ExRx.net

First, I want to say I think this is a great forum and I am learning a lot just by reading the various posts, but now I have a question of my own.

How, if at all, should I be adjusting my meals since I don't work or live the standard 9-5 schedule? I work two different schedules: a 7pm-3am shift, alternating with the midnight to 8am shift.

Now, a normal person would eat breafast, lunch, and dinner at around 8am, noon, and 6pm. If I work a graveyard shift, then I don't wake up until 4-4:30pm, so that would mean my breakfast, lunch, and dinner would look something like 5pm, 11pm, and 5am, but that doesn't seem right. I didn't think I should be eating anything after, say, 7pm. At least when I work 7pm-3am (which is about 80% of the time), that only throws off my schedule by a few hours (wake up at 11am, etc.), but then I feel as though I'm missing the time of the day when I should be taking in my carbs and if I stop eating after 7pm, I am STARVING by 10 or 11pm....

How should I be eating based on these shifts?

Coach[/list][/code]

It has nothing to do with the time of day. It has to do with when you sleep. If you make a day longer to adjust to another shift, you just eat another meal. Breakfast is just the meal you have after you wake, it doesn't happen at a certain time.

I've worked shifts for at least half of my adult life, especially when I was shipping out to sea. I loved 3rd shift. I'd go to bed after I got off at 8 AM. I would wake up around 4 PM, slowly have coffee, wake up, and get into the Galley around 5 PM. Time of day doesn't matter, nor do the food choices. My breakfast was what the Galley was putting out for dinner, usually some type of meat and veg, and would occasionally opt for some rice / I'd chill out, watch a video, then go workout, then get to work by midnightand get into midrats right before work. We could also have the galley crew hold a plate for us, and the might be anytime. Like Ironman says, doesn't matter. Currently I work a modified 2nd shift, so I get up around 8 AM, do a Metcon workout, and have a brunch around 11:00 AM, work at 1:00 PM, brown bag it and have another at work around 4:30 PM, and from my seond brown bag I have a 3rd around 8:30, right before quitting time around 9:00 PM. Just adapt to your circumtances.Who says you have to have eggs for beakfast? Have whatever you want, when you want. and when it is best suitable for your time schedule.
Tim

Excellent, thank you. That's the first time I've ever been told to eat according to my schedule. I've been told different things from adjust my life/work schedule to meet the normal meal schedule, or that I have to adjust my meals and stop eating after a certain time of the evening, because my metabolism slows down, etc.

Thanks for the replies.

Coach