Working Night Shift?? NEED ADVICE!

Options
Evellitha
Evellitha Posts: 62 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey guys i'm working the night shift at the hospital in the Operating room. Depending on the emergencies the nights can be calm or I can be working 8 hours without leaving the room (So can't hydrate or eat). I've been eating around 8 am when I arrive home, might get a work out in. Sleep until 1-2 pm work out then if I haven't yet then wait until 6 pm to eat dinner.

I have no idea if working nights and my eating habits have been what has slowed me down in my weight loss journey. Any other people working night shift can support me? Looking for any advice/new friends =)

Replies

  • hopeandlove91
    hopeandlove91 Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    I worked nights last summer and put on 20lbs. I am working nights again this summer, and am really going to focus on working out and not eating as much. I feel like I was eating more to keep myself awake...and I would get hungry in the middle of the night, but I would still get hungry at "normal" times to.
  • cbaac03
    cbaac03 Posts: 152
    Options
    I'm at work right now talking about this. It can be one extreme to another (i work in a hospital ICU). I rotate shifts and am so much hungrier when i'm working nights too.
  • hollysivalia
    hollysivalia Posts: 12
    Options
    BUMP!

    I am working nights in the hospital 7p-7a. I have gained like 10 pounds since I started working at night bc at first I found myself eating to stay awake, I no longer do that. But when do you eat supper and breakfast? When do you make time to exercise??
  • sabusby
    sabusby Posts: 78 Member
    Options
    Time of the day, itself, shouldn't matter: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=10644

    However, sleep DOES affect weight loss, along with what the previous poster said. Also, working in a busy hospital, you may be cramming your food in as fast as possible, seeing as you get very busy some nights.
  • txcaveman
    txcaveman Posts: 167 Member
    Options
    I worked night shift for a number of years in healthcare. There are numerous studies that strongly suggest that working nights is very stressful on the body and actually has a strong coloration with numerous disease processes. I believe hospitals take advantage of their night shifters and do not do enough to compensate employees for their sacrifice, such as additional paid time off, flexibility in scheduling,

    My advice - Be extra vigilant to what your body is telling you it needs. Get enough sleep! Even if the world is telling you it needs you to help solve all its problems. And make working nights a temporary thing... get a day job as soon as possible.

    A principle of triage during a disaster is to the most good for the most # of people. If we as healthcare providers “kill” ourselves to “save” others… have we really done anyone any favors?
  • hollysivalia
    hollysivalia Posts: 12
    Options
    Thanks! Yeah night shift is really tough!
  • Leo_Joy_HG
    Leo_Joy_HG Posts: 57 Member
    Options
    I've got my first might shift (i work in a hospital) and i'm really nervous!

    It's 11am, i've not long got up and im already tired!
    I've stocked up on packets of dried fruit and nuts and may go and buy a healthy ready meal later. But what do i eat during the day? i'm thinking of just having a brunch then dinner tonight.

    When do you exercise? I don't want to tired myself out today before my shift but im sure i wont want to hit the gym in the moring either!

    Any advice would be brilliant
  • bluex232
    bluex232 Posts: 135 Member
    Options
    I work night shift as a dispatcher, I usually don't have nights that are busy non stop, but the hard part about my job is I just sit for the whole shift. I have my food set up as Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Work(Overnights) and Snacks. That way I can log easily on my off days as well. I have recently started working out on my breaks, while I know some nights in a hospital you may not get your breaks, but for me working out on mine have really helped me be consistent with getting my workouts in.

    I work 1030pm-630am, I have a 4yo and a (almost) 1yo. My hubby works in retail so his hours vary from day to day, neither kid goes to daycare so if the hubby is working I am home during the day with them. This makes it very difficult to sleep some days (especially his 11-7 days!!) I'm home at about 10 to 7am, the youngest is usually waking up ready to eat (I am still breastfeeding) so by the time I feed her I am usually asleep about 715 (on the days she goes back to sleep that is) both kids usually up for the day about 8/830. If I'm lucky nap time around noon for 2 hours and then again around 5 hopefully for another 2 hours. Then hopefully an hour or 2 more sleep when the hubby gets home.

    Trust me with that schedule, I am usually so exhausted that trying to workout with the kids seems like a nightmare!! I have gotten better and almost always take a salad to work with me. On my first break I walk the stairs for 10 minutes (and at this point am pretty much to the point of being able to jog them, which is awesome!) On my second break I do a 24 minute workout that I have set up on my phone (the app Workout Trainer by Skimble <-- is awesome!!). I have found that working out really helps keep me awake and helps with the bordem eating that I used to do ALL the time.

    Like I said I usually have a salad everynight, and I keep some low calorie snacks in my locker (I really like the Quaker Apple Cinnamon Mini Rice Cakes, Kellogs Fruit Crisp Bars, Wheat Thins Spicy Buffalo Flavor, Quaker Stila Apple Cinnamon Bars) and I also like chopped Cucumbers and Tomatos with a little Italian Dressing mixed in. I also bring the Skinny Cow IceCream snacks as well

Categories