Anyone else work nightshifts

Mrs_P_6817 · February 2018

What do people eat when they’re on nightshift? I find that I eat a main meal before work then a light meal about 1am then porridge and fruit before I go back to bed.

It effectively means I’m eating my meals in reverse i.e. dinner, lunch then breakfast.

However no matter what I eat when I’m on nights I ALWAYS feel bloated. So much so that my stomach bloats and I look pregnant.

I’m only 9 days into my MFP journey and have yet to work a night (start on Wednesday).

Any tips gratefully received.

salmarooni · February 2018

Night shifts mucks up bodies. No matter! I always hated them, since I stopped I realised how important regular sleeping pattern was. I found drinking insane amounts of water and avoiding carby food before and after the shift helped. Also snacked on carrot sticks and apples on my break rather than an actual meal.
Helped me anyway. But i feel for you, as I said so difficult on nights.

NR81206 · February 2018

I work 7pm-7am here's what's helped me.. Pre-log your food in advance. Log all on the same day, Even if you have to go back a day since mfp resets at midnight, since technically our today is everyone yesterday. I eat my breakfast about an hour after waking up around 3:30p Lunch around 6:30p with my family and dinner at 11:30pm and a snack saved around 2am if needed. Drink plenty of fluids, Tea, water, whatever... I don't eat when I get off work because I go straight to bed at 7:30 am and suffer from GERD and unfortunately I will pay for it if I do. The most I can do is have a glass of coffee before bed, but no food. So that's the only reason I try not to eat so close to when I get off of work. As for what to eat, Eat what you want as long as it fits into your calorie allowance, this is when a food scale and pre logging becomes your best friend. Best of luck to you.

pamplemousse_12 · February 2018

Mrs_P_6817 wrote: »

What do people eat when they’re on nightshift? I find that I eat a main meal before work then a light meal about 1am then porridge and fruit before I go back to bed.

It effectively means I’m eating my meals in reverse i.e. dinner, lunch then breakfast.

However no matter what I eat when I’m on nights I ALWAYS feel bloated. So much so that my stomach bloats and I look pregnant.

I’m only 9 days into my MFP journey and have yet to work a night (start on Wednesday).

Any tips gratefully received.

I’m a midwife so I do hell loads of nights!! I tried so many different ways of eating (not eating anything on the shift, then eating loads on the shift) but I’ve found that this is what works for me because I don’t get hungry and don’t bloat as much. I always wake up about 1-2pm hungry so I have a meal in there as well but generally what I do is:
7pm - homemade soup with bread (I log it in “my recipe” section on MFP so it’s all calculated)
10pm-12am have a naked bar or other cereal bar on standby (sometimes I’m stuck in a room and don’t get a chance to leave so it’s literally a case of keeping it in my pocket)
1am(ish) have some home made bulk cooked food (again using the “my recipes” section so I can portion it out over the nights) I try to have something that is very vegetable based like veggie stew with some lentils or veggie chilli with no rice/potato because I find they bloat me loads at night.
5-6am have some overnight oats with fruit. I eat at work so that I get home and I’m not hungry and able to sleep for a bit, then I get up about 1-3 and eat and then try and sleep again.

I also drink peppermint tea all night and loads of water as that helps!

Hope this makes sense/helps but I’ve also found that everyone has different things that work better for them on nights, but I find I work loads better and stick to my calorie intake if I keep eating throughout the night but generally quite light stuff!
Oh and try really hard to avoid all the chocolate and crisps that are always around!!xx

stslimjim1743 · February 2018

Hey there Mrs_P_6817,

I have been doing the same thing you are for a while and its been working well for me. I eat a large meal at 5pm after my workout and log it as "dinner" for that day but it's really breakfast as far as my body is concerned. Through my shift I eat 5 or 6 snacks. My snacks are higher in fat, fiber, and protein as I am currently trying to gain muscle while keeping my body fat about the same or lower. I eat my "lunch" at work around 1 am and log it as breakfast. About 4 hours before sleep I have a casein protein shake.

On my days off I just eat normally, like a large meal for breakfast and record it as breakfast etc... So i guess the short answer is that i change how eat based on if i am working or not but i always log the foods based on the time of day I am eating.

Here are a few things I have learned / read about:

1. High fat meals or snacks before bed can have a negative impact on your sleep quality
2. Fiber can be your best friend, I shoot for a minimum of 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories (Metamucil packets are a convenient solution for me to fill any gaps)
3. Planning your meals ahead of time like salmarooni suggested is a great idea. I am more likely to eat what I brought instead of hitting up the vending machines.
4. Drink water with meals and if I drink soda its only with a snack or by itself. This seems to make me feel more satisfied and I feel like it helps me with digestion.
5. As Pamp suggested, keep the snacks light. That can mean different things to everyone but for me It means 150 calories or lower.

I hope some of this helps and good luck on your journey, I know you will do great!

jlburns2005 · February 2018

I do 7p-7a . I prelog and bring all my food. I eat breakfast at 5-530 ish. If i dont end up having time i have meal replacement shakes that i drink on my way. I have an hr drive. I eat another meal around 10:30-11. Its usually meat and veggies. I eat my last meal around 4. I might have fruit or yogurt inbetween if im hungry. I usually dont eat after my last meal.

maura_tasi · February 2018

I work 7pm-7:30am so I get the night shift struggle! What I've found works best for me is to have breakfast when I get home at 8am and then I go to sleep until about 2-3pm. When I wake up I have a small lunch and then dinner around 7pm. This usually works best for me since I very rarely will work night shifts back to back since I only work 3 days a week (thank you 12 hour shifts, I guess? Haha). If I do have a week where I'm working night shifts back to back my schedule looks a bit different. I still have breakfast when I get home and once I wake up I'll just have a small snack. I usually try for a power nap before my shift and then I have my last "big meal" around 10pm. Then I'll have a yogurt and some fruit around 3am as a little boost. I try my best to not eat full meals when I'm working at night because I find myself just too full and bloated. Instead I drink lots of fluids and snack on veggies and hummus, individual popcorn bags, fruit, etc. I think it really helps to stay hydrated and set specific meal/snack times to try and keep your body on a schedule and then you'll be able to make it a habit.

_Figgzie_ · February 2018

I'm a Petroleum Engineer so I flip back and forth from days to nights..........when I'm on nights, I find it best to stay away from too much sugar.....if I eat anything with a ton of sugar, I am starving through out the shift

fruit, protein shakes, cheese.........keep it simple

Nursie863 · February 2018

I work 7pm to 7 am. I count calories midnight to midnight - just easier that way. Still maintaining daily calorie limit. I changed my meal names to "1st meal", "2nd meal", etc. 1st meal is usually lunch around 1:30 or 2:00 am. If I have time I have a small snack around 5:00 am, if not I eat the small snack when I get home; usually keep it under 400 calories. I generally just make a protein shake before work, as I am never that hungry when I wake up. I don't have the "bloat" feeling - but I've been working nights for around 12 years, my body is used to the messed up schedule, lol. I know day shift would be better for me but I'm also going for my master's degree online, and nights is easier. I have plenty of night shift friends who are healthy and fit, one even competes in swimsuit competitions! It can be done. Just takes dedication. Good luck!

Mrs_P_6817 · February 2018

Thanks guys. Did a one off night last night (7.30-8) and logged all my food as yesterday. Took a salad and fruit for through the night. Got 5 back to back nights next week so will need to be really organised. My shifts are always 7.30-8 regardless of whether it's a day or night shift. I'm on my fit 90% of my shift as I work on a very busy cardiac ward. Will try some of your tips.

For now though, I'm off for a sleep,x

Anyone else work nightshifts

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