NIGHT SHIFT PEEPS

almonds1
almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just want to confirm is this is the best way to do this when you are on shifts?

example... I was up at 11 today and I have to work until 8am the next morning. So in reality I am up 23hrs. I have about 9hrs left in my shift and I am 300 cals from my daily limit.
Are most people starting their clock at midnight? So I basically start over again at 0 ?

thanks
Tibs

Replies

  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
    i do..i try not to eat past 9pm, but sometimes i do, and on those nights i am awake late ( past midnight) and i eat, it is counted for the NEXT day..hope you find whatever works for you, best of luck:drinker:
  • SeanC86
    SeanC86 Posts: 88
    That's a tough question. Personally, the day ends for me when I go to sleep... 11am the next day or 10pm that night. I used to work two jobs (Day shift in retail, then overnight shift as security) and would wake up at 6am, work 7-3, sleep from 4pm to 6pm, school from 7-9:30, then night shift from 10pm to 6am. Yes... I was a little crazy after a few months of it. Though I wasn't counting calories at that time, I would probably say that the whole time you're awake should count as one day. I guess, however, it depends on the person. Good luck with it all.
  • aa1440
    aa1440 Posts: 956 Member
    I work 7 pm til 7 am. I eat breakfast when I get home in the mornings. When I get up at around 3 pm in the afternoon I eat lunch. I eat another meal around 10 pm. I eat my last meal at 2 am. That gives me 4 meals a day on a messed up schedule.
  • pamital
    pamital Posts: 58 Member
    Hi

    I work nights too and work on a midnight to midnight basis regardless of whether on shift or not.
  • PST0622
    PST0622 Posts: 115
    I used to do midnight to midnight, but found it was not working for me. Now I do from the time I get up, to the time I go to slee...usually 5:30pm to 8:30am. I work weekends and automatically know Mondays I will be over in calories if I don't hit the gym! This is what has worked for me lately, but I change it if I need to....just do what works for you!!!
  • jpeper1966
    jpeper1966 Posts: 79
    I work similar hours. For starters I try not to eat late at night, even if it is the middle of MY day. The digestive system still slows down at night. As for counting calories. My day starts when I get up and ends when I go to sleep. No matter when that is.
  • stephanielynn76
    stephanielynn76 Posts: 709 Member
    Just want to confirm is this is the best way to do this when you are on shifts?

    example... I was up at 11 today and I have to work until 8am the next morning. So in reality I am up 23hrs. I have about 9hrs left in my shift and I am 300 cals from my daily limit.
    Are most people starting their clock at midnight? So I basically start over again at 0 ?

    thanks
    Tibs

    What up night shifters!!! :) So here's what I do. I try to get a good burn on days I know I will go in to work. For instance today I woke up at 7am... was up all day... went in to work at 6:45pm and will work till 7am. I will essentially be awake for 24 hours. I will count everything I eat at work for the whole night as part of Saturday's calories and Sunday's calories start when I eat breakfast when I get home in the morning. I'm not saying this is how you should do it... it's just what works for ME. I've been doing it this way quite a while. I've found that the majority of the calories I consume are during the first half of the shift... perhaps because those are the hours I'd actually be awake and eating if I were off. I find I'm less hungry between 3am-7am. By time I get home in the morning I am STARVING... so I eat a hefty dose of oatmeal and go to bed :)
  • Latoyamary
    Latoyamary Posts: 140
    I am working 11-7 tonight. My calories start at midnight. I was starving!!!
  • almonds1
    almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
    thanks....I looked at the time and I have 58 cals left and 7 hours of work lol.
    Usually I do it on the time awake but I may switch it up this time.

    Normally I would be eating saturdays date until about 8am sunday morning. Once I wake up sunday I start again and eat until 0800 monday counted as Sunday. But When I wake up Monday evening and have the night off I am under,
    I think this time I will do it from 12-12 just to try something new.


    thanks guys/gals
  • almonds1
    almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
    Just want to confirm is this is the best way to do this when you are on shifts?

    example... I was up at 11 today and I have to work until 8am the next morning. So in reality I am up 23hrs. I have about 9hrs left in my shift and I am 300 cals from my daily limit.
    Are most people starting their clock at midnight? So I basically start over again at 0 ?

    thanks
    Tibs

    What up night shifters!!! :) So here's what I do. I try to get a good burn on days I know I will go in to work. For instance today I woke up at 7am... was up all day... went in to work at 6:45pm and will work till 7am. I will essentially be awake for 24 hours. I will count everything I eat at work for the whole night as part of Saturday's calories and Sunday's calories start when I eat breakfast when I get home in the morning. I'm not saying this is how you should do it... it's just what works for ME. I've been doing it this way quite a while. I've found that the majority of the calories I consume are during the first half of the shift... perhaps because those are the hours I'd actually be awake and eating if I were off. I find I'm less hungry between 3am-7am. By time I get home in the morning I am STARVING... so I eat a hefty dose of oatmeal and go to bed :)

    thanks : )
    Ya, I find I am hungry after 7 myself. like you, 3-7 is usually a slow eating time for me.. Now that I eat on a schedule (Every 2 hours) I wake up hungry after my sleep....

    3 cheers for crazy night shift people
  • Dreamweaver4036
    Dreamweaver4036 Posts: 14
    Good to know I'm not the only one with a weird schedule! I do the 3 to midnight most days but some days they switch it up. Regardless I track from the time I get up to when I go to sleep as all the same day. Seems to be working for me! I just eat my meals later than "normal" people but just because I'm eating my last meal at 1am doesn't mean it's not dinner for me! Good luck!
  • av8rblond
    av8rblond Posts: 140
    I would say you need to base your 24 hour clock on what works best for you, but stick to it..regardless of if your work shift changes. There is no steadfast rules for everyone, but rather what works for you alone. Just be honest with yourself..my humble opinion only.
  • monster58
    monster58 Posts: 1 Member
    Hello,

    My work hours are from 4:00pm to 2:30am. I am up sometimes for 16-23hrs. I have setup my food diary meals so it says the following:
    Breakfast (7am-10am)
    Lunch (12pm-3pm)
    Snack (Work 6:30pm-6:45pm)
    Dinner (Work 9:00pm-9:30pm) *When I am not working I put my dinner in the 6:30pm meal*
    Snack (Work 12:00am-12:15am)
    Late Nite (2:45am-5:00am)
    My day ends for me when I go to sleep and then start over, otherwise If I started over at midnite I would be tempted to find ways to sabotage myself and the progress I have been making.
    I hope this helps out and best of luck to you.
  • arkenny
    arkenny Posts: 125
    i work shift work ...12 hr shifts.... so when im awake it counts as one day.... im on nights now and usually get up between 330 and 430....i eat before work ... then i usually have a snack around 7 or 8 then have my " lunch" by 10ish supper around 1 and usually another snack around 4 or 430.
  • aalanclose
    aalanclose Posts: 125 Member
    I work 9.30 to 8am and used to have my main meal when i got in from work but that didn't work at all. Now i pretty much have meals at normal times. Breakfast when i get in before bed, lunch at about 2 and diner at 7 ish. At work i find a few cups of herbal tea and a yogurt is enough to get me through the night. The new days allowance starts in the morning with breakfast.

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