New here! 12 hour shifts make difficult weight loss!
NicoleAmesRN
Posts: 5 Member
Hi everyone. I'm new on MFP. I'm a 23 year old whose been trying for over a year to lose the 20 lbs I gained after college. I just want to feel good about myself again! I am a nurse, so I know all there is to know about nutrition and weight loss... but knowing something, and applying it are two totally different things!!! On my journey to lose weight I have also learned a lot about body types and metabolism... and I have a very slow metabolism! So one of my main goals is to boost my metabolism!
I just finished doing 12 weeks of XTrainFit (which is very similar in concept to p90x but for those of us whose knees won't allow us to jump around like monkeys!). I am now doing Zumba Rush for Kinect several days a week and throwing in the cardio disk from XTF a few days a week (to add a little bit of strength training). I also use a Fit Bit (love it!!!!) but I tend to only remember it on days I work (and usually do upwards of 12,000 steps on those days!) and forget to put it on on my days off... oops!
I've changed my eating habits big time over the last few months but man do I miss the pasta!!!!!!!! Still, I cannot shake the lbs!!! So starting this week I'm trying BodyRock.tv's 5 week diet challenge. Fingers crossed that this works!!!!!!!!!
I think the main challenge to losing weight for me is my job. Working 12 hour shifts makes it incredibly difficult!!! It's hard to find time to take breaks to eat frequent small meals, drink water, or even go pee! At the end of the day sometimes I realize I never sat down, never drank anything, only ate half my lunch, only went to the bathroom once. No wonder my body is such a mess! And then after hardly eating all day, to come home and have to work out with no energy left is soooo difficult. But I eat a handful of almonds and workout anyway. Then I crash and am out cold by 9:30pm. Any other nurses out there who have been successful losing weight??? Suggestions for this lifestyle??
I just finished doing 12 weeks of XTrainFit (which is very similar in concept to p90x but for those of us whose knees won't allow us to jump around like monkeys!). I am now doing Zumba Rush for Kinect several days a week and throwing in the cardio disk from XTF a few days a week (to add a little bit of strength training). I also use a Fit Bit (love it!!!!) but I tend to only remember it on days I work (and usually do upwards of 12,000 steps on those days!) and forget to put it on on my days off... oops!
I've changed my eating habits big time over the last few months but man do I miss the pasta!!!!!!!! Still, I cannot shake the lbs!!! So starting this week I'm trying BodyRock.tv's 5 week diet challenge. Fingers crossed that this works!!!!!!!!!
I think the main challenge to losing weight for me is my job. Working 12 hour shifts makes it incredibly difficult!!! It's hard to find time to take breaks to eat frequent small meals, drink water, or even go pee! At the end of the day sometimes I realize I never sat down, never drank anything, only ate half my lunch, only went to the bathroom once. No wonder my body is such a mess! And then after hardly eating all day, to come home and have to work out with no energy left is soooo difficult. But I eat a handful of almonds and workout anyway. Then I crash and am out cold by 9:30pm. Any other nurses out there who have been successful losing weight??? Suggestions for this lifestyle??
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Replies
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I can relate to what you are going through. I also work 12 hour night shift part time as a nurse and then on my days off trying to adjust to "normal hours" im trying to figure out how to manage my diet with all the changes in my hours. I have been on MFP and have lost 4lbs, seems help with being accountable for the foods I eat. Who knew there were so many calories in my DD coffee? Best of luck to you!0
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Ugh I can definitely relate to your schedule! During school I worked part time 12 hour nights and the back and forth day/night life style was awful. Trying to figure out what time of day to eat and sleep is difficult!
Hopefully we can both figure out a balance for work and health!
Coffee is killer! I used to drink DD or Starbucks every day!!! I've started making it at home (thanks to preprograming my pot to have it brewed when I wake up!!) and using Domino brand sugar cubes so that I know how much sugar I'm using. 1 cube = 1/2 tsp. When I first started i was putting in about a 1/4 of the box of cubes!!!! Now I'm down to six cubes per coffee cup which is only 3 tsp! Now when I treat myself to starbucks I'm actually disgusted by how sweet it is! I never thought I could think that!!! Give it a try
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Hey! I am a nursing student that graduates in May! I just finished clinical hours for the semester where I had to do 144 hours of night shift clinical in the ER. It was really tough to not pig out after I got off and went home.
I had to make sure I got at least 7 hours of sleep the night before the 12 hour shift so I would not drink coffee. I am completely caffeine free (one every now and then) and drink loads of water throughout the day. Hydration helps keep you awake I've found.0 -
When I worked night shift in college I ate soooo much. I ate to stay awake. And gained so much weight. Dayshift is definitely a LOT busier so now I find that I'm not eating enough to keep my metabolism up. It's funny how things turn around0
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I'm not a nurse, but I'm a waitress that often works 11-12 hours shifts. Sometimes it is also difficult to resist the fried food, but sometimes when it's busy, I can't find the time to eat anything at all. Feel free to friend me.0
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