Night nurse, trying to eat normal?

jessicarose1206 · July 2018

I work 7pm-7am 3-4 nights a week so often find it difficult to eat healthy or know when to eat what type of mean when working. I am often very busy so don’t have time for frequent small meals and don’t like to eat “too late” or too close to bedtime which is 8am.
Anyone else have these issues, if so how do you tackle it?

kommodevaran · July 2018

Need some clarification.
Do you think you should eat certain foods at certain times?
Do you think you have to or should eat frequent small meals?
How close to bedtime is too late, and why?
Is your goal weight loss, gain, or maintenance?

AprilRN10 · July 2018

Girl, I work that same shift (med surg) and I have lost 110 pounds. I take portable foods and I eat when I can. I take fresh produce, string cheese, greek yogurt, stuff like that. You CAN do it. But the thing is...when you work nights, you don't eat normal and you have to adjust to that. I might eat a banana right before report, a string cheese around 10, lunch at 2ish (though I never actually get one, so it's at the desk), and yogurt or something around 4. Snap peas are a favorite of mine, as are baby carrots. I also don't eat after that time and don't eat until my snack before report. So on the days I work, I eat only at work. That's why it is all easy to grab, portable stuff that needs no heating or real prep.

Deviette · July 2018

I can empathise, my OH works rotating shifts (including night shifts) and he finds it really difficult to eat healthy too.

I think the best advice I can give is to ignore everything you think you know about what and when you "should" eat. For starters, there are no rules about the best time to eat your main meal, at what time you should eat/not eat, or even how many meals you should have. (although plenty of people will argue that their method is the "best" way, go have some fun in the discussion forum if you're interested.)
You need to listen to your body more than ever, if you are hungry, eat. Try and bring something satisfying that doesn't take too long to eat (in case you don't get much time) and aim to eat it at some point in your shift. Have plenty of little healthy snacks available if you feel the need to nibble.

My other half eats a big meal before work (because I'm cooking and it's my dinner), I normally try and leave it as late as possible for him (he start his nights at 9pm). He'll often eat something during the night (if he can) otherwise he eats when he gets home.

Of course he's not got the healthiest diet, so maybe not the best example ...

tinkerbellang83 · July 2018

jessicarose1206 wrote: »

I work 7pm-7am 3-4 nights a week so often find it difficult to eat healthy or know when to eat what type of mean when working. I am often very busy so don’t have time for frequent small meals and don’t like to eat “too late” or too close to bedtime which is 8am.
Anyone else have these issues, if so how do you tackle it?

Find a frequency/time of eating that suits your schedule. If you don't like to eat to close to bedtime because it impacts your digestion/sleep that's fine but it will not hinder weight loss if you choose to do so, a calorie deficit is what is needed.

What you might find helpful if you haven't done so already is to change your diary to time slots rather than meal names - for example re-name Breakfast to 00:00-06:00, lunch to 06:00-12:00, etc. That way you can look at your meals over the 24 hour period rather than trying to think in terms of a traditional meal set up.

You don't have to eat things at a certain time or eat a certain way to lose/maintain weight.

Eating healthily is about having a balanced diet overall, meal prepping ahead can be helpful if you're short on time during the day, I might prep all of my lunches for the work week ahead on a Sunday and 1-2 meals for during the week. I normally take either homemade or shop bought soup and a couple of bread rolls to do 2 days and then have something like a pasta/salad/leftovers the other 3 days. Stuff that will keep ok in the fridge. For dinner I usually have something that can be quickly heated up (stuff prepped ahead and refrigerated or frozen for use later fishcakes/meatballs/curry/chilli) and can be served with some frozen veg that is quickly steamed in the microwave and some homemade roast potatoes or baked fries.

For snacks I usually have protein bars in place of where I'd have used to have a normal chocolate bar, then things like string cheese, Yoghurt with fruit, cottage cheese and crackers, olives, nuts, etc. I pre-portion these things on a Sunday so I can grab and go during the week.

The prep takes an hour or two, but I am much less tempted to go for convenient deli sandwiches or takeaways than I was previously. It may not work for you, but if you're short on time, it could be helpful.

nooshi713 · July 2018

I am an ER PA and work different shifts. The more I eat my own healthy snacks, the less I am tempted by all the fast food that coworkers order.

ecjim · July 2018

I used to work overnight shifts at a 900 bed hospital - my job took me all over and I could easily do 5-10 miles per shift. I stashed food in my office, so I could eat what I wanted too , also had a cafeteria available for part of the shift, sometimes I ate there. By bringing my own food I was less tempted by the goodies the nurses had at their station - I would go there for the coffee

ecjim · July 2018

part 2 - I would not eat at the end of the shift , but would have a protein drink when I got home in the AM , before bed

Lounmoun · July 2018

jessicarose1206 wrote: »

I work 7pm-7am 3-4 nights a week so often find it difficult to eat healthy or know when to eat what type of mean when working. I am often very busy so don’t have time for frequent small meals and don’t like to eat “too late” or too close to bedtime which is 8am.
Anyone else have these issues, if so how do you tackle it?

When do you get hungry between the time you wake and sleep?

You can divide up your calories any way that suits you. You could eat a very large meal before your shift and small amounts or nothing the rest of the night.
You could plan a limited rotating menu and meal prep one day a week and take food with you.
You could use convenience foods and supplement with fresh fruits and vegetables.
You could eat smaller amounts of calorie and nutrient dense foods. You could drink a smoothie or shake.

txmaryk99 · July 2018

Also a night shift nurse (ICU).

What works for me. Your mileage may vary.

Evening meal before work, around 5pm that I make enough of for both of us to take to work.

Snack around 10 pm, string cheese and measured portion of nuts. This is portable enough to fit in my pocket so I can eat on the run if the night so dictates. Sometimes it is a protein bar, also portable.

Meal at 1 am ish. Same as evening meal at home. Prevents me from noshing on all the junk in the break room.

5am protein drink. Again portable and helps me to not get nauseous with that crazy burst of activity that the ICU is early morning. Also keeps me from stopping for food on the way home.

yellowmonkey8523 · September 2018

tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

jessicarose1206 wrote: »

What you might find helpful if you haven't done so already is to change your diary to time slots rather than meal names - for example re-name Breakfast to 00:00-06:00, lunch to 06:00-12:00, etc. That way you can look at your meals over the 24 hour period rather than trying to think in terms of a traditional meal set up.

Great idea

yellowmonkey8523 · September 2018

Great Idea

VUA21 · September 2018

I used to work rotating shifts, did that for 13 years. 2 years while using MFP. I would just log midnight to midnight as our bodies don't have a magic midnight Gremlin reset. It's about a consistent average that counts. So if I logged my lunch at 11PM one day and I go over, it's balanced by having my lunch at 12:30AM the next.

Also, it doesn't matter WHEN we eat (even right before bed is fine), it's our total eating every day/week that counts

Night nurse, trying to eat normal?

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