Does Working odd hours mess up your metabolism
I'm a newbie on here and I work night shift, midnight to 8am, usually dont get much sleep, 5-6 hours on good days during the day. Does anyone have any experience with cooking for the family and eating with the family and working odd hours. Is there anything that helps?
Just wondering what anyone else's thoughts are about this. I usually eat "breakfast" in the morning when I get off, but I go to bed shortly after, that was the past practice, trying to change that now, trying to get some excercise in after eating , then bed, I get up around dinner time, fix dinner for the family and eat with them, 6-7PM most of the time sometimes a little earlier, then I usually eat around midnight to 2am. But throughout the night I feel urges to snack. Not good.
Thanks for all that can reply, very curious what your routines are and anything that helped you deal with odd hours and dieting. Jim
I work 5 am -1030 am and then 230 pm - 10 pm; sleeping inbetween both shifts.
I've noticed nothing to do with my metabolism, whether it be slowing down or speeding up... But what I have noticed is its hard to find time to prepare good food with shifts that messed up!
In your situation I would adjust the clock to fit your schedule so that at 8 am you're eating leftover supper (or making supper), going to bed a couple hours later... sleeping 8 hrs (of course). Getting up at six and maybe making yourself breakfast while the rest of the family has supper. ... Just a suggestion because right now if you're hungry during sleep that means you defiantly need to be eating more before you go to bed.
Original Post by charleneraymond:
I work 5 am -1030 am and then 230 pm - 10 pm; sleeping inbetween both shifts.
Is that a normal day for you?? 
That sounds like hell. I would be so crabby to never have time for myself. What is your occupation, if you don't mind me asking?
Jim- I have the same hours as you. My sleeping hours were wacky as well (never had the same sleeping schedule everyday, ughhh.) After starting my lifestyle change, I changed my sleeping schedule to 1:30-3p and waking up at 10-11pm so I don't eat earlier in the evening and leaving me with no calories when I get to work, you know? I also eat breakfast when I wake up because I find it helps keep me full longer, and feel less bogged down as opposed to eating "dinner" food.
However, I do not have kids so it is just me and the boyfriend I am cooking for... Was wondering if you do all the cooking all the time or does your SO do some of it sometime?? Maybe you could prep dinner in the morning/afternoon before you go to bed and your SO would just need to heat it up. That way, when you wake up, you just have to make your breakfast and still have quality time with the family.
From what I've read on this site, all what matter is CALORIES IN VS CALORIES OUT. So it doesn't really make a big difference -weightlosswise- if you eat right before bed, etc- as long as you are eating your allotted calories within a 24 hour period. I also find that making meals in advance is very helpful while "dieting" so you don't have to reach for easy junk food, especially after work when you just don't feel like making/cooking anything- you'd have a ready made meal waiting for you.
Good luck!
Charlene- I would never survive with those hours! I'd definitely make a lot of meals in advance and have readymade snacks like protein bars, hummus and whatnot. Good on you if you can keep it up! (the healthy lifestyle along with work hours, I mean) :)
Original Post by ezzied:
Original Post by charleneraymond:
I work 5 am -1030 am and then 230 pm - 10 pm; sleeping inbetween both shifts.
Is that a normal day for you??
haha its definatly by choice.... It is a normal day for me Mon-Friday, weekends i just work 5 am -1030 am every second wekend. Im a student right now so im just trying to save up for school this summer. I work at a Golf Course from 5-1030 and then work at the General Motors Parts Distribution Warehouse 230-10 :)
Original Post by charleneraymond:
haha its definatly by choice.... It is a normal day for me Mon-Friday, weekends i just work 5 am -1030 am every second wekend. Im a student right now so im just trying to save up for school this summer. I work at a Golf Course from 5-1030 and then work at the General Motors Parts Distribution Warehouse 230-10 :)
Oh wow. I could never work 2 jobs AND go to school. You must be a super trooper! I hope you at least get to see your friends and have some downtime somewhere in there.
Hi,
I work the midnight to 8am for my job this summer.. and it was definitely horrible at first (hahah who am I kidding, still can't stand it..). I do night auditing at a hotel so have a little kitchenette (fridge, microwave, toaster, kettle) in the office so I can really bring/make whatever I want.
Throughout the summer I've tried two sleeping schedules:
1) Go to bed at 2pm get up at 10pm (so I could take advantage of the sun and tan)... and it worked great for the time that I was consistent with it. However, it interfered with plans because most of my friends worked during the day and wanted to hang out during the evening. I know this probably wouldn't work for you either if you have a family to take care of BUT this was probably the best (sleepwise.. as I wasn't constantly tired) for me. I'd have "breakfast" at around 2:30am at work, a snack around 5am, and lunch around 10am at home. I'd have "dinner" whenever I got up.
2) Go to bed at 9am and get up at 5pm. I'm assuming this is what would work best for you. It's what I'm currently doing (well I usually do 10 or 11am to 6 or 7pm) and I feel so much more tired during work / those last few hours before bed. Also.. stores and stuff aren't open during the hours I'm awake which is unfortunate. Anyways.. I have "breakfast" at around 2:30am, a snack around 5am, go the gym after work, have a protein smoothie for "lunch" at 9:30am and then go to bed before having "dinner" at a normal(ish) time of about 7pm.
Using CC, it was hard at first to label things breakfast, lunch, and dinner because I was used to breakfast being the first meal upon waking up.. however, this isn't the case this summer. I consider each day from midnight to midnight and log whatever I eat at work as "breakfast".
As for what kinds of foods, I usually have oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, a yogurt or more fruit as a snack, and a granola bar before I hit the gym. Then either an omelette - or lately - a protein smoothie when I get home. Then I cook a normal dinner at dinner time (even though I am just waking up ... it doesn't seem to bother me not having breakfast food).
I haven't noticed a change in metabolism or anything, but then again, I'm only 19. A woman I work with who does maitenance during the 12-8 says she gained approximately 30lbs when first switching to nights. She also has a family she needs to feed and what works for her is sleeping for 5ish hours when getting home from work and then having a nap or "laying down" as she says for 2 hours before work.
My advice, whatever you decided as a sleeping schedule STICK WITH IT. When you constantly change it up you become EXHAUSTED (and I also find I eat more because I'm not sure when I'm supposed to be eating).
Sorry for the horribly long post, just nice to find another night person out there! Good luck!!
I'm in the same boat; I work Monday through Friday 7am to 5:30 pm at job #1 and then 6pm to whenever we get done (varies between 9pm and 2am) at job #2....I try to eat in between whenever I can. I have also heard if you eat after 6pm it's not good for you, but considering I can't be picky about my eating times, I sure hope this isn't true!
I think my metabolism is shot anyway though....
I only get about 6 hours of sleep too.
*sighs* I would like to find out who started the whole, "Don't eat after such 'n such time" myth. I would like to find them and beat them with a banana. lol It's simply not true and has no impact on weight loss. Especially if you have a night job, you simply can't be awake all night and not eat. You'd be eating like one meal a day, most likely before you go to sleep after getting home... which would be equivalent to eating after 6pm anyways for someone working a day job.
