Night shift vs Day shift eating. HELP!!!!

I'm having a horrible time, and I'm really scared.  I'm a night shift RN; work 7P-7A.  My schedule is usually 2-3 days on and 2-4 days off.  At work I have more opportunity to channel my head hunger into activity.  During my home time, I have to totally shift everything.  My stomach doesn't seem to wake up till about 9pm, then I battle grazing.  I have the horrible urge to eat while everyone else is getting ready to sleep.  Add to this the fact that the feeling of HUNGER has returned to me and reared it's ugly head!  Not to mention I've rediscovered carbs!  I've done so good.....lost 125 and only 45 to go.  Please help!  I was doing great till christmas time....that's when I added carbs.  I've hit a plateau @ 185lbs, and I can't seem to shake it.  I haven't lost any weight in a month!  Any suggestions?!  I really need help with how to handle night time versus day life eating.  Should I eat during the day when at home.....even if I'm not hungery?  Thanks so much!!!

tsgarr, I'm having the same issue and I've gained 10lbs because my appetite has returned with a vengence. I'm looking for answers and help also.  I don't want to go back from where I came but the snacking is taking its toll, maybe someone can help us through this or give us some helpful advice.

Hi, Dreamgirl 119! Looks like we've got some good advise....take care!  We nightshifters gotta stick together. tgarr

Sounds like you've got a couple things going on.  First is the issue of your varied schedule - sometimes overnight, sometimes up during the day.  While I don't face this particular issue, I would suggest that you try eating during the day even if you aren't feeling particularly hungry.  You may be able to avoid the late night grazing/hunger patterns by eating earlier in the day, even if you don't feel hungry.  That will not necessarily help with the head hunger, but that's something we all battle...  The other thing that's going on is the reintroduction of carbs into your diet.  If you look critically at what you're eating, I suspect that you'll find carbs are the culprit that's holding you at 185 pounds.  Now, carbs in and of themselves are not a bad thing.  I eat about 250 grams of carbs a day, from low-fat dairy, fruits, veggies, whole-grain breads, etc.  And I exercise.  A lot.  So I burn through those carb calories.  I'd suggest reevaluating how many carbs you're eating and where they are coming from, then make some different carb choices and see how it affects your weight loss.   Also, you don't mention exerise.  If you're not exercising at all, do you have time and willingness to start, even if it's just walking?  As we get further out and our pouch capacity and appetite increase, exercise can help us continue to lose and eventually to maintain.  Also, if you haven't been exercising, it should help you push past this plateau.   Finally, are you using a food journal?  I've been journaling for about 2 years now and it's super helpful when I stall, or worse gain, so I can look at what I've been doing and make reasonable changes I'm willing to live with.  There are good online journals at fitday.com, sparkpeople.com, thedailyplate.com and calorieking.com.  (I use software from calorieking.com for my PDA.)  I continue to journal because it's so easy for "empty" calories to add up over the course of a day, and I know that those "empty" calories are a big part of what got me in trouble in the first place!   Good luck on your continuing journey -  Kellie

Kellie, Thank you for the advise.  I definitely need to increase my off hours exercise.  I stand and walk a lot throughout the night between deliveries and scrubbing for C-sections.  However, bad weather and trying to baby my bad knees has really hindered my home exercise.  Thanks again for taking the time to advise.  Happy spring..tgarr

Hi tsgarr, I too am a nightshifter. It's really not that hard once you get the hang of it. I've done a few different things and they've all worked for me. When I first started out, I would eat dinner prior to going to work at 7p, have a snack around 9ish (yogurt, nuts, protein bar, cheese snack), then at around 12 or 1 am I would have an actual meal and another snack by 4 or 5 am. For some reason I'm just always hungry come 5 or 6 am! I could just have eaten 1/2 hr. before and still be hungry:shrug:, so times like those I would either pack a protein shake or some fruit to snack on then I'd be on my way home. Sometimes I would drink a protein shake as soon as I got home or if I happened to wake up in the middle of the day. On my days off, I would resume a normal daytime eating schedule. Eat....even if you're not hungry....it'll keep you from grazing at night.  At another time, I would have my protein shake prior to going in at 7p, then eat an actual meal around 9pm. We would all sit and eat as a family at that time so it was pretty easy. Then I'd have a snack around 12 or 1 and then another around 6. The thing is that I always pack something a little extra just in case I get really hungry. Grapes, strawberries, or baby carrots usually do the trick. I work in the PACU now so it's a little more difficult but I manage. I was still able to lose weight, and another thing someone else mentioned is exercise. It's probably one of the most important things you can do! I know it's hard because of the shift we work, but to be honest we work less than the average 9-5er...we just work longer hours. Hope this helps! You can do it!!! April

April, Thank you for the advise.....I think it will help.  I do need to increase my exercise.  The combo of bad weather and chronic knee issues has really hindered my exercise.  I'm going to follow through on your ideas.  Thanks again and take care.   Just think, spring isn't too far off!  It sure will be nice to drive to work while it's still light out and come home in day light.  Man I hate driving to work in the dark and driving home in the dark....maybe that's part of my issue too?  Again..take care.  Tgarr

April, Thanks for the help!  I appreciate your taking time to reach out.  I've gotten some great advise and I'm developing my game plan; things are looking up.  Thanks again! tgarr

Hi, I am also a 7p-7a RN, working in the critical care unit, our schedules sound very similar.   I have found that when I get home in the morning I drink my protein shake.  When I get up I make my dinner for work and I usually half it and eat the other half before work.  By the time I get to work and I am sitting down for report my 1/2 hour is up and I drink my coffee (my big treat).  I then continue on with my water (I drink the Aquafina Grape).  Around 2am is when I have my "dinner" and then after I wait usually 1 hour I resume my water.  When I get out of work I go right to Curves and do my work out..I go home and begin again. On my days off, I get up first thing in the morning, I go to Curves, come home and have my protein shake.  Then it gets murky...I usually eat around 3 or 4 pm, wait my 1/2 to 1 hour and start drinking.  When I sit to watch TV at night is when the temptation starts but I curb it by either having a few pretzels, or a bag of popcor (100 calorie bag) or a get a heaping teaspoon of crunchy peanut butter.  I have found that any one of those snacks curbs my hunger and my temptations and leaves me filling full.  I then wait the 1/2 to 1 hour and start drinking water.  PS I also have been known to share my snack with the dog. I don't know if this will help you but I feel your pain with the night shift and then switching to the days off phenomon. Good Luck...Karen Schworm

Karen, Thanks so much for the post.  I like your routine.  I need to add more exercise, cut the carbs.  I also think I need to be more diligent about holding fluid 30 before & after.  Thanks again.