How to incorporate 5:2 when working nights or evening shifts?

This topic contains 6 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by HappyNow 7 years, 3 months ago.

Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

nomagicpill90

11:25 pm
1 Oct 13
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Hi all,

So I’ve had the good fortune to not be working the past month as I’ve been seeking employment. I have recently landed my first RN job, yay! but now i wonder how this will affect the continuation of my diet. Luckily I will not be working 12 hour shifts, however, i will be doing evenings. This means i will be working 3pm-11pm. On my fast days now i have been eating at 7pm, but i don’t need that much energy to sit at home and apply. Does anybody have any suggestions on when/how i should eat on my fast days now? I will make one of my days off a fast say and one working day, so the day off is easy, but my working day i need to figure out. I have been on this diet successfully for 5 weeks now and it’s the only thing that has worked for me..i can’t imagine stopping this diet, but i need to figure out a way to fit it into my new schedule. ANY tips or suggestions would be appreciated! Thank you!

Wishing everyone a good 5:2 week!

Couscous

12:14 am
2 Oct 13
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Hi, hell of a nom de plume. I used to work 24 hr shifts so I know the problems of shift work and eating. My wife who worked shifts maintained a normal 24 hr dietary regime, it worked for her but she was not on a 5:2 diet. What does RN stand for?.
Try different approaches to this. On you first working day which if it is a fast day STICK TO YOUR FAST. I know that it may be hard but experiment. Your fast days can be any two in seven. Fast on a Monday, work on a Tuesday, fast on a Wednesday or a Thursday or a Friday. What I am saying is that this is not a regime that you stick to on certain days. Do what suits you, adjust, experiment, develop a system that suits you and your work and social life provided you can involve two days in any seven to fast. Eat your meals on fast days to suit you. It does not matter if you are at work on a fast day. Either adjust your fast day eating times or change your fast day to a non working day……Simples.
Good Luck.

Lindyw

12:28 pm
3 Oct 13
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As a RN (SRN) I worked 2 nights a week while my children were small – unfortunately that meant I had 9 days each week to eat instead of the usual 7 🙁
As they (and I) grew I transferred to day shifts and I think would have found IF fairly easy as I frequently missed lunch due to work! Have to say my weight remained healthily stable during this time.
I think if I worked 3 – 11pm, I would have a very late breakfast and something low calorie during my break at about 7 then have a 40 cal chocolate drink and into bed as soon as I got home!
But IF is very flexible and I am sure you will be able to conjure your fast days to suit you. You also have the added benefit of added exercise, walking around wards, helping people to move and all the other strenuous jobs involved in nursing involves.
Congratulations on getting your first nursing job too. I hope you find it as satisfying and rewarding as I found my 40 years.

nomagicpill90

1:54 am
18 Oct 13
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Lindy, thank you so much for the nursing perspective! I am happy that you are finding it easier now. And I think you have a good idea with eating something before work and having something small during my shift. I normally like waiting until the end of the day and eating all my calories at once, but I think I’ll have to change that up to account for my added energy needs running around the ward! And thank you, I’m nervous but definitely excited!!

lufcwimpy

11:53 am
10 Aug 15
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I have a similar problem, I do a 12 hour hour 7pm to 7am nightshift on a 4 on 4 off system. Problem is I drive a bus so get no exercise so will be starting couch to 5k at the same time as 5.2. Looking at the replies above it seems my best option would be to fast on the day of my first shift and then again on the 3rd shift. Then on the days in between I could do the couch to 5k. Anyone see any issues with this?

The Heifer

10:42 am
8 Jan 17
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Hi, All. Unless I’ve missed something, there doesn’t appear to be a solution for my particular circumstances. I’m not a nurse or anything like that, but work for a law firm in the City of London which is a 24-hour, international company. I’m a document specialist and my concentration levels are fuelled by a natural high (ie not aided by chemicals, caffeine or anything else ;o)). My hours are midnight to 8am, Monday through Friday (driving home on a Saturday morning which marks the end of my week). This is continuous, in other words, there’s no week-on-week-off pattern and I’m in my 9th year. My sleep patterns are well organized and I’ve schooled family and friends not to contact me during certain times unless there’s an emergency. Believe it or not, I feel great (clearly I’m a night owl – some of us just are). I would therefore like to know the best way to manage my 5:2. I’m intrigued by the whole fasting-thing and believe giving the digestive system a rest from constant heavy food consumption is a good way to go. Any ideas?

HappyNow

12:24 pm
8 Jan 17
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Hi The Heifer,

So presumably your 24 period is no different to mine – 8 hours at work, waking hours around this, 6-8 hours asleep.

My fast day begins with my last meal the evening before at maybe 7 or 8pm; I go to bed, then get up and during my fast day eat 500 calories or less; go to bed, get up, it’s a non-fast day.

Your fast day is surely no different. My work hours are 09:00-17:00, yours 00:00-08:00, so everything is just offset by 9 hours.

So if you get up at say 10pm, then this is the beginning of the fast day, and you would consume 500 calories or less during the ‘day’; go to bed at e.g. 2pm; get up at 10pm and it’s the day after the fast day so you eat normally?

Sorry if I’ve misunderstood the question!