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

tsgarr, You are welcome...I love this site because of the ability to see what others have done, are doing, and what has worked or not worked for them. It is also nice to know that there are others out there like us that work nights.  Good luck  Karen Schworm

TSGAR- I am also an L&D nurse- have worked all shifts and even mixed nights with day shifts (all 12 hour shifts) and TWO full time jobs during my 3 year divorce: no child support, paying a lawyer, moving to a big city- OY! I guess a nurse will do anything  to keep from being a hooker, huh? On our unit, we never seem to have time to eat, drink water adequately or take even a minute to ourselves- Forget peeing- we never drink! NEVER do we have a full 30 minute lunch period- we are LUCKY to eat while standing and walking- So naturally we eat a lot of crap- that is what got me to 273#!  I'm having a revision of my VBG (done in 2003 with good success but suffered a staple line breakdown- like I NOW hear they usually do) to a RNY March 24th-- in about 2 weeks! Oh, my!  So my big worry is going back to old habits of:  *NOT having enough respect for my self to plan meals to take to the hospital.  *NOT having the self love to push myself, tired, frustrated and undernurished from a bruital 13 hour shift & drag myself to the gum on the way home.  *NOT putting my needs, my worthiness first- above all others- why not tho, every one ELSE seems to have NO problems doing so!  From the kids who abuse your good nature and impose upon you to do anything they choose to screw up, the husband who can certInly find time to play his guitar all freaking day he has off but acts like he has palsey when you ask him to empty the dishwasher! Those testicles sure get in the way of ANY meaningful efforts to share the house work misery, huh? I surely don't want to go back to ENABELING the people I love and care for to inadvertantly screw me over!  I want to grow the spine necessary to value my own time, effort and desires to reach my weight loss/health recovery goals. It's time to be selfish, girls!  %%% Ask for what you want, demand what you need and offer ONLY what you are able.%%% It' MY turn- A tired, puney, malnurished nurse is **** poor care giver--  Even on  airplanes what do they tell you in the event of an emergency: If you are traveling with children, apply YOUR OXYGEN MASK FIRST before applying theirs-- you are no help to them if you pass out and/or die! I'll let you all know how this "NEW" philosophy pans out with the screaming, ill prepared teenage moms, the multips who you can hear yelling obscentities all the way from the ER and deliver in the wheel chair and those yummy c-section/hysterectomies like we had this week- granted, the running for blood units from the blood bank was aerobic, for sure! Some things really ARE theraputic! Love you all for your self-less devotion to your fellow WLS traveler! Tamera Dallas

Seems like there really are a bunch of us night nurses here.  Used to work L and D, now work at a BARIATRICS hospital.  Try that on for size.  Today the day shift nurses all got "lunch" from, "they did not know who" and left it for tomorrow, burger and fries.  Nights got nothing.  Not unusual.   I make sure when I get home I pack my lunch for the night to come.  Up at 4pm, out the door by 4:30 to the gym to exercise in the pool from 5-6, shower and luckily go across the parking lot to work.  On those days, I usually wait till I get to work for a cup of coffee, and try to eat throughout the night with what I brought.  Sometimes I get a bit hungry about 5am, then I use the 100 cal oatmeal with splenda and cinnamon.  Sleep all day, keep a glass of crystal lite by the bed to drink if "I think I am hungry". Days off are harder, but what I try to do is think, if you are sleeping, you should not be eating, so eating is for the time you are awake and active.  So I switch my eating on my 3 days off.  I don't keep junk in the house at all.  Biggest problems are when someone does bring something to work, or we go out to eat, or to a family gathering.  Sometimes I just give in and start again the next day. Something is working (135 pounds down), but staying here and losing the last few is tough.  I have to remember, these are numbers and the real numbers are the reflection in the mirror in a size 10 or 12 from a 26-28 at almost 300 pounds.   It just gets kindda old when the same old people are eating the same old junk and you are not, but when they get sick, and I mean really sick with diabetes or HTN, you will be the one left standing with the carrot stick in your hand and a healthy life ahead of you. Anyway, HANG IN THERE ALL YOU NIGHT NURSES... WHAT WOULD THEY DO WITHOUT US?

Some things never change.....I love that you mentioned day shift gets fed.   It really is a small world!  Hang in there and good luck with your RNY.  I love mine and I feel blessed every day.  I did break the plateau and have made progress with organizing my meals.  I too switch to day eating when I'm home.  Down 130 lbs now.....walking more......reduced my carbs.  Thanks for the reply.  tgarr

Hey there, I know your post is a few weeks old but as a fellow night shift RN I feel compelled to share with you a piece of advice my nutritionist gave me when I had the same problem.  Her idea was to eat a meal every 4-5 "waking hours", whether day or night time.  My problem is that with work, meetings, school, etc, sometimes I'm awake for 20+ hours then asleep for 12.  She said I shouldn't let my stomach go longer than 4-5 hours without food unless I'm asleep.  Hope this helps, us vampires have to stick together!! 

Bonnie, Yes, this really does help.  I know it's been a few weeks, but I'm still struggling!  The "waking hours" thing is good.  These 12 hour night shifts are a hoot; I've been doing this for years, but now that I'm a year plus out it's a whole different ball game.  I usually block my working nights together then have a block of days off.  I usually stay up that first morning home so that I can at least sleep some the first night home.  Trying to track calories, carbs, etc.......when does the day start and end?!  Which date do I add the calories to...which meal goes where.   It really gets frustrating.  I like the simple "waking hours."  I think I just need to stick to the rules and eat and not try to track calories etc.  I've been swinging from 175-185 for 2 months and it's driving me crazy!  When I'm home, I'm ready to be out in the sun shine and not dwell on meal preparation.  If I don't take my food with me to work, its a real crap shoot.  Our food at work is AWFUL!  Pt food is great...staff ick!  Thanks so much for taking the time to reply....it was very sweet of you.  Enjoy the sun shine when you can.  Tgarr