Im curious- of those who work shift work- for example, I have been working all three shifts, sometimes all in the same week, and have been obese for a while since i started the job 5 years ago. gained the 40 pounds in the 1st year, and have gained another 20 in the past 2 years. I find myself sleeping only 3-4 hours at a time. eat whatever i can when i can as i never know if or when i will get a break( which I usually don't get)
They say to exercise- how can i do that when i am flipping from day to nite then back to eve in the same week? Of course if you work nites , then you are hungry all the time, and end up eating more at the wrong times.
I've noticed that many of my co- workers who are over age 35 (or even 30) and do shift work are also overweight/obese. The only ones who can pull off the exercise thing and work those shifts are the 20 year olds!
For those of you who don't have time or are too tired to work out try this (I used it while working night shift as a cop and it seemed to help out a lot with sleep and stress):
Set a goal: 50/75/100 pushups or 50/75/100 squat thrusts (I would say sit ups but that would be difficult in a hospital setting) per shift.
Even if you can only do 5 at a time to start with, keep up the total count (5 x 10 sets = 50 per shift, for example).
When I had 30 seconds to myself, I would drop down and crank out a set and move on. It worked wonders on keeping my mind sharp (increased blood flow) and seemed to help with sleep as well.
Just a thought. I feel for you guys. This is why I can't fathom going back to night shift when I graduate.
If you just cut out soda or any kind of drink with calories in it you will lose SO much weight. Even cut out the diet sodas with the fake sugars. I also make sure to eat lots of fiber. Fiber One cereal is great. I've lost 20 pounds in a year just by changing my diet a little bit at a time. I know that's not very quick but it's easier to gradually change that to do it all at once.
It does suck with eating working a night job. I used to work in a restaurant bar, and I would come in at 3:45 and work till 12 or 1 am. You don't get food breaks to eat, so while you are serving everyone beer and dinner, you eat NOTHING. After gaining about 30 pounds since I started. I started working out BEFORE I went into work and showering at the gym, then eating before I came on. It worked and I lost about 6 or 7 pounds, but then I got married and moved and now I'm in school and doing what I stated above.
I think it's all about eating whole foods, and when you can snack eat bananas or Fiber One Bars. All I drink is water now and my diet is boring, but hey it works, so be it. Good luck!
make sure on your take out, they put NO sauces in the sandwich! No soda (aspartamine makes your thirsty). and EAST SLOW!! dead slow. remember ladies, it takes 20 mintues for the signal to get to your brain that you are full.
Most of us inhale food! Its a learned process but it WORKS!
I have been FORCING myself to get an hour of cardio in every day before I go in for my night shift. It is really hard to get started with the workout, the exhaustion takes away all motivation to break a sweat but once I get going, I feel a nice energy rush after. I have been drinking vitamin water and eating high fiber/high protein foods during my shift. I'm really concerned about gaining weight while working night shift too because when I'm tired, I can't read my body's signals either and everything ends up with "Well I must be hungry" and I shove food in my face to keep going. I appreciate all the good tips on this subject.
#1) Sleep is so important. Sounds like your body is out of sync. Talk to your manager and see if you can't get consistent shifts.
#2) Don't eat anytime/anything when ever you get a chance just because who knows when you'll get a chance to eat again. A healthy power/protein bar is adequate. Eat healthy before shift, healthy snack during and a light healthy meal after shift. Alot of the unhealthy eating/snacking is to comfort ourselves because we're angry with the situation.
#3) As many others have said DON'T drink diet drinks. Look around at who drinks those, MOST are overweight..hhmmmm..could there be a link there???? If you want a soda pop drink a regular ONE, sipping on those diet drinks all day are bad for weight control. Water may seem boring, but it helps to flush your system, have a filled water bottle within arms reach at all times.
#4) Stand instead of sitting. It takes more energy/Kcal to stand, use down time to stock/clean rooms. Did I say don't sit? Don't sit, the more you walk the more calories burned. If your feet/legs hurt, get ted hose and good walking shoes, (CROCS may be comfortable for some, but I spend the majority of my 12hr shift on my feet and I know CROCS hurt. rockport,saucony..there are great shoes out there).
#5) We all bring in treats, hard to resist ones, so, I always take a small portion, then I get up/out walking and stay away from the treat until other coworkers have eaten the temptation away.
It's hard, especially with your rotating schedule. Don't give up. I've been fighting my fat cells for years, and I'm sure I will for many more. I'm most successful when I don't deprive myself of food, instead I try to burn more calories. Doesn't have to be a cardio workout, just getting up off my butt and moving helps.
Good luck, there are many of us out here fighting the fat:yeah:
I have been FORCING myself to get an hour of cardio in every day before I go in for my night shift. It is really hard to get started with the workout, the exhaustion takes away all motivation to break a sweat but once I get going, I feel a nice energy rush after. I have been drinking vitamin water and eating high fiber/high protein foods during my shift. I'm really concerned about gaining weight while working night shift too because when I'm tired, I can't read my body's signals either and everything ends up with "Well I must be hungry" and I shove food in my face to keep going. I appreciate all the good tips on this subject.
When I used to work out before work, I would feel so energized afterwards! It's great if you can get to the gym before work.
When I was a CNA and in school to be an RN, I noticed the weight that was on many of the shift workers. I vowed to try to combat that as much as I could.
Bring healthy snacks to work. Make air-popped popcorn at home (and bring) or have a low fat micro poprcorn to fill you up instead of just anything. There are many options: yogurt, cereal, cereal bars, dried fruit, nuts....even a plain turkey sandwich is better than 'junk'.
Try and do 10 minutes of exercise before work. It's not much but it will help you feel better. Keep some protein available for snacks. A few bites of tuna fish, a few slices of turkey or a chicken leg can go a long way. Almonds, berries and popcorn are good too. Make sure to stay hydrated as well. Add 10 minutes more of exercise when you get home. Do some squats, march in place...nothing major. It could help you sleep and you need more of it. Your body can't function on what it is getting.
Thanks for the insights. I do see some common threads- mainly being over 40. I guess that does make things difficult to begin with.
Someone pointed out we must be short staffed- BINGO! and no union. We,ve had a lot of injuries and nurses being out on medical leave- back strains, a back surgery, a blown knee, MY blown knee in nov last year( and it still isnt right) etc. so not only am I flipping the shifts, so are my coworkers who are still left. Just tonight my cowrker commented that she couldnt tell if she was coming or going.Also, our pt loads have been extroardinarily heavier than usual( had one pt that we changed his bed 8x in a 12 hour shift) and many of these pts are requiring assist of 3 - 4 people just to turn them. So, no breaks during these times either.
After reading, i realize i am very out of sync. i wish i could do just straight nights- my brain has actually headed that way, but my spouse cant change his hours, and no one will take my son at 530 am when he leaves. flipping from eves to nites is easier than flipping days to nites.
After having some nice groupings of palpatations these eve at work( maybe too much caffeine??) i realize i better get things changed. Its so easy to lose focus. maybe someday i will have straight hours, and will be able to have a routine. Amazing when you realize that you dont do anything for fun anymore. I used to be an avid horseback rider. Havent touched them in 6 months or so. That was a good and fun form of exercise. What stinks is the only time teh family is here together in one place at the same time- what do we do for fun??? Eat out, of course. ugghhh.
anyway tjhanks for the thoughts. i see i am not alone.
If you're having PVC's, you should also get an H&H. I had the same problem recently and was found to be very anemic. I ended up having to get an endometrial ablation and take 1000mg iron every day for three months.
This is not meant to substitute for medical advice, I just think you shouldn't treat PVC's lightly. It could be nothing, but you should find out for sure.
powerbar type snacks are my best friend. i love fiber one bars, which only have 140 calories per bar, and the fiber one cereal, which only has 60 calories per serving.
fiber keeps me full and energized, and many of the powerbars also have protein.
bds165
79 Posts
For those of you who don't have time or are too tired to work out try this (I used it while working night shift as a cop and it seemed to help out a lot with sleep and stress):
Set a goal: 50/75/100 pushups or 50/75/100 squat thrusts (I would say sit ups but that would be difficult in a hospital setting) per shift.
Even if you can only do 5 at a time to start with, keep up the total count (5 x 10 sets = 50 per shift, for example).
When I had 30 seconds to myself, I would drop down and crank out a set and move on. It worked wonders on keeping my mind sharp (increased blood flow) and seemed to help with sleep as well.
Just a thought. I feel for you guys. This is why I can't fathom going back to night shift when I graduate.
Good luck.