Shift Worker

rhodesjem
rhodesjem Posts: 97 Member
edited November 14 in Introduce Yourself
Hey all.. I'm new on here and I'm a shift worker who needs help. I'm trying to eat and excercise my way back to a healthier version. I was wondering does anyone here work shift days, afternoons, overnights and holidays? How do maintain a 1500 calorie count a day when you work like this? Thanks for the feedback..

Replies

  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    I've worked shifts in the past - not right now thought

    how long do your shifts normally run? do you have access to a fridge/microwave while there? how often does your shift change (from day to night etc)
  • rhodesjem
    rhodesjem Posts: 97 Member
    Yes.. I have access to both.. My shifts are 2 days 2 afternoons 2 overnights.
  • othella30
    othella30 Posts: 4 Member
    Have y
    rhodesjem wrote: »
    Hey all.. I'm new on here and I'm a shift worker who needs help. I'm trying to eat and excercise my way back to a healthier version. I was wondering does anyone here work shift days, afternoons, overnights and holidays? How do maintain a 1500 calorie count a day when you work like this? Thanks for the feedback..
    rhodesjem wrote: »
    Hey all.. I'm new on here and I'm a shift worker who needs help. I'm trying to eat and excercise my way back to a healthier version. I was wondering does anyone here work shift days, afternoons, overnights and holidays? How do maintain a 1500 calorie count a day when you work like this? Thanks for the feedback..

    U tried taking your lunch and veggirs to snack on during your shift? This works for me.
  • rhodesjem
    rhodesjem Posts: 97 Member
    Yep been doing eggs veges healthy snacks. I'm curious when you have to work 10pm-6am what are you eating if you eat all your 1500 cals during the day already
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    what worked for me was adjusting my eating pattern - so if I had a nightshift, I ate "breakfast" at around 8pm (my shift started at 10pm), then "lunch" around 3am and dinner when I got home from work
  • rhodesjem
    rhodesjem Posts: 97 Member
    Okay I will try that sounds interesting. Thanks for the feedback.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    exercise - figure out what works best for your body - I used to workout as soon as I got done with my shift (we had a gym at work); before heading home to bed - others do better working out prior to their shift
  • rhodesjem
    rhodesjem Posts: 97 Member
    Yes i'm trying a schedule out seems to be working so far . Hoping to stick to this plan
  • HWeatherholt
    HWeatherholt Posts: 283 Member
    I have never been a true shift worker, but in my job prior to this one, my hours varied day to day, some days I would have to be work at 8am and some I didn't have to be there until 7pm and every 16 weeks it would change. I also worked pt in retail at the same time with hours varying from week to week.

    But, one of the things I did was to concentrate on the day and how many calories I have eaten that day, regardless of the time. And since I wasn't necesarily eating breakfast as the first meal of the day, I changed my diary labels to read 12am - 4am, 4am - 8am, 8am - 12pm, etc.
  • barracudamuscle
    barracudamuscle Posts: 313 Member
    edited January 2017
    I work 12's 7 days a week for months on end (deployed) I think the hardest thing is not eating out of boredom.

    When I am slammed I tend to forget to eat as crazy as that sounds. Today for instance by the time I had a break it was lunch time, by the time I got around to making my tuna salad it was past lunch so I only ate 900 calories for the day. I could eat more but why, I will feel full in a couple of hours and goto bed then eat in the morning or early lunch if I can. I get days of riding in the high 900's-1200 then get a day where I overshoot and have a overage of 100-200 if I'm not tracking in my head every thing in the day to log when I have access to the internet.

    I do try to have a structured day but a lot of it is the same meals. But I will "forecast or predict" my day so I can eat accordingly. I will go into MFP when I wake up and check email from home and put in my 6 egg white omelet with onions and a little cheese, lunch/dinner 2 cans of tuna with 3 tsp of light mayo and 4 teaspoons of sweet relish.

    From there I get a good baseline of what my "dinner" meal will allow if I even want dinner. Some days I have room for the occasional cookie, some days I lapse and forget and come close to my limit or overshoot by 100 calories if I don't mentally keep track.

    My hardest thing is with my job I don't have access to wifi to carry my phone around and log into MFP as I sit and eat, its a chore but I've been losing 30+ pounds the last 2 months doing this method.

    Structure, predicting your meals and not eating out of boredom is key. I drink black coffee and sugar free redbulls to get a little bump and get my head on straight quite often but those are low calories and usually get me past my hunger/boredom eating while keeping me awake.

    Good luck!

  • rhodesjem
    rhodesjem Posts: 97 Member
    Thanks a lot barrucda. I'm going to make it work one way or the other.
  • rhodesjem
    rhodesjem Posts: 97 Member
    Thanks HWeather. That's a smart concept for switching it up.
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