Hello everyone,

I was just kind of curious. I work midnight shift, and on top of that I monitor mainframe equipment, which means I'm sitting for the better part of every night. I know that's a negative in itself, which I try to stretch my legs often and go for a walk...but could working graveyards be contributing to my recent weight gain?

I've been working my job for about six months now, and I just wanted to see if there were any other "midnighters" out there, and hear some other opinions. However, I am in no way, shape, or form trying to use my work schedule as an excuse...because I know I haven't been eating the way I should.

I know they say alot of different factors help contribute to your diet, other than the foods you eat. For example, sleep...something I rarely get a good "day" of LoL. I can sleep anywhere, and I don't have trouble sleeping during the day...it's just not the same as "regular" sleep. I sleep from 9:30am-4:30pm, which is seven hours, but when I wake up it still takes me longer to really get moving. I honestly thought I would have adjusted by now (six months later), and that's what lead me to ask this question in the first place.

Any other night owls out there?? I really like to know if I'm just crazy, or if I'm subconsciously making (more) excuses for myself...

Chris

Night-work, lack of sleep & fatigue generally can affect blood-sugars/insulin production and make you more likely to want to consume sweet/starchy/fatty 'quick fix' foods & drinks in an effort to boost your energy levels short-term.   These high calorie foods tend to lead to weight-gain.  I don't know if that rings true at all?  Otherwise, you're the same physiology as anyone else.  More calories in than out and you gain weight.  A few less and you lose weight. 

So I'd take a good look at your food choices as well as the quantity.  Make a deliberate effort to choose foods that will provide you with sustained energy.... vegetables, wholegrains, pulses/legumes, meat/fish and & fats.   Avoid the quick fix foods such as refined starch and foods with more than 10g sugar per 100g.  And then plan your waking hours so that you have a light meal or a snack every 2 hours or so.  This combination keeps your energy levels up and will hopefully make it easier for you to eat less food in total.

Don't know if that helps.  Best of luck

This happened to me when I worked nights.  Your body is completely thrown out of its routine, you're not eating right, and it doesn't sound like you're terribly active.  This was also the case for me.  Even without the midnights, most people would gain weight by having poor eating, sleeping, and exercise habits!  I quit the job and lost the weight!

I work the night shift, and can totally relate to the feeling. I have been working this shift since November and I still feel like I am not adjusted. My biggest obstacle was training myself to eat according to my new schedule. I was eating all my normal meals, and adding an extra meal in because I was still awake at night when I used to be sleeping. Once I got over that hurdle, I have seen some improvement. It has been a slow progression, and I have seen more improvement in my measurements than I have in my weight. I also had to get dark curtains so i could "trick" my body into thinking it was dark outside when I was trying to sleep in the early mornings. I was sleeping the right number of hours, it just wasn't very restful sleep. Good luck on your journey!!

Well hello to the night owls!  Nice to meet ya!  ha ha  I work shift work.  We have a day shift a swing shift and a grave yard shift. And every three months we rotate.   Right now I work three swings (4-12) and 2 graves (12-8am).  I have been doing this for 5 years now.  I gained 30 lbs in the first 1.5 years I worked here.  Most of that was nights.   It took me a year to lose 50 and get healthy, but since then I have trained my body to deal with it all!  Here are my tips for you other night owls!  :) 

Make sue you have a schedule!  If sleeping when you get off work makes you feel tired, then try to make sure you sleep later and when you get up to go to work make it the "begining" of your day.  Dark curtains always help!  If you can't afford them, you can always put foil in your window :)

Plan your meals!  I actually tend to eat less when I work the night shift now.   An apple, a couple handful's of popcorn and a fruit leather hold me over if I ate a good dinner before work. 

Another thing that helps, is no matter what time it is when you get up, eat breakfast!  Not dinner!   Breakfast foods tend to tell your body that it is time to start the day, where as dinner foods tell you its time to wind down.

I just posted a topic in Motivation prior to reading this about exercise at work.  Not all of you may be able to do it, but it's wonderful for me! 

I have tons of tips, but don't want this to be too long  :)

Feel free to ask me questions!  I'll check this again later  :)

Good lucK! 

[quote]I honestly thought I would have adjusted by now (six months later), and that's what lead me to ask this question in the first place.[/quote] Based on my own experience, I'm not surprised it's taken this long.  Actually, I gave up at 8 months, without ever adjusting. 

I had my sleeping and eating patterns so screwed up that I was never sleepy or hungry.  I just ate and slept where and when I was supposed to or had time for.  I could drop to sleep in less than two minutes, and get up again whenever I needed to.  Eat any time of day or night.   But then I crashed and was sick.

I tend to a night person, which is why I took the job.  If I'd known then what I know now about nutrition and sleep, I think I could have adapted and survived.   But at that point in my life, it didn't work at all.

Hello- My first time on this forum. I have been working night shift for 15 years. I do a 4 day rotation 2 12 hour day 7a-7p and then 24 hours off and 2 12 night 7p-7a. I have found that I started to pay attention to my body. Between My day and switching to night I sleep a regular night and get up in the morning with the kids. I then do active things, clean house while dancing around with my Ipod or yard work. I need a little bit of sweat. I also eat something small and low calorie, like a apple or yogurt, that way I don;t wake up starving. Then around 11-12 in the afternoon I sleep until around 430. I get up like it is morning do all morning stuff. I pack my food for night shift like a regular day. When I get to work I eat breakfast. At like 9 or 10 I have a snack and at 12 or 1 I have lunch. Then I snack again around 3 and have dinner at 5am. Then when I get home I usually go right to bed and get up around 11 to 1 in the afternoon. That is when I do my bills or arrends. I just need to be a little up nothing real active. Then back to sleep in the afternoon and start my day/night again.

Try switching your sleep and activity pattern during your days at home. and see how you feel. Everyone is different but you know already that what you are doing is not working. I work as a police dispatcher so I am typing and sitting for 12 hours also. I also started to do three sets of exercises at my desk during the night. I do each before my break so I can't go on break until my exercises are done. I got them off the internet I think I googeled exercise at your desk or something.

good luck. I just started to worry about my health and weight. I started at 215 and am down to 205 if my scale is still working.