SHIFT WORKERS HOW DO YOU COPE?

mickyjg · February 2012

Hi

I work in Law Enforcement and works shifts working 61hrs over 7days with 3 rest days following. I work a combination of shifts including earlies and lates (into nights)
I think this is why i struggle with a balanced diet.

Does anyone else work shifts and how do you manage your diet and what sort of things do you eat please?

rdsxgrl28 · February 2012

yes I am struggling today as a matter of fact. Also in LE and am on a double then back in 4 for a straight shift.

I was able to talk to a nutritionist in my WL challenge, she basically said just eat through like normal. Plan good snack and small light meals every 3-4 hours. Have the snacks in between.

I do alot of fruit when doing doubles.

mickyjg · February 2012

That's not so easy to do when you are going from job to job to job and don't get a meal break in a 10hr shift, you just grab what you can on the run which is usually junk ..

Because I had a short notice change of shift i wasn't prepared but i will be tomorrow

Sobe1970 · February 2012

I work EMS and have a 7 day on/7 day off rotation. I have to stay at the base for the entire 7 days as we run 24-hour shifts (i am basically on-call for 168 hours). I pre-cook a lot of food for the week such as chicken and quinoa and I usually prep a lot of veggies and fruit at home before my shift. I try and keep as normal a schedule as possible and I eat every 3-4 hours. I do get jammed up sometimes when we're busy and I find keeping a little bag with almonds, an apple or granola bars and water comes in handy. Tuna, almond butter, almonds, hard-boiled eggs, greek yogurt, Six-Star protein powder, bananas...lots of quick and easy stuff that can be eaten on the go.

xHelloQuincyx · February 2012

I go to college from 7 to 4 then work 5- 11. i just try to fit it in when ever i can. sometimes being busy helps me eat better but only when i plan ahead and pack things. right now i can only handle 15 min work out a day, but its better then an excuse as to why i am to busy to do anything.

Firefighter_Jay · February 2012

Nights at the station are hard. Lots of greasy foods, or take out. We never cook healthly. So when nights roll around I usually just eat hot dogs, and write off my diary for those nights.

christina0089 · February 2012

I am a operations manager for a security company and I am up allll night dealing with all sorts of stuff at various locations, checking on my staff and half the time working shifts myself and it is HELL trying to get a decent balance because I never have a set schedule! Which is why I have been looing into intermitten fasting. Google it and see what you think. I am still in the researching stages but it sounds like it could work for my schedule.. Good luck! :drinker:

jsherrill92 · February 2012

good chewing gum.

albinogorilla · February 2012

I work the 4-12, not many doubles though
But i have a 2 and 4 year old i watch all day as well.............So i am going from 7am to midnight.......then i hit the gym, and usually hit the pillow at 2am.............then start it all over again 4-5 hours later.............
not ideal, but it is what it is!

zincalloy · February 2012

22 years of shiftwork is what made me fat.

But it also paid my mortgage.

sarahgilmore · February 2012

A good way to manage this is to look at your calorie goals as a weekly/10 day total, rather than a daily one.
Your body doesn't know the difference.

mickyjg · February 2012

A good way to manage this is to look at your calorie goals as a weekly/10 day total, rather than a daily one.
Your body doesn't know the difference.

Thank you.. I might give that a try

hypersensitiveb · February 2012

My work schedule changes all the time . From over nights to days to afternoons . Some doubles some times a shift sleep 5 hrs and go back. I plan my 1200 into 4 "meals" listed breakfast lunch, dinner and over nights. I also list snacks and drinks. If I sleep threw I meal I have 3 others to put my food into. As far as what to eat, I end up doing fast food more than I like but try to eat the healthiest I can there . Subway has good breakfast sandwiches . Mcdonalds had oat meal with fresh fruit. Wendys has baked potatoes and salads . As well as some larger gas stations have make your own sandwiches ect. There is ok food out there you just need to look hard. Good luck.

bcunning · February 2012

I only work about 40 hours a week (nights), but I also go to college in the daytime, so I understand the difficulty. What I do, is I precook all my meals for the day right after I wake up. I purposely make meals that are easy to eat with one hand, while driving. (I am a pizza deliverer). I eat every three hours, usually while waiting for red lights.

jarrettd · February 2012

I work a rotating schedule. 12hr shifts, 7 days, 4 off, 5 nights, 4 off. I pre-plan and pre-pack my meals, or I will make bad choices every time. I have it already logged, sometimes days ahead. That way, I don't have to decide what to make when I'm brain-dead; just follow the plan.

frisk72682 · February 2012

I work in LE as well...only I am ALWAYS on overnights...8pm-6am.. I find that it is hard at times to eat every 3 hours or so especially if it's busy and there's NO time to eat...

I have started keeping my lunchbox in the trunk of my squad; I pack veggies, larabars, and even a GNC pre bottled protein shake once in awhile. Other times I'll have a string cheese stick or some deli meat. All I know is that the same rules apply to eating as going to the bathroom when you're a cop -it's gonna come at the worst possible time and you may not be able to do anything about it for hours, so always eat or go to the bathroom when you can!

Newf77 · February 2012

Been doing shift work {LEO} for 20 plus years. If you are in dispatch or out on patrol, you need to make healthy choices and paln a little. I keep cut vegtables in the fridge to take for snacks, if I get jammed on an extended shift you can usually make a pit stop at a store and grab some pre-cuts. You can also keep energy/protein bars in a roll-out bag. Take some time and walk a store and see what options are non-refrigerated and keep a few of them in a bag in the trunck of your car or a backpack.
As for times, try and pick mutual times {6am/6pm} to have meals. Shift work plan havoc on your body, you need to fight back.

lrd2010 · February 2012

My work patterns change every week from overnight shifts to early starts to middle of the day extravaganzas.

Tupperware is my friend (other plastic food storage devices are available)

Make food in advance that you can eat on the go. Sandwiches, nuts, pasta.

Works fine for me! I also try to eat the right meal at the right time, I don't function well eating breakfast at dinner time. It knows I'm trying to trick it!!!!!

mickyjg · March 2012

I think I'm going to have to try preparing meals but I'm basically lazy when it comes to that and I'm not keen on planing in advance what I might want to eat because sometimes I change my mind.

Need to kick my *kitten* into gear.

AntWrig · March 2012

I think I'm going to have to try preparing meals but I'm basically lazy when it comes to that and I'm not keen on planing in advance what I might want to eat because sometimes I change my mind.

Need to kick my *kitten* into gear.

I have a couple of friends who are officers. They love fasting during their shift.

eatmeingo · March 2012

I work 10-12 hour over night shifts at a local 24 hour convenience store/MTO kitchen.

We get half off our menu, but it's super greasy disgusting food, so I usually just "forget" my wallet at home.

If not, I buy our fresh cut fruit bowls and Naked Juice.

It sucks not eating/eating very little for hours on end, but once your body is used to it, you'll do better. When I'm at home I do the same thing. Mostly some fruit or some toast, etc.

That being said, Naked Juice is a super healthy way to curb hunger. Organic and natural.

jennifeffer · March 2012

Hey. I work at a hospital. I work all three, eight hour shifts and bc i'm part time i can be called in at a moment's notice. I handle days and evenings quite well. I usually have salad makings in the fridge that i can throw together quickly. Sometimes i'll take a tuna or salmon sandwich.

I also rely on the body by vi shakes for their convenience. I can make a shake in two minutes flat and take it and keep it in the fridge. The hardest shift for me is 12-8, the dreaded midnights.....i want to eat chips. So i generally take fruit and some greek yogurt to get me through.

Did you know that there is actually a disorder relating to shift work?? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shift_work_sleep_disorder

Good luck to you:)

bcunning · March 2012

I think I'm going to have to try preparing meals but I'm basically lazy when it comes to that and I'm not keen on planing in advance what I might want to eat because sometimes I change my mind.

Need to kick my *kitten* into gear.

Well, the truth is, while I do prepare my food ahead, I eat pretty much the same thing every day, so I don't have to give it much thought. The advantage to this is that I have gotten preparing those particular meals down to a science, I can make 4 or 5 meals in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Now you might think... No I don't want to eat the same thing all the time, and so did I, but I realized, I always ate the same thing all the time before too... it is just now, instead of cheeseburgers and pizza, I eat chicken, salmon, and turkey. In fact I have more variety in my diet now than when it was unhealthy. If you are interested I would be willing to list what my usual daily menu is.

mickyjg · March 2012

I think I'm going to have to try preparing meals but I'm basically lazy when it comes to that and I'm not keen on planing in advance what I might want to eat because sometimes I change my mind.

Need to kick my *kitten* into gear.

Well, the truth is, while I do prepare my food ahead, I eat pretty much the same thing every day, so I don't have to give it much thought. The advantage to this is that I have gotten preparing those particular meals down to a science, I can make 4 or 5 meals in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Now you might think... No I don't want to eat the same thing all the time, and so did I, but I realized, I always ate the same thing all the time before too... it is just now, instead of cheeseburgers and pizza, I eat chicken, salmon, and turkey. In fact I have more variety in my diet now than when it was unhealthy. If you are interested I would be willing to list what my usual daily menu is.

that would be fantastic ... thank you

I get fed up of eating the same thing day in day out and could really use some fresh ideas :flowerforyou:

BIGJIMMYU · March 2012

Hi

I work in Law Enforcement and works shifts working 61hrs over 7days with 3 rest days following. I work a combination of shifts including earlies and lates (into nights)
I think this is why i struggle with a balanced diet.

Does anyone else work shifts and how do you manage your diet and what sort of things do you eat please?

I also work law enforcement. After 23 yrs of it I kind of got used to it. Understanding wife and scheduling workouts around shifts.

rmk256 · March 2012

I am an RN and work shift work so I do 2 X 12 hrs day and then 2 X 12 nights. How I cope is I tried to be consistent with have my 3 meals a day so when I work the night shift i bring something that I can eat in the early morning as a breakfast before I go to sleep for the day. I try not to binge eat or eat junk food which is hard sometime to do. I make sure I have lots of healthy snacks to eat. But you know it is a different ball game for us shift workers compared to regular M- F workers our body works differently. So good luck with this.

R

SHIFT WORKERS HOW DO YOU COPE?

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