Night Shift and Counting Calories

Hey Everyone

I work weekend option at my hospital - 12 hour shifts - 7p-7a and that means I have Monday - Thursdays off, during which time I have to restructure everything or else continue sleeping in the daytime and staying awake all night.

Currently I only eat until 10 pm and then do not eat again until 10 am at which time I have an egg and cheese omelet and then just light Tuna Creation-type meals through out the day, with 2-3 Michelob Ultras thrown in (when I'm OFF, of course!) Yes, that means I go to bed hungry, but i have gotten used to it.

During the week I ride my bike and do a walk/jog on alternate days for cardio.

I'm a 58 year old male and weigh 208.

Just wondered if there are any others of you who are in my situation with the night shift and how you are handling it, since a lot of diets do not take that into account.

Thanks

MMMMkay, well....never mind then and thanks anyway. You folks aren't overly friendly to newbies are you?

Guess I'll just concentrate on logging my cals and forget about being a member of the "community".

Hey drummer, I work that shift on rare occassions and find that my stomach stays on day shift. Maybe different since you are more accustomed to being up all night.  --or not.

For me it is more complicated because I travel when I'm working like that so I'm not at home. I tend to eat Frozen entree or from a family style restaurant that will let you order anything anytime and eat half at the end of shift.  Wake up in the afternoon and eat again. Wake up in the evening eat the rest of my end of shift meal and take a good snack with me to the hospital.

I joined today and really like the web site. It is interesting to see what grade my food gets and the good and bad sides.  I hope you have wonderful adventures and success. I'm 47 and do not loose weight easily--but hope to loose 30 pounds before Christmas and a trip oversees to meet my husband (of 24 years) family.    --Alicia

I don't have an answer because I do not work shift work but just wanted to say I have had my fair share of posts no one responded to.  Don't take it personally, I think there are just so many posts that it doesn't take very long for posts to drop off the first page of 'recent posts', then no one sees them.  Sometimes ya gotta bump 'em!

I personally do not work night shift but my fience does.  We are both trying to lose some weight.  He was doing GREAT until he started 3rd shift, now he's to tired to work out with me when I get home from my 1st shift job.  He only works 3rd shift for 3 months a year but it still takes a tole on him.  The best thing is that I encourage him to continue to watch his portion sizes.  He eats 3 meals a day, dinner (around the time he gets up) Lunch (4:00am at work) and Breakfast (aroudn 8:00 when he's home) 

I often find him saying that he is still hungry even after he's snacked (he was never really hungry between meals before).  I don't know, I think third shift takes a tole on everyone.  On the weekends he tries to switch over to a day schedule because we like to go out but he finds himself eating 5-6 meals a day because he's up for 18-24 hours at a time.

My best advice is to keep a constant schedule (I know its a pain and pretty inconvient) but it just seems to be healthier in the long run.

I don't know if this was helpful or not but I hope it was.
-Laura

ok i am a dispatcher and do 3 months of nights twice a year. here is how i try to do it but it is hard and i am more hungry on night shift then when i am on days..maybe because i can sleep normal on day shift..

nights i eat a small salad about 4 or so when i get up..i eat dinner at 8pm..a snack at 10pm..lunch at 2400 ...snack at 0200...breakfast at 0400..then go home and try to be good till i go to bed..

day shift..breakfast 8-9 am..snack 10am...lunch 1200-0100...snack 1400/2pm..then dinner 1600/4pm or so depending on busy...i try to eat nothing big after that but will grab a few olives or have a weight watchers ice cream or popcorn if i have calories left to use..

so this i hope helps a little..treat night shift just like a day shift in your life..again i seemed to be hungry more at nights but i sleep 4 hrs a day on nights and 6-7 on a regular shift..big difference ya know??

good luck and take care

jo

Hi Drummerboy - I work continental shifts - two weeks of days then two weeks of nights (12 1/2 hour shifts).  The constant swing has everything out of whack and it is very hard to keep any consistency to diet, exercise, sleep and social life!

ALL of my co-workers have reported weight gains around 30 lbs in 4 - 5 years of this schedule. I myself have put on almost 50 lbs.  There HAS to be something unnatural about eating at 2 or 3 am that our bodies are clearly having a hard time with - but how do you go 12 1/2 hrs with no sustenance in a physical job?

I am glad to read your post, and happy to read the constructive advice the community is giving you.  I think there are a lot of shift-workers in the same boat and any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Good luck!

I do work the night shift.  I work every other weekend nights.  I find that I'm way to busy to eat anything except some munching, when I chart.  So I take a small and easy to digest snack, like a serving of blue chips or 1 serving of pre-popped  popcorn.  Then I eat normally during the day.  Eventhough I sleep, or maybe I should say nap, during the day, if I keep to a normal eating schedule I feel better.

I think I read or heard somewhere that even if you are awake for shift work your body's metabolism still slows down at night. 

Hey everyone just joined and like most of you I have a real problem with eating and shiftwork.I've been at my current company for about 2 years now and for the first time I'm working 12 hour rotating shifts and it has totally messed up my system,I have worked shift work for 19 years but it was always 8 hour shifts and up until I came here it was a frozen 2nd shift for 8 years.My delemma is I have put on 60 lbs and for the life of me can't find time to work out.I have a commute of 1 to 1.5 hours depending on traffic and when I get home(with my wife and 2 kids) ,especially on nights all I want to do is go to bed.I try not to eat 2 hours before I go to bed because I have a tough enough time sleeping but when I wake up I am starving.14 hour days (including drive time)doesn't leave much leisure or family time so my question is how does a person balance all of this eat right and workout ? I must say on 8 hourshifts it was easier . I usually eat on the run when I'm working and when I'm home I find it hard to sit and enjoy a meal I'm always finished before everyone else,force of habit I guess.

Hello,

I also work night shift.  I currently work 7 - 10 hour shifts; and then I am off 7 in a row.  I have gained weight since I started working night shift.   Recently, I have tried to keep low calorie foods available, so that if my assignment allows - I can eat something healthy.  This helps allow me to avoid coming home in the morning and devouring everything in sight.

I tend to bring things like:  carrots, celery, fruits and yogurt with me to work.  I normally keep some kind of pretzels or dry cereal (like cheerios), if I need some kind of "junk food fix". 

Obviously, this has not solved my problem.  I am looking at losing 50lbs. 

Good luck everyone.  Debbie