Odd question, maybe?

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glenn0374
glenn0374 Posts: 5
in Introduce Yourself
Some days I pull long shifts and I work odd hours. Like today I work 1am to 7pm. A shift like this can lead to eating more meals in a waking period than normal. I'll just put the info out and maybe someone can help me decide what I should put and when. 30 Dec. I worked 7pm to 7am and ate dinner and a snack after I got to work. Got up at 1pm 31 Dec and had a snack, or maybe it was breakfast. I went for a jog, had a snack after and was back asleep at 7pm to go to work at 1am. I ate "dinner" after I got to work, but it was 01 Jan, a new day. Had a snack later and lunch about 1:30 pm. Now, if I go by time, one day seems like I had next to nothing and the next looks like I pigged out. This is an unusual shift. Should I even care, and just put it down on the days according to the time? I appreciate any input. Hope I didn't confuse anyone.

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  • sbcarsea
    sbcarsea Posts: 5 Member
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    Hello,

    I also work a seemingly same shift pattern, 12 hr shifts 6 oclock till 6 oclock, 4 on 4 off. Its 2 day shifts a 24hr time span off then 2 night shifts.I dont do the MFP by the time clock, I use my sleep pattern as my starting point for the day. My MFP gets messed up from the nightshifts until I wake up on my first day off. What I do during that long day between shifts is eat lower calorie snacks. I spread out my heavier meals during the day to not become starving and pig out when I get home from work. I have accepted the fact that I will come closer to my allowable calorie count for that day but doing so allows me to get through the day without becoming hungry. The second nightshift I start my MFP after I wake up from the first nightshift, usually about 2 in the afternoon. I consider my first meal as breakfast and carry on. On my first day off, usually my lowest calorie day, I start the day after I wake up, again around 2, and go back to a normal routine until the nightshift schedule again. It took me a bit to figure it out but It has worked for myself ..... right up until all the Christmas baking but I expected to have a bit of a weight reversal during the holidays (7 pounds) but back on track in the new year. I hope this helps a little bit. I dont know how to put the weight ticker on but I started at 255 lbs in August when I started and Hit 210 in December.
  • canadian_electric_guy
    canadian_electric_guy Posts: 2
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    im on a rotating shift myself. im on all three shifts and im new to this. how do i set an eatin routine when my schdule changes.
  • glenn0374
    glenn0374 Posts: 5
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    Thanks for your input. I work at a hospital and typically my schedule is set, but I've had to cover more shifts during the holidays. When school starts back I'll have to make another change and try not to revert back to eating junk just to get by between work and classes. And then there is an exercise schedule I have to fit in, because I'm in the US Airforce Reserves and can't let myself go with out exercising, or I'll find myself being booted out. It's always been easy for me to eat well when I keep a consistent exercise schedule, but if I get off that's when I seem to blow the eating healthy. I'm hoping that tracking what I eat will help me realize where I'm going, and keep me from grabbing a junk food snack when I can just as easily get something that's good for me. Good luck to you. It sounds like your making some decent progress, so far.
  • glenn0374
    glenn0374 Posts: 5
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    thakilla,
    I think kind of like sbcarsea said, just treat when you wake up for each shift as a new day. If you eat breakfast, normally. Then, you should begin your day no matter what time it is as if it is the beginning of a new day. I know alternating schedules can really screw up your internal clock, so I guessbe as consistent as your schedule will allow and track what you eat and when you exercise, not with the calendar, but with when you get up and when you go to bed. I hope this helps. Good luck.
  • sbcarsea
    sbcarsea Posts: 5 Member
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    Yes the tracking food really helps scanning labels and watching your portion sizes really helps. My wife and I both are using MFP and once we started tracking we were very suprised with the amount of calories that were in some of the food that we thought were " GOOD " for us.
  • paramedicsarah
    paramedicsarah Posts: 49
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    Hi Glenn,

    I work shifts in healthcare too, but on the road as a paramedic. I work 12 hour nights and a 1pm til 1am 'late' shift too. Like sbcarsea I treat my 'getting up' time as breakfast and have my usual cereal then. I usually cook a reasonable meal before going to work although this means eating at about 4.30pm. Then I take a lighter meal with me which I usually get to eat at about midnight.

    My main reason for using MFP is to improve the healthiness of what I eat. One of our greatest threats is the all night McDonalds just 500 yards from leaving the hospital! It always seems justified at 3am!! I'm planning to have better healthy snacks with me - especially fruit as I'm rubbish at eating that!

    Best of luck! Sarah :smile:
  • paramedicsarah
    paramedicsarah Posts: 49
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    Hi Glenn,

    I work shifts in healthcare too, but on the road as a paramedic. I work 12 hour nights and a 1pm til 1am 'late' shift too. Like sbcarsea I treat my 'getting up' time as breakfast and have my usual cereal then. I usually cook a reasonable meal before going to work although this means eating at about 4.30pm. Then I take a lighter meal with me which I usually get to eat at about midnight.

    My main reason for using MFP is to improve the healthiness of what I eat. One of our greatest threats is the all night McDonalds just 500 yards from leaving the hospital! It always seems justified at 3am!! I'm planning to have better healthy snacks with me - especially fruit as I'm rubbish at eating that!

    Best of luck! Sarah :smile:

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