NIGHT TIME WORKER TRYING TO MAINTAIN WEIGHT LOSS

I am a nurse who works 7p to 7a several days a week. I sleep all day long and am awake all night. During the night I tend to eat constantly. Small amounts at various times. Not all necessarily junk food. I drink plenty of fluids (flavored water and Crystal Lite). I'm 19 months post op and have lost from 250 to 148 and still losing. Is there anyone else who works nights and has difficulty controlling your diet on this work schedule? If so any advice on how to control the eating? I'd like to lose the last 15 pounds and am planning to follow the Cardiac diet (the hospital diet given to cardiac patients to rapidly lose weight prior to heart surgery).

I recently went through a big move (from CA to the east coast) and my eating schedule went out of whack for about a month. It was hard, but once I found a feeding schedule that worked for me, I was back on track. I also record everything I eat into fitday.com- so I know what I am eating and how it is effecting my weight. Hope this helps! p.s. Most of us are still in the early stages of our WLS journey, about 6 months out and have not hit the maintaining stages yet... so I wasn't sure if you inteneded on posting this here on the 2005 or the 04 page.

Charlotte I am right there with you honey! I work 7p to 7a 3 or 4 nights a week, and while i'm not at work i feel that i do well, but once i'm up here...it seems like all i do is eat. If you figure something out let me know... Good luck! Aileen 323/236/150

Don't know if this will work for you but I munch on sunflower seeds. With having to crack open the shell and get the kernal out, it takes a while to eat and keeps me from getting hungry. They have been my saving grace. It also helps me get my liquids in as the salt makes me thirsty. Just don't eat them if you have a cavity, cut or other infection in you mouth as the salt hurts. -Maria

Sunflower seeds are my trick too..I just love the BBQ flavored ones..I'm picking up speed with them tho', getting the kernal out..I can go thru a two serving bag in a day now..that's 220 cals! Do you drink as you eat them..I do, but it's the only thing I have a drink with. Mostly after I put them down. I worry they will wear my front teeth down..LOL a tad of expensive bonding there!

Well, I've tried this: I pack a bag with only 2 meals (1 can of hearty soup w/ chicken or beef in it and veggies; and then a salad w/ chicken) and plenty of flavored water, crystal light, and diet green tea; and 1 snack (fruit, or a crunchy vegetable). Fruit for something sweet and nonfattening and the crunchy veggie like carrots for the irresistable urge to crunch (like on chips). I eat as early as possible and drink for the rest of the night. The candy machines are in the basement of the hospital or the e.r. and I'm too lazy to make the trip even in the elevator! LOL! So I avoid the candy machines all together. So this has made it a little easier. I'm working on resisting the urge to stop at McDonald's for breakfast in the mornings. I just remind myself that I am going home to lie down for a couple of hours and I don't want to eat then sleep all day and not burn off that morning meal. By packing my bag w/ the only things I will allow myself to eat and drink during the night helps a lot. When the bag is empty, I know it's time to stop eating.