Night shift and food

neilo23

Anyone have any dietary tips for me? My problem is that I work in the night and am never sure when I should eat. I have numerous books and magazines with diet tips, but they are all aimed at people with 9-5 jobs. I usually get up at 12 midday. Then I either have breakfast, wait an hour and train 2-3 hours or have a cup of coffee, train for an hour then eat. Then I have a meal at about 6 and start work at 7. I finish at 1 or 2 in the morning, or at 5 at the weekend (in a pub) with no break to eat whilst at work. After work I'm usually starving and generally eat something and go to bed (not the best way of losing weight). How could I plan my eating better?

markos1963

I can sympathise Neil, being a train driver my shifts are all over the place, in fact some weeks I'll start on earlies and finish on nights! What I do on nights is to get up around 1pm and have a good breakfast(muesili, banana, dried apricot, honey) then go out training about an hour and a half later. Eat an evening meal at around 730pm. Then at work I'll eat my sandwich and fruit BEFORE 1am, this is crucial. Any later and your body will keep you awake trying to digest the food just when you want to sleep. The other thing is I don't drink tea or coffee on nights as this is a stimulant and it keeps you up artificially until the effect wears off and you feel sleepier(not good in my job) I just drink lots of water to keep me hydrated. I eat nothing before sleeping.

phil s

I'm currently on nights and find my eating is all over the place - I can't stomach the idea of the type of meals I regularly eat, can't face anything hot other than porridge and crave carbs and sugar. I tend to go with what I crave and then buckle down after I've got through my stint of nights (in my case usually 2-3 12 hour shifts once a month).

rjh299

i've got next set of nights coming up soon. I tend to get up around 1-2pm and not eat anything proper until 6ish. Go to work at ten, eat meal at 1 or 2am, then have bowl of cereal or toast at work at 5 or 6ish when i get home. Walk the dogs then go sleep 7:30ish. Not that i reccomend you do this but just so you know other people are struggling with nights aswell. Although i always have something to eat last minute before i go to bed, even on days.

HighgateN6

I have been working nights for 10 years 20.00 hrs to six and nutrition is not a problem:

1.. Whenever you get up have Muesli or porridge sets the body up.

2. Drink a much as possible. Water and stay hydrated.

3. Avoid spicy food, red meat otherwise you will not sleep.... Every three hours eat small meals Chicken kebabs a good one lots of youghurt and rice.

4. Eat lots of bananas and fruit..

5..Have sunbeds in winter once a week so you get some rays and it picks up the mood.

Hope this helps

Frank the tank

My night shifts used to be 9.00pm - 6.15am and I always eat as little as possible after 2.00am. My biggest problem was sleeping, In bed for 7.00am nod off and be awake for 9.00am. I was lucky if I got 15hours sleep all week.

Fortunately I don't have to do them now and you have my sympathy for having to do them, they screw your life up never mind any training programme you my have.

drumsmasher

I have worked nights for 15 years and the best tips i can give are.... know when your good days are and when you feel knackered, eat something before you hit the pit and after finishing nights, have a recovery day.

Anonymous

HighgateN6 wrote:

I have been working nights for 10 years 20.00 hrs to six and nutrition is not a problem:

1.. Whenever you get up have Muesli or porridge sets the body up.

2. Drink a much as possible. Water and stay hydrated.

3. Avoid spicy food, red meat otherwise you will not sleep.... Every three hours eat small meals Chicken kebabs a good one lots of youghurt and rice.

4. Eat lots of bananas and fruit..

5..Have sunbeds in winter once a week so you get some rays and it picks up the mood.

Hope this helps

A very very good tip!

Pokerface

NapoleonD wrote:

HighgateN6 wrote:

I have been working nights for 10 years 20.00 hrs to six and nutrition is not a problem:

1.. Whenever you get up have Muesli or porridge sets the body up.

2. Drink a much as possible. Water and stay hydrated.

3. Avoid spicy food, red meat otherwise you will not sleep.... Every three hours eat small meals Chicken kebabs a good one lots of youghurt and rice.

4. Eat lots of bananas and fruit..

5..Have sunbeds in winter once a week so you get some rays and it picks up the mood.

Hope this helps

A very very good tip!

Until you get skin cancer. That'll put a damper on your mood!

Anonymous

1 session a week for a short length of time when you are getting zero daylight is not a bad thing, you would be very unlucky to get skin cancer from that!

I hate doing nights in winter, you see no daylight at all and it does affect your mood.

HighgateN6

Dear Mr Napoleon,

Winter Sun beds will really help once a week 5-6 minutes use the lying down bed ones.

Drink lots of water... Buy a steamer and cook lots of Brocolli and put it in a Tuperware pot.. Take it to work and eat lots of the Broc and you will feel full and loose loads of weight..

I hardly see any daylight in the winter - I am a London cab driver and end up cycling in the dark up Highgate west hill... have worked nights the last 10 years.

I really liked your site and can recommend the book Breaking the Chain by Willy Voet... Clenbutorol seems to be the drug for me.

All the best,

Highgate N6

Cumulonimbus

NapoleonD wrote:

I hate doing nights in winter, you see no daylight at all and it does affect your mood.

I dont mind night shifts in winter that much - sometimes the days dont seem too light anyway Much worse in summer when its all set up for a lovely day and you have to sleep through it all :evil:

I do 8pm until 8am and i prefer to eat a largeish sbnack about 1-2am and then have a couple of light snacks at 4 and 6. Then some cereal when i get in to act as breakfast.