does night shift make you fat?

foreverLaur · Jan 3, 2010

Oh and by the way, how did i lose the 25 pounds you ask? well with all the problems i mentioned earlier i had to take some very drastic and unhealthy approaches to pull this off, including a combination of starvation diets and over the counter diet pills. Yes i did work out as well, but i don't want to continue doing unhealthy stuff to my body. I want to maintain my wieght loss the healthy way.

Your diet is the number one factor in your weight. Simply put, eat less calorie than you put in. If you do that, you will lose weight. You could lose weight by eating 1,000 calories a day of chocolate bars. You won't be healthy, but you would lose weight. Your best bet is to eat 5-6 small well balance meals a day.

Exercise helps you lose calories so that you can eat a full well balance diet and have your caloric intake by less than your loss. There are obviously other health benefits, but when it comes to strictly weight loss... calories in

There are a lot of software programs out there that can help you estimate how many calories you expend each day and help you keep track of everything you put into your body so you can get an idea of how you are doing.

wanderlust99 · Jan 3, 2010

I gained 30 lbs in nursing school and another 50 working night shift for 2 years!! My problem was just stress on my body. We would always have pot luck on nights & it was slower paced than days so more time to sit around & munch..also to pick up take out from restaurants - it was more of a social thing. On days sometimes I hardly have time to eat lunch! And after a bad night I would often come home & binge to relieve stress. I use to think I enjoyed working nights, but I started getting a little loopy from 3-6AM which was never good for my patients. I seem to be more clear headed on day shift...even though I had no issues sleeping during the day when I worked nights.

My dream shift would be 11A - 11 P!!

Wsmith16, ADN, BSN · Jan 3, 2010

do you work 12 hr shifts, and if so, you drink nothing but water for 12 hrs while you are awake? when do you get to eat? i'm starting nights soon, and i cannot afford to gain weight

i work 7pm to 7:30am. i eat in the morning whatever i want and before i go to work. after 7pm i don't eat again, i will drink water and if i have the munchies then i have a yogurt or some crackers. this works for me. i'd prob lose more if i followed the same motto on my days off.

Jules A, MSN · Jan 3, 2010

Lol, its not the night shift that makes me gain weight it is the extra meal I seem to sneak in a few times a week.

LeLeeFNP · Jan 3, 2010

"Your diet is the number one factor in your weight. Simply put, eat less calorie than you put in. If you do that, you will lose weight. You could lose weight by eating 1,000 calories a day of chocolate bars. You won't be healthy, but you would lose weight. Your best bet is to eat 5-6 small well balance meals a day."

I don't know that this is a true statement for everyone. I've read a lot of literature on this topic and chocolate bars would cause you to have massive spikes in your blood sugar because of the huge amount of simple carbs it contains... this in turn PROMOTES storage of fat, as too many carbs turns into excess glycogen, which turns into fat. And perhaps eating 1000 calories a day would cause you to lose weight in the first month or so, but eventually your body would adjust, your metabolism would slow down, and you will still gain weight...at least most people would. This is why low carb diets are so popular. I am not only speaking from experience but also from massive research on the topic. Believe me I have tried everything to lose weight within the past year. Bottom line calorie counting by itself just does not cut it for everyone...believe me I have tried that too. I have eaten whatever i want, carbs and all but just reduced my caloric intake...and that doesn't work for me in the long run.

"I actually lost weight working night shift because I ate less. I never exercised before so I can't really add that into the comparison. Luckily I'm still young enough that I can eat like a pig, not go to the gym, and still weigh 115lbs :) I'll cry the day I lose that."

I hear ya. I used to be the same way...size 3 my whole life. Maybe now that I am 28 my metabolism is slowing down, I don't know. Now that i lost the weight and am back down to my normal size (5'3 116 lbs), I am looking for a way to live a healthy lifestyle, incorporate regular excersize and eating habbits so i can maintain my weight without having to take drastic measures. I see that the days are over where i could just eat whatever i wanted and not work out at all and still be stick thin. But it's definately not fun when you can't fit into any of your clothes, and so far from what I'm reading on this board from the people who don't have weight problems working night shift it sounds like you are only eating one meal a day? Is there anyone else out there that are able to work 12 hour nights but still incorporate a regular excersize and healthy eating into their schedule?

LeLeeFNP · Jan 3, 2010

screw this, I'm going to get off of allnurses.com and go work out for a few hours. Maybe that will make me feel better.

Midwest4me · Jan 3, 2010

i always wondered if noc shift makes you fat, or is it just that fat people like noc shift??? you could ask the same question r/t working on psych??? hmmm...chicken or the egg...
lol...just kidding btw...

hahahhaha, that's funny....kind of mean....but funny!!! :yeah:

DaniGrrl · Jan 3, 2010

My husband is a police officer. Their schedule has them alternating between night shift and day shift monthly. Every month he's on nights, he gains a few pounds. Every month he's on days, he loses a few. I think it's a combination of the schedule messing up his circadian rhythms and that he tends to eat more prepackaged unhealthy food.

Midwest4me · Jan 3, 2010

i actually lost weight working night shift because i ate less. i never exercised before so i can't really add that into the comparison. luckily i'm still young enough that i can eat like a pig, not go to the gym, and still weigh 115lbs :) i'll cry the day i lose that.
i'll wager that you have another 7 years of... (to quote you) eating like a pig, neglecting the gym, etc.....because by 30... bam!!!.... your metabolism will gradually begin to slow down and "things" will start heading south! oh and the "toxic waist"(fat around the midsection) begins. (aren't i just a ray of sunshine and good news???? hahaha) enjoy it whilst you can! i always had a high metabolism, very active nursing jobs....then 5+ years ago, i started night shift and i've been battling the weight problem ever since....but then i'm also in my 50s and that doesn't help any!

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Jan 3, 2010

I didn't gain on nights. However, I did not eat anything at night. I would eat RIGHT before going in, and then had nothing but water while at work. I ate a small snack when I got home and then worked out shortly after. Around 11am I would eat a full meal. Then I went to bed for about 7ish hours. I did wake hungry but waited until it was almost time for work to eat so I could make it through the shift without eating. I worked 8 hour shifts with a 1.5 hr commute each way.

LeLeeFNP · Jan 4, 2010

so basicially it is not possible to eat normal healthy meals while working 12 hour nights. i can see how 8 hour nights would be a bit easier. since i am unable to change my schedule at this time i guess i'll have to stick with my crash diets and pills to keep the weight off. thanks for all who tried to offer advice.

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Jan 4, 2010

You CAN eat normal meals, if you don't eat while at work. If you do eat at work, you have to skip a meal at another time of day. If you normally eat 3 meals a day and then start working nights and add in another meal, that is when the weight gain happens. If you can't go all night working without eating, I found it helpful to split up a normal meal into two meals. Eating 4 meals a day will make you gain.