I work overnights, what's the best way to plan meal times?

Hi I'm new to this site. Was referred here by my doctor after he diagnosed me with osteoarthritis in my knees and said that I should lose weight to take the pressure off of them.

The main problem that I have is that I work the overnight shift (midnight to 8am) so my meal times are not the same as everyone else's. I have been working this shift for several months and so far I pretty much just have breakfast and then one other meal during my awake time. So I'm not having the three meals a day that everyone is suppose to have.

Does anyone have any good ideas on how to plan out specific meal times while working this shift? Any help would be greatly appreciated, because right now while I'm ready for breakfast everyone else is ready for dinner, and then the opposite is that when I'm ready for dinner they are ready for breakfast.

I also work nights. If I'm working an eight hour shift I eat my first meal around 0100. Then I snack around 0300 or 0400. I try not to eat when I get home unless I'm hungry or I have extra calories left over. Sorry if that didn't help

Oh, and it might also help you if you eat a small snack before you leave for work!

Hi I'm new to this site. Was referred here by my doctor after he diagnosed me with osteoarthritis in my knees and said that I should lose weight to take the pressure off of them.

The main problem that I have is that I work the overnight shift (midnight to 8am) so my meal times are not the same as everyone else's. I have been working this shift for several months and so far I pretty much just have breakfast and then one other meal during my awake time. So I'm not having the three meals a day that everyone is suppose to have.

Does anyone have any good ideas on how to plan out specific meal times while working this shift? Any help would be greatly appreciated, because right now while I'm ready for breakfast everyone else is ready for dinner, and then the opposite is that when I'm ready for dinner they are ready for breakfast.

Honestly, just because you work the overnight shift doesn't mean you can't eat on a regular schedule like everyone else, especially if you have a set "lunch" time. It's hard to get out of the mindset that "Breakfast" is 5am-11am. Breakfast is the first meal of the day, where you break your overnight fast. That's it. I've worked overnights for 2 years now, and the rules are the same for overnights as they are for days.

Plan your meals (and exercise). I recommend taking your lunches and snacks to work. This will help get you over the "Well, everyone is eating dinner, but it's my breakfast" mindset.
Track calories (and exercise)
Change one habit at a time to not get overwhelmed. This one is the hard one. Most people try to turn a new leaf overnight, and that's just not how people are made. It's easier to take it slow and easy. Those changes will add up.
Remember, this is a lifestyle change, not a "diet". It's not a fad, or a gimmick. It's a change for the rest of your life.
Get support. I like this site for tracking, but for support, I prefer Sparkpeople.com. That's just me though. What's important is that you have a support group of people cheering you on, to help you get through this.

I worked the night shift for years (either 7p-7a or 3p-3a) and getting into a regular routine is difficult - but not impossible. You need to face your day just as you would if you were working days. When you wake up for the day, eat breakfast. Eat lunch at the same interval you would during the day, and then eat dinner approximately 2-3am. Follow the premise "breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper" and eat your largest meal for breakfast, lighter for lunch and smaller for dinner. Incoproate in healthy snacks. While many people will tell you not to eat at night, that only applies if you work a normal schedule.
Also, you need to schedule in routine exercise, and include both weights and cardio. Since you have Osteoarthritis, you may need to stick with lower impact cardio like a bike or eliptical trainer, and start light on your weights and build up so you don't inflame your arthritis so much that you become so sore that you quit exercising (that's the last thing you want to do!)
I hope you find this advice helpful!

I work straight nights, too and have arthritis. I work the 7p to 7a shift. Usually when I am working eat breakfast when I get home, lunch around 6p and then I eat my supper at 2am. With a snack at 10pm. This has worked for me. That way when I am not working I still get my breakfast at a normal time and it is easy to switch back to eating during the day.

I think you need to experiment to see what works for you.
My husband works nights (6pm - 5amish) intermittently and his routine usually looks like this:

Main meal: 4pm before going to work. Usually whatever I've cooked for dinner the day before.
Light meal (sandwich): 10 or 11 ish.
Snack: 2 or 3ish. Usually fruit or muesli bar or both
Breakfast: 7am before going to sleep. Usually fruit and cheese and crackers.

ahh ) = osteoarthritis in your knee? I found out recently I have it as well but in my ankles. I work nights as well. Everyone is different. What works for some many not work for others. What I do is I don't worry about labels such as breakfast, or dinner. I don't worry trying to eat 3 meals a day. Most days I have 2 meals. 1 at work and 1 at home after work. Sometimes the day is hetic and with my erratic sleeping and working sechdule I only have time for 1 big meal. I especially do this if I know it will mess up my sleeping cycle. To me sleep is key. As long as I hit my calorie intake goals and macros, it doesn't matter when I eat. I don't log my food on MFP but on a different site. I just log midnight to midnight.