Loosing weight working overnights

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daniellemichellecowger
daniellemichellecowger Posts: 46 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Currently I am a CNA working overnight 10:30 to 7. I have a lunch around 230 usually. What day do I chart this food? Any advice on how to space out my meals (I only eat about 2 meals a day anyway, but always am starving on my lunch)?

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  • nanastaci2020
    nanastaci2020 Posts: 1,072 Member
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    Make a choice and be consistent.

    If you wake up and start your day shortly before going to work at 10:30 pm, I'd personally start my 'new day' then I think. And if you are really hungry by the time your lunch break happens at 2:30am, do you normally eat something before going to work? Call it breakfast or a snack if you want, or relabel your 'meals' in MFP by time if that makes more sense for you. But eating something before starting your shift, or carrying a snack that you can have around midnight are ideas to help your hunger stay in check.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited September 2020
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    When I worked nights, it wasn't the next day until I slept. So my day started around 2:00 p.m. and ended around 6:00 a.m. and I logged my food for each "day". I ate "breakfast" before I went to work, "lunch" between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. and "dinner" when I got home (I worked 6 pm to 6 am), plus a couple of snacks. Lunch was usually my biggest meal of the day, back then.

    You can play around with the diary meal labels in Settings, and do whatever works best for you. Some people change the meal labels from "breakfast" "lunch" and "dinner", to times like "Midnight to 4:00 a.m." "4:00 a.m. to 8:00" "8:00 to noon" etc.

    Another option is to track your calories by the week, instead of the day. For example, if your target is 2000 calories per day (random number for easy math), then for one week you get 14,000 calories. It doesn't matter the time of day you log, as long as you are hitting your target in the long run.
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 910 Member
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    i work odd hours, and when to log food has been puzzling me, too.

    ultimately i'd say it doesn't really matter as long as it's always the same times - say 7 am is your midnight, for example. or you could just go with midnight if that seems easier. it should work out either way. 4 am was my midnight for a while, but i finally changed back to midnight, and it worked out the same.

    if you're always starving on your lunch, can you fit in a snack like a yogurt, protein bar or cottage cheese?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I've worked overnights while logging. I would end my day at midnight just because that seemed like the simplest way to me. But I think the most important thing, as mentioned above, is to just choose a method and be consistent with it.
  • daniellemichellecowger
    daniellemichellecowger Posts: 46 Member
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    Yes, I think I will try everything that is mentioned. It is just hard. I get home at 7:20, I get to sleep until about 9am until my babies wake up (2&3 yrs). Then I am up for the day until my husband gets home, and I usually sleep from about 4 until 9:30pm until I have to get ready for work. I drink coffee in the morning, and then I am usually hungry and eat before I go to sleep. Then I wake up, make more coffee get lunch together and go. My days off rotate with one day, then 2, then 3, and then back to one. On those days I go to bed early at 9pm.
    Do you guys have any advise on what foods to bring? Would you say to get my body used to just a light snack, or higher protein like chicken? Or just bringing a salad?
    I have only 1200 calories for a day as I am 5’3”, lightly active loosing 1 lb per week.
  • daniellemichellecowger
    daniellemichellecowger Posts: 46 Member
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    Sorry, 1400 is my calorie limit. I tried to edit but I haven’t been here for a little while and things have hanged and I can’t figure out how to edit on mobile.
  • Ddsb11
    Ddsb11 Posts: 607 Member
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    My goodness I feel for you. Like others have said plan your meals and be consistent with how you log. Save enough calories for the time you’re the hungriest. I’m sorry this ain’t more helpful, just empathize with your situation. GL
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
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    I am a night shift nurse. I do my calories for the day I wake up on.So my first shift I tend to be a little hungrier, but the day I get off I feel like I eat more. Even though its the same amount of calories in just in less hours awake.
  • GeneralSTpower
    GeneralSTpower Posts: 25 Member
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    My advice is to just shift your meals forward based on your waking hours. That should solve the problem.
  • MadDogManor
    MadDogManor Posts: 1,435 Member
    edited September 2020
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    I was able to change my “meals” to time of day. I have times set up every four hours, as 0001 - 0400, 0400 -0800, 0800-1200, 1200-1600, 1600-2000, and 2000-0000. So it doesn’t matter, I can log what I eat when I eat it. My prob is staying under calorie allotment, no matter if it’s yesterday, today or tomorrow. Carbs help me stay awake, for the short term couple hours. Protein really doesn’t help fill me up but I know I need it for nutrition. Munching on veggie sticks of all kinds helps keep me awake. PS night shift sucks

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