Working 12 hr nightshift- need to loose 90 lbs!

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aliciadawn2529
aliciadawn2529 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, so the issue is that I work 7pm - 7 am and sleep during the day so I can work all night. Then, on my days off I get on a day time schedule (because there are things that have to be done that are not open/available after dark.) I have no clue how I should plan my breakfast lunch and dinner times that will work with night shift and also with my days off. HELP! TIA

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  • charlieandcarol
    charlieandcarol Posts: 302 Member
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    When I work 12 hour nights in combination with days I just run my calories midnight to midnight and I think in terms of three meals in the 24 hour period rather than "breakfast lunch and dinner". Seems to work even with the switch.
  • aliciadawn2529
    aliciadawn2529 Posts: 5 Member
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    When I work I usually sleep from 10am-4pm then go in at 7p-7a. I guess I just need to spread my meals out evenly from 4pm when I get up until 10am when I go to bed the next day! It just throws me off when I have a day off I sleep til 4pm and get up and then go back to bed around 3am and I get up around 730am. Nightshift has taken a toll on me these past two years I have gained 90 lbs from birth control and switching to nights and doing college
  • charlieandcarol
    charlieandcarol Posts: 302 Member
    edited January 2018
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    It is hard but doable. I don't eat when I get home from nightshift, whether it is my day off or not. After my last night shift I finish at 7.15 and am in bed by 8 am and don't eat before going to bed (I will have eaten around 2am or 3am at work). I get up at lunch (12 or so) and have my "breakfast" then and only stay up until 10 pm so I just have dinner and a few snacks and then I am just on normal day time like everyone else.

    When I go back on to to nights I try to get a few hours sleep in the pm before my first night. Then I eat dinner in the early evening, a meal sometime later during the shift plus some snacks. Last eat is usually by 4am at the latest (otherwise indigestion!). Then I go straight home after shift and go to bed without eating. Sleep until anywhere between 3-6pm. Have "breakfast". Go to work and have two "meals" during the shift and then repeat until days off.

    How many days off do you get? Do you sleep well during the day? Sounds to me like you are making it harder on your days off by sleeping too much in the day after your last night?

    One of the big things I had to conquer was eating lots of high calorie, sugary or salty snacks during my night shift because I was tired and it was easier. It starts a bad cycle.

    I personally believe that after 20 years of nights that people make it hard for themselves when they stay up too long after the shift doing chores etc. It is unavoidable sometimes if you have kids etc but I think it makes you more vulnerable to bad choices because you end up tired at both ends of the day.
  • aliciadawn2529
    aliciadawn2529 Posts: 5 Member
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    I have a terrible time actually going to sleep once I lay down I don’t sleep those full times I wake up for about 20 minutes and toss and turn then fall back asleep. I don’t drink any sodas and I only eat fast food once in a blue moon . My biggest issue is that I usually only eat one meal a day . Recently I have been trying to get 3 good meals in but I just don’t have an appetite I’m in the nursing feild and hardly have to time to eat at work. I get two days off a week and I go to college part time.
  • aliciadawn2529
    aliciadawn2529 Posts: 5 Member
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    I honestly try to switch from a day time to night time schedule too much that sometimes after working 4 12 hr shifts in a row I get home and can’t sleep so I just stay awake until that night my body just feels exhausted 24/7 . And I just turned 21, feels like 70
  • rockyhi512
    rockyhi512 Posts: 42 Member
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    I work 2 to 3 night shifts a week. I do not sleep well after night shift maybe 4 hrs. I usually have breakfast around 5 AM at work and do not eat again till I wake up. Lunch is around 1 pm and supper at 7 pm. I will have a snack before I go to work. I treat my meals like a day person. I find that lack of sleep plays havoc with my weight loss. It slows down. I try to avoid high carb foods at night time. I tend to be more strict with my numbers on night shift days. I also workout (weight train) right after my night shift or late evening shift. I run only in afternoons or none night shift days.
  • aliciadawn2529
    aliciadawn2529 Posts: 5 Member
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    Yes! I feel like the sleep is what my problem is! I went to doctor today and he said that 90 lbs is not realistic goal because I don’t have that much fat too lose I have a ton of muscle. So basically I would have to lose my fat AND some muscle to be at a goal weight so I have changed my goal to 60 lbs for now!
  • cryonic_273
    cryonic_273 Posts: 81 Member
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    I worked rotation shifts for 10 years - it totally scrambled my body clock.
    I felt that i was permanently exhausted and depressed- it made me want to eat crap all the time to fight off fatigue. I swore never to work shifts ever again.

    Eating regularly and trying to balance out your energy levels through the day were a struggle for me.
    If I were to do that now - i would probably try a high protein diet to even out my energy levels through the day.

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,104 Member
    edited January 2018
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    aliciadawn2529 wrote: »
    I have a terrible time actually going to sleep once I lay down I don’t sleep those full times I wake up for about 20 minutes and toss and turn then fall back asleep. I don’t drink any sodas and I only eat fast food once in a blue moon . My biggest issue is that I usually only eat one meal a day . Recently I have been trying to get 3 good meals in but I just don’t have an appetite I’m in the nursing feild and hardly have to time to eat at work. I get two days off a week and I go to college part time.
    aliciadawn2529 wrote: »
    Yes! I feel like the sleep is what my problem is! I went to doctor today and he said that 90 lbs is not realistic goal because I don’t have that much fat too lose I have a ton of muscle. So basically I would have to lose my fat AND some muscle to be at a goal weight so I have changed my goal to 60 lbs for now!

    If sleep is a problem try a moderate calorie deficit and focus on getting your sleep routine sorted. A lack of sleep can impact you in all sorts of ways, increasing hunger and making us less active. Don't try to have too many drastic changes going on at once. Perhaps rather than trying to go full daytime mode on your days off just get up a little earlier or go to bed a little later, much like day shift folk do on their weekends, for example if you're normally asleep for 10am and up around 5pm for your shift, go to bed at 12noon or get up at 2/3pm , that shouldn't have too much impact on your routine and you can still get those little daytime tasks done.

    Some things that have helped me improve my sleep:
    • Blackout Curtains and Eyemask - I used to wake as soon as it was getting light which is not ideal if you're on weird shifts
    • Blue Light Filter on phone and keeping bedroom for relaxing/sleeping.
    • Vitamin B, D & Magnesium Supplements if you don't see much daylight chances are your Vit D is probably a little low. A lot of people find that Magnesium or Melatonin supplements help with poor sleep and B Vitamins help with energy levels.
    • Finding a suitable macro split, I find higher protein & fat works best for satiety, carb bloat sometimes makes it uncomfortable for me to sleep, so I tend to keep the carbs for earlier in my day.
    • No caffeine for at least 5 hours before bed.
    • 10 mins of yoga.
    • I also find a White Noise app, relaxing music or a sleep hypnosis MP3 helps me drown stuff out if I am particularly stressed.


    There is nothing wrong with eating one meal a day, as long as it has adequate calories and nutrition for your needs. Meal timing and frequency studies have shown that there is little to no bearing on weight management, so whatever works best for you will help you achieve your calorie deficit.




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