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Any 3rd shift workers out there?

jaydubbayu
jaydubbayu Posts: 456
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm a 3rd shift worker, and I eat at WEIRD times... On MFP, my breakfast is actually my lunch break at work... my lunch is something when I get off work, then my dinner is actually around dinner time for most people! I keep around my calorie goal, or under most of the time, and I work maintenance at a hospital. I do get to walk around a lot, but there's a lot of sitting and BS'ing here. So, I put "sedentary lifestyle" into MFP just because we do have days here with not much to do. Just wondered if there's anybody out there with a similar situation, that's all! Nice to hear this thing's working for people out there! Keep it up all!

Replies

  • almonds1
    almonds1 Posts: 642 Member
    ya... same here. I just add my food to random spots. It said I ate 800 cals for breaky but I didint, it was only 500!!

    So when I put down that I had a Scotch for breaky, it was actually my night time lol
  • babbgirl1975
    babbgirl1975 Posts: 36 Member
    I work midnight shift. So it's really weird for me! It's been a constant struggle to find what works for me! Hopefully I'm getting there. I'm starting to feel like I'm making progress!
  • Gary1977
    Gary1977 Posts: 804 Member
    *kitten*...I mean shift worker here! My diary usually reads weird too, but you can make it work for you while working 3rd. Just look @ my results:laugh:
  • Koshkaxo
    Koshkaxo Posts: 332 Member
    I work off a 3 dayshift, then 3 nightshift style shifts. I try to keep my eating intervals the same time apart whether it is am or pm.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    Hi welcome! I have been for over 2 years. I started on my weight loss journey about 6 months into working the Graveyard shift. On days I work I eat 2x a day. During work and at home usually 2-3 hrs before I go to bed. I found above all else, sleep is key when it come to weight loss. In the past when I am tired, I'd eat and eat to help me stay awake while @ work. Forget exercising too. There's a MFP group here for night working folks

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/508-night-crawlers
  • Cobehale
    Cobehale Posts: 54 Member
    Hi welcome! I have been for over 2 years. I started on my weight loss journey about 6 months into working the Graveyard shift. On days I work I eat 2x a day. During work and at home usually 2-3 hrs before I go to bed. I found above all else, sleep is key when it come to weight loss. In the past when I am tired, I'd eat and eat to help me stay awake while @ work. Forget exercising too. There's a MFP group here for night working folks

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/508-night-crawlers

    that is exactly me! I could feel my butt expanding from all the sitting and munching! :) Not enough sleep will affect your metabolism too, not to mention mood and energy. Midnight shift is hard on a body.
  • jaydubbayu
    jaydubbayu Posts: 456
    I know it's an uphill battle with 3rd shift being an obstacle... I almost feel satisfied that if I keep up with this journal, and get a decent share of exercise, I don't mind if it takes longer to lose weight. Just feeling better, healthier, and sleeping better are all satisfying!
  • Stixx28
    Stixx28 Posts: 55
    Rough hours for sure, I'm on 4 - 12s right now. Change every 6 weeks. Makes workouts and calorie counting tough!
  • juliekaiser1988
    juliekaiser1988 Posts: 604 Member
    I just go in order of it's listing regardless if it's really truly breakfast or not: if it's the first food I've after and it's after midnight: that's breakfast. And so on.

    I just keep track of within a 24 hour period. Don't really call the meals what they really are.

    Hardest one is Sunday night/ Monday morning. I rarely go to bed (because that's my Friday night), so I "go over my calories' when actually it's really been 1 1/2 days of eating/ being awake!

    As long as I know what's going on, that's all that matters.
  • Cobehale
    Cobehale Posts: 54 Member
    I just go in order of it's listing regardless if it's really truly breakfast or not: if it's the first food I've after and it's after midnight: that's breakfast. And so on.

    I just keep track of within a 24 hour period. Don't really call the meals what they really are.

    Hardest one is Sunday night/ Monday morning. I rarely go to bed (because that's my Friday night), so I "go over my calories' when actually it's really been 1 1/2 days of eating/ being awake!

    As long as I know what's going on, that's all that matters.

    that's me too! My Sunday morning is the beginning of my days off and I rarely sleep. Add to it, that now my family expects me to eat with them and suddenly there are extra meals where normally I wouldn't eat AND that is when all the family gatherings happen! So my Sundays are always screwed up :sick:

    I have modified the names of my meals to show a general time when I eat them, that is helping me keep it straight in my head as I don't always have a chance to log it right away.
  • jaydubbayu
    jaydubbayu Posts: 456
    I work every other weekend... So it's hard to really say what's what sometimes. All I can do is keep track, and try to be good! It keeps in perspective what I'm doing, and how ahead/behind of progress I am! I'm not quite working out as much as I need to, but that'll change when I don't have to get my daughter off to school in the mornings!
  • Goal_Seeker_1988
    Goal_Seeker_1988 Posts: 1,619 Member
    Full time CNA working 10pm to 6am.... I sleep from 9am to 4pm. Do my workouts in the AM right after work. Eat breakfast @ 4pm maybe a snack around 6pm then lunch @ 9pm. Eat my lunch @ work between 1:30am and 3pm whatever time I get a lunch break. I wouldn't trade night shift for anything... I get to enjoy the mornings if I want to... But what I like most is that I get to enjoy the evenings. While most ppl have to go to bed early so then can get up early I get to stay up on my nights off and do whatever I want :D I've made it work and I've done 1st shift for over 2 years when I worked factory jobs. I worked 2nd shift part time and hated it I couldn't get into doin anything bc I had to get ready and go to work... I have found that night shift is the best shift!!! It really really works the best for me!!!
  • babbgirl1975
    babbgirl1975 Posts: 36 Member
    My Friday's are also Sunday night (monday morning). I dispatch from 11pm-7am. My days off are Monday & Tuesday. So when I work Sunday night and get off Monday morning that is the start of my weekend. I go back Wednesday night. The hardest tracking days are Monday's because I eat Sunday night & then Monday as well since I don't want to completely sleep away one of my days off. I try to eat lighter though, Sunday & Monday so I don't go too much over goal. But it usually balances out because on Wednesday when I go back to work, I'm catching up on sleep & come in alot more under goal. I can't wait til I'm able to get off this shift. 3 years now & it still sucks!
  • babbgirl1975
    babbgirl1975 Posts: 36 Member
    Full time CNA working 10pm to 6am.... I sleep from 9am to 4pm. Do my workouts in the AM right after work. Eat breakfast @ 4pm maybe a snack around 6pm then lunch @ 9pm. Eat my lunch @ work between 1:30am and 3pm whatever time I get a lunch break. I wouldn't trade night shift for anything... I get to enjoy the mornings if I want to... But what I like most is that I get to enjoy the evenings. While most ppl have to go to bed early so then can get up early I get to stay up on my nights off and do whatever I want :D I've made it work and I've done 1st shift for over 2 years when I worked factory jobs. I worked 2nd shift part time and hated it I couldn't get into doin anything bc I had to get ready and go to work... I have found that night shift is the best shift!!! It really really works the best for me!!!

    I know what you mean about 2nd shift. I did that before coming to mids. I'm not a fan of working midnight shift but it is better than evening as far as having time to do stuff. I NEVER had time for anything on that shift and I never saw my family. I'd like mids better if I had weekends off cuz I miss everything there.
  • Tempe729
    Tempe729 Posts: 270 Member
    Oh yeah! I work Graveyard shifts 3-4 times a week then turn around and go to the university 5 days a week for classes. You can change your diary settings to different meal titles.. With my weird weekly schedule I just set mine up as "Meal One, Meal Two..." etc. On days I go to class and work graveyards I do a Midnight to Midnight schedule for my food diary, even though I am still up & working when a new day starts. Feel free to add me!
  • sosdenton
    sosdenton Posts: 15 Member
    Also a third shifter. I go in and switch my meals to 1100-0300, 0300-0700, 0700-1100, 11-0300
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
    Hi welcome! I have been for over 2 years. I started on my weight loss journey about 6 months into working the Graveyard shift. On days I work I eat 2x a day. During work and at home usually 2-3 hrs before I go to bed. I found above all else, sleep is key when it come to weight loss. In the past when I am tired, I'd eat and eat to help me stay awake while @ work. Forget exercising too. There's a MFP group here for night working folks

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/508-night-crawlers

    that is exactly me! I could feel my butt expanding from all the sitting and munching! :) Not enough sleep will affect your metabolism too, not to mention mood and energy. Midnight shift is hard on a body.

    i work 3rd shift also
    i definitely don't eat well when I am tired

    there is a thread here on the forums for nightshifters called

    the officialnightshift thread
  • DDD86
    DDD86 Posts: 3 Member
    So happy to see I'm not alone! I'm only on day 2 and it's amazing how much over goal I am in calories. I chose to look at my meals in a 24 hour period as well regardless of what I was eating. Midnight to midnight is how I plan to keep track. Telling myself no to the goodies as work is a big challenge as is the days where it seems like all I do is eat. I find I have to eat something small shortly before going to bed or I wake up too early hungry and then can't fall back to sleep. I'm worried that's part of my problem. My other goal is to fit exercise 3x/wk into my schedule. It's so easy to find excuses to not exercise. I have 3 kids, a husband who travels frequently, often over seas, and work three 12 hour night shifts a week. Between household chores, carting kids around, paying bills, etc, etc, finding time for me is hard. I'm looking forward to a place of support. My goal is to lose 15 pounds by August 13 when my husband and I leave for a trip to Paris! It's also my birthday.
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
    I am on 3rd shift tonight

    need coffee...:drinker:
  • yellowmello7
    yellowmello7 Posts: 2
    I wish MFP would let you set when a day starts and ends. I go to bed at 11am and wake up at 8pm, I want my day to start then. Right now I just log what I'm eating on the next day so when the clock hits 12:00 I'm on the same day.

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