does night shift make you fat?

Nurses General Nursing

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I gained 25 pounds over the last year and a half after starting a night shift position. after 3 and a half months of HARD HARD work, (excersizing and dieting like crazy) i finally lost the weight. but i am afraid that i am going to gain it back. it is soooo hard to excersize regularly working 12 hour night shifts. I feel like its easier to gain weight on nights because i am eating at weird times. Has anyone else gained weight from working nights or is this all in my mind?

Specializes in Hospice & Palliative Care, Oncology, M/S.

It wasn't a nursing job, but I actually lost 80 pounds working night shift. It wasn't a healthy way of losing it, as I kept forgetting to eat (yes it happens) and it was a very physical job.

About me drinking green tea.. I have tried many different teas and each of them has their own properties, sleep, digestion, relaxation, energy. I think black tea has more caffeine, it is stronger and I drink it at home all the time when I need to be awake. I prefer green tea for more so digestion because it is milder on my taste buds and stomach. There are also many different types of green tea, I would recommend that you try brands like Lipton, tazo or something in your local whole food store to begin with and read properties before buying your tea. Get recommendations from other tea drinkers, they know where to get the good teas without having to spend the brand price. And also google on how to prepare a good tea. You don't want to loose the antioxidants by mixing it in a boiling water, this is when you hear the tea fizz and you see small white bubbles, and I take out my tea bag after 1-2 mins in hot water because it gives a bitter taste if left for too long. You can use the same bag several times. I always take tea bags with me, coz it is easy to get hot water. Also, I sometimes drink plain hot water but never cold after meals. I hope this will get you started on the right foot.

Specializes in ICU, CVICU, Surgical, LTAC.

alienRN, it seems like you have found a system that really works for you. i admire that. i will definately try out some of your tips. i know for me personally i still need to make an effort to work out at the very least on my off days but i think incorporating some of your diet tricks will be just what i need to stay on track. do you have any tips for preventing sweet cravings? i also love chocolate. I can resist it most of the time but eating sweet fruits just doesn't take my cravings away completely.

I wish I have a solution for the chocolate cravings. My chocolate cravings (Dark chocolate) started about a year ago, but it isn't severe. I have read that sometimes hormonal imbalances or mineral deficiencies of Iron and Magnesium can lead to cravings for sweets such as chocolate. I don't know if you are good with taking your supplements (I am horrible) and next time when you go for your annual check up do a CBC. I have a doc's appointment in less than three weeks and I am planning to do the same, coz it's been two years since I last saw the doc..Yikes.... If your cravings aren't that severe and if it isn't interfering with your health, I would just let them be. Try not to buy chocolates and eat only a small portion after a filling meal, trust me there won't be much room left for the former. Good luck

Specializes in MICU/SICU.

No I lost weight. I've been working nights for 5 months and I'm a new nurse. I bring healthy things to eat at night. I know how many calories I'm consuming in the 14 hours I am gone. When I get home I'm too tired for more than a bowl of cereal or occasional egg mcmuffin which is only 300 calories. And sometimes at night I'm too busy to eat (I work ICU, and many times it's non-stop all night). When I get up in the afternoon, I'm too tired to eat. In general, I care more about sleeping than eating.

Then again, I've always been one to lose my appetite when going through any kind of stress, rather than stress-eat.

Specializes in OR.
No I lost weight. I've been working nights for 5 months and I'm a new nurse. I bring healthy things to eat at night. I know how many calories I'm consuming in the 14 hours I am gone. When I get home I'm too tired for more than a bowl of cereal or occasional egg mcmuffin which is only 300 calories. And sometimes at night I'm too busy to eat (I work ICU, and many times it's non-stop all night). When I get up in the afternoon, I'm too tired to eat. In general, I care more about sleeping than eating.

Then again, I've always been one to lose my appetite when going through any kind of stress, rather than stress-eat.

Me too losing my appetite when i am under stress.Any treatment for this?:cry::cry:

Specializes in ICU, CVICU, Surgical, LTAC.

alienRN, the only supplement I take is a multivitamin (although i have to do the gummies because the pills are so big and hard to swallow for me). what supplements do you take? oh and i also drink protein shakes after a weight lifting session.

OK nurse friends, I'm just a simple truck-driver turned SN, but I have noticed that similar to sleep apnea working in the evenings completely throws off our healthiest rhythms, such as inappropriate eating because of fatigue, boredom and even depression, so we compensate the best way we know (I'm 65% hot-dog). Starts a chain of events, (domino effect) that finally results in the scream in our head when we don't recognize the person stepping out of the shower.... in the mirror. I ballooned to 300lbs. and developed SA (6'4, but it still isn't pretty) driving I-5 all night while waiting 3 years for school. Now that I'm in class 35lbs melted off without my say-so. I'm feeling TONS better and even hit the gym and eat like a regular guy, now that I have the ease of nursing school.

Nights take years off our lives in insidious ways, I advise moderation in work and life. Beware the midnight trucker!! Best!! :devil:

Actually, c shift differential, I make enough to buy myself diet pills. (Straight face.)

Actually, c shift differential, I make enough to buy myself diet pills. (Straight face.)

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.

I do not really understand the idea of not eating during your shift. That to me is basically like not eating all day except for right after you wake up and right before sleeping. This sounds like a horrible way to manage your metabolism and could lead to greater weight gain.

I'll stick with my 2300 snack 0130 lunch and 04/0500 yogurt.

Tait

I gained my weight when i quite smoking years ago and have since gone up and down. I thought when I became a nurse, it would come off..not! Goodies from families, meals on the run, coworkers bringing in food, etc. Then when I switched to nights I started loosing a little. Of course when I started nursing school, the weight came back on. It was just easier to pick up something off the dollar menu since I was so busy. Now that school is over, I've dropped my carb level and have started to lose - and still on nights.

I think it really depends on your schedule, your sleep habits or lack thereof and how much you really like night shift. I love nights, have less depression, sleep better, etc. Some people just don't do well on nights. I work 8 hour shifts, but will be soon working 12 hours...so I may have a different opinion after that. lol

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