felixfenice Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Hi, all! I'm on Day 2 (technically Day 3, since I did a practice run the day before I started) and so far, so good. But I am concerned about the frequency with which I am eating; I work an overnight schedule but am up here and there during the daylight hours to get chores and things of that sort done. Because of this, I eat during the day (my night) and the night (my day), and do not have the typical 8-12 hour fasting period of someone who works 9-5 and sleeps (roughly) 12-7. Is this going to be an issue, since the Whole30 default is a three-meal-a-day, no-grazing model? I am thinking it might be best for me to have smaller (complete) meals with more frequency throughout the day and night to try and stave off energy crashes. I had a big one last night toward the end of my shift, which is BAD because that's when it gets busiest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaRama Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 I work nights too and I sleep most of the day but my meals sorta end up looking like this: 630pm: Meal 1 before work Midnight-ish: meal 2 (so, lunch, essentially) 530-6am or whenever I'm off work: Meal3 If I wake up during the day ravenous I usually have a small snack ready, like a hardboiled egg and some cucumber and baby carrots dipped in wholly guacamole. Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamaRama Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 I just re read your post and noticed I completely missed what you were asking! Sorry! OK the only thing I would suggest is to get yourself on to a schedule that works for you. If you need to eat 5-6 small meals a day then just cut down your portion sizes drastically or split one meal into two portions. It's not really recommended but it's true that us night shifters have a heck of a time adjusting to or adhering to any type of schedule! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted May 10, 2016 Moderators Share Posted May 10, 2016 What's your sleeping schedule like? Getting that more consistent and with a big chunk of at least 7-8 hours might actually should be your priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators SugarcubeOD Posted May 10, 2016 Moderators Share Posted May 10, 2016 If you're up enough time in the day to eat more than three meals spaced 4-5 hours apart, then you definitely qualify for more meals. We suggest four meals and if four meals doesn't work timing wise, make that fourth meal and then split it in two to get two mini meals and spread your other three meals a bit further apart. Eating smaller more frequent meals does you no favors for becoming fat adapted, which is where a lot of the Whole30 magic is... If you like, post your hours that you would be eating and how you might fit the meals in and then we can help tweak and see if there's a decent schedule that works for you. The reason the template says three meals is because normally people are asleep by the time their fourth meal time would roll around... if you're not, then you're up and needing more fuel than someone who is only awake for about 15 hours a day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felixfenice Posted May 11, 2016 Author Share Posted May 11, 2016 We sure do! And ugh, I am continuing to lose steam at around 1am... Hard to pull through but by 4 and 5 I'm a little better. Pretty zonked by 6am. Ugh. I just re read your post and noticed I completely missed what you were asking! Sorry! OK the only thing I would suggest is to get yourself on to a schedule that works for you. If you need to eat 5-6 small meals a day then just cut down your portion sizes drastically or split one meal into two portions. It's not really recommended but it's true that us night shifters have a heck of a time adjusting to or adhering to any type of schedule! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felixfenice Posted May 11, 2016 Author Share Posted May 11, 2016 Hi! Thank you! Okay, so my hours are 9pm-6am. During the day, I'm usually in bed around 7:30-8am and sleep until my body gets me up, which is around 1pm or 2pm. Then back to sleep for another few hours, hopefully, and up by 7pm at the latest to get ready to leave around 8pm. Pre-Whole30, I actually ate more during the non-work hours than the work hours. I'd eat around 8:45pm before work and then another meal at 5am-ish. If I felt like I was lagging or grinding to a halt, I'd eat earlier. I am TERRIBLE at math, so any kind of schedule you can suggest for me meal-and-time wise would be GREAT. I want to do this right and get those fat-adaptation benefits! If you're up enough time in the day to eat more than three meals spaced 4-5 hours apart, then you definitely qualify for more meals. We suggest four meals and if four meals doesn't work timing wise, make that fourth meal and then split it in two to get two mini meals and spread your other three meals a bit further apart. Eating smaller more frequent meals does you no favors for becoming fat adapted, which is where a lot of the Whole30 magic is... If you like, post your hours that you would be eating and how you might fit the meals in and then we can help tweak and see if there's a decent schedule that works for you. The reason the template says three meals is because normally people are asleep by the time their fourth meal time would roll around... if you're not, then you're up and needing more fuel than someone who is only awake for about 15 hours a day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators LadyM Posted May 11, 2016 Moderators Share Posted May 11, 2016 OK, given your hours--waking and work--I suggest eating within an hour of final waking, say around 7 p.m. Then eat meal 2 between midnight and 1 a.m. And have meal 3 around 5 a.m., giving yourself about 3 hours between eating and going to bed. Much like what you used to do except have meal 1 closer to your waking time to help balance hormones and add another meal midpoint between your first and last meal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ERD2481 Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 I realize this is an older post, but I also work the night shift, 6p-6a. Need help with figuring out when to eat! On nights I work, I eat a meal 'dinner' before going into work, then again around midnight. I see the suggestions to have a meal around 5am-ish, but that is one of the busiest times of my shift. I really don't care to eat before going to bed, by 7:30am usually. Nights I work back to back I sleep until 2. If I'm not back the next night I sleep until noon at the latest. Any input is much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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