[Misc] Night shift. Advice please...

The Clamp · Apr 12, 2018

Hello all,

I've just started a new role doing night shifts. 12 hours, 4 on 4 off. Love the job, don't mind the shift pattern and get good sleep in the day, 6-8 hours but it's absolutely killing my appetite.
Anyone on nights that can offer advice as I'm already losing weight that I don't want to lose.

Any tips on eating or nights in general would be much appreciated

Cheers
TC

Springal · Apr 12, 2018

The Clamp said:
Hello all,

I've just started a new role doing night shifts. 12 hours, 4 on 4 off. Love the job, don't mind the shift pattern and get good sleep in the day, 6-8 hours but it's absolutely killing my appetite.
Anyone on nights that can offer advice as I'm already losing weight that I don't want to lose.

Any tips on eating or nights in general would be much appreciated

Cheers
TC

Been 10+ years since I had to do similar shift work but I felt like I got used to it, but more important force yourself in a reverse routine.

For a 7-7 go for I.e breakfast at 4pm, lunch at midnight, dinner at 5am. Even occasionally had a beer when I got in at occasionally. Felt my body adjusted much better that way.

Good luck though after 18 months I was done as it isn't good for your health due to the constant change. 12 days off for 4 days annual leave was decent though !

The Clamp · Apr 12, 2018

Springal said:
Been 10+ years since I had to do similar shift work but I felt like I got used to it, but more important force yourself in a reverse routine.

For a 7-7 go for I.e breakfast at 4pm, lunch at midnight, dinner at 5am. Even occasionally had a beer when I got in at occasionally. Felt my body adjusted much better that way.

Good luck though after 18 months I was done as it isn't good for your health due to the constant change. 12 days off for 4 days annual leave was decent though !

Thank you. I am tending to just eat when I'm hungry but I'm just not getting hungry. I guess it's a case of forcing it until I get used to the pattern you suggest. I'm permanently on the 4 on 4 off , 8pm -8.30am nights shift so at least I'm not chopping around which helps with the sleeping etc.
Usually have a beer when I get in.
So far I've just been snacking on fruit and stuff like cold chicken but I think you're right, I need to get into regular meals.

AmexRuislip · Apr 12, 2018

I've been doing 12 day/night shifts for years.
Best advice I can give is make sure you drink plenty of water, eat healthy food ( no pot noodle type processed foods) ie: fruit and salads, and if you can grab a catnap, do so.
Obviously get some decent sleep when coming off nights, otherwise it'll catch up with you.

The Clamp · Apr 12, 2018

AmexRuislip said:
I've been doing 12 day/night shifts for years.
Best advice I can give is make sure you drink plenty of water, eat healthy food ( no pot noodle type processed foods) ie: fruit and salads, and if you can grab a catnap, do so.
Obviously get some decent sleep when coming off nights, otherwise it'll catch up with you.

Pleased that I don't have an appetite for pot noodle type stuff. But I can see how easily that could happen.

Grizz · Apr 12, 2018

I do a week of 9-12 hour night shifts every 7 weeks and usually try and stay in a normal eating pattern. So I'd get home from work around 7, walk the dog, have breakfast around 8-30ish, then get up around 2pm, have something small like a slice of toast or a banana, then have an evening meal at 6-7ish. The meal would provide me with enough energy to get through the shift with maybe a home made sarnie around midnightish if I'm hungry. Just depends on how energy intense your job is. Mine's quite sedentiary, so don't need huge amounts of calories.

Two Professors · Apr 12, 2018

Good luck with the new job.I did enjoy my time on nights.Mine was quite a physical job,so stopping off for a meal on the way home became a regular habit,and I certainly didn't lose any weight!Modern studies show all sorts of health concerns with exposure to artificial light,but I don't know if they include supressing appetite.If you are interested,these studies make an interesting point to start.Hope you are getting a hefty payrise,and the extra day off can make great long weekends away.

The Clamp · Apr 12, 2018

Two Professors said:
Good luck with the new job.I did enjoy my time on nights.Mine was quite a physical job,so stopping off for a meal on the way home became a regular habit,and I certainly didn't lose any weight!Modern studies show all sorts of health concerns with exposure to artificial light,but I don't know if they include supressing appetite.If you are interested,these studies make an interesting point to start.Hope you are getting a hefty payrise,and the extra day off can make great long weekends away.

View attachment 95960

Thank you TP, that's a good read. Could prove helpful too. My job has periods of being sedentary interspersed with having to react to whatever is happening. So I can have a night of not much then a lot to do. Hard to describe but its a protection role so it's unpredictable from one shift to the next. Pay is much better and long hours so it's worth the upheaval.
Thank you for the info.

edna krabappel · Apr 12, 2018

I do 9pm to 6am nights. I've never been very good at eating on night shifts, it sometimes makes me feel quite queasy, so I tend to eat a full meal just before I leave at 7:45pm. Cereal with milk was often a go-to if I did happen to be hungry in the small hours though.

Before I sorted my (terrible) diet out recently, I did find it was all too easy to pick up chocolate and crisps from 24hr petrol stations at 3am :lol:

Haven't done that for about six weeks now, and I've more or less stopped missing it

The Clamp · Apr 12, 2018

edna krabappel said:
I do 9pm to 6am nights. I've never been very good at eating on night shifts, it sometimes makes me feel quite queasy, so I tend to eat a full meal just before I leave at 7:45pm. Cereal with milk was often a go-to if I did happen to be hungry in the small hours though.

Before I sorted my (terrible) diet out recently, I did find it was all too easy to pick up chocolate and crisps from 24hr petrol stations at 3am Haven't done that for about six weeks now, and I've more or less stopped missing it

Thanks Edna.
The general advice seems to be eat outside of the shift. Speaking of which I am 3 deep into the 4 nights so it's bed for me. Thank you for the advice. Night all.

Thunder Bolt · Apr 12, 2018

Many years since I worked night watches, but I always slept better when having a full English breakfast before going to bed. Cereal, cooked breakfast, followed by toast.

DJ NOBO · Apr 12, 2018

edna krabappel said:
I do 9pm to 6am nights. I've never been very good at eating on night shifts, it sometimes makes me feel quite queasy, so I tend to eat a full meal just before I leave at 7:45pm. Cereal with milk was often a go-to if I did happen to be hungry in the small hours though.

Before I sorted my (terrible) diet out recently, I did find it was all too easy to pick up chocolate and crisps from 24hr petrol stations at 3am Haven't done that for about six weeks now, and I've more or less stopped missing it

What qualifies as a terrible diet?
Pretty sure my lunches are bad - baguette, bag of crisps (large), bag of sweets (jelly babies or liquorice all sorts) or a couple of bars of chocolate, bottle of diet coke (in my head this is a concession) and ‘another thing ‘ usually a pork pie.
Is that normal ?
God bless work-related stress though. Pretty sure that’s what separates me from being a grade one porker. And running.

Wrong-Direction · Apr 12, 2018

Dominos?

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Justice · Apr 12, 2018

I do emergency call outs most nights and just eat when I'm hungry which is usually crap food from various outlets or sometimes nothing until morning.

edna krabappel · Apr 12, 2018

Dale Jasper said:
What qualifies as a terrible diet?
Pretty sure my lunches are bad - baguette, bag of crisps (large), bag of sweets (jelly babies or liquorice all sorts) or a couple of bars of chocolate, bottle of diet coke (in my head this is a concession) and ‘another thing ‘ usually a pork pie.
Is that normal ?
God bless work-related stress though. Pretty sure that’s what separates me from being a grade one porker. And running.

Well I don't get official breaks as such in my job, and I'm often stuck at crash scenes for hours, miles away from the office, so either I had to be very well prepared with taking food to work that I could eat on the go and which didn't require re-heating (I wasn't), or it was a case of grabbing something from a petrol station or supermarket (I did). Which inevitably entailed crisps or chocolate, or alternatively a visit to some sort of fast food establishment. After a two week holiday in January, I returned to find the work trousers were a little snugger than I'd have liked, so I decided I had to get off my arse and do something about all the crap I was eating :lol:

Been doing that Body Coach 90 Day thing for six weeks now. It's a right pain in the arse in terms of prepping food, but I feel great for it, and have for reasons unknown to me been sleeping a lot better too. Not on night shifts, to be clear.... :wink:

AmexRuislip · Apr 12, 2018

edna krabappel said:
I do 9pm to 6am nights. I've never been very good at eating on night shifts, it sometimes makes me feel quite queasy, so I tend to eat a full meal just before I leave at 7:45pm. Cereal with milk was often a go-to if I did happen to be hungry in the small hours though.

Before I sorted my (terrible) diet out recently, I did find it was all too easy to pick up chocolate and crisps from 24hr petrol stations at 3am Haven't done that for about six weeks now, and I've more or less stopped missing it

If your garages are anything like my local, you go in for something? and end up coming out smelling like a coffee factory

banjo · Apr 12, 2018

Been doing 12 hour night 4 on 4 off for 15 years now. Normally eat a salad of some sort, fruit and a yogurt on my shift. Try and eat this b4 midnight. I drink water mostly 1 cup of coffee. Not that I’m much of a T coffee drinker anyway. Then get home at 7 I normally have scrambled eggs on toast or poached. Sleep through to about 2.30/3ish. You should get into a routine soon enough.

rippleman · Apr 12, 2018

Pies and cakes at any hour of the day should do the trick!

Good luck with the new job

SB005 · Apr 12, 2018

Ive been working 10 or 11 hours shifts for about 15 years now, not usually all in a row. I dont think its an exact science as everybody is different. Ive seen some who have an absolute feast half way through the night and some who eat dinner soon as they get home.

But the majority will have a proper dinner 2 or 3 hours before they come in (also of course so you still get to eat with the family), then have a light lunch half way through the night, sarnie, fruit etc and then maybe some toast if you wanted before sleep. I always find that eating right before you sleep is not a good thing, makes me feel very groggy when i wake up!

Unfortunately i too often fall into the quick, easy and cheap pot noodle habit....not recommended!!

I love working nights and have no plan to change, if you can get to grips with the eating and sleep patterns you can definitely appreciate the benefits!

Never being at work at 3pm on a Saturday is one!!

Good luck!

ditchy · Apr 12, 2018

edna krabappel said:
I do 9pm to 6am nights. I've never been very good at eating on night shifts, it sometimes makes me feel quite queasy, so I tend to eat a full meal just before I leave at 7:45pm. Cereal with milk was often a go-to if I did happen to be hungry in the small hours though.

Before I sorted my (terrible) diet out recently, I did find it was all too easy to pick up chocolate and crisps from 24hr petrol stations at 3am Haven't done that for about six weeks now, and I've more or less stopped missing it

That galaxy at 3am must have been so nice tho !

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