Midnight Shift

Options
butterflywingz
butterflywingz Posts: 20
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey Everyone,

So I really want to get it together and los this weight, I have had a million excuses and now Im tired of them myself. This is my question though. I am a Nurse and work midnights 7p to 8 am How do I keep my "diet" together when I work and then have a few days off or vice versa?

Anyone else here in the same boat?

Valerie

Replies

  • butterflywingz
    butterflywingz Posts: 20
    Options
    I could uses some help :) Any tips? Anyone?
  • Tatimommy
    Tatimommy Posts: 6
    Options
    I am a nurse also working the night shift and I eat as if I would normally eat on a regular day. Around 5pm while I am getting ready for work I have my first meal. However, I make this a decent size meal because sometimes its gets busy and it may be awhile before my next meal. Between 12am-2am I eat my 2nd meal and my last meal is at 8 am in which I eat scrambled egg whites and/or potatoes with water. I try to keep this meal light because I know I will be going to sleep soon and hate to go to sleep with a full stomach. I always take some fruit with me to eat prn ;) I hope this helps....
  • scarleta415
    scarleta415 Posts: 5
    Options
    I work nights too.. totally different line of work.. make sure you have food/snacks ready..I usually get home and head right for the snacks I have started eating fruit like apples, oranges, bananas, pickles.. just keep it in the real food category nothing processed and you'll be good.. stay away from the bread stuff. :smile:
  • alyssa92982
    alyssa92982 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Options
    I'm also a nurse on midnights, I make sure to eat a large dinner prior to coming in to work (8:30pm) then eat light food around 2 am, and then again light food at 5:30am. I get home and in bed by 9am and then eat again when i get up at 3 pm.
  • jeepzilla
    jeepzilla Posts: 201
    Options
    I work nights and full time school during the day. I eat most of my food at night while at work. but if I'm hungery will eat at school too. Just eat the things you would if you were working in the day time.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Options
    Bring your food to work with you every night.
  • ChristopherFiss
    ChristopherFiss Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    I work graveyards all the time, and find that the hardest parts of my diet for the week are when I'm transitioning on or off my "weekend". Usually, I set aside a few extra snacks, or make sure I avoid snacks and get more sleep when I need to change my schedule.

    Just make sure you track your food with the same cut-off each day. Midnight is midnight for me, if it's my evening or my morning, it doesn't matter, I try to work to balance my meals within a 24 hour period no matter what. So long as you are consistent you won't mess anything up.

    Making and bringing your own food is pretty much a necessity, but I find I can get away with lack of preparation by having a few emergency protein bars or fruit in my desk at work.
  • Crystalchaos72
    Crystalchaos72 Posts: 531
    Options
    I work nights as well and I just divide my meals out so I eat from midnight 01- midnight each day, give or take. My last meal is usually 9 pm due to beginning work @ 10 or so. We get breaks every 2 hrs so if I am hungry I eat, if not I don't. I find that at times I eat all my daily cals in a matter of a few hours before bed. You will figure out what works for you :) good luck!

    ETA: I do the same thing every day whether I am at work or not, I am single with furry children so it makes it easy to maintain my schedule. Honestly I would suggest the midnight to midnight method, then when you are off it makes it easier to meet your daily goals because it will be on "normal" time :)
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
    Options
    I work nites also.
    still trying to find my balance
    luckily my schedule stays the same
    i would die if i had to rotate:noway:
  • Trinketona
    Trinketona Posts: 190
    Options
    I work graveyards 10 pm to 6 am. I eat breakfast when I wake up around noon or 1 pm. Then have lunch at 5 or 6 and workout at 8 and bring my dinner to work and have it around midnight or 1 am and bring snacks. Sometimes I'm starving by the time I get home and have a snack sometimes oatmeal. Hope this helps somewhat.
  • grizzlymaze
    grizzlymaze Posts: 185 Member
    Options
    i know how you feel. i work from 5pm to 7:30am monday through friday. i just battle threw it and excersice after work and it helps me fall asleep. its a tough road but the results are sooooo worth it. on the weekend, i lay low and just enjoy the family time. if the wife works out i might join her but i dont make a point to workout on those days.

    hope that helped, feel free to friend me if you wish.
  • jahoover
    jahoover Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    I work 3rd shift as well, from 10pm till 6 am. I start my day when I wake up and it ends when I go to bed the next day. I eat a very lights breakfast not long after and then I exercise. I get up which is usually around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. My lunch is around dinner time and I have dinner at work usually around midnight and a snack or 2 to get me through the rest of the night. Good Luck to you.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    Options
    I work 11pm-7am. On my work nights I eat 2x a day. Once at work and after work. I tried alot of different things and found 3 things that helped me.

    1) My meal at work is spread out through the night. I don't eat it all in 1 sitting. I graze on my packed lunch and it helps in keeping me awake on the nights I am tired.

    2) Sleep is key. I tried doing broken up sleep, go to sleep for 3 hrs, wake up for a few hrs then go back to sleep for another 3-4.... it doesn't work for me. I find I function better sleeping at least 6 hrs. straight. After I got my sleeping issues worked out I found I wasn't tired at work and wasn't over eating to stay awake.

    3) I have a desk job but luckily for me my type of job allows me breaks 10-15 mins to get away. I'll go out on walks, do the stairs, anything. I also work weekends and it's even less busy where I work. It's very laid back so I'll come to work in workout clothes and when I have some downtime I'll go outside for 30-45 mins and jog.

    4) Water. I have access to a water cooler and drink all the time.
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
    Options
    I work 11pm-7am. On my work nights I eat 2x a day. Once at work and after work. I tried alot of different things and found 3 things that helped me.

    1) My meal at work is spread out through the night. I don't eat it all in 1 sitting. I graze on my packed lunch and it helps in keeping me awake on the nights I am tired.

    2) Sleep is key. I tried doing broken up sleep, go to sleep for 3 hrs, wake up for a few hrs then go back to sleep for another 3-4.... it doesn't work for me. I find I function better sleeping at least 6 hrs. straight. After I got my sleeping issues worked out I found I wasn't tired at work and wasn't over eating to stay awake.

    3) I have a desk job but luckily for me my type of job allows me breaks 10-15 mins to get away. I'll go out on walks, do the stairs, anything. I also work weekends and it's even less busy where I work. It's very laid back so I'll come to work in workout clothes and when I have some downtime I'll go outside for 30-45 mins and jog.

    4) Water. I have access to a water cooler and drink all the time.

    this is basically what i do
    like you i cannot do the broken up sleep and then i want o snack all night to stay awake
    i work out when i get home in the mornings or sometimes i walk around our big office bldg on my 30 min lunch break
  • hjy319
    hjy319 Posts: 269 Member
    Options
    I work nights as well, I just eat as I would normally, and log from wake up to sleep. My frineds think its odd to eat breakfast at 1030pm, and dinner at 8am. :smile: On the plus side its hard to find a big greesy cheeseburger at 8am :bigsmile: so that save me a lot!
  • krd2499
    krd2499 Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    Hello. I am in the same boat. Not sure how I can keep my diet even with the 90 day challenge Body By Vi that I am doing also. If you find out please let me know.

    Thx
    Marie
  • kndlkai1
    kndlkai1 Posts: 103 Member
    Options
    I work 7p-7a rotating nights too, dispatching for 911. I do what ChristopherFiss does, resetting my calories at midnight whether I am at work or not. Nights I work, I have dinner with the family before going in, then have something a few hours later. Calories reset at midnight, so I have something to eat several hours later. Depending on how hungry I am and what the rest of the day looks like decides if I'm going to eat when I get home. Sometimes I'll eat breakfast, sometimes lunch, sometimes none, and I'll just nap. On my first day off, it's hard for me to stay under, since I don't sleep the same, but somehow it all becomes routine. I bring a lot of snacks to work and a water bottle that I keep full.

    I hope you find what works for you! Good luck!!
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    Options
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/508-night-crawlers

    That's a group for those working nights, you might want to join that. I don't have much time to post right now (busy at work), but I also work overnights. I bring my own food to work. I work 12 hour overnights and bring enough groceries to last those 3 days. Here is how I log my food:

    8am-12pm
    12pm-4pm
    4pm-8pm
    8pm-12am
    12am-4am
    4am-8am

    I log everything in the appropriate time for when I ate it. My diary is open (but far from perfect) if you'd like to take a look, you're welcome to. I did recently change my calorie goal, that's why everything is in the red.
  • amyreafleng
    amyreafleng Posts: 69 Member
    Options
    I also reset my calories at midnight. I always have supper with my family between 5-6 pm then take a "lunch" to eat as close to midnight as possible...and a breakfast I eat around 5-6 a.m. the hardest thing for me is that first day off...I am always way under
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,887 Member
    Options
    Bring your food to work with you every night.
    Short, sweet, and to the point. I concur.

Categories