• News
    • Industry Trends
    • Hot Markets
    • Weekly Top 10
    • Hospital Strikes
  • Career
    • Traveler Tips
    • First-Time Traveler
    • Ask The Expert
  • Reviews
    • Agency Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
    • Hospital Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
  • Network
    • Your Photos
    • Traveler Stories
    • Traveler Lifestyle
  • Resources
    • Find A Hospital
    • Compact Licensure Map
    • Licensing
    • Certifications
      • ANCC
      • AHA
    • Continuing Education
      • CEU Directory
      • Nurse.com
      • Relias Academy
      • Wild Iris Medical Education
      • WorldWideLearn
  • Find High-Paying Jobs
    • Search All Jobs
    • Connect With A Recruiter
    • Top Markets
    • Travel CST Salary By State
    • Travel Nursing Salary By State
  • About Us
HCT Today
SHARE YOUR STORY GET THE SCOOP

HCT Today Dedicated News Site For Healthcare Travelers

June 26, 2022
  • StaffDNA Career Profile Benefits
  • Career Profile Login
HCT Today
SHARE YOUR STORY

  • News
    • Industry Trends
    • Hot Markets
    • Weekly Top 10
    • Hospital Strikes
  • Career
    • Traveler Tips
    • First-Time Traveler
    • Ask The Expert
  • Reviews
    • Agency Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
    • Hospital Reviews
      • Share Your Experience
  • Network
    • Your Photos
    • Traveler Stories
    • Traveler Lifestyle
  • Resources
    • Find A Hospital
    • Compact Licensure Map
    • Licensing
    • Certifications
      • ANCC
      • AHA
    • Continuing Education
      • CEU Directory
      • Nurse.com
      • Relias Academy
      • Wild Iris Medical Education
      • WorldWideLearn
  • Find High-Paying Jobs
    • Search All Jobs
    • Connect With A Recruiter
    • Top Markets
    • Travel CST Salary By State
    • Travel Nursing Salary By State
  • About Us
Traveler Tips

Night Shift Nurse Cravings: The Healthy Way

Ryan WagonerApril 5, 201885 Views0

Fit Travel Life-Travel Nurse Blogger

By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life

When I started working night shift as a new grad, I thought I knew exactly how to tackle the crazy hours. I had done one night per week during nursing school as a nursing tech, so I was sure I would transition into the world of full-time nights without a problem. I was sure I could maintain a healthy lifestyle all while being the super-nurse who worked the crazy hours.

Wrong. So, so wrong.

About six months into my night shift career, I realized something had to change. There was nothing “super” about how I was feeling thanks to the typical triad that befalls all-new night shift workers: tired, overweight, and poor diet. Despite my good intentions going in, night shift had gotten the better of me and my health.

Like many people, switching to days was not an option. I was making meager new grad nurse wages in rural Missouri, and I was also attempting to save for my wedding. I knew I could not afford to take a day shift position even if there had been one available because I desperately needed that night shift differential. I had to figure out how to manage my current situation and night shift cravings in a healthy and positive way.

Lucky for you guys, after three years of working night shift, I have built up an arsenal of tools to help me attack my night shift cravings head-on. These tips even helped me lose weight and compete in a bodybuilding competition while working nights. I say this to let you know that it is possible to make healthy changes while working nights, along with achieving intense goals along the way.

To start, you need to have a plan, and a commitment to change. There is a lot of mental toughness that is required for changing habits while on a night shift, but by taking baby steps and implementing each of these tips as you can, I know anyone can change their lifestyle and habits while working third shift.

Know how much your body needs

Personally, I am a fan of counting macros, but if you don’t want to be that specific, you should at least know your body’s BMR, or basal metabolic rate. There are lots of free calculators online. This will give you a rough idea of how much food you need to eat in 24 hours.

When I first started working nights, I was actually undereating because it drastically affected my appetite. By having a goal for my eating habits, it helped me become more structured and feel better overall when I was getting the right amount of food for my body.

Plan what to eat the WHOLE time you’ll be awake

Night shift workers are often awake for more than 24 hours at a time. Unfortunately, our bodies will still burn the same amount of calories they normally would in 24 hours. This means you need to plan for the entire time you’ll be awake. As a new nurse, I would often eat throughout the day like I wasn’t on the night shift, and then eat again at night like normal. Now, I make sure I eat volume foods that are lower in calories to make sure I don’t end up consuming way more than my body can burn in 24 hours.

Find staple low-calorie beverages

This is not to say ditch the energy drinks and coffee. I get it, night shift is almost impossible to survive without caffeine. But if you drink four cups of coffee with sugary creamers all night, add up how much sugar and fat you’re consuming via coffee. There are tons and tons of low-calorie drink options out there, so find one that gives you the caffeine boost you need without loading you up with excess calories.

Figure out if you’re a snacker or a three-meals-a-day person

Weight loss or weight management will always be based on calories in versus calories out. I was successful losing weight on nights without specific meal timing, so I ate based on what kept me sane and happy. Ultimately, you have to find a pattern that can be maintained long-term in order to see change.

If that means six small snacks throughout your shift, great. If you’d rather sit and have a big “dinner” (or whatever you like to call your 2 a.m. meal), then be conscious of that and try to stay away from snacking throughout the night. Find a pattern that keeps you satisfied without overeating.

If you’re looking to kick off your healthy eating habits and tackle night shift cravings, this is a simple recipe that’s also a favorite: Easy Banana Pancakes.

Bring lots of options to work

With your body being out of whack already from working a reverse shift, it can be hard to predict what you will want at 3 a.m. when hunger or a craving strikes. I suggest bringing a mix of sweet and savory snacks that will keep you from running to the vending machine or cafeteria (if that’s an option where you work).

Some of my favorite night shift staples that satisfy sweet and savory cravings are; rice cakes with peanut butter, shredded crockpot chicken with salsa, plain Greek yogurt with a no-calorie sweetener, and rice cake chips.

All of these tools took me several months to implement in a way that helped me lose weight and then maintain it. I actually struggled more on my day shift assignment because I had gotten the night shift rhythm down to a science!

Working nights is not the easiest experience. It is hard on your body, mentally and physically. But by focusing on the things you can control, you can still reach health and fitness goals while working a night shift. By taking control of your diet while on night shift you can take the first step towards a more pleasant experience as a third-shifter, and start to feel better about yourself as well.

Alex McCoy is a pediatric registered nurse from Kansas City, Missouri. She currently works as a travel nurse and started Fit Travel Life as a way to share resources and tips for staying healthy while on the road working long hours. Alex travels with her husband, Keaton, who is a travel physical therapist, and their cat Autumn.

Traveler Tips
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • Comment
  • SHARENight Shift Nurse Cravings: The Healthy Way
    • Pin
    • Share
    • Share
Previous ArticleNurse Humor: The Best Procedure
Next ArticleLocation & Legislation: Factors Impacting The Traveler Job Market (Part 1)
Ryan Wagoner
Ryan Wagoner is a reporter for Healthcare Traveler Today.

You may also like

Avoiding Hospital Politics As A Travel Nurse

Traveler Stories: What I Loved About Working in Wisconsin

Traveler Tips: Tackling the Summer Slowdown in Travel Nursing

Leave a Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Browse Topics

  • Agency Advice
  • Agency Reviews
  • Ask The Expert
  • Career
  • Compliance
  • Continuing Education
  • EMR Conversions
  • eNLC
  • Featured
  • First-Time Traveler
  • For A Laugh
  • Healthcare Roundup
  • Hot Markets
  • Housing
  • Industry Trends
  • Inspiration
  • Licensing
  • Market Data
  • News
  • Nurse Contributor
  • Strikes
  • Take A Break
  • Taxes
  • Top 10
  • Traveler Tips
  • Uncategorized
  • VMS/MSP
  • Weekly Polls
  • Your Photos
  • Your Stories

More Stories

×

5 Tips To Succeed As A Specialized Travel Nurse

By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life When I began to research travel nursing, I had no idea that...

Travelers

FUNemployment: Maximizing Time Off as a Travel Nurse

October 8, 2019
how to stay employed as travel nurse-travel healthcare-job hunting-resume

5 Ways To Make Sure You Always Land A Travel Healthcare Contract

October 11, 2018
andrew-pons-pet travel-pet travel anxiety

Helping Anxious Pets Adapt to Travel Healthcare

October 4, 2018

Industry News

Make Your Mental Health A Priority

May 20, 2022
Travel Freedom

What to expect from travel nursing this summer

June 9, 2022

Traveler Photos

ER RN, Gabi M., exploring Waterhole Canyon
RN, May D., with her friend Erlinda at the top of Angels Landing in Utah (Photo Contest Winner for June!)
RN, Mary G., driving along the edge of a large storm front near Shiprock, Arizona.
RN, Sandra W. in Washington D.C.
RN, Mary G., seeing the sights around Shiprock, Arizona.
RN, Naomi B., shares photos of her adventures from Arizona and other parts of the U.S.
RN, Amanda M., taking in the sights at the Grand Canyon.
RN, Amanda M., enjoying Lake Powell near Page, Ariz.
RN, Donna M., enjoying the beauty of Ogunquit, Maine!
Copyright © 2021 StaffDNA. All Rights Reserved.

Helpful news, travel tips, expert advice and online resources—delivered straight to your inbox once a week.

“Get The Scoop” on the travel healthcare industry with HCT Today.

Learn More

Agency Review

    HCT Today wants to know what healthcare professionals think about their travel agencies. Below are 15 questions covering Recruiting and Accounting & Customer Service. This survey will take two minutes. You will either be asked a yes/no question or a scale with 0 being poor and 5 being excellent. All submissions will remain anonymous.







    Recruiting

    0 = Poor & 5 = Excellent



    YesNo


    YesNo


    YesNoN/A



    Accounting & Customer Service

    0 = Poor & 5 = Excellent




    Overall Agency Score





    Photo of The Month Contest



      By clicking submit you are agreeing to the Photo Contest Terms and Conditions.

      We Want To Hear From You

        We want to hear your stories, feedback, suggestions or tips! Have an insider tip on upcoming strikes or EMR conversions at your hospital? Let us know! Interested in contributing a story or sharing your experience to help other traveling professionals? We want to hear it!




        You may optionally provide contact information below. Including this information helps our team reach out should we need more information regarding your submission. This information will not be shared with third parties.


        NoYes






        Unless you have chosen to remain anonymous, by submitting this form you give Healthcare Traveler Today permission to contact you for details regarding your submission. You also give permission for HCT Today to share your information on HCTToday.com. We will never publish your contact information. For questions, email hcttoday@staffdna.com or call 469-429-6608

        Hospital Review


          Healthcare Traveler Today is collecting hospital reviews from nurses nationwide to get a better idea of what it's like working in specific facilities. We want to hear from you! Share your experience by completing the form below. All reviews remain anonymous.










          YesNo


          YesNo


          YesNo


          YesNo



          YesNo



          RNNOLPNCNAOther




          By submitting this form you give Healthcare Traveler Today permission to contact you for details regarding your submission. You also give Healthcare Traveler Today permission to share this information on the HCTToday.com site. For questions, email hcttoday@staffdna.com or call 469-429-6608.