Night shift?

Anyone on here that has had the sleeve and works night shift? Just wondering what your eating plan looks like at night?

Also do you think nights has impacted your progress at all? Always have felt it's been harder for me to lose weight working nights, so hoping that won't continue after surgery. 

 I haven't been sleeved yet, but I too would like to hear the answers to this. I've been working nights/ doubles for years.

Dawn

Okay so I work 3-11, 7p-7a, and doubles (3-11 then 11-7). I started these crazy nights hours in July along with traveling to another town and living in a hotel for school purposes for about 3-4 months.

Before working nights I would never eat after 8ish, I don't wake up to eat in the night and I would eat again till 9am or so. After starting my new schedule I found myself gorging through the night with JUNK food, very very bad. I put on quite a few pounds. What I've learned so far is not to eat during the 11-7 part. I just bring some protein powder and mix it with water and drink this if needed. I wanted to try to get back to my normal routine. I also eat every 3-4 hours, with about 5 meals a day. Here is what thursday (3-11/11-7) will look like:

6am-2pm sleep

2:30p snack- polish sausage and eggs /(about 2-3oz total)

Start work at 3pm

5:30 Dinner 1 -low carb taco bake

8:30 snack2-yogurt/nuts

11:30 dinner 2- salad, chicken, eggs, cheese

11:30pm till 7am- NOTHING! unless i need a protein powder mixed with water, and my daily cup of coffee

Friday morning 8am--light breakfast then off to sleep.

I know it seems confusing but it works for me. My biggest thing is NOT eating 11-7, its hard but just drink your fluids away and walk alot. 

Working night has definately impacted my eating schedule. But in the end, do whats right for your body and how you can modify/adjust things. Me just skipping out on meals 11-7 was just common sense since I spent 99.9% of my life not eating during this time. If push comes to shove, i will drink a protien drink, but so far so good. I'm down 15lbs in 2 weeks.

Thanks!! This is the part that I struggle with first and foremost. The second is actually sleeping. But I will try to modify something that I can live with. Thanks again.

Dawn

I worked night shift for years. 

My schedule was sleep 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.  Breakfast 4:30 PM - Lunch 8:30 PM - Dinner - 2:30 AM Snack 5:00 AM.

I always carried a lunchbox.  Sometimes we would order dinner from an all night truck stop.

Working night shift was simply adjusting myself to that schedule.  My family ate at normal times.  At first I could not imagine sitting down to a full meal at 2:30 AM, but in time it became completely routine and normal for me.

I work 7pm-7am permanent nights.  Like White Dove, I adjusted my day to start in the afternoon.  My fitness Pal tracks my meals and I track from 4pm -4pm.   It does get tricky if for some reason I switch to a day schedule (like when I'm off work for several days in a row).   I have my 'breakfast' around 430pm before work, then I eat lunch anywhere from 9-11pm.  Then I will have my last meal around 5.   Before surgery I would eat out a lot, either we would order out food @ work, from a local pizza or thai place or I would get Subway as they are located in the same building.  Now I absolutely have to pack a lunch to avoid any temptation.  Yesterday for example I had the following.  (bear in mind I am not yet 6 weeks post op)

1st Meal- Protein Mocha (chocolate protein powder with 12 oz decaf coffee and 2T of skim milk)

2nd Meal -  0.5cup 1% cottage cheese with 50gm fresh raspberries  with 1 pump of sugar free Davinci Hazelnut Syrup

3rd Meal - 2-3oz chicken salad (i use plain greek yougurt and just a touch of mayo for the dressing to boost the protein)

Snacks - string cheese

I can't really say if working nights has impacted my loss so far.  I'm keeping to my protein requirements, and am fairly low carb.  I also average around 600-800 cals a day.  So far I have lost every week some weeks more then others.  One problem I do find is that if it is too busy to get breaks @ work I will wait to eat my last meal @ home before failing into bed.  I hate eating right before sleep, as I know this can affect metabolism.  But so far so good at this point.

Hope this is helpful.

I almost find it easier to stay on track when I'm working. I work a 7 on 7 off nights.  My eating schedule is very similar to above.  Coffee (a must for me) @4-430. "breakfast" is shortly after that. I try to eat next around 9 or 10(sometimes a little later if I get a patient to scan). Next is around 2ish. If I feel like I need one I'll have a snack around 5 or 6. It's more difficult to order out at night so that is helpful. 

Thanks to you all, I guess it will just take some time to figure out what will work for me. I work 6p-6a 3 nights a week, but not a set schedule. I do switch myself back to a "normal" daytime routine on my days off.

Right now (pre surgery) I sleep till 4ish. Eat "breakfast" at 530pm, snack 830-9ish, "lunch/dinner" around midnight-1am, snack 3-4am, then a snack or small meal when I get home around 7am. I'm just hoping the flip flop from nights to days won't make it all harder. We shall see.

Thanks again

I work 7p-7:30a three times a week. I have adjusted me eating schedule. It can be a challenge because it seems like I eat more on the nights I work and on my days off I eat less. I am very happy with my weight loss thus far. I had my surgery 9/3/15. I usually keep my "breakfast" early am whether I am working or not. I have to eat before going to bed. So I prefer something lighter such as cottage cheese, yogurt, hard boiled egg, or protein drink. If I am off then I have lunch at 12p, if I am working then I have lunch at 5:30p with my family. Then if I am off  then I have dinner at 5:30p, if I am working then dinner is 11:30p. If I am off I may have a little snack in the evening, if I am working I may have a little snack around 3a. I never restrict myself from eating between 11-7. If I am hungry then I have my snack. I am up and very busy at work. I need my fuel and energy from my food. On the days I work, the 24 hour picture may appear like alot of meals. It took awhile for me to get over that in my head. Because the "normal" way to eat is 3 meals a day, no eating after a certain time at night, and such. My my work schedule is not "normal" so I have to adjust what works for me. All my choices are very healthy, I get my vitamins in, drink my fluids throughout the day and night, exercise, and feel more energized now. I feel it is really working for me. Hope you find what works for you.

Amy, 

Your schedule sounds very similar to mine right now. I'm scheduled for my sleeve in a month and I'm having a lot of anxieties right now about how things are going to work once I go back to work. I'm even debating switching to days (which I swore I'd never do for many reasons) for a year to see if I can get myself settled post surgery and then go back to nights.  If you come up with some helpful hints let me know.