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Work nights trying to figure out calorie days

MamaJess
MamaJess Posts: 181 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I work nights so when it hits mid nighth is that another calorie day or how should I figure this?

Replies

  • Ttopeka
    Ttopeka Posts: 151 Member
    I would consider my calorie day to be from whenever I wake up to whenever I go to bed, even if that doesn't fit typical day hours.

    I don't work nights, but I have an unusual sleeping schedule, so when my calories reset at midnight it's often before I'm done logging. To counter this, I set my time zone as several hours later than it really is, so my calorie day doesn't reset until actually 3-4AM my time.
  • chrissilini
    chrissilini Posts: 77 Member
    I work 3rd shift. I still eat 3 meals a day and just log them differently. I count what I eat during my shift as my lunch, just like you would if you worked days. Sometimes I eat breakfast at work and sometimes at home still put it as breakfast and dinner is normal. I put it all on the same day. So, what I've eaten at work goes on Fridays diary. Does this make any sense?
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
    I also work nights. I have my diary on a 24 hour schedule.
    8am-12pm
    12pm-4pm
    4pm-8pm
    8pm-12am
    12am-4am
    4am-8am

    I log my food in the appropriate hours. If I don't eat anything during a set of hours, I don't log anything. My diary is public if you wanna look.
  • PHLLLY
    PHLLLY Posts: 160 Member
    for the sake of MFP, just go with 12am-12am. At the end of the week your calories should equal the same amount regardless, just input them when you can.
  • chawkins79
    chawkins79 Posts: 1
    I work nights too, and I track my calories from midnight to midnight, which seems to work well. My "breakfast" is really at 0200 and "lunch" is usually around 0830. I usually sleep until 1600 and have a snack, then have "Dinner" around 1800 and another snack around 2300. On my days off, my meals are recorded at the usual times.
    I think working nights is a big challenge with weight loss, but it can be done!! Good Luck!!
  • sandueza
    sandueza Posts: 1
    Hi, I work nights and i do my days from midnight to midnight. I've just joined this sight but I've been dieting for 15 weeks now and lost 26lbs. the midnight to midnight works for me.
  • jk262
    jk262 Posts: 1,597 Member
    I also work nights... 12 to 12 is the easiest for me, I just log breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. Doesn't matter when I eat it, just as long as it fits in the day/week. my diary is also public if you want to check it out
  • amusco_rn
    amusco_rn Posts: 32
    I work nights 7p-7a but only 2 nights per week. Because my sleep schedule is off between working overnight and having 2 kids at home to be awake for, I keep my "schedule" from midnight to midnight. So right now, I just logged my 3am snack as "breakfast".
  • kindra3434
    kindra3434 Posts: 176 Member
    I work nights ....I just do my days from when I wake up around 4pm (morning) to when I go to sleep 8am (nights)
  • mccarol1956
    mccarol1956 Posts: 422 Member
    I changed my meals and assigned times instead. my eating day starts at 5 am. Sounds strange but that is the way it works for me. Take a look at my diary. It is just what works for me on my night shifts. I work 3 12.5 hour shifts have one night off and then do 3 more 12.5 hour shifts and then take 7 days off. My schedule rarely changes.

    I do not find it hard to lose on my night schedule. I still manage to eat well and get plenty of exercise. Good luck!
  • MamaJess
    MamaJess Posts: 181 Member
    Thank you for the great posts and ideason how to log my food. I think I will have it figured out pretty well now. Thanks again to everyone who posted.
  • sunshinealldaylong
    sunshinealldaylong Posts: 7 Member
    So glad you guys are here. I am going to nights in about 2 weeks. I have worked nights before but never really tracked food and exercise. It looks like the general thing to do that I recieved from everyone here is 12 to 12. Thanks to everyone for posting here and responding. Due to flipping my sleeping I was really puzzled of how I was going to do this. Thanks to everyone!
  • Arianwyn_T
    Arianwyn_T Posts: 52
    I work nights so when it hits mid nighth is that another calorie day or how should I figure this?

    I would change your time zone to correspond to your actual schedule -- if a 12 hour flip is possible that's ideal, because then you just flip AM and PM in your brain.
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