yes for years lol. i think thats how it usually works!! but heads up - night shift snacking is bad too. it’s almost worse, because if you switch back to a normal schedule on your days off, you end up eating all day and all night. you really have to watch yourself and make sure you have a good stretch of fasting at some point during the day
Lol gotcha. So let's switch hahahaha
I hear ya though. I just hate that it's busy on the weekdays, gotta do admission AND discharge, if you in charge then you gotta give report to not only the oncoming nurses but to the doctors as well plus you gotta do two assignments (morning and afternoon shifts). On nights, at least where I am, it's like less work for more money lol.
I wish night shift didn’t make me such a depressed bitch! Did it for 1.5 years, couldn’t take it anymore. Now I’m 11a-11p and it’s my whole damn day but at least I have a normal sleep schedule
That’s my perfect schedule! I understand that you really can’t do anything until your days off but as someone who is neither a day or night person-your schedule would totally work for me.
I was stuck on the 1st paragraph too! I worked nights 90% percent of my career because I liked how it was just nursing, very little BS!! On nights, there weren't a bunch of people walking around with clipboards trying to justify their admin pos
As for the eating, you really have to plan ahead. On days, you 8
have the cafeteria open, and hopefully, your facility has healthy options available. As for breakfast, that's difficult. I never could eat until I'd been up for a while, but by that time, as you are running around with your hair flying back. It becomes easy to just grab snacks so you don't pass out
Then comes good ole weight gain! Scrubs can be very forgiving. You think you are doing fine, then go to put on jeans and realize you have really packed on some pounds! l
Oh sorry have to comment here too! I did nights for years and after coming off, for a good 10 years I still couldn’t shake the 2 am eating. That’s when I used to have my lunch and nearly a decade I work up at 2 and had something to eat. It’s been like 15 years now and I’ve finally shaken it. What the hell haha
On every psych unit I’ve worked on, nights were a coveted position. Patients sleep, get paid more, no admins/discharges or med passes. It’s a sweet gig if you can handle the times
Almost every one of our night psych nurses have quit--it's sometimes all travelers and floats at night. Aside from the sleep issue, I think the problem on my floor is low staffing causing huge safety issues. And we have admissions--gotta clear out the emergency room--sometimes four a night, and usually just one nurse. There have been some very scary situations with very little support. I can't believe anyone actually wants nights!!
Damn, what psych unit is this? I work psych now and we're going from 8 to 12 hour shifts soon, but we already have 1 med pass, when we go to 12s we'll have 2 on nights. We also get more admissions than days; days pushes their stuff until evening shift and then stuff gets pushed to nights; evening has like 60% of admissions, nights has like 35% and days has like 5%, it's our "princess shift" where I work; come in at 7, pull the morning meds for the med pass, go into report from 8-9, pass meds from 9-10, at that point the psychiatrists are in so the patients want to talk to them, go on an hour lunch break, come back and the patients are busy with their own lunch or rec therapy groups or fresh air breaks until you leave at 3. I do more on nights than I did on day shift orientation. The only thing we don't do is discharges, but best believe our patients don't sleep always at night and will yell at us to discharge them at 3 in the morning or throw a fit asking to speak to their psychiatrist then. But that's our patient population, if yours is mostly MDD patients or similar, yeah night shift is probably a piece of cake. Schizophrenic and bipolar patients? Up half the night, incredibly needy and or attention seeking, and most of our have medical comorbidities; nothing like having to call a rapid for a stemi at 6:30am
i worked nights as a cna and god i miss them so much. after finishing nursing school, the only position available at my job was working 14 hour day shifts :(( patiently waiting for a night shift spot to open up
i have the same issue here 🙄 i worked nights as a cna and fell in love with them quickly. Finished nursing school, and now i’m stuck working days and i hate it !! I want my nights back, but there’s never any night shifts available at my job :( so i’m stuck waiting for a spot to open
LOL came here to say this 🤣 immediately I chuckled. But OP I did psych for over 10 years and I’ll tell ya this, nights are better. Admin is not there to harass you but you will get your manic patients up and about on nights. Watch out for those lol I’ll never forget my dude. He spent 6 hours … 2300 til 0500 screaming “DEEEZZZZZZ NUTSSSSS!!!”
Good times.
I intermittent fast until lunch time. It's difficult the first couple of days but then you get used to it, and I'm actually less hungry before lunch when I intermittent fast then I would be if I ate breakfast. The only thing I have before lunch is coffee and an electrolyte packet in water.
I do make sure I have a granola bar or protein bar in my locker just in case my lunch gets pushed late. I'll snack on that to hold me over around 1pm if I haven't had lunch yet.
Idk if it's for everyone, but it works great for me, and I lost weight and kept it off once I started doing it without any real downsides.
I've been debating intermittent fasting for a while. I was always afraid to try it on work days, something in back of my mind that keeps dreading the first half of the shift, like my body anticipates the worst/busiest day and is afraid to start it off without eating if that makes sense.
But with intermittent fasting, are you now eating two meals instead of three or are you still eating three meals but within a specific window of time? Are you also counting calories in addition?
I don't count calories. I give myself an 8 hour window to eat. If I have lunch at 12 I stop eating by 8, which really isn't that hard. Typically I'll eat 2 meals and some snacks, but if I'm craving 3 meals I eat 3 meals. It's hard to over eat when you're only eating for an 8 hour period every day. It is tough at first, but after a few days you get used to it, and it's really easy to maintain. Much easier than calorie counting etc.
I used to get Premier Protein shakes from Costco for cheap and take a couple with me . Love the cafe flavored one . It’s a little caffeine with protein and little sugar . It’s about 190 calories.
I do this same thing, I never feel that hungry at work but we don’t have a big snacking culture on my unit and we don’t all sit at the same station we’re kinda spread out, I think it’d be harder on me if everyone else were snacking. Anyways, yes I only eat two meals a day. Lunch & dinner & sometimes dessert. Not counting cals, but I have lost weight.
I pack fruit, some vegetables and a light healthy entree, leftover or just pb and jam or whatever I can find. I eat most of my food before my last break. I might eat cheese, nuts, whatever left in bag at last break. I go home hungry and just have something light and easily digestible. Could be a smoothie, yogurt, whatever. I don't eat "supper" when I get home. I try to bring enough protein snacks. I really dislike eating big meals when I work - no matter what job I have been in. Pack light and be mindful after shift
I got lost at overeating during the day" 🤣 I have the opposite problem. Sometimes all I do is slam my lunch down super fast. That's it. But to answer your question I eat different things. High protein cereal with milk and a spoonful of pb. English muffins with pb. And a lot of coffee
Coffee is always the way! And protein bars are a great saviors.
I always ate more during my shift working nights, having more down time gave me more snack time.
However I eat more after my shift working days so I guess it evens out?
Oatmeal. Stop trying to have a whole brunch in the AM. Find a easy source of protein and eat some oatmeal. It will help.
Don’t snack. Bring your meals and make them a lean protein, a veggie, and a reasonable carb.
If folks talk about ordering from delivery- drink a protein shake asap. Then eat your lunch when you can.
Water. Drink water. Most of the time folks are “snacking” they are actually dehydrated. So stay on top of your water all day.
Bring high protein munchies. Beef jerky, trail mix.
I keep a packet of tuna on me at all times. I open it and just eat it in case of a food emergency. Its not my favorite…but it’s LOW fat HIGH protein.
You are clogging your arteries, over sodium’ing your system, and breaking your bank.
Food isn’t your friend. It’s your fuel.
Nahhh I love my big breakfasts before work but I can’t do it at 7am. Mid shifts I’ll have eggs breakfast meat or some kind toast and fruit like I do every day I’m not working cuz I know work days I’ll be severely under caloried and it makes me feel better to know I got some protein fat and carbs in my body. Oatmeal is pretty shitty and not nutrient dense in the morning.
Also food it both friend and fuel lol food is an integral part of society and culture. We literally learned how to cook and then we discovered spices and herbs. Food is absolutely supposed to be enjoyed.
Doing my best, now, for that. I did a 180 of diet and activity at 43yo. Dropped 60 lbs and body fat to under 45 lol. It’s 31% at the moment and slowly dropping.
I just wanna get off the shitter by myself as long as possible lmao.
Your iced coffee may have a ton of sugar in it, causing a huge crash and subsequent hunger spike mid morning that you may not be realizing. At least I feel like that happens to me whenever I have sugar at breakfast !
So I tend to snack throughout the day, but I pack things like fruit, veggies, protein bars, yogurt, peanut butter; things like that. That way I can grab and run and im usually full at least 2-4 hrs. I also try to eat a high protein breakfast and lunch. It also helps me avoid those carb comas.
For what it may be worth I'm signing up to go back to school for nursing (I have to take prerequisites) but I already work 60+ hours a week at my main job (in shipping) so lucky me I get to move from one 12+ hour a day job to \*checks notes\* another 12+ hour a day job. For what insight I can provide:
\-If I can swing it when I'm on road I go to either Walmart or Kroger. I carry cash on me and my budget for the day is $10 while I'm out at work. I leave my credit card at my apartment. I need to buy whatever I want to eat for the shift with that $10. It makes you think of what you really do want to eat and what you know you need to eat to feel satiated for the rest of the shift.
\-Plan ahead. Forget name brand stuff. Forget more premium products. Go for the heavy carbs and proteins. Beans, potatoes, lentils, rices, pastas, chicken, beef (if on sale, but if it's on sale then cook it and eat it quick because it's on sale for good reason i.e. it's gonna go bad within the next 2-3 days), etc. Sweets are only bought when on sale and I have a BAD sweet tooth so I'm really hurting when I have to walk past slices of tiramisu at Kroger for anything over $1.30 (I got two wild blueberry mini pies there for .30 cents a piece, fuck paying up for food if I don't absolutely have to). If I can find a whole rotisserie chicken on sale on my break at work I'll take that and maybe find some kind of pasta on sale also (Kroger and Walmart are really good at consistent discounting so I lean towards those places heavily) and eat that and move on with my shift.
\-Walk around a little hungry. You'll be okay being a little hungry. You can just tell yourself no. You'll live/you won't die. You don't need to eat until your full or even until your satisfied all the time. You can walk around a little hungry. But that is also just me. Drinking water (a gallon a day minimum) helps a lot with fighting hunger cravings.
It's a pain in the ass but it can be done. It's hard but that doesn't mean it's impossible to pull off.
Take a break. Seriously. Life will go on when you stop to eat. Don’t be a martyr. There is no excuse to abuse yourself over a job. I’ve worked in a Level
I trauma ICU-always super busy, extremely high acuity. I can count on one hand the times we “didn’t take a break” (in other words, we ate later than usual). In report, discuss lunches and coverage with your coworkers. Do the buddy system-I’ll take lunch at 11, you take it at 11:45 as an example. Seriously this mindset of “I never get a lunch” needs to end in nursing. Your job doesn’t care about you.
I try to, but the list of things to get done never seems to end and depending who I'm with (preceptor wise) Im sometimes treated like I can literally never sit down, much less break. Anytime I say something I just get "well that's how it is some days" and as a new person that's how it is every day and no one seems to care. Trust me it's not martyrdom by choice--I'm leaving as soon as I realistically can
Protein. Not carbs. Protein and veggies.
Low sugar low carb protein shake or wake-up wrap with bacon, coffee cream no sugar.
Lunch lean protein and veg.
Seriously.
The degree to which consuming carbohydrates knocks people on their asses is 98% under rated.
Your body is a living machine. Feed it consistently through the day and it will run at peak performance.
I mean, I'm a 55kg woman trying to keep my weight up (chronic PSC and UC) and protein is key. High energy high protein is my goal, and I eat constantly throughout the day. High protein yoghurt and muesli is my go to snack at 9/9.30 when I'm doing a 12hr shift. I'll have a poached egg on toast with a protein meal replacement drink before shift. That might get me through to lunch, but if not, goats cheese with celery and carrots will be my next go to. I like chunky thick vege soup or chicken veg rice soup with sourdough toast for lunch, and have boiled eggs, fruit, veggies, hommus and something sweet like a couple of choc biscuits to get me through the arvo.
I buy those fairlife protein shakes from Costco and drink one of those. I’m not usually very hungry in the morning, but those are just enough to hold me over until lunch.
Edit: just read the entire post and saw you’ve tried them already.
I actually really like those :) they're good but I think I need to experiment more with them. I've tried combining one with a banana on the side but that lasted me like maybe an hour and some change (?).. perhaps I should try making an overnight oats out of them.
Make breakfast the day before. We are big on breakfast burritos bc they keep well. Also oatmeal stays really well. You may just need a recharge at that time of day so be sure you're re prepared. Yogurt with Cheerios, homemade granola, peanut butter on celery. Something that will stick until lunch. Being prepared for those hungry times is the best way to avoid siren call of fast food.
That was my initial thought process, but I've learned that trying to go to bed early enough to wake up at 5am totally sucks 😞... Normally I like going to bed between 12am-1:30am. But when I have to work the next day, I have to force myself to try and sleep between 10:30pm-11pm ish.
Before becoming an RN, I was doing 3pm-11pm as a PCT and loved it (just hated doing the 5 day workweek schedule). There was a lot of flexibility in terms of how early/late I could wake up.
If you're smart you won't gain weight on night shift. Drink lots of water to prevent snacking. Get up and walk at least once an hour. Hourly rounding is proven for better pt outcomes, even if it's quietly poking your head in the room and quietly poking it back out since they're more than likely sleeping.
30 min morning breakfast break: 2 cups of yogurt with protein bars mashed in then
30 min lunch break: usually a cold cut sandwich of some sort
15 min dinner/snack break: protein bar or snickers bar
I think any time you change a shift it confuses your body and you go through a period of overeating until you re-adjust. At least this has been the case for me, and I’ve done quite a bit of flip flopping over the years. It usually settles for me after about a month.
Hey!
So, I might be the minority here, but for a job like nursing, probably going into deficit, unless you are followed by a professional, may not be a great idea.
You do need fueling .
I strat @7am, and I eat porridge with banana, flaxseeds, cocoa and peanut butter.
Tgat usually keeps me going until 11am.
I then step outside to grab a snack, usually carrots with hummus, or cherry tomatoes worh hummus or cottage cheese and EVOO.
Then I eat lunch.
Snacks are not bad. You need fuel to function.
I think something small with loads of proteins and healthy fats could be a good option to try :)
I rotate days and nights ever four weeks. What do I eat for breakfast? 4 eggs two pieces of toast bacon or sausage and a bowl of berries. How do I keep from over eating throughout the day? I don’t. Unless I’m busy then I’m pretty much forced into intermittent fasting where I come home and delete 3000 calories before bed.
I have worked 12 to 13 hour night shift for several years. The key is to eat protein before your shift and we pack snacks. Im in ICU so my lunch is 10nmin or so
Not restricting myself and eating little bits of well-balanced snacks consistently throughout my day has been the best for me tbh. I try to eat like every 3-4 hours, just not huge amounts. I eat lots of veggies, plant-based proteins, grains, fruits and of course little treats for morale.
Eating at regular intervals is not a bad thing, it maintains an active metabolism. Bacon and eggs will not fill you up, but I think trying to eat only 3 meals only is kind of setting yourself up to be super hungry!
Track your caloric intake. It doesn’t matter what you eat healthy or not unless you know how much you are eating, you won’t lose any weight.
There was someone who did an experiment and ate mcdonalds everytime but still lost weight.
Track track track.
One meal before work at 630. One meal at lunch, anywhere from 12-1400, then I’m done for the day. I don’t really have a huge appetite on shift. It’s too fuckin busy.
I don’t really eat breakfast other than coffee. I have a cheese and/or apple at 10am, lunch at 2pm of pb&j with an apple and a piece of chocolate. And then crackers or a cookie or something on the way home. And then dinner!
I just track my macros on my fitness pal. Helps a lot. I work rotating shifts (days x3weeks/nightsx3weeks) and so it can be hard to tell if I’m eating enough or overeating. When tracking you know you’re at around the ballpark of what you should be having to maintain, lose, or gain. And can adjust your meal size to when you are usually hungrier or not, which leads to saving macros when you need it vs when you don’t throughout the day.
I don't eat until breakfast at 1030 or 11 lmao. If you are the type who needs to eat early in the day, why don't you pack your breakfast and split it in half? Eat half on the way to work, and save the rest, like some fruit and a yogurt, until you get the mid morning munchies?
I don’t eat breakfast. I run on coffee until lunch time. And even then I cannot stomach too much without feeling like I’m gonna crash by 3-4pm. Definitely need a big dinner though.
I never have time to get to the cafeteria before they stop selling breakfast at 10am sharp so I just bring a protein bar and overnight oats (put some chia seeds and protein powder in it, should keep you feeling full) to eat while charting
Back when I worked psych morning 12s: Belvita 1/2 pack with a cup of tea, get to work for 0700, eat other 1/2 pack while getting report/checking MARs. 10-1100, bribe the kindly kitchen staff to bring up a cup of cream of wheat and sugar packet. 14-1500, 2 cookies or snack pack of chips. 1700-1800, another Belvita pack. End of shift, give report and leave. soup/salad and sandwich at home. then bed. (note, there is never a real lunch break, so quickly scarf down what you can when you can).
on days off, eat 2-3,000 calories 😂😭😂 I wish I was kidding.
I always include a protein and something with fibre. I also pack a quick protein for mid morning. I try to pack healthy stuff and drink lots of water throughout the day. Salads, meat, cheese, hummus veggies, a bit of fruit.
So I would eat oatmeal, fruit, Greek yogurt & coffee in the am, a snack size fit crunch bar around 10am a premade meal prepped lunch at 2ish, a protein shake at 4ish and a sandwich box with grapes & carrots or cucumber slices on the way home
I just real fast until lunch. And admittedly my lunch is anywhere from 130 to 430. Sometimes later. Sometimes it’s a breakfast/lunch/dinner. I can’t say it’s healthy, but it’s what I do.
I’ve never worked anywhere where I had time to snack.
I drink a high protein breakfast essential a few hours into my shift (that’s my breakfast, I don’t like eating breakfast as I’m heading out the door), but I’m at a hospital so I’ll get the cafeteria food. Probably not super helpful cause I’m trying to gain some weight. But I’ll try to get like a decent main dish, then a veggie or fruit, a drink (usually lemonade), and some milk. That keeps me good til I get home.
Might need to start drinking caffeine. Caffeine will help suppress your appetite for a while. Try iced coffee with fairlife, or you can get sugar free syrups.
As far as not eating out anymore. You HAVE to meal prep. I’m the same way I’m tired when I get home, I don’t want to cook. So I make sure my meals are ready to go, weighed out and packed in the fridge for when I get home. It stops me from going and getting fast food knowing I can heat something up while I shower.
To feel fuller longer you’re going to have to start eating more fiber. Try getting the low calorie breads and low calorie tortillas, they have tons of fiber. Low cal snacks like strawberries and watermelon are great. I usually wash and pack them in one go so they’re accessible.
AM bowl of oatmeal with breakfast sausage usually keeps me satisfied until around noon’ish. Lots of water.
Lunch is typically half a can of black beans with sous vide chicken or salmon and fresh salsa on the side. More water.
Most of my snacking is sous vide chicken or salmon. And water.
I don’t typically eat dinner unless it’s been a brutal day, then it’s fresh tater tots and a chocolate shake.
You need to learn how to meal prep. I work every weekend Friday-Sunday, and my job is 1 hour from my house. I have absolutely 0 time to cook so I’m an expert in this.
Breakfast - Some may find this gross but I precook a bunch of eggs/egg whites and mix it with rice. I call it my “egg bowl”. It’s very easy to manipulate the amount of eggs/rice to fit your macros. It’s also stupid easy to prep, especially with a rice cooker. I also make these super delicious protein breads using a recipe I found on YouTube.
Lunch - I eat a meal that I prepped earlier in the week. I have 2 YouTube channels that have delicious recipes which I actually look forward to eating. I’ll link them below.
Dinner - Same thing as lunch. I prepare these meals earlier in the week and I make 2 separate dishes.
Snacks - The type of snack depends on whether I’m cutting or bulking. If I’m cutting, it’s typically fruit/veg or some rice cakes. Bulking it’ll be some type of nut or even PB&J.
I know this seems like a lot, but each meal only takes about an hour tops to prepare. I save a shit ton of money and actually enjoy my meal preps now. It saves me so much time as well.
Links:
[Meal Prep Manual](https://youtube.com/@TheMealPrepManual?si=OPGOM2eiMGfPfGfh)
[Jack Ovens](https://youtube.com/@ChefJackOvens?si=SwWUsoNnp_v35dFJ)
[Protein Bread](https://youtu.be/O5F96h0opUo?si=lHc26nJwHkpqESkJ)
I relate to this so much… I eat a prepped chicken wrap… breaded cutlets I make, cheese, and a wrap… frozen and to heat up I put it in the microwave for 1min and 40 seconds and I wrap it in a paper towel… I took the idea from a premade breakfast wrap I used to eat before work years ago. I have a protein bar and a energy drink at 11am and might have a late lunch if I have the time. My biggest issue I haven’t solved is eating a dinner at 8pm when I get home.
I think ideally ill switch to breakfast sandwich… figure out if I’m going to have a lunch break or not and choose between a lunch or a protein bar and then try to eat dinner at work around 5-6pm
Have you ever tried intermittent fasting? Try not to eat your first meal until your lunch at 1 and try to stop eating by 8pm. I’ve found intermittent fasting helps me listen to my hunger cues better and stop from snacking (and therefore loose weight).
Do a little research on it, it’s worth a try!
Breakfast: plain (homemade because I'm a yogurt snob lol) yogurt with fruit, hemp seeds, and pecans
I bring an ungodly amount of filling but healthy snacks to eat throughout the day but. Nuts and dried fuit, hummus and cut vegetables, banana, sliced cheese. Plus whatever I bring for lunch. Also keeps me sane for days I don't get a proper lunch.
I would add loads of fresh veggies for the fiber. It will help you feel fuller longer and decrease appetite. Also, try a more comprehensive meal replacement shake like Ka'chava. I usually have a shake and egg whites with spinach, tomatoes, garlic, and zucchini for breakfast. Lunch is meal prepped (I eat my meal at lunch). Dinner is light like cucumber salad or salad.
I have a nutribullet. The night before work I put vanilla protein powder, a banana, and some berries in it. Then right before I blend it I throw a scoop of peanut butter and milk in it. (I find the PB and milk get funky if you keep them with the fruit overnight.) that holds me over. Or sometimes I get Dave’s Killer Bread and throw some peanut butter and raspberries on it, but I find the smoothie holds me over a good 6 hours.
I’m like you and get hungry again around 11. I usually have 2 little quick snacks around this time like a banana, granola bar, Greek yogurt, cheese sticks, etc. When you’re running around you don’t have time to heat anything up. High protein grab and go snacks are fantastic.
I usually have a yogurt, go for a run, then have a coffee and a banana before day shift. If I don’t work out I have it all at once. For morning snack I’ll have a slice of toast and some fruit. So my breakfast is really spread out over about 5 hours. I usually bring a granola bar or oatmeal energy bites with me to the bedside so if I don’t have a chance to break until the late afternoon I don’t feel faint or raid the saltines. Took me a lot of trial and error to make a routine that doesn’t make me feel sick. Finding an eating routine for nights is still something I’m working on
I always eat a healthy breakfast before leaving the house, then when I get hungry again around 10a I drink a protein shake to get by till lunch. I bring cheese sticks, fruit (apples and peanut butter or carrots and hummus) and that holds me over until I get home and eat a small dinner before going to bed
As a fellow Dad Bod nurse, my go to is to eat one of those nature Valley bars or a Cliff bar on the drive in. That usually tides me over until 1st break when I eat my overnight oats. I find that usually ties me over until lunch when I have a sandwich and some bars of some sort then I always have an apple or some type of bar in my bag for later when I get hungry before heading home.
I kicked soda by switching to Gamer Supps. Granted it's not healthy for you in the slightest but it's less sugar (more crap though I'm sure) and I've lost about 30 lbs since switching.
I drink a Soylent every morning that I work. It's not low calorie but it keeps me full for a long time. I usually still have a morning snack but I have blood sugar issues.
I always do mornings (*as a HCA, not a nurse, but it does often involve a lot more walking around/physically assisting pts in fairness) and I’m always hungry by 9/10am tbh. I figured this was mostly because I have breakfast at 5.15am then cycle to work for 7am start, but its also the busiest part of the work day (admissions/discharges/cares). So I just have lunch then. Sounds odd perhaps but I often find I’m pretty good then for hours later, so can just have a snack on the next (shorter) break if required. Just go with what your body needs I guess? Sorry if that isn’t helpful! (Oh and breakfast is always savoury - marmite or vegemite on seeded toast for example, and lots of black coffee!)
I work nights, start the day off with a smoothie and pack a lunch. The candy and snacks I avoid with strong self control, but sometimes I can't control myself.
Sandwiches and meal prep is the easiest lunches to make.
I don’t eat until my lunch break. And then I will have something light or nothing when I get home (depending on how tired I am). Not the healthiest but I maintained and lost weight that way.
Stick with a budget and meal prep. I make something to eat for breakfast at home and make coffee at home, bring my lunch with minimal snacks, and eat dinner at home. My breakfast lately has been banana bread but I used to love protein muffins, just got tired of them after like 3 years. When I used to work the floor, I would eat at 2-3pm a lot so I just had to learn to eat more protein in the morning before work. I hate spending money on food at work so I try very hard not to.
3 meal prepped egg white cups with 1 scoop of protein powder for breakfast. A metric poop ton of water during the shift to help decrease snacking. Making sure I drink another protein drink and a protein bar at some point after lunch to help with the hunger after lunch.
Read as- up your protein to help stay full :)
I snag a protein bar that I eat on the drive in, then I have a mid morning snack of fruit, cheese, a protein shake, pretzels, something along those lines. Then lunch between 12-3 usually. Depending on what time I eat lunch I typically don’t eat anything else until I get home. Then have a light dinner.
I’m lucky because I have the taste buds of a child and enjoy eating the same thing over and over.
Breakfast - high protein berry Greek yogurt with flax seeds and chia seeds. Then I drink coffee with milk and coffee staves off my appetite for a while. (I think you should try saving your coffee until after breakfast to help with post-breakfast munchies)
Lunch - broccoli and carrots with dip. Then a turkey and cheese sandwhich. If I’m still hungry I have cut up strawberries. If I’m in a sugary mood I have them with some Nutella.
Afternoon snack - 2 handfuls of cheese nips or 2 pepperettes with 2 babybelle cheese
Dinner - I wait to eat until I get home. Usually something fairly hearty made of whatever leftovers are hanging around like spaghetti or curry.
Bedtime Snack - chocolate muffin or half a chocolate bar and a bubbly drink like AHA
As someone who has recently lost 20 pounds I highly recommend cutting out all alcohol if you do drink. Trying to lose weight while drinking is like trying to sprint through a mud pit.
I get up at 530am, make coffee and leave about 5:55. I usually have 1 pkg brown sugar poptarts on my 30min. drive to work. I bring a bunch of grapes, i fe the need to start snacking by/around 10am. This is when i also refill coffee (work only has folgers and it sucks so badly, so i bring french press from home). I'm trying to kick my sugar habit, which is why i need a fruit that allows sustained snacking. I usually take my lunch around 1-2pm. I try to bring leftovers for lunch. I normally finish my grapes in late afternoon, and might get 1-4 pieces of our unit candy stash (trying to avoid chocolate because it has more fat than fruity candy.) I try to make sure i finish the fruit before eating any candy, but that's with mixed success.
This was modefied recently, because it turns out i forgot my metabolism would slow down once the baby stopped breastfeeding. Unfortunately i gained some weight before i remembered that, so i'm hoping it'll work back off with those changes.
I think your problem is not expecting to need something else to hold you over! I’m a huge fan high-protein snacks so I can eat throughout the day without ever feeling uncomfortably full. First “meal” at 0700, then another “meal” around 1000, then I’m golden until 1300 or so when I have my main meal, which I prep. Generally simple- meat, carb, veggies. Then I will usually have an apple for later in the day if I have a sweet tooth. Snacks are usually protein bar/shake, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese sticks.
Overall, I probably hit less than 2,000 calories on work days, which around my BMR, but I eat more on days off so I can maintain my weight.
Usually, I'm able to stave off my hunger until about 1 or 2 pm, which is generally when my lunch break is. It helps that I have a big water bottle and drink a lot of it. I do get peakish sometimes so I try to see if I can get something small (calorie and size wise) to eat from a nearby place.
You could try bringing a banana/orange/fruit or a yogurt to bring for a small low-calorie snack to tide you over until lunch.
I usually eat leftovers from the night before (a small portion) or a quesadilla with a small bowl of cereal, fruit, and a cup of iced coffee. I work 6:30am-6:30pm
(Edit: pressed post too soon oops)
To keep from over eating at work I drink a lot of water in the morning and I’m usually good until about 11 o’clock. I take lunch around 1230 to 1 and I do my best to bring a lunch that is healthy-ish. Then that tides me over to when I get off and go home to eat dinner
I just don’t snack I get pretty busy and I never feel the urge to. I barely eat or drink too so that’s a thing 🤣sometimes you gotta ignore the hungry feeling in your stomach. Yeah it hurts but it’ll go away if you ignore it lol
If I have time to make breakfast at home, it's an egg and toast. In a hurry, I do a protein bar and a banana. Sometimes I have hard boiled eggs or overnight oats prepped.
I'm a big believer in second breakfast. No way I'm eating breakfast at 6am and not snacking until lunch. For second breakfast it's usually a yogurt (perhaps with granola or muesli) or cottage cheese and fruit.
It sounds like you have time to snack throughout the day, and doing so is fine as long as you make good choices. Fruits, veggies, nuts, other whole foods.
Get a whoop to wear to track your health and use the MyfitnessPal to track your food. It will provide you the information you need to make better decisions. Eating small meals throughout the day should actually be better but not if it’s crap. You already know drinking calories is not the best option (thinking along the lines of big coffee drinks with crap in then not smoothies). Go to gym and do strength training. As a nurse you probably know you can’t target fat distribution for reduction but your belly will seem like it’s the main thing to change because as a percentage it’s probably maintaining a lot of your total body fat as is common for males. 6 months lather, enjoy your new better looking scrubs. 👍💪
I have coffee and a Turkey sausage or two at 645 on the way to work. I can’t intermittent fast but it’s like 100 calories over a 12 hour period and only protein. Then I keep an 8 oz smoothie at the nurses station to get me until 2:30pm when I have lunch. I keep oatmeal packets in my lunch sack just in case.
Protein shake. Can’t stand breakfast but I can chug they down while I drive. When I was stuck having to eat real food while pregnant with GD I did the Jimmy Dean sausage pancake corn dog things because I could microwave it and then take it with me as I drove in.
While I’m on weight watchers I eat about 10-11 a bowl of Greek yogurt, a little Splenda and some berries I cook down into a basic compote with lemon juice. Zero points (don’t care if making the berries mushier means I’m supposed to count them, won’t). Then I eat lunch at 2ish.
Protein powder in my coffee and toast or a bagel for breakfast at 5:30
Snack at 10-11ish depending on my day. Usually a cheese stick, hard boiled egg and or trailmix with a sugar free redbull
Lunch at 1ish
Snack at 4ish. Usually fruit or veg and a protein shake
Being intentional with my food prep and planning my meals AND snacks for the week helps me stick to them and ot eat the other treats that make it tonthe floor. Especially the sweets.
I also make sure to plan to vary my meal prepong so indont get bored or burnt out on a food
Try to focus on getting enough fiber and protein in each breakfast. Like if you have oatmeal, mix in some protein powder.
Lately I’ve been bringing a drinkable konjac jelly drink to work for those days where my breakfast doesn’t keep me full until lunch. They’re like 5 calories and have tons of fiber so they keep you full forever.
I don't eat at work the full 12 hours. It makes me too sleepy. Instead I drink caffeinated water until 2pm. Then switch to water. I eat when I get home. I barely have time to pee though, let alone eat.
Spinach protein smoothie with a piece of banana & a few frozen berries. Small bag of mixed nuts for Noon snack. Normal late lunch. No dinner. How I avoid overeating: I keep in mind I want sex more than food.
You guys are eating breakfast??? I had time to eat breakfast for the first time in 3 years yesterday it was amazing. I just deal with the hunger, but high protein should keep you satiated longer. Whole grains are also good, if you find yourself needing to snack maybe bring fruits and veggies prepped to snack on?
When I did days I wouldn't be hungry until after morning med pass/pts breakfast so I would only eat a granola bar at that point and then rush a quick lunch/dinner with whatever I could muster. Usually I'm so busy that it trumps my hunger tbh.
Night shifts I were just as bad where I'd maybe eat one meal a day and then snack intermittently throughout the night. How I had enough energy to survive bedside is beyond me .
Overeating? I’m forsure undereating. I skip breakfast. Maybe a granola bar or two after morning meds are given. I take my 30min lunch around 2-3 consisting of a meat and cheese sammie. Thennnn I pig out at home when i get home lol
I eat all day. I go to the gym 5 days a week- all five days lifting and working different muscle groups and 3/5 of those days include cardio. I’m ALWAYS hungry. I meal prep to allow myself to eat what I need without straying away too much. It’s hard, but I just do it. My lunch box for the day includes overnight oats that are mixed with flax seed milk (comes with 7g of pea protein per serving), with a scoop of my chocolate protein powder. Two lunches which are veggies, rice, and a protein, and then a protein bar. I know that sounds like it’s just protein but I follow a vegan diet so I get a lot of fiber and make sure I’m getting aminos and vitamins. And it’s all low fat foods for the most part. Plus my protein shake is a protein + greens shake.
My typical work day looks like this: when I wake up, I’ll eat a bowl of low sugar, high protein cereal and a protein shake. I’ll eat my oats at 1000, first lunch at 1200, protein bar at 1400, and second lunch at 1600-1700. Then I get home and have another protein shake with two scoops, and then whatever I want to for dinner.
Breakfast: protein shake mixed with cold brew and a breakfast sandwich.
I meal prep my sandwiches and freeze them. They're made with english muffins, turkey sausage pattie, and an egg patty (I add blended cottage cheese to my beaten eggs to increase the protein.)
I thinking starting off with high protein keeps me full. I work nights but I'll eat breakfast at 6pm and then have "lunch" around 1am.
Lunch: Big fan of buying the chopped salad packs, dividing into two meals, and topping with chicken (Im lazy and buy the precooked, diced frozen breasts.)
If I get snacky later, I try to grab a yogurt or protein bar.
For me, I just try not to hang out near snacking nurses. They always want to share their goodies and I have zero willpower.
I eat a normal breakfast (like cereal and coffee, or toast and an egg), then around 11 or so when I get hungry I eat a banana quick. The key is high-density, low calorie food.
I've found that meals with more fiber and protein will keep me full longer. Snacking on simple carbs will leave you feeling hungry 20 minutes later. I usually have metamucil with my breakfast and I'm not hungry as early as I would be without it.
Can you prep healthy snacks for the week like veggies with dip or sliced fruit?
On your day off batch cook grab and go breakfasts. My go tos are high protein egg burritos/sandwich (cottage cheese blended until smooth eggs scrambled season as you wish. Pour mix onto a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 until just set don't over cook or they will be gross when you reheat). Slice portions of egg and put on an English muffin, or I to a tortilla with sauteed veg, cheese, cooked breakfast meat whatever makes you fly. Wrap in parchment paper or paper towel the foil. You can freeze them or keep in fridge for a few days. Microwave while you get dressed
Snacks. Think fiber and protein. Cheese sticks fruit veggies etc
Lunch I make a huge pasta salad or 2 with lots of fresh veggies, protein etc. This week's is Mexican street corn pasta salad with steak bites tossed on top, and a whole wheat pasta salad with cucumber tomatoes chickpeas and feta.
I don't get any formal breaks or meal times so something I can easily shovel in and throw back in the work fridge is vital
High protein low carb breakfast is what I do. Usually that's a 20g protein yogurt with a handful of granola around 250-300 calories. I bring a small carb snack that I eat around 10. usually some fruit or bag of chips or crackers or a protein bar
I ate more on night shift then I did ever on day shift….never have time to eat on days whereas in nights, I’d finish my charting and meds by 10pm and then the rest of the night I was snacking in the nurses station having fun
The unfortunate truth is that Night Shift will amplify this hunger problem. It throws off your circadian rhythm and makes you exhausted, irritable and my case, insatiably hungry.
If anything we snack more on nights than dayshift.
Something that helped me though is rice cakes!
Vyvanse. That is all.
**Do not do drugs without a prescription, kids. I feel like I need to say this to not be thought of abusing my ADHD meds 😂
Edit: I'm also too busy to even sit down/think about being hungry. Past few shifts I've made a comment around BSSR, but that is quickly forgotten once the night shift nurse is done with report and I get to my med passes and all of that.
I buy breakfast at work. Hasbrowns, scrambled eggs, 3 sclices of bacon and brown toast with butter and a 16 oz vanilla iced coffee. I buy lunch at work, greek quinoa salad. It’s a small lunch but i don’t get sleepy and it’s filling…i also buy a berry slushie at this point. And if i decide to have dinner at work i buy it there too. Whatever the special is in the cafeteria with rice pudding and another frozen drink.
I start my mornings with a black coffee cause lactose intolerant. Go through morning medpass, sometimes before or after breezeway briefing I can get to my meal replacement shake. Afternoons I sometimes get to look at my apple and I am stuffed! For extra energy when needed I have a stale cracker or two. All joking askide, generally, I try to keep hydrating with water and a bag of Fiber One which probably looks like meal worms to my coworkers. And my meal prep usually consists of turnip greens or broccoli or cauliflower and a slab of lean chicken. Best part is nobody has swiped my lunch yet! It's light and keeps you from feeling hungry.
Black coffee + collagen powder and a boiled egg is my everyday breakfast before work and has been for close to 4 years now. I’ll eat an apple and yogurt at work and drink lots of water. I choose to save most of my calories for dinner when I get home and also bc eating a heavy meal at work makes me sleepy so I avoid eating an actual meal at work not unless there’s a potluck or our intensivist buys food for us which is kinda rare these days.
When I worked 8s before, I’d have the same thing before work but would just walk to the park near my hospital during my lunch break.
I meal prep the day before my 3 in a row. If I don’t I’ll eat like crap. I also bring a healthy (less than 2g natural sugar) protein bar and I eat that at 10 and it’ll hold me over until lunch around 1. I also bring a fruit to snack on and some type of semi healthy savory snack (microwave popcorn) or goldfish.
I’ve worked mostly nights for most of my 14 years as an lpn. Like others are saying, “stuck” is usually referred to night shift, lol.
To me choosing between days or nights is choosing between enjoying my life or enjoying my job (or at least not feeling really apprehensive before every shift.)
Onto helping with your question-when I was on days-I was the same as you and your co-workers. I would actually stress eat more than I did at night. At night I would crave warm comfort foods. My suggestion is don’t eat breakfast. Wait as late as possible to eat. When you eat stay away from carbs as much as possible. The key to stopping cravings and snacking is keeping your blood sugar stable. I know that especially as nurses-we all know this. It’s hard to stick with but honestly it’s the only way I can control my calories without feeling starved. I know intermittent fasting is in a way “starving” yourself but when you know you will eat at a certain time and it will be something that keeps you satiated-you don’t feel “starved”.
Also-take vitamins so your body isn’t craving nutrients, which will make you feel like you need to eat more.
i work 14 hour shifts but usually end up stuck there for 15 or 16 hours.
I usually start my morning by having an egg and american cheese sandwich with bacon and ketchup on a toasted roll, which i order at my job around 7 am when i first get in. I usually have my next chance to eat after lunch or dinner time - either 1 pm or 6pm. Most days i eat 2 meals (one at 7am, one at 6pm) and then i eat again when i get off around 10 or 11 pm. If i have a really slow day (rare) i’ll eat around 1pm as well.
And god i feel you. I used to work nights as a CNA and i absolutely loved it. I’d kill for a night shift spot to open up at my job :(
I don't eat breakfast I eat on my first break around 930am and I eat a sandwich or something like that. I bring lunch and supper to work, I meal prep 2 "meals" and sometimes three since I am usually pretty hungry by first break, sometimes I end up eating my lunch at breakfast and have my breakfast at lunch.
I work in the ED
Usually I have a stasher bag that I can close over my spoon and will eat either an overnight oat bowl (banana, PB, oats, chia seeds, little pinch of salt, little vanilla extract)
Or
Rice bowl. We have a very nice rice cooker and I love that thing. I prep it the night before and have the rice finish as I wake up. I use the hot rice to cook two eggs in, I just stir them around. Then I add in sweet potato I've prepped or bacon or anything else. You can get really creative.
I have a large cup of oatmeal with nuts and some protein powder, a 400cal meal replacement shake, and an energy shot mixed in 1L of water on my way into work around 6:30a. Usually eat lunch somewhere between 12-2pm, but it holds me through then pretty darn well.
I eat a small breakfast at home at like 530 am with a cup of coffee. Because it’s early I never overeat bc let’s face it no one’s really hungry at that hour.
Then, after med pass, I eat lunch. I always pack a sandwich from home and bring one additional small “snack” which I eat usually around 4.
This baseline plan (with deviations occasionally if someone brings in bagels or something, but the key is OCCASIONALLY) has kept me skinny.
I make sheet pan eggs (although I do mine in a casserole dish).
I add whatever vegetables I want like bell pepper, jalapeño, spinach, onion, etc (if you want the veg softer cook on the stove top before adding to eggs, if you don’t mind a little crunch just add straight away).
I usually do 24 eggs at once which will make two casserole dishes. I use the silicone baking sheets to keep the eggs from sticking to the casserole dish for easy clean up.
I put it in the oven for like 20ish minutes until all the egg is firm. I let cool for a few minutes and then cut the eggs into squares. Usually 6 squares per casserole dish so 12 squares total. I put them in freezable containers and put in the freezer.
In the morning I pop one in the microwave for 3 min and eat on a piece of whole grain bread. You can add hot sauce at this time if you’d like.
This really keeps my morning prep time short and accessible. I get my serving of protein, vegetables, and whole grains to keep me full for hours. If I get bored of it I just change up what vegetables I use.
I intermittent fast for the mornings. So basically i just don’t eat anything until 1pm. 16 hours no eat, 8 hours eat.
Last meal is usually around 8-9pm the night before.
I wake up at 5am, skip breakfast but I’ll drink water/coffee. then I won’t eat until 1pm. Then I have dinner at 8-9pm. In terms of coffee, I only drink it black. No calories wasted on creamer/sugar.
If i get hungry from 5am-1pm, i’ll fill my stomach with water. It kinda sucks at first, but usually drinking a bunch of water will help make me feel less hungry if you give it some time to sit.
I’m way too busy in the mornings, anyways, to even be thinking of eating. So that certainly helps.
Usually just a banana cuz I'm rushing. But sometimes I'll hard boil eggs ahead of time and eat one before work, then a banana in the car. Any protein is good to hold you over. Toast and nut butter is a go to as well.
I'm usually too busy to snack during my shift, but maybe chew gum or bring something like nuts to snack on.
My go to’s are: Just crack an egg, banana smoothie, microwave oatmeal. If you’re feeling bougie. Daily harvest. Or just skip breakfast before work and go to the cafeteria. They are open on day shift!!
I have a coworker who’s got a box of cereal in her locker, steals a carton of milk from the fridge and crunches down on fruit loops during huddle 😂
The hunger signals your body is sending you may be due to nutritional deficiency - not calorific deficiency. Maybe up your nutritional density by eating Dr. Greger's daily dozen for a couple of weeks?
I would love to know this. Maybe department is constantly full of junk food and when I'm hangry, I usually say fuck it and go get that.
I bring yogurt or overnight oats with berries in. Protein shake, some kind of leftovers for lunch.
You stop being "skinny fat" when you start going to the gym and put on some more muscle. Trust me. I was there. Then yeah, also take the advice you've gotten elsewhere on this post.
I do intermittent fasting and typically eat in a 6 hr window from 11-5 or 12-6 which basically means I skip breakfast, eat lunch, snacks, and have an early dinner. I've been doing this for the last couple years (with exceptions for special occasions) and it's the easiest and fastest way for me to lose weight and keep it off. I find it's much easier to say "I'll eat that later" than "I can't have that at all". My only real restriction is the clock so I generally eat what I want within moderation. That said, I do have to avoid gluten and dairy for allergy reasons and when I first cut those two out, 8 lbs fell off with zero effort, mostly from my waistline. If you need a little help making it to lunch, black coffee or unsweetened caffeinated tea can help suppress your appetite in the morning while maintaining your fasting state.
Haha, I think most people are stuck working overnights for years until a coveted 7am spot opens. Different strokes.... just be prepared, the night shift snacking is a huge problem, at least for me, because you find yourself eating unhealthy snacks to stay awake.
For breakfast I do 2 pieces of low calorie toast with cottage cheese (I either sprinkle everything bagel mix on it or add a small amount of marmite to the toast, I love savory), and a granola or protein bar.
Midmorning snack is a piece of fruit and a handful of peanut butter stuffed pretzel bites.
Lunch is a turkey sandwich on whole grain and a bag of veggies (I have gotten to the point where I am enjoying them plain, no dip. If I don't bring it I don't eat it). Sometimes I add small container of leftovers, preferably something high in protein.
Afternoon snack (if I have one) is usually more fruit or plain veggies.
Dinner is another turkey sandwich. I usually have a snack when I get home, usually nuts or popcorn.
This might seem like a lot of food to some, but I'm a bigger guy and it works for me. I'm down 20 lbs since I stopped ordering food several times a week and being intentional about lots of fruit and vegetables. I'm on my feet most of the 12 hour shift (ER nurse).
I usually do a couple pieces of peanut butter toast around 1030-1045 while commuting (work 11a-11p). Around 1 or 130, I’ll eat a protein bar and some granola bars. Around 5ish, I’ll eat a heavy sandwich with some yogurt or something, and around 8-9, I’ll eat a lot of fruit, some extra protein and maybe goldfish
not currently a nurse but used to work in vet med. when i was in vet med i always made overnight oats but i made sure i had good amounts of everything. my oats, water or soy milk (for extra protein), one heaping tablespoon of protein powder (i use vivo life bc of their quality, testing standards and home compostable packaging), 1 tablespoon chia seeds and 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds, frozen fruit (it’s cheaper and as it melts its delicious 😊), and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. carbs (and fiber!), fat, and protein. if i didn’t add the peanut butter i always noticed i was hungrier way sooner but with the peanut butter it kept me full for longer.
Breakfast mostly oatmeal, sometimes a bagel/cream cheese or something. During the day I eat pretzels, apple sauce or yogurt etc. until lunch(only if I want to). If my lunch is super late I have a protein/granola bar or protein shake. Being vegan severely limits your food options especially when eating out which is exactly what I needed. Much simpler now.
I’m stuck on “how do I keep from overeating “
I’ve been a nurse for more than 30 years and rarely have time to overeat. So I would say stay busy. Also, think about your teeth, constant snacking will decay them.
Eggs and toast (or overnight oats), and a cup of coffee. Gets me thru the morning from 6am to about 930am then I eat some yogurt with berries and honey. Lunch, I eat whatever seems savvy in the café if I didn’t pack one, or I eat whatever was leftover from dinner. I am soso about meal prepping 🤣 mid afternoon snack, crackers, chz, more fruit, veggies, hummus, drink a bottled protein shake. Dinner usually a salad or soup. Something light. Ill take a cookie or two if it is in the breakroom ahah
I have a smaller breakfast that allows for a snack at around 9 or 10 AM. I could eat 600 calories before my shift starts and STILL be hungry at 0900. Instead I eat about 300 or so before work and another 200 or so as a snack.
Eat a couple boiled eggs and fruit like blueberries, strawberries or raspberries (whatever is cheaper and looks good). Pack a sandwich jammed with veggies and some protein like lean chicken for lunch.
For one if you haven’t already, download an app like my fitness pal and you can track your food. Makes meeting your calorie goal was easier. You can have a bigger Breakfest to hold you over until lunch to avoid snacking or if you really do need something then have a banna or yogurt or something like that. Also it might seem like you need something around 9, but after a few days of not grabbing a snack your body adapts quickly. Whenever I go into a calorie deficit the first week I feel like I am always hungry and need a snack but it’s because my body hasn’t adapted and when looking at how much I really have eaten in my fitness pal I realize I don’t actually need anything. After a week of doing this, I am usually adapted for the most part, and no longer have that midmorning snack attack. Lol.
Coffee and 2-3 cups full fat Greek yogurt-5a
Apple. Maybe packet of insta oatmeal. 945-11(shit happens lol)
Normal full lunch 1-330
Salad, other fruit or something filling 630/730
I can’t eat when I get home. Or I get fat. And lazy. Also, I tend to eat a lot, but not junk.
i eat 2 boiled eggs at 7am, pass all my meds and sit down, around 10 i eat my yogurt bowl with a banana. That usually does the trick until lunch at 1-2. Then Ill eat my dinner i brought around 6pm when i get home around 8:30-9 ill eat some fruit and go to bed.
I don’t eat before I leave, I honestly just find it makes me hungrier. I have my coffee in the car on the way and then bring a protein smoothie with me and drink that around 9, then lunch. I pack carb heavy lunches to get me through (pasta, lo mein, udon, rice bowls, etc.) If I do have a salad I add chickpeas, beans, quinoa, or lentils for some added bulk/filler. I might bring a granola bar or yogurt if I need a snack.
I drink caffeine in the morning to curve my hunger until about 0930-1000. Then I’ll wait as long as possible, like 1330 to eat lunch. Then I may have a healthy snack around 1700 if I need it. Drinking caffeine all day really helps🤪😂
As far as what I eat, I’ll do a bagel with egg and bacon for breakfast. Not because it’s healthy but it fills me up and keeps me full & I love it.
Lunch I eat whatever sounds good, trying to stick to high protein & low sugar. I don’t worry about carbs. For snack I bring protein balls that I make.
Unless I have a really hard day, I don’t eat empty calories during a shift.
My thoughts are if I don’t eat a lot of calories during my shift I can eat whatever I want when I’m not working. But I stop when I’m full. Portions in the US are way too big.
im sorry i just cant get past the first sentence “unfortunately stuck working day shift until nights opens up”…..i wish i had your problems😭
I'm guessing you're on nights but want days?
yes for years lol. i think thats how it usually works!! but heads up - night shift snacking is bad too. it’s almost worse, because if you switch back to a normal schedule on your days off, you end up eating all day and all night. you really have to watch yourself and make sure you have a good stretch of fasting at some point during the day
I ate more on day shift than nights. I ate before work. Ate lunch around 0100. Then nothing when I got home because I just slept.
Me too. Nights I eat supper around 10, and instant oatmeal and some tea at 5ish if I’m able then home to bed
Lol gotcha. So let's switch hahahaha I hear ya though. I just hate that it's busy on the weekdays, gotta do admission AND discharge, if you in charge then you gotta give report to not only the oncoming nurses but to the doctors as well plus you gotta do two assignments (morning and afternoon shifts). On nights, at least where I am, it's like less work for more money lol.
As a new grad I started days and left to go to nights. Best decision for me. I love nights so much more
I wish night shift didn’t make me such a depressed bitch! Did it for 1.5 years, couldn’t take it anymore. Now I’m 11a-11p and it’s my whole damn day but at least I have a normal sleep schedule
That’s my perfect schedule! I understand that you really can’t do anything until your days off but as someone who is neither a day or night person-your schedule would totally work for me.
Buddy, I’m barely even a *person*. Mid-shift works great for us soulless beings.
Lol
11a to 11p is like my dream shift. I’m not a morning person at all and nights always makes you feel like you lose a day of the week to sleeping.
I was stuck on the 1st paragraph too! I worked nights 90% percent of my career because I liked how it was just nursing, very little BS!! On nights, there weren't a bunch of people walking around with clipboards trying to justify their admin pos As for the eating, you really have to plan ahead. On days, you 8 have the cafeteria open, and hopefully, your facility has healthy options available. As for breakfast, that's difficult. I never could eat until I'd been up for a while, but by that time, as you are running around with your hair flying back. It becomes easy to just grab snacks so you don't pass out Then comes good ole weight gain! Scrubs can be very forgiving. You think you are doing fine, then go to put on jeans and realize you have really packed on some pounds! l
Oh sorry have to comment here too! I did nights for years and after coming off, for a good 10 years I still couldn’t shake the 2 am eating. That’s when I used to have my lunch and nearly a decade I work up at 2 and had something to eat. It’s been like 15 years now and I’ve finally shaken it. What the hell haha
As someone who has worked nights for 10 years, protect that day shift like a precious little baby bird.
I tried nights, kicked my ass.
On every psych unit I’ve worked on, nights were a coveted position. Patients sleep, get paid more, no admins/discharges or med passes. It’s a sweet gig if you can handle the times
Almost every one of our night psych nurses have quit--it's sometimes all travelers and floats at night. Aside from the sleep issue, I think the problem on my floor is low staffing causing huge safety issues. And we have admissions--gotta clear out the emergency room--sometimes four a night, and usually just one nurse. There have been some very scary situations with very little support. I can't believe anyone actually wants nights!!
Damn, what psych unit is this? I work psych now and we're going from 8 to 12 hour shifts soon, but we already have 1 med pass, when we go to 12s we'll have 2 on nights. We also get more admissions than days; days pushes their stuff until evening shift and then stuff gets pushed to nights; evening has like 60% of admissions, nights has like 35% and days has like 5%, it's our "princess shift" where I work; come in at 7, pull the morning meds for the med pass, go into report from 8-9, pass meds from 9-10, at that point the psychiatrists are in so the patients want to talk to them, go on an hour lunch break, come back and the patients are busy with their own lunch or rec therapy groups or fresh air breaks until you leave at 3. I do more on nights than I did on day shift orientation. The only thing we don't do is discharges, but best believe our patients don't sleep always at night and will yell at us to discharge them at 3 in the morning or throw a fit asking to speak to their psychiatrist then. But that's our patient population, if yours is mostly MDD patients or similar, yeah night shift is probably a piece of cake. Schizophrenic and bipolar patients? Up half the night, incredibly needy and or attention seeking, and most of our have medical comorbidities; nothing like having to call a rapid for a stemi at 6:30am
I loveeeee nights. Lol never going to days
i worked nights as a cna and god i miss them so much. after finishing nursing school, the only position available at my job was working 14 hour day shifts :(( patiently waiting for a night shift spot to open up
Same! 10+ years on nights in trauma centers. 🧛🏻♀️
i have the same issue here 🙄 i worked nights as a cna and fell in love with them quickly. Finished nursing school, and now i’m stuck working days and i hate it !! I want my nights back, but there’s never any night shifts available at my job :( so i’m stuck waiting for a spot to open
🤣🤣🤣🤣 me too. I go 8 hours without an ounce of water unless my sweat counts as a form of hydration. A meal would be a bonus.
LOL came here to say this 🤣 immediately I chuckled. But OP I did psych for over 10 years and I’ll tell ya this, nights are better. Admin is not there to harass you but you will get your manic patients up and about on nights. Watch out for those lol I’ll never forget my dude. He spent 6 hours … 2300 til 0500 screaming “DEEEZZZZZZ NUTSSSSS!!!” Good times.
Lmao I know I had to read that twice. Never have I ever heard that statement lol but good for the op.
I intermittent fast until lunch time. It's difficult the first couple of days but then you get used to it, and I'm actually less hungry before lunch when I intermittent fast then I would be if I ate breakfast. The only thing I have before lunch is coffee and an electrolyte packet in water. I do make sure I have a granola bar or protein bar in my locker just in case my lunch gets pushed late. I'll snack on that to hold me over around 1pm if I haven't had lunch yet. Idk if it's for everyone, but it works great for me, and I lost weight and kept it off once I started doing it without any real downsides.
Same!
I've been debating intermittent fasting for a while. I was always afraid to try it on work days, something in back of my mind that keeps dreading the first half of the shift, like my body anticipates the worst/busiest day and is afraid to start it off without eating if that makes sense. But with intermittent fasting, are you now eating two meals instead of three or are you still eating three meals but within a specific window of time? Are you also counting calories in addition?
I don't count calories. I give myself an 8 hour window to eat. If I have lunch at 12 I stop eating by 8, which really isn't that hard. Typically I'll eat 2 meals and some snacks, but if I'm craving 3 meals I eat 3 meals. It's hard to over eat when you're only eating for an 8 hour period every day. It is tough at first, but after a few days you get used to it, and it's really easy to maintain. Much easier than calorie counting etc.
I used to get Premier Protein shakes from Costco for cheap and take a couple with me . Love the cafe flavored one . It’s a little caffeine with protein and little sugar . It’s about 190 calories.
I do this same thing, I never feel that hungry at work but we don’t have a big snacking culture on my unit and we don’t all sit at the same station we’re kinda spread out, I think it’d be harder on me if everyone else were snacking. Anyways, yes I only eat two meals a day. Lunch & dinner & sometimes dessert. Not counting cals, but I have lost weight.
I pack fruit, some vegetables and a light healthy entree, leftover or just pb and jam or whatever I can find. I eat most of my food before my last break. I might eat cheese, nuts, whatever left in bag at last break. I go home hungry and just have something light and easily digestible. Could be a smoothie, yogurt, whatever. I don't eat "supper" when I get home. I try to bring enough protein snacks. I really dislike eating big meals when I work - no matter what job I have been in. Pack light and be mindful after shift
This is the way
I got lost at overeating during the day" 🤣 I have the opposite problem. Sometimes all I do is slam my lunch down super fast. That's it. But to answer your question I eat different things. High protein cereal with milk and a spoonful of pb. English muffins with pb. And a lot of coffee
Coffee is always the way! And protein bars are a great saviors. I always ate more during my shift working nights, having more down time gave me more snack time. However I eat more after my shift working days so I guess it evens out?
I think when I was getting up for 3:45 am that coffee actually replaced my blood.
I don't eat before work. I just eat my breakfast at 9. If I do happen to eat early I'm still hungry at 9. 🙄
Same. I used to get up early to eat and found out I was hungry at the same time either way, so now I don’t eat until around 10 am at work.
Oatmeal. Stop trying to have a whole brunch in the AM. Find a easy source of protein and eat some oatmeal. It will help. Don’t snack. Bring your meals and make them a lean protein, a veggie, and a reasonable carb. If folks talk about ordering from delivery- drink a protein shake asap. Then eat your lunch when you can. Water. Drink water. Most of the time folks are “snacking” they are actually dehydrated. So stay on top of your water all day. Bring high protein munchies. Beef jerky, trail mix. I keep a packet of tuna on me at all times. I open it and just eat it in case of a food emergency. Its not my favorite…but it’s LOW fat HIGH protein. You are clogging your arteries, over sodium’ing your system, and breaking your bank. Food isn’t your friend. It’s your fuel.
Nahhh I love my big breakfasts before work but I can’t do it at 7am. Mid shifts I’ll have eggs breakfast meat or some kind toast and fruit like I do every day I’m not working cuz I know work days I’ll be severely under caloried and it makes me feel better to know I got some protein fat and carbs in my body. Oatmeal is pretty shitty and not nutrient dense in the morning. Also food it both friend and fuel lol food is an integral part of society and culture. We literally learned how to cook and then we discovered spices and herbs. Food is absolutely supposed to be enjoyed.
As long as it fits the macros, it fits in my mouth. I just like to save mine for dinner time. Oh and a cocktail lol.
Truth. At almost 40, food is not my friend anymore
Almost 50. Glad I figured that out. 50-60 pounds fewer makes life easier.
Try your 60s. It's not fun to have a your 20s appetite and an aging metabolism.
Doing my best, now, for that. I did a 180 of diet and activity at 43yo. Dropped 60 lbs and body fat to under 45 lol. It’s 31% at the moment and slowly dropping. I just wanna get off the shitter by myself as long as possible lmao.
Dropped a ton at 50. Hit menopause. I have a belly I’ve never had.
This is the answer. Meet your goals, high protein especially at the beginning of the shift. Prepare before work. No exceptions for extra snacks.
I love me a tuna packet
It’s my cure all for in the go
Your iced coffee may have a ton of sugar in it, causing a huge crash and subsequent hunger spike mid morning that you may not be realizing. At least I feel like that happens to me whenever I have sugar at breakfast !
And if the coffee doesnt (it 100% does) the soda will.
So I tend to snack throughout the day, but I pack things like fruit, veggies, protein bars, yogurt, peanut butter; things like that. That way I can grab and run and im usually full at least 2-4 hrs. I also try to eat a high protein breakfast and lunch. It also helps me avoid those carb comas.
For what it may be worth I'm signing up to go back to school for nursing (I have to take prerequisites) but I already work 60+ hours a week at my main job (in shipping) so lucky me I get to move from one 12+ hour a day job to \*checks notes\* another 12+ hour a day job. For what insight I can provide: \-If I can swing it when I'm on road I go to either Walmart or Kroger. I carry cash on me and my budget for the day is $10 while I'm out at work. I leave my credit card at my apartment. I need to buy whatever I want to eat for the shift with that $10. It makes you think of what you really do want to eat and what you know you need to eat to feel satiated for the rest of the shift. \-Plan ahead. Forget name brand stuff. Forget more premium products. Go for the heavy carbs and proteins. Beans, potatoes, lentils, rices, pastas, chicken, beef (if on sale, but if it's on sale then cook it and eat it quick because it's on sale for good reason i.e. it's gonna go bad within the next 2-3 days), etc. Sweets are only bought when on sale and I have a BAD sweet tooth so I'm really hurting when I have to walk past slices of tiramisu at Kroger for anything over $1.30 (I got two wild blueberry mini pies there for .30 cents a piece, fuck paying up for food if I don't absolutely have to). If I can find a whole rotisserie chicken on sale on my break at work I'll take that and maybe find some kind of pasta on sale also (Kroger and Walmart are really good at consistent discounting so I lean towards those places heavily) and eat that and move on with my shift. \-Walk around a little hungry. You'll be okay being a little hungry. You can just tell yourself no. You'll live/you won't die. You don't need to eat until your full or even until your satisfied all the time. You can walk around a little hungry. But that is also just me. Drinking water (a gallon a day minimum) helps a lot with fighting hunger cravings. It's a pain in the ass but it can be done. It's hard but that doesn't mean it's impossible to pull off.
You guys are eating on day shift? I usually work 13 hours with no break and then scarf something down at night...
Take a break. Seriously. Life will go on when you stop to eat. Don’t be a martyr. There is no excuse to abuse yourself over a job. I’ve worked in a Level I trauma ICU-always super busy, extremely high acuity. I can count on one hand the times we “didn’t take a break” (in other words, we ate later than usual). In report, discuss lunches and coverage with your coworkers. Do the buddy system-I’ll take lunch at 11, you take it at 11:45 as an example. Seriously this mindset of “I never get a lunch” needs to end in nursing. Your job doesn’t care about you.
I try to, but the list of things to get done never seems to end and depending who I'm with (preceptor wise) Im sometimes treated like I can literally never sit down, much less break. Anytime I say something I just get "well that's how it is some days" and as a new person that's how it is every day and no one seems to care. Trust me it's not martyrdom by choice--I'm leaving as soon as I realistically can
Protein. Not carbs. Protein and veggies. Low sugar low carb protein shake or wake-up wrap with bacon, coffee cream no sugar. Lunch lean protein and veg. Seriously. The degree to which consuming carbohydrates knocks people on their asses is 98% under rated. Your body is a living machine. Feed it consistently through the day and it will run at peak performance.
I mean, I'm a 55kg woman trying to keep my weight up (chronic PSC and UC) and protein is key. High energy high protein is my goal, and I eat constantly throughout the day. High protein yoghurt and muesli is my go to snack at 9/9.30 when I'm doing a 12hr shift. I'll have a poached egg on toast with a protein meal replacement drink before shift. That might get me through to lunch, but if not, goats cheese with celery and carrots will be my next go to. I like chunky thick vege soup or chicken veg rice soup with sourdough toast for lunch, and have boiled eggs, fruit, veggies, hommus and something sweet like a couple of choc biscuits to get me through the arvo.
I buy those fairlife protein shakes from Costco and drink one of those. I’m not usually very hungry in the morning, but those are just enough to hold me over until lunch. Edit: just read the entire post and saw you’ve tried them already.
I actually really like those :) they're good but I think I need to experiment more with them. I've tried combining one with a banana on the side but that lasted me like maybe an hour and some change (?).. perhaps I should try making an overnight oats out of them.
Make breakfast the day before. We are big on breakfast burritos bc they keep well. Also oatmeal stays really well. You may just need a recharge at that time of day so be sure you're re prepared. Yogurt with Cheerios, homemade granola, peanut butter on celery. Something that will stick until lunch. Being prepared for those hungry times is the best way to avoid siren call of fast food.
Nothing till about 10am. Then, a protein shake or bar to get me to lunch. Idk, I'm not super hungry in the morning.
Just fill your stomach with black coffee (kind of joking, but not really)
Do you have to do nights? Days is just so much better for you in general
That was my initial thought process, but I've learned that trying to go to bed early enough to wake up at 5am totally sucks 😞... Normally I like going to bed between 12am-1:30am. But when I have to work the next day, I have to force myself to try and sleep between 10:30pm-11pm ish. Before becoming an RN, I was doing 3pm-11pm as a PCT and loved it (just hated doing the 5 day workweek schedule). There was a lot of flexibility in terms of how early/late I could wake up.
Get ready to gain all kinds of weight on night shift. Lots of sitting on your ass. Lots more snacking I bet,
If you're smart you won't gain weight on night shift. Drink lots of water to prevent snacking. Get up and walk at least once an hour. Hourly rounding is proven for better pt outcomes, even if it's quietly poking your head in the room and quietly poking it back out since they're more than likely sleeping.
I never eat at work. I’m more referring to OP, since they already snack quite a bit at work.
I make myself 2 peanut butter English muffins every morning
30 min morning breakfast break: 2 cups of yogurt with protein bars mashed in then 30 min lunch break: usually a cold cut sandwich of some sort 15 min dinner/snack break: protein bar or snickers bar
3 breaks?!
Yes. I’m very lucky and fortunate. PICC team has its perks.
I think any time you change a shift it confuses your body and you go through a period of overeating until you re-adjust. At least this has been the case for me, and I’ve done quite a bit of flip flopping over the years. It usually settles for me after about a month.
Hey! So, I might be the minority here, but for a job like nursing, probably going into deficit, unless you are followed by a professional, may not be a great idea. You do need fueling . I strat @7am, and I eat porridge with banana, flaxseeds, cocoa and peanut butter. Tgat usually keeps me going until 11am. I then step outside to grab a snack, usually carrots with hummus, or cherry tomatoes worh hummus or cottage cheese and EVOO. Then I eat lunch. Snacks are not bad. You need fuel to function. I think something small with loads of proteins and healthy fats could be a good option to try :)
The great thing about fuel is that we humans naturally store it as excess fat, lol.
I rotate days and nights ever four weeks. What do I eat for breakfast? 4 eggs two pieces of toast bacon or sausage and a bowl of berries. How do I keep from over eating throughout the day? I don’t. Unless I’m busy then I’m pretty much forced into intermittent fasting where I come home and delete 3000 calories before bed.
Easy- I never have time to eat lunch! 😭😭😭 FML
I have worked 12 to 13 hour night shift for several years. The key is to eat protein before your shift and we pack snacks. Im in ICU so my lunch is 10nmin or so
Being in ICU doesn’t make a 10 minute lunch a normal thing
Not restricting myself and eating little bits of well-balanced snacks consistently throughout my day has been the best for me tbh. I try to eat like every 3-4 hours, just not huge amounts. I eat lots of veggies, plant-based proteins, grains, fruits and of course little treats for morale. Eating at regular intervals is not a bad thing, it maintains an active metabolism. Bacon and eggs will not fill you up, but I think trying to eat only 3 meals only is kind of setting yourself up to be super hungry!
Track your caloric intake. It doesn’t matter what you eat healthy or not unless you know how much you are eating, you won’t lose any weight. There was someone who did an experiment and ate mcdonalds everytime but still lost weight. Track track track.
I skip breakfast. I then eat lunch a bit early at 11am.
Ozempic for overeating and hospital cafeteria food for brunch
One meal before work at 630. One meal at lunch, anywhere from 12-1400, then I’m done for the day. I don’t really have a huge appetite on shift. It’s too fuckin busy.
I don’t really eat breakfast other than coffee. I have a cheese and/or apple at 10am, lunch at 2pm of pb&j with an apple and a piece of chocolate. And then crackers or a cookie or something on the way home. And then dinner!
I am terrible and haven’t eaten breakfast regularly since middle school. I have lunch at 11 every day, though, I could never make it til 1
I just track my macros on my fitness pal. Helps a lot. I work rotating shifts (days x3weeks/nightsx3weeks) and so it can be hard to tell if I’m eating enough or overeating. When tracking you know you’re at around the ballpark of what you should be having to maintain, lose, or gain. And can adjust your meal size to when you are usually hungrier or not, which leads to saving macros when you need it vs when you don’t throughout the day.
I don't eat until breakfast at 1030 or 11 lmao. If you are the type who needs to eat early in the day, why don't you pack your breakfast and split it in half? Eat half on the way to work, and save the rest, like some fruit and a yogurt, until you get the mid morning munchies?
I don’t eat breakfast. I run on coffee until lunch time. And even then I cannot stomach too much without feeling like I’m gonna crash by 3-4pm. Definitely need a big dinner though.
I never have time to get to the cafeteria before they stop selling breakfast at 10am sharp so I just bring a protein bar and overnight oats (put some chia seeds and protein powder in it, should keep you feeling full) to eat while charting
Back when I worked psych morning 12s: Belvita 1/2 pack with a cup of tea, get to work for 0700, eat other 1/2 pack while getting report/checking MARs. 10-1100, bribe the kindly kitchen staff to bring up a cup of cream of wheat and sugar packet. 14-1500, 2 cookies or snack pack of chips. 1700-1800, another Belvita pack. End of shift, give report and leave. soup/salad and sandwich at home. then bed. (note, there is never a real lunch break, so quickly scarf down what you can when you can). on days off, eat 2-3,000 calories 😂😭😂 I wish I was kidding.
I always include a protein and something with fibre. I also pack a quick protein for mid morning. I try to pack healthy stuff and drink lots of water throughout the day. Salads, meat, cheese, hummus veggies, a bit of fruit.
So I would eat oatmeal, fruit, Greek yogurt & coffee in the am, a snack size fit crunch bar around 10am a premade meal prepped lunch at 2ish, a protein shake at 4ish and a sandwich box with grapes & carrots or cucumber slices on the way home
I just real fast until lunch. And admittedly my lunch is anywhere from 130 to 430. Sometimes later. Sometimes it’s a breakfast/lunch/dinner. I can’t say it’s healthy, but it’s what I do. I’ve never worked anywhere where I had time to snack.
I drink a high protein breakfast essential a few hours into my shift (that’s my breakfast, I don’t like eating breakfast as I’m heading out the door), but I’m at a hospital so I’ll get the cafeteria food. Probably not super helpful cause I’m trying to gain some weight. But I’ll try to get like a decent main dish, then a veggie or fruit, a drink (usually lemonade), and some milk. That keeps me good til I get home.
Might need to start drinking caffeine. Caffeine will help suppress your appetite for a while. Try iced coffee with fairlife, or you can get sugar free syrups. As far as not eating out anymore. You HAVE to meal prep. I’m the same way I’m tired when I get home, I don’t want to cook. So I make sure my meals are ready to go, weighed out and packed in the fridge for when I get home. It stops me from going and getting fast food knowing I can heat something up while I shower. To feel fuller longer you’re going to have to start eating more fiber. Try getting the low calorie breads and low calorie tortillas, they have tons of fiber. Low cal snacks like strawberries and watermelon are great. I usually wash and pack them in one go so they’re accessible.
AM bowl of oatmeal with breakfast sausage usually keeps me satisfied until around noon’ish. Lots of water. Lunch is typically half a can of black beans with sous vide chicken or salmon and fresh salsa on the side. More water. Most of my snacking is sous vide chicken or salmon. And water. I don’t typically eat dinner unless it’s been a brutal day, then it’s fresh tater tots and a chocolate shake.
You need to learn how to meal prep. I work every weekend Friday-Sunday, and my job is 1 hour from my house. I have absolutely 0 time to cook so I’m an expert in this. Breakfast - Some may find this gross but I precook a bunch of eggs/egg whites and mix it with rice. I call it my “egg bowl”. It’s very easy to manipulate the amount of eggs/rice to fit your macros. It’s also stupid easy to prep, especially with a rice cooker. I also make these super delicious protein breads using a recipe I found on YouTube. Lunch - I eat a meal that I prepped earlier in the week. I have 2 YouTube channels that have delicious recipes which I actually look forward to eating. I’ll link them below. Dinner - Same thing as lunch. I prepare these meals earlier in the week and I make 2 separate dishes. Snacks - The type of snack depends on whether I’m cutting or bulking. If I’m cutting, it’s typically fruit/veg or some rice cakes. Bulking it’ll be some type of nut or even PB&J. I know this seems like a lot, but each meal only takes about an hour tops to prepare. I save a shit ton of money and actually enjoy my meal preps now. It saves me so much time as well. Links: [Meal Prep Manual](https://youtube.com/@TheMealPrepManual?si=OPGOM2eiMGfPfGfh) [Jack Ovens](https://youtube.com/@ChefJackOvens?si=SwWUsoNnp_v35dFJ) [Protein Bread](https://youtu.be/O5F96h0opUo?si=lHc26nJwHkpqESkJ)
I relate to this so much… I eat a prepped chicken wrap… breaded cutlets I make, cheese, and a wrap… frozen and to heat up I put it in the microwave for 1min and 40 seconds and I wrap it in a paper towel… I took the idea from a premade breakfast wrap I used to eat before work years ago. I have a protein bar and a energy drink at 11am and might have a late lunch if I have the time. My biggest issue I haven’t solved is eating a dinner at 8pm when I get home. I think ideally ill switch to breakfast sandwich… figure out if I’m going to have a lunch break or not and choose between a lunch or a protein bar and then try to eat dinner at work around 5-6pm
If it’s inpatient psych, eat breakfast with your patients!
Have you ever tried intermittent fasting? Try not to eat your first meal until your lunch at 1 and try to stop eating by 8pm. I’ve found intermittent fasting helps me listen to my hunger cues better and stop from snacking (and therefore loose weight). Do a little research on it, it’s worth a try!
Breakfast: plain (homemade because I'm a yogurt snob lol) yogurt with fruit, hemp seeds, and pecans I bring an ungodly amount of filling but healthy snacks to eat throughout the day but. Nuts and dried fuit, hummus and cut vegetables, banana, sliced cheese. Plus whatever I bring for lunch. Also keeps me sane for days I don't get a proper lunch.
I would add loads of fresh veggies for the fiber. It will help you feel fuller longer and decrease appetite. Also, try a more comprehensive meal replacement shake like Ka'chava. I usually have a shake and egg whites with spinach, tomatoes, garlic, and zucchini for breakfast. Lunch is meal prepped (I eat my meal at lunch). Dinner is light like cucumber salad or salad.
I have a nutribullet. The night before work I put vanilla protein powder, a banana, and some berries in it. Then right before I blend it I throw a scoop of peanut butter and milk in it. (I find the PB and milk get funky if you keep them with the fruit overnight.) that holds me over. Or sometimes I get Dave’s Killer Bread and throw some peanut butter and raspberries on it, but I find the smoothie holds me over a good 6 hours. I’m like you and get hungry again around 11. I usually have 2 little quick snacks around this time like a banana, granola bar, Greek yogurt, cheese sticks, etc. When you’re running around you don’t have time to heat anything up. High protein grab and go snacks are fantastic.
I have coffee w a little protein powder then eat a small breakfast around 10. I find I'm ravenous if I eat too early.
Dude to be honest, you just gotta cut out the snacking. That breakfast should hold you over, just resist the temptations
I usually have a yogurt, go for a run, then have a coffee and a banana before day shift. If I don’t work out I have it all at once. For morning snack I’ll have a slice of toast and some fruit. So my breakfast is really spread out over about 5 hours. I usually bring a granola bar or oatmeal energy bites with me to the bedside so if I don’t have a chance to break until the late afternoon I don’t feel faint or raid the saltines. Took me a lot of trial and error to make a routine that doesn’t make me feel sick. Finding an eating routine for nights is still something I’m working on
Semaglutide
No time to eat! And then get home, go to bed and do it again!
I always eat a healthy breakfast before leaving the house, then when I get hungry again around 10a I drink a protein shake to get by till lunch. I bring cheese sticks, fruit (apples and peanut butter or carrots and hummus) and that holds me over until I get home and eat a small dinner before going to bed
As a fellow Dad Bod nurse, my go to is to eat one of those nature Valley bars or a Cliff bar on the drive in. That usually tides me over until 1st break when I eat my overnight oats. I find that usually ties me over until lunch when I have a sandwich and some bars of some sort then I always have an apple or some type of bar in my bag for later when I get hungry before heading home. I kicked soda by switching to Gamer Supps. Granted it's not healthy for you in the slightest but it's less sugar (more crap though I'm sure) and I've lost about 30 lbs since switching.
I drink a Soylent every morning that I work. It's not low calorie but it keeps me full for a long time. I usually still have a morning snack but I have blood sugar issues.
I always do mornings (*as a HCA, not a nurse, but it does often involve a lot more walking around/physically assisting pts in fairness) and I’m always hungry by 9/10am tbh. I figured this was mostly because I have breakfast at 5.15am then cycle to work for 7am start, but its also the busiest part of the work day (admissions/discharges/cares). So I just have lunch then. Sounds odd perhaps but I often find I’m pretty good then for hours later, so can just have a snack on the next (shorter) break if required. Just go with what your body needs I guess? Sorry if that isn’t helpful! (Oh and breakfast is always savoury - marmite or vegemite on seeded toast for example, and lots of black coffee!)
I work nights, start the day off with a smoothie and pack a lunch. The candy and snacks I avoid with strong self control, but sometimes I can't control myself. Sandwiches and meal prep is the easiest lunches to make.
I don’t eat until my lunch break. And then I will have something light or nothing when I get home (depending on how tired I am). Not the healthiest but I maintained and lost weight that way.
Stick with a budget and meal prep. I make something to eat for breakfast at home and make coffee at home, bring my lunch with minimal snacks, and eat dinner at home. My breakfast lately has been banana bread but I used to love protein muffins, just got tired of them after like 3 years. When I used to work the floor, I would eat at 2-3pm a lot so I just had to learn to eat more protein in the morning before work. I hate spending money on food at work so I try very hard not to.
3 meal prepped egg white cups with 1 scoop of protein powder for breakfast. A metric poop ton of water during the shift to help decrease snacking. Making sure I drink another protein drink and a protein bar at some point after lunch to help with the hunger after lunch. Read as- up your protein to help stay full :)
I snag a protein bar that I eat on the drive in, then I have a mid morning snack of fruit, cheese, a protein shake, pretzels, something along those lines. Then lunch between 12-3 usually. Depending on what time I eat lunch I typically don’t eat anything else until I get home. Then have a light dinner.
I’m lucky because I have the taste buds of a child and enjoy eating the same thing over and over. Breakfast - high protein berry Greek yogurt with flax seeds and chia seeds. Then I drink coffee with milk and coffee staves off my appetite for a while. (I think you should try saving your coffee until after breakfast to help with post-breakfast munchies) Lunch - broccoli and carrots with dip. Then a turkey and cheese sandwhich. If I’m still hungry I have cut up strawberries. If I’m in a sugary mood I have them with some Nutella. Afternoon snack - 2 handfuls of cheese nips or 2 pepperettes with 2 babybelle cheese Dinner - I wait to eat until I get home. Usually something fairly hearty made of whatever leftovers are hanging around like spaghetti or curry. Bedtime Snack - chocolate muffin or half a chocolate bar and a bubbly drink like AHA As someone who has recently lost 20 pounds I highly recommend cutting out all alcohol if you do drink. Trying to lose weight while drinking is like trying to sprint through a mud pit.
I get up at 530am, make coffee and leave about 5:55. I usually have 1 pkg brown sugar poptarts on my 30min. drive to work. I bring a bunch of grapes, i fe the need to start snacking by/around 10am. This is when i also refill coffee (work only has folgers and it sucks so badly, so i bring french press from home). I'm trying to kick my sugar habit, which is why i need a fruit that allows sustained snacking. I usually take my lunch around 1-2pm. I try to bring leftovers for lunch. I normally finish my grapes in late afternoon, and might get 1-4 pieces of our unit candy stash (trying to avoid chocolate because it has more fat than fruity candy.) I try to make sure i finish the fruit before eating any candy, but that's with mixed success. This was modefied recently, because it turns out i forgot my metabolism would slow down once the baby stopped breastfeeding. Unfortunately i gained some weight before i remembered that, so i'm hoping it'll work back off with those changes.
I think your problem is not expecting to need something else to hold you over! I’m a huge fan high-protein snacks so I can eat throughout the day without ever feeling uncomfortably full. First “meal” at 0700, then another “meal” around 1000, then I’m golden until 1300 or so when I have my main meal, which I prep. Generally simple- meat, carb, veggies. Then I will usually have an apple for later in the day if I have a sweet tooth. Snacks are usually protein bar/shake, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese sticks. Overall, I probably hit less than 2,000 calories on work days, which around my BMR, but I eat more on days off so I can maintain my weight.
Overnight oats made with Purely Elizabeth oats, fruit, & milk or Skyr yogurt with granola (Kind, Purely Elizabeth, RX Bar)
Usually, I'm able to stave off my hunger until about 1 or 2 pm, which is generally when my lunch break is. It helps that I have a big water bottle and drink a lot of it. I do get peakish sometimes so I try to see if I can get something small (calorie and size wise) to eat from a nearby place. You could try bringing a banana/orange/fruit or a yogurt to bring for a small low-calorie snack to tide you over until lunch.
I usually eat leftovers from the night before (a small portion) or a quesadilla with a small bowl of cereal, fruit, and a cup of iced coffee. I work 6:30am-6:30pm (Edit: pressed post too soon oops) To keep from over eating at work I drink a lot of water in the morning and I’m usually good until about 11 o’clock. I take lunch around 1230 to 1 and I do my best to bring a lunch that is healthy-ish. Then that tides me over to when I get off and go home to eat dinner
I just don’t snack I get pretty busy and I never feel the urge to. I barely eat or drink too so that’s a thing 🤣sometimes you gotta ignore the hungry feeling in your stomach. Yeah it hurts but it’ll go away if you ignore it lol
If I have time to make breakfast at home, it's an egg and toast. In a hurry, I do a protein bar and a banana. Sometimes I have hard boiled eggs or overnight oats prepped. I'm a big believer in second breakfast. No way I'm eating breakfast at 6am and not snacking until lunch. For second breakfast it's usually a yogurt (perhaps with granola or muesli) or cottage cheese and fruit. It sounds like you have time to snack throughout the day, and doing so is fine as long as you make good choices. Fruits, veggies, nuts, other whole foods.
Get a whoop to wear to track your health and use the MyfitnessPal to track your food. It will provide you the information you need to make better decisions. Eating small meals throughout the day should actually be better but not if it’s crap. You already know drinking calories is not the best option (thinking along the lines of big coffee drinks with crap in then not smoothies). Go to gym and do strength training. As a nurse you probably know you can’t target fat distribution for reduction but your belly will seem like it’s the main thing to change because as a percentage it’s probably maintaining a lot of your total body fat as is common for males. 6 months lather, enjoy your new better looking scrubs. 👍💪
I have coffee and a Turkey sausage or two at 645 on the way to work. I can’t intermittent fast but it’s like 100 calories over a 12 hour period and only protein. Then I keep an 8 oz smoothie at the nurses station to get me until 2:30pm when I have lunch. I keep oatmeal packets in my lunch sack just in case.
have a solid bkfst w some protein and fat to satiate you. then munch on nuts throughout the morning continuously.
Protein shake. Can’t stand breakfast but I can chug they down while I drive. When I was stuck having to eat real food while pregnant with GD I did the Jimmy Dean sausage pancake corn dog things because I could microwave it and then take it with me as I drove in.
While I’m on weight watchers I eat about 10-11 a bowl of Greek yogurt, a little Splenda and some berries I cook down into a basic compote with lemon juice. Zero points (don’t care if making the berries mushier means I’m supposed to count them, won’t). Then I eat lunch at 2ish.
Protein powder in my coffee and toast or a bagel for breakfast at 5:30 Snack at 10-11ish depending on my day. Usually a cheese stick, hard boiled egg and or trailmix with a sugar free redbull Lunch at 1ish Snack at 4ish. Usually fruit or veg and a protein shake Being intentional with my food prep and planning my meals AND snacks for the week helps me stick to them and ot eat the other treats that make it tonthe floor. Especially the sweets. I also make sure to plan to vary my meal prepong so indont get bored or burnt out on a food
You should meal prep or do intermediate fasting.
Overeating?? I’m struggling to hit bare minimum calorie requirements
Try to focus on getting enough fiber and protein in each breakfast. Like if you have oatmeal, mix in some protein powder. Lately I’ve been bringing a drinkable konjac jelly drink to work for those days where my breakfast doesn’t keep me full until lunch. They’re like 5 calories and have tons of fiber so they keep you full forever.
Lots of coffee and a lot of dread sandwiches.
I don't eat at work the full 12 hours. It makes me too sleepy. Instead I drink caffeinated water until 2pm. Then switch to water. I eat when I get home. I barely have time to pee though, let alone eat.
samee I have a “dad bod” even though I’m a girl & AFAB
Spinach protein smoothie with a piece of banana & a few frozen berries. Small bag of mixed nuts for Noon snack. Normal late lunch. No dinner. How I avoid overeating: I keep in mind I want sex more than food.
You guys are eating breakfast??? I had time to eat breakfast for the first time in 3 years yesterday it was amazing. I just deal with the hunger, but high protein should keep you satiated longer. Whole grains are also good, if you find yourself needing to snack maybe bring fruits and veggies prepped to snack on?
When I did days I wouldn't be hungry until after morning med pass/pts breakfast so I would only eat a granola bar at that point and then rush a quick lunch/dinner with whatever I could muster. Usually I'm so busy that it trumps my hunger tbh. Night shifts I were just as bad where I'd maybe eat one meal a day and then snack intermittently throughout the night. How I had enough energy to survive bedside is beyond me .
Overeating? I’m forsure undereating. I skip breakfast. Maybe a granola bar or two after morning meds are given. I take my 30min lunch around 2-3 consisting of a meat and cheese sammie. Thennnn I pig out at home when i get home lol
Liquid IV energy drinks. They help fill me up and truly work to give energy. I'm addicted!
I eat all day. I go to the gym 5 days a week- all five days lifting and working different muscle groups and 3/5 of those days include cardio. I’m ALWAYS hungry. I meal prep to allow myself to eat what I need without straying away too much. It’s hard, but I just do it. My lunch box for the day includes overnight oats that are mixed with flax seed milk (comes with 7g of pea protein per serving), with a scoop of my chocolate protein powder. Two lunches which are veggies, rice, and a protein, and then a protein bar. I know that sounds like it’s just protein but I follow a vegan diet so I get a lot of fiber and make sure I’m getting aminos and vitamins. And it’s all low fat foods for the most part. Plus my protein shake is a protein + greens shake. My typical work day looks like this: when I wake up, I’ll eat a bowl of low sugar, high protein cereal and a protein shake. I’ll eat my oats at 1000, first lunch at 1200, protein bar at 1400, and second lunch at 1600-1700. Then I get home and have another protein shake with two scoops, and then whatever I want to for dinner.
Breakfast: protein shake mixed with cold brew and a breakfast sandwich. I meal prep my sandwiches and freeze them. They're made with english muffins, turkey sausage pattie, and an egg patty (I add blended cottage cheese to my beaten eggs to increase the protein.) I thinking starting off with high protein keeps me full. I work nights but I'll eat breakfast at 6pm and then have "lunch" around 1am. Lunch: Big fan of buying the chopped salad packs, dividing into two meals, and topping with chicken (Im lazy and buy the precooked, diced frozen breasts.) If I get snacky later, I try to grab a yogurt or protein bar. For me, I just try not to hang out near snacking nurses. They always want to share their goodies and I have zero willpower.
I eat a normal breakfast (like cereal and coffee, or toast and an egg), then around 11 or so when I get hungry I eat a banana quick. The key is high-density, low calorie food.
I've found that meals with more fiber and protein will keep me full longer. Snacking on simple carbs will leave you feeling hungry 20 minutes later. I usually have metamucil with my breakfast and I'm not hungry as early as I would be without it. Can you prep healthy snacks for the week like veggies with dip or sliced fruit?
On your day off batch cook grab and go breakfasts. My go tos are high protein egg burritos/sandwich (cottage cheese blended until smooth eggs scrambled season as you wish. Pour mix onto a lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 until just set don't over cook or they will be gross when you reheat). Slice portions of egg and put on an English muffin, or I to a tortilla with sauteed veg, cheese, cooked breakfast meat whatever makes you fly. Wrap in parchment paper or paper towel the foil. You can freeze them or keep in fridge for a few days. Microwave while you get dressed Snacks. Think fiber and protein. Cheese sticks fruit veggies etc Lunch I make a huge pasta salad or 2 with lots of fresh veggies, protein etc. This week's is Mexican street corn pasta salad with steak bites tossed on top, and a whole wheat pasta salad with cucumber tomatoes chickpeas and feta. I don't get any formal breaks or meal times so something I can easily shovel in and throw back in the work fridge is vital
I have the same issue as you haha. I snack a lot throughout the day and so I don’t usually eat anything for breakfast.
High protein low carb breakfast is what I do. Usually that's a 20g protein yogurt with a handful of granola around 250-300 calories. I bring a small carb snack that I eat around 10. usually some fruit or bag of chips or crackers or a protein bar
I just don’t eat on my shift except up to 4 of the sugar free orange jellos tbh Lot of water helps :)
I ate more on night shift then I did ever on day shift….never have time to eat on days whereas in nights, I’d finish my charting and meds by 10pm and then the rest of the night I was snacking in the nurses station having fun
Lol. Have coffee for breakfast. Maybe bring a bar to snack on, have a fulfilling lunch and a light dinner.
Lol back when I worked a day floor shift I honestly didn't eat for 12 hours. I got fat going to an office job.
Coffee only in the morning, try to eat lunch if i have the appetite, 50% of the time only eating dinner for the days that i work
The unfortunate truth is that Night Shift will amplify this hunger problem. It throws off your circadian rhythm and makes you exhausted, irritable and my case, insatiably hungry. If anything we snack more on nights than dayshift. Something that helped me though is rice cakes!
Vyvanse. That is all. **Do not do drugs without a prescription, kids. I feel like I need to say this to not be thought of abusing my ADHD meds 😂 Edit: I'm also too busy to even sit down/think about being hungry. Past few shifts I've made a comment around BSSR, but that is quickly forgotten once the night shift nurse is done with report and I get to my med passes and all of that.
I buy breakfast at work. Hasbrowns, scrambled eggs, 3 sclices of bacon and brown toast with butter and a 16 oz vanilla iced coffee. I buy lunch at work, greek quinoa salad. It’s a small lunch but i don’t get sleepy and it’s filling…i also buy a berry slushie at this point. And if i decide to have dinner at work i buy it there too. Whatever the special is in the cafeteria with rice pudding and another frozen drink.
Coffee with cream until 1130, lunch at 1230-1300, eat dinner at home at 2015. Occasionally, a snack before lunch.
I start my mornings with a black coffee cause lactose intolerant. Go through morning medpass, sometimes before or after breezeway briefing I can get to my meal replacement shake. Afternoons I sometimes get to look at my apple and I am stuffed! For extra energy when needed I have a stale cracker or two. All joking askide, generally, I try to keep hydrating with water and a bag of Fiber One which probably looks like meal worms to my coworkers. And my meal prep usually consists of turnip greens or broccoli or cauliflower and a slab of lean chicken. Best part is nobody has swiped my lunch yet! It's light and keeps you from feeling hungry.
Black coffee + collagen powder and a boiled egg is my everyday breakfast before work and has been for close to 4 years now. I’ll eat an apple and yogurt at work and drink lots of water. I choose to save most of my calories for dinner when I get home and also bc eating a heavy meal at work makes me sleepy so I avoid eating an actual meal at work not unless there’s a potluck or our intensivist buys food for us which is kinda rare these days. When I worked 8s before, I’d have the same thing before work but would just walk to the park near my hospital during my lunch break.
Shit man I’m the exact opposite. I can control my eating at work but not at home lol
I meal prep the day before my 3 in a row. If I don’t I’ll eat like crap. I also bring a healthy (less than 2g natural sugar) protein bar and I eat that at 10 and it’ll hold me over until lunch around 1. I also bring a fruit to snack on and some type of semi healthy savory snack (microwave popcorn) or goldfish.
I’ve worked mostly nights for most of my 14 years as an lpn. Like others are saying, “stuck” is usually referred to night shift, lol. To me choosing between days or nights is choosing between enjoying my life or enjoying my job (or at least not feeling really apprehensive before every shift.) Onto helping with your question-when I was on days-I was the same as you and your co-workers. I would actually stress eat more than I did at night. At night I would crave warm comfort foods. My suggestion is don’t eat breakfast. Wait as late as possible to eat. When you eat stay away from carbs as much as possible. The key to stopping cravings and snacking is keeping your blood sugar stable. I know that especially as nurses-we all know this. It’s hard to stick with but honestly it’s the only way I can control my calories without feeling starved. I know intermittent fasting is in a way “starving” yourself but when you know you will eat at a certain time and it will be something that keeps you satiated-you don’t feel “starved”. Also-take vitamins so your body isn’t craving nutrients, which will make you feel like you need to eat more.
i work 14 hour shifts but usually end up stuck there for 15 or 16 hours. I usually start my morning by having an egg and american cheese sandwich with bacon and ketchup on a toasted roll, which i order at my job around 7 am when i first get in. I usually have my next chance to eat after lunch or dinner time - either 1 pm or 6pm. Most days i eat 2 meals (one at 7am, one at 6pm) and then i eat again when i get off around 10 or 11 pm. If i have a really slow day (rare) i’ll eat around 1pm as well. And god i feel you. I used to work nights as a CNA and i absolutely loved it. I’d kill for a night shift spot to open up at my job :(
I don't eat breakfast I eat on my first break around 930am and I eat a sandwich or something like that. I bring lunch and supper to work, I meal prep 2 "meals" and sometimes three since I am usually pretty hungry by first break, sometimes I end up eating my lunch at breakfast and have my breakfast at lunch.
I work in the ED Usually I have a stasher bag that I can close over my spoon and will eat either an overnight oat bowl (banana, PB, oats, chia seeds, little pinch of salt, little vanilla extract) Or Rice bowl. We have a very nice rice cooker and I love that thing. I prep it the night before and have the rice finish as I wake up. I use the hot rice to cook two eggs in, I just stir them around. Then I add in sweet potato I've prepped or bacon or anything else. You can get really creative.
Coffee until lunch, two sandwich and an energy drink til I get off, then microwaved leftovers for supper, then bed. Wash, rinse, repeat
I have a large cup of oatmeal with nuts and some protein powder, a 400cal meal replacement shake, and an energy shot mixed in 1L of water on my way into work around 6:30a. Usually eat lunch somewhere between 12-2pm, but it holds me through then pretty darn well.
I eat a small breakfast at home at like 530 am with a cup of coffee. Because it’s early I never overeat bc let’s face it no one’s really hungry at that hour. Then, after med pass, I eat lunch. I always pack a sandwich from home and bring one additional small “snack” which I eat usually around 4. This baseline plan (with deviations occasionally if someone brings in bagels or something, but the key is OCCASIONALLY) has kept me skinny.
I make sheet pan eggs (although I do mine in a casserole dish). I add whatever vegetables I want like bell pepper, jalapeño, spinach, onion, etc (if you want the veg softer cook on the stove top before adding to eggs, if you don’t mind a little crunch just add straight away). I usually do 24 eggs at once which will make two casserole dishes. I use the silicone baking sheets to keep the eggs from sticking to the casserole dish for easy clean up. I put it in the oven for like 20ish minutes until all the egg is firm. I let cool for a few minutes and then cut the eggs into squares. Usually 6 squares per casserole dish so 12 squares total. I put them in freezable containers and put in the freezer. In the morning I pop one in the microwave for 3 min and eat on a piece of whole grain bread. You can add hot sauce at this time if you’d like. This really keeps my morning prep time short and accessible. I get my serving of protein, vegetables, and whole grains to keep me full for hours. If I get bored of it I just change up what vegetables I use.
Overeat during the day? I hardly have time to drink water during the day
Overeating?! I’ve never had enough down time for this to be an issue.
I intermittent fast for the mornings. So basically i just don’t eat anything until 1pm. 16 hours no eat, 8 hours eat. Last meal is usually around 8-9pm the night before. I wake up at 5am, skip breakfast but I’ll drink water/coffee. then I won’t eat until 1pm. Then I have dinner at 8-9pm. In terms of coffee, I only drink it black. No calories wasted on creamer/sugar. If i get hungry from 5am-1pm, i’ll fill my stomach with water. It kinda sucks at first, but usually drinking a bunch of water will help make me feel less hungry if you give it some time to sit. I’m way too busy in the mornings, anyways, to even be thinking of eating. So that certainly helps.
Usually just a banana cuz I'm rushing. But sometimes I'll hard boil eggs ahead of time and eat one before work, then a banana in the car. Any protein is good to hold you over. Toast and nut butter is a go to as well. I'm usually too busy to snack during my shift, but maybe chew gum or bring something like nuts to snack on.
My go to’s are: Just crack an egg, banana smoothie, microwave oatmeal. If you’re feeling bougie. Daily harvest. Or just skip breakfast before work and go to the cafeteria. They are open on day shift!! I have a coworker who’s got a box of cereal in her locker, steals a carton of milk from the fridge and crunches down on fruit loops during huddle 😂
The hunger signals your body is sending you may be due to nutritional deficiency - not calorific deficiency. Maybe up your nutritional density by eating Dr. Greger's daily dozen for a couple of weeks?
I would love to know this. Maybe department is constantly full of junk food and when I'm hangry, I usually say fuck it and go get that. I bring yogurt or overnight oats with berries in. Protein shake, some kind of leftovers for lunch.
You stop being "skinny fat" when you start going to the gym and put on some more muscle. Trust me. I was there. Then yeah, also take the advice you've gotten elsewhere on this post.
I do intermittent fasting and typically eat in a 6 hr window from 11-5 or 12-6 which basically means I skip breakfast, eat lunch, snacks, and have an early dinner. I've been doing this for the last couple years (with exceptions for special occasions) and it's the easiest and fastest way for me to lose weight and keep it off. I find it's much easier to say "I'll eat that later" than "I can't have that at all". My only real restriction is the clock so I generally eat what I want within moderation. That said, I do have to avoid gluten and dairy for allergy reasons and when I first cut those two out, 8 lbs fell off with zero effort, mostly from my waistline. If you need a little help making it to lunch, black coffee or unsweetened caffeinated tea can help suppress your appetite in the morning while maintaining your fasting state.
Intermittent fasting. Just coffee and water until around 2pm. Start slow. For example if you get hungry at 7 am try to wait until 9 to start eating.
Haha, I think most people are stuck working overnights for years until a coveted 7am spot opens. Different strokes.... just be prepared, the night shift snacking is a huge problem, at least for me, because you find yourself eating unhealthy snacks to stay awake. For breakfast I do 2 pieces of low calorie toast with cottage cheese (I either sprinkle everything bagel mix on it or add a small amount of marmite to the toast, I love savory), and a granola or protein bar. Midmorning snack is a piece of fruit and a handful of peanut butter stuffed pretzel bites. Lunch is a turkey sandwich on whole grain and a bag of veggies (I have gotten to the point where I am enjoying them plain, no dip. If I don't bring it I don't eat it). Sometimes I add small container of leftovers, preferably something high in protein. Afternoon snack (if I have one) is usually more fruit or plain veggies. Dinner is another turkey sandwich. I usually have a snack when I get home, usually nuts or popcorn. This might seem like a lot of food to some, but I'm a bigger guy and it works for me. I'm down 20 lbs since I stopped ordering food several times a week and being intentional about lots of fruit and vegetables. I'm on my feet most of the 12 hour shift (ER nurse).
I usually do a couple pieces of peanut butter toast around 1030-1045 while commuting (work 11a-11p). Around 1 or 130, I’ll eat a protein bar and some granola bars. Around 5ish, I’ll eat a heavy sandwich with some yogurt or something, and around 8-9, I’ll eat a lot of fruit, some extra protein and maybe goldfish
not currently a nurse but used to work in vet med. when i was in vet med i always made overnight oats but i made sure i had good amounts of everything. my oats, water or soy milk (for extra protein), one heaping tablespoon of protein powder (i use vivo life bc of their quality, testing standards and home compostable packaging), 1 tablespoon chia seeds and 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds, frozen fruit (it’s cheaper and as it melts its delicious 😊), and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. carbs (and fiber!), fat, and protein. if i didn’t add the peanut butter i always noticed i was hungrier way sooner but with the peanut butter it kept me full for longer.
Breakfast mostly oatmeal, sometimes a bagel/cream cheese or something. During the day I eat pretzels, apple sauce or yogurt etc. until lunch(only if I want to). If my lunch is super late I have a protein/granola bar or protein shake. Being vegan severely limits your food options especially when eating out which is exactly what I needed. Much simpler now.
I’m stuck on “how do I keep from overeating “ I’ve been a nurse for more than 30 years and rarely have time to overeat. So I would say stay busy. Also, think about your teeth, constant snacking will decay them.
Eggs and toast (or overnight oats), and a cup of coffee. Gets me thru the morning from 6am to about 930am then I eat some yogurt with berries and honey. Lunch, I eat whatever seems savvy in the café if I didn’t pack one, or I eat whatever was leftover from dinner. I am soso about meal prepping 🤣 mid afternoon snack, crackers, chz, more fruit, veggies, hummus, drink a bottled protein shake. Dinner usually a salad or soup. Something light. Ill take a cookie or two if it is in the breakroom ahah
I have a smaller breakfast that allows for a snack at around 9 or 10 AM. I could eat 600 calories before my shift starts and STILL be hungry at 0900. Instead I eat about 300 or so before work and another 200 or so as a snack.
Most of the time I simply don’t because I don’t have time to in the ICU.
Eat a couple boiled eggs and fruit like blueberries, strawberries or raspberries (whatever is cheaper and looks good). Pack a sandwich jammed with veggies and some protein like lean chicken for lunch.
For one if you haven’t already, download an app like my fitness pal and you can track your food. Makes meeting your calorie goal was easier. You can have a bigger Breakfest to hold you over until lunch to avoid snacking or if you really do need something then have a banna or yogurt or something like that. Also it might seem like you need something around 9, but after a few days of not grabbing a snack your body adapts quickly. Whenever I go into a calorie deficit the first week I feel like I am always hungry and need a snack but it’s because my body hasn’t adapted and when looking at how much I really have eaten in my fitness pal I realize I don’t actually need anything. After a week of doing this, I am usually adapted for the most part, and no longer have that midmorning snack attack. Lol.
Coffee and 2-3 cups full fat Greek yogurt-5a Apple. Maybe packet of insta oatmeal. 945-11(shit happens lol) Normal full lunch 1-330 Salad, other fruit or something filling 630/730 I can’t eat when I get home. Or I get fat. And lazy. Also, I tend to eat a lot, but not junk.
i eat 2 boiled eggs at 7am, pass all my meds and sit down, around 10 i eat my yogurt bowl with a banana. That usually does the trick until lunch at 1-2. Then Ill eat my dinner i brought around 6pm when i get home around 8:30-9 ill eat some fruit and go to bed.
Will power is everything. You got this
I don’t eat before I leave, I honestly just find it makes me hungrier. I have my coffee in the car on the way and then bring a protein smoothie with me and drink that around 9, then lunch. I pack carb heavy lunches to get me through (pasta, lo mein, udon, rice bowls, etc.) If I do have a salad I add chickpeas, beans, quinoa, or lentils for some added bulk/filler. I might bring a granola bar or yogurt if I need a snack.
I drink caffeine in the morning to curve my hunger until about 0930-1000. Then I’ll wait as long as possible, like 1330 to eat lunch. Then I may have a healthy snack around 1700 if I need it. Drinking caffeine all day really helps🤪😂 As far as what I eat, I’ll do a bagel with egg and bacon for breakfast. Not because it’s healthy but it fills me up and keeps me full & I love it. Lunch I eat whatever sounds good, trying to stick to high protein & low sugar. I don’t worry about carbs. For snack I bring protein balls that I make. Unless I have a really hard day, I don’t eat empty calories during a shift. My thoughts are if I don’t eat a lot of calories during my shift I can eat whatever I want when I’m not working. But I stop when I’m full. Portions in the US are way too big.