Irregular work schedule and diet

Choices101
Choices101 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I work night and day shifts, sometimes in a row and sometimes I sleep at night and sometimes during the day. Does anyone else do this and how do you manage your diet? Should I eat regularly when I wake up and after my meals for a day period fast? Note, I know this isn’t healthy but financially I’m having to right now. I just want to lose weight too. Thanks for any advice

Replies

  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    I do this too working in the Emergency room. I noticed people around me tend to eat really bad when they work night shift.

    I bring all my own snacks and food usually so I am never so hungry that I give into temptation and fall off my plan. Don’t use food to stay awake. Drink more water, drink tea, coffee, whatever you need.

    When I’m up all night, I eat at night because that is when I’m burning my calories. There is nothing inherently bad about eating at night.
  • hungrywombat
    hungrywombat Posts: 47 Member
    Meal prep so that you have food that fits your calorie and nutrition goals ready to go when you need it. It makes things a lot easier getting home tired from a long shift, if all you have to do is pop something in the microwave or oven for a few minutes.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    I used to work a job like this where the shifts would alternate on a two weekly basis between 2pm-10pm and 6pm-2am. In addition, 3 out of 4 weekends from 9am-6pm. Coming off the 6-2am shift on a Friday and having to be back there at 9am on the Saturday was a real killer especially as I lived over an hours drive away!

    I think it’s one of the most difficult things to do to keep your food intake healthy and ordered when you work rapidly changing shifts. You’re sleep deprived some of the time and your body clock is all over the place! Each run of shifts isn’t long enough to settle into a workable routine before it’s all flipped on its head again.

    I agree with taking your own food in to work so you’re less tempted by vending machines and bad choices. It might also be worth taking a look at Intermittent Fasting with whatever split of eating/fasting windows that work for the exact hours of your shifts. If you can figure it out it may help to get some order into your meal planning and help with the ‘is this breakfast or dinner’ confusion of changing shift patterns.
  • ThatJuJitsuWoman
    ThatJuJitsuWoman Posts: 155 Member
    When I worked night shifts I used to eat dinner with my family before I started work, so “breakfast” was a large meal. I took lunch to work, exactly the same type of meal I would eat on a day shift. When I got home I wanted something quick and easy so I could get to bed, so I ate breakfast type foods like cereal, toast or fruit.
    The food I ate was therefore the same as I would have on a day shift, but eaten in a different order. I was always short of money, so I fortunately never got into the habit of ordering midnight takeaways like some of my colleagues!
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    I work 12-hour rotating shifts. Meal prep is key for me. I keep a cooler with my meals & snacks strapped in to the passenger seat of my patrol car.
  • FireyChimera
    FireyChimera Posts: 155 Member
    I work from 2-10pm and that can be weird at times. Also 11 a.m to 8 pm. I pack my food for work and eat when I am hungry. I don't have to eat at certain times, just when I am hungry :)
  • Choices101
    Choices101 Posts: 4 Member
    Great feedback. I’ll just start food prepping and making a cooler full of food to keep with me for the days I don’t go home.
  • Choices101
    Choices101 Posts: 4 Member
    JBanx256 wrote: »
    I work 12-hour rotating shifts. Meal prep is key for me. I keep a cooler with my meals & snacks strapped in to the passenger seat of my patrol car.

    I’ll be working in a jail for my first job so I’ll need to bring my food

  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    Choices101 wrote: »
    JBanx256 wrote: »
    I work 12-hour rotating shifts. Meal prep is key for me. I keep a cooler with my meals & snacks strapped in to the passenger seat of my patrol car.

    I’ll be working in a jail for my first job so I’ll need to bring my food

    The jail in the county where I work has a break room with a fridge & microwave for all the CO's etc. You should be able to pack whatever you need. On the crazy days where errrrrrrryone is acting a fool, you won't be able to eat on your preferred schedule, so just get it when ya can!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    BarbaraHelen2013 wrote: »
    I used to work a job like this where the shifts would alternate on a two weekly basis between 2pm-10pm and 6pm-2am. In addition, 3 out of 4 weekends from 9am-6pm. Coming off the 6-2am shift on a Friday and having to be back there at 9am on the Saturday was a real killer especially as I lived over an hours drive away!

    I think it’s one of the most difficult things to do to keep your food intake healthy and ordered when you work rapidly changing shifts. You’re sleep deprived some of the time and your body clock is all over the place! Each run of shifts isn’t long enough to settle into a workable routine before it’s all flipped on its head again.

    I agree with taking your own food in to work so you’re less tempted by vending machines and bad choices. It might also be worth taking a look at Intermittent Fasting with whatever split of eating/fasting windows that work for the exact hours of your shifts. If you can figure it out it may help to get some order into your meal planning and help with the ‘is this breakfast or dinner’ confusion of changing shift patterns.

    I feel triggered just reading this. Employee abuse!

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