Advice on graveyard...
 

So I have question for some of you...

I work the graveyard shift right now...I'll be changing in a bit to dayshift. But I'm just curious how those of you who work graves balance your eating. I'm having a difficult time. It's my first time working graves and my eating habits are messed up...I either eat too much or too little, I can tell my body isn't happy. So if anyone has advice let me know!!

To be honest, I just switched to working graves too...and my eating has really gone down the tubes. I don't eat much good food on the days I work. Then I come home, have a big cookie...and go to bed. haha it's horrible, I know. But I'm still losing weight. And I try to make a decent dinner before I head in at night. A turkey Burger or something (usually this meal is around 400-500 cals) Then I have a snack at around 11...usually 2 light wasa crackers and a wedge of laughing cow cheese. (around 100 cals) There is so much junk food on the night shift. I'll have a handful of chips or whatever is laying around usually. I really try and limit it though, but I don't deny myself---that'd get even worse results. Sometimes I'll skip those snacks and eat some cantaloupe or an orange or soy crisps or something healthier.

Around 3am I usually make something to eat---usually fairly healthy and well balanced. (about 300 cals)

then, around 8am when I get home---that's when I have my giant cookie (it's my addiction!) Sometimes I'll have something else in there too. I prob eat around 400 cals at this time?

Some days are much better...and some days are much, much worse. I've learned to not worry so much about it though. I've lost about 50 lbs. I'm currently a size 16/14 ...I feel a million times better than I did before. And I know it's still coming off :)

The more I worry about it, the more I binge...then I just feel guilty.

I just adjust my eating schedule to reflect my waking hours.

So, since I have to be at work at 8 p.m., I think of it as being 8 a.m., and eat accordingly. I have breakfast before going to work, eat "lunch" around 10:30 or so, and have "dinner" at about 3-4 a.m.

I eat exactly the same things, in the same amounts, that I would if I were awake during normal hours.

If I'm famished by the time my shift ends I will have a snack, such as some fruit or a hunk of that wonderful Mimi BabyBell Light cheese. :)

I've been doing shift-work all my adult life. I think in almost 18 years that I've only worked a normal day shift schedule for a total of perhaps 2-3 years out of that time. So, I've learned that "breakfast," "lunch," and "dinner" is all relative.



Also, you may be interested in the thread we "shifties" have right now: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143210

There's a lot of advice there about the issues of dieting, eating, exercise, and shift-work. Also, there's some griping about our hours, co-workers, etc. ;)

I have to 2nd what Apple Cheeks said. No matter what shift I work, I have breakfast, lunch and dinner. I'm not a bigger eater whenever I get up, so it's usually a protein shake or smoothie ( oatmeal for winter) my big meal is mid day, and a lighter "dinner". I have a small cooler I use for mid shift and graves, and made sure I have fruit and nuts for snacks. Left to my own devices I would live out of the vending machine and drive thru's :o, so I bring my own.

Thanks so much for the tips! It seemed that when I went to graves a whole new world of junk food became available to me....and since it's like 3 in the morning I just get lazy about it, you know? I will definitely take all this into consideration!