Eating right on night shift.

I do shifts as well- a mixture of evenings and nights mostly. The key for me on nights more than anything is to make sure that the dinner and snacks I pack are things that I love. No leftovers of food that is just food. I have to make sure it is something I am really looking forward to eating and that way I don't mind knocking back other good things.
It helps with my motivation and keeps me mentally satisfied

Permanent night shifter here (working right now!)- I feel your struggle. If only it were so easy to just walk away from the snacks! My biggest problem is the eating to stay awake factor. I don't get to sleep before coming into work so by 2 or 3am, my body is craving carbs & caffeine to simply stay awake. In packing my dinner/snacks, I try to account for the idea of having something to eat ever 2-3 hours. If I can stay busy until after midnight, I am usually ok. I do find I consume most of my daily calories (probably 75%) between the hours of 12a-9a.

I edited the above some but I basically do the same thing. I work 10pm to 830am at a local Casino at an IT Support Specialist. ( I sit in front of a PC all night long lol) I eat with my wife when i get up around 4-5pm. I count that on the previous day even though i just woke up. ( I might change that in the future but it works for the day's i'm off.) After midnight i start my new day. I bring in my own food most days.

I love the Special K cereal, all of them. The Oat's N Honey, and Cinnamon Pecan are probably my favorite though. I've also discovered this oatmeal made by Better Oats. It's $1.29 for 5 packets and averages 130-160 cals. It has flax seed so that helps out with other areas too. Keep clear of the Pop if all possible, it's just unneeded calories.

What's really helped me stay awake is these multivitamins i've been taking. GNC Mega Men's Energy & Metabolism. I'm sure there is a Women's formula of this too. I just feel much more alert, and not so darn groggy.

Do try to eat more often and smaller portions, those oatmeal packets don't keep you full long but they don't have many calories either. Try to find small snacks, meals you can eat. I've got this little Copco reusable cup (They can be had for like 5-10 bux.) i keep on my desk. It holds 3 cups of water. I try to drink 2-3 of them each shift. It also helps when i do eat i don't eat so much.

I hope my ideas and rambling helps you some. I'm just typing things out as I think of them.

Good Luck!

Another night shift RN... I have been bringing a lot of healthy snacks with me as well as my dinner. I figure it is easier when you have choices so I make sure I have them. Whatever I don't eat I take home and do it again the next night. I am also at work right now. I do anywhere from 3-5 12hr night shifts/week. I quit going to the cafeteria at night too. I have lost 11 lbs. since the first of the year and I have to say, it's getting easier for me to say no to the not-so-good stuff!

Working nights can definitely be hard. (Also currently at work - med tech in a hospital lab) I usually eat a breakfast meal when I wake up, then have a healthy snack during break (cottage cheese, cucumber, carrots, etc) and then I do best when I pack my own lunch. Eat a protein bar on the drive to the gym after work, protein drink when I get home and maybe a light dinner after my shower before bed in the morning.

I'm working nights, but my situation's different. There are only 2 of us in our office, so I don't have the outside influence that you do.

However, I've found that using myfitnesspal keeps me focused on where I am in regards to my daily goal.

I still have the candy/coke machine available (don't say I shouldn't bring cash, because these machines take atm/debit cards).

Hang in there, it's worth it.

Hiya

I work nights too, and to be honest find it difficult to eat much without getting a sore tummy, but i do find that just deciding I'm not going to start on the biscuits and chocolate that's always around, makes it much easier. If I haven't started, then I don't have that internal battle about stopping! It helps if I take something healthy that I'll really enjoy, and look forward to that at about 3am (which is my killer time) and also take a big bottle of water and aim to get through it by the morning.

Good luck!

Oh yeah and I exercise after my shift. I could never schedule it before I went in to work. For me the benefits of working out after a shift are that I can really let the stress of the night go, I sleep better, and I don't usually have to eat before I go to bed.

Exactly how I feel about this.

i am planning on using the wii fitness when i get home
shower and have a bowl of cearl before i go to bed
does that sound like a plan?

my biggest problem is i eat dinner with the family before i go to work
but it seems if i start consumming alot of calories beginning at 12am
i don't have many calories left at 6pm

guess that is where the exercise comes in

I do try to walk when i am at work, since hardly no one is in the bldg at this hour i use the accounting floor as a walking track and circle back around to the transportation dept where i work

i am trying to train myself to get up every hour and walk at least 5 min, then on my lunch break i walk 20 mins or so

I work nights as well ( 1900-0730) , my snack is popcorn and drink lots of water. I usually eat my meal about 0100 and have my snack about 0400.That way Im not hungry when I get home from work. I'm an RN too..good luck.

Why don't we start a nightshift group? We can all join and give each other advice, or even somewhat chat on our slow nights. What do you think?