Night working

[Smithb]

Hi I'm a nurse and I work nights so difficult to stay in control. Is it better to eat overnight or eat at normal times during the day? What are best food to east overnight?

[pcrw Maintainer Healthy BMI]

Dear Smith b

I can't answer your question but would like to thank you for doing a marvellous job.

I would think you want to sleep when you get home and should have a meal and then go to bed as it is easier to sleep on a full stomach, as long as you stick to your calorie allowance then you will lose weight,

I find cutting carbs and sugar stops my cravings and keeps me on track

Best wishes

[Shel146 in reply to pcrw]

I'd eat smaller meals spaced out to keep your energy up and keep your coal fire just ticking away over your 24 hour period - And yes great job

[Hidden]

Hi and welcome Smithb I used to work nights a good few years back and I ate weird and wonderful But i wasn't trying to lose weight then so i can't really answer your question either

I agree with pcrw that if you keep within the calories range for you then you should lose weight You can find this range by doing the NHS BMI calculator which can be found in the Newbie Club

I would like to invite you to join our Newbie Club, which we hope will be a good place for you to connect with members, who are also just starting out, or re-starting.

If you just post a few words on the September Newbie Club thread to introduce yourself and respond to others there you will soon feel part of the club.

Follow this link to the Newbie club: healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

Please read all the information carefully, it is very useful and can be referred to whenever you want to check something.

Please note none of us on here are medically trained I would like to thank you for the job you do though as all nurses do a fantastic job

It just remains for me to wish you well on your journey

[NannyEJ]

Hi Smithb and welcome to this forum. I worked shifts for many years as a midwife so I understand your problem. It is probably down to personal choice which meals you eat when, but I found it best to eat my main evening meal before going to work, then having what would normally be a daytime lunch mid shift and then breakfast before sleeping.

If you needed any extra snacks overnight it would be best to choose healthy options like crudités, hummus, or a few nuts. Too much sugar will give you a slump so best to avoid if you can. For breakfast I used to have porridge with fresh or frozen fruit like blueberries, blackberries or strawberries. Porridge is slow release carbs so should allow you to sleep well during the day.

Stay within the upper limit of your NHS BMI calorie allowance and you will lose weight. As you lose weight you will need to decrease this allowance slightly in increments, titrated against your new weight every month or so. Best to start high then there will be scope to go lower as you lose weight.

You need to be organised and plan and prepare some meals in advance if possible so they are ready to go when you are pushed for time, then you won't be tempted to eat junk food.

The most difficult temptation I used to find was all the chocolates and goodies grateful patients used to donate to the ward. Try to be strong and avoid these (difficult I know). Once you start to see results the motivation will be there to continue.

Don't forget to drink lots of water, 2 litres a day. I find the more water I drink the easier it is to lose weight.

Good luck and keep posting your progress. EJ

[Smithb in reply to NannyEJ]

Thank you very helpful x

[Claz]

hi. my husband works shifts and he has his main meal when he gets up.. he then has his 'lunch' at work... then his breakfast before he goes to bed. This seems to work for him but i do think working shifts is hard when you are trying to lose weight but with extra planning and sticking to your calorie allowance you should be able to lose. good luck x

[Water_baby]

Hi, I sympathize with you as I know what it can be like on a night shift on the ward. During the day I would eat my meals around my nap times before my shift. I always feel nauseous and bloated when working nights so if I am peckish then I will eat dry biscuits but I drink more than I eat.

[RG07 Maintainer]

Hi I am a nurse and do nights occasionally and I try to eat normally. On my first night I tend to have breakfast, my main meal at lunch time(which is normal for me) but tend to eat it later then have a meal during my night shift. I can't have too heavy a meal overnight so I tend to have popchips 85g bag and homemade salsa- its filling but easy for my stomach to digest. When I finish the shift I have breakfast before I go to bed and my main meal when I get up- usually at 4pm then salsa & dips. I know some of my colleagues have salad but I find that hard to digest at 2am! Other have soup or noodles for their night time snack which are easy to digest. Hope that gives you some ideas