good breakfast at home before I go and I pack morning snack, lunch and evening snack with me. I usually have morning snack at about 11, lunch around 3 and evening snack around 6. I eat dinner when I get home but I make it a light one. Always a bowl of salad greens and a bit of the food I cooked for that day.



  • CompanionNerd
    CompanionNerd Posts: 17 Member
    I work 12 hour shifts overnight but I tend to be up 24/32hrs + due to having kids the next day so I tend to get up and eat breakfast of about 500 calories, skip lunch, then eat a good dinner (700-1000) calories, then I log my overnight food as breakfast for the next day,I might eat a small (100-200) snack when I get home in morning, then I am usually napping/exhausted at lunch so I skip that and that leaves me a lot of calories for dinner. Maybe try looking at your 12 hour days as more than one day. Since I am up more than 24 hours I log it as a 2 day period and move calories from one day to the other if I need to, as long as the total evens out for both days.
  • BlueberryWatermelon
    BlueberryWatermelon Posts: 73 Member
    I work 12 hour shifts (7-7), both day and night. I'm usually much hungrier during day shifts, so it's more of a challenge to stay within my calorie range.

    I eat like this:
    7am: Coffee and banana
    9am: Breakfast (cereal or oatmeal)
    1pm: Lunch (salad or leftovers -- make sure there's enough protein/veg)
    4pm: Snack (yogurt/cheese or fruit) and tea
    8pm: Dinner

    I'm quite hungry by dinnertime, but I like to wait until I get home so I can eat with my SO.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    learningtolove wrote: »
    I know,I just don't usually have calories left by this point cause I feel hungry all day long and use them up.
    Was more hoping for some examples of what others on shift work did with their calories.

    What type of work are you doing? Didn't even realize 12 hr shifts were legal, but are there not set break or lunch times included in the shift, rather than eating "all day long"? Could you not still try to structure your eating in the same way a person on a normal 8 hr work day would do?

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