Kewl, another night worker! Are you on 8's or 12's?  Here's what I've
noticed so far:

I wake up around 5pm. (aka 1700) I shower, etc, then head for the kitchen to
get something to eat. If I've been off the night before, it's already
prepared; if not, it's pot luck and I try to keep some healthy frozen
dinners in the freezer. I avoid trans-fats with a passion whenever possible,
and am coming to feel the same way about high fructose corn syrup. It is NO
accident that American obesity rates have soared since the mid-60s
(introduction of HFCS). Ever looked at the ingredients for most
meal-replacement bars?  Sometimes those two are right at or near the top. I
consider that nutritional sabotage and I want to keep far away from it.

Ok, I get to work and want to eat a healthy snack around 2030 (8:30 p.m.),
workload permitting. It's usually just one of those above mentioned snack or
meal bars, but the organic type. Or else a small pita bread with hummus, or
some cottage cheese and fruit, etc. I eat my "lunch" at around 0030 or a
little before. Then another snack around 0400, and maybe a few little
tidbits in between if I'm hungry, but that is not happening as much as I'm
getting used to this eating plan. I don't have another meal until I get
home. That's generally something very easy to fix, like old-fashioned
oatmeal microwaved with slivered almonds and fruit added. (skim milk used
for the microwave cooking)

My energy level has absolutely soared this week. In the past I'd have had at
least two, if not three, cups of coffee just to stay awake and functioning
on this hard shift, but for the past 6 days or so, I've made it on 1/2 cup
of coffee with my first snack and *none* after that. And - can you believe
this? <s> - I'm not yawning, fighting sleep, restless or "slap-happy" - it's
this level of maintained alertness more than anything that's caught the
attention of my coworkers and we've had some great discussion about
nutrition and healthy eating. I've also been asked to order books on the
glycemic index, good carbs, etc., particularly The G.I. Diet (by Rick
Gallop). As I said, my own plan is modified and I happily include so-called
yellow-light or even occasional red-light items that I know to be
nutritious. I'm not as concerned about calories as I am about balance and
the food being healthy.

At this point I don't really feel like I have quite the right caloric
balance or variety of foods in a given day, but it's getting easier, and it
does seem to work for me. I gained this weight due to a very serious illness
and prolonged activity-intolerance over the course of two years, was able to
return to work, and now feel well enough to lose it.

It's 1018, I've worked for the past three nights, am off now for two, I'm
still awake, and feel rarin' to go. Wow. I know I've got to sleep and will
do so, and generally well. I like feeling good! <s>

I work weird on/off combinations too. Would love to hear about your
experiences. Hope my own can provide some ideas.

Kay

Kasey,  Your numbers are great!

Hi Kasey,

You have made some very good adjustments to working those hours!  That's
almost as long as my own shift, which, with the commute (*always* in rush
hour traffic because of the times) comes out to being 14 hours out of each
day. I was joking with a coworker last night about wanting to write my own
book once I come up with a plan for healthy eating. (just joking....I think!
lol) I said, "Hmm, I'll call it Eating in Shifts on 15 Minutes a Day." But
seriously, when you work these hours back to back, there's precious little
time for anything but sleep and grabbing whatever's near at hand to eat. As
far as preparing a meal from scratch, forget it. I just started this eating
plan (the G.I. Diet, plus a few modifications, and no, I don't think of it
as a diet, it's a great and healthy way to provide myself with good
nutrition) a week ago Saturday. Kinda slid into it and still managed to lose
4 pounds in the week, plus two more since Saturday.

My only other obligation is my husband, and he works 12-hour shifts as well.
Not the same hours as mine, so we sometimes see each other in passing for
just a few hours on the days we both work. Keeps things interesting when
it's a case of absence makes the heart, etc.
I'm vowing to use my days/nights off to prepare some meals and snacks ahead
of time. That will save me having to chose unwisely when I'm hungry. Does
this work for you, too?

Thanks for your comments!

Kay

(female, 6', 303/297/175...ah, I'll get there!)

Hi Gloria, the encouragement is appreciated! No, I haven't read that book,
but I like the common-sense approach Dr. Phil brings and I will probably buy
it soon. I don't have *too* many diet books but I like finding factors for
motivation and maintaining my resolve.

Kay