Anyone else get the "after lunch weakies"?

[ckent]

Hard to explain. I wake up, have breakfast and I'm fine in the morning. I go to lunch, eat, come back to work, and then I feel sort of weak, and my stomach feels mildly upset. By the time I get home and have dinner, I usually feel fine.

 

[FireDancer]

I always have some afternoon coffee. It helps with the post lunch lull.

 

[kwelch10377]

I usually get this way around 3ish and so does everyone else in my building. It is the known "snack" time around here. The convenience store we have in my building is packed at 3 everyday. I usually get some tea and then almonds or cheese and some fruit.

Could it be what you are eating for lunch?

 

[mamacatnv]

I've read that the mid afternoon crash is a perfect time to munch on a handful of raw nuts such as almonds. The protein/fat combo will carry you through to dinner without the dive that a candy bar would give you.

 

[Imzadi]

OP, what does a wholetypical lunch consist of? You are probably eating too many carbs in ratio to protein and having a low blood sugar dip.

It is amazing how many people do not know what are carbs and that they are eating too many. You had really better get your cargbs straightened out, if it is that. Diabetes type 2 is one of the fastest growing, leading epidemics here in the U.S., so much so that it is no longer called, "Adult onset diabetes," because children are now getting it. The rate it is growing is only here in the U.S., not in the rest of the world, so it is directly related to how Americans eat. It is NOT genetic. It is preventable.

 

[boyob13]

OP, what does a wholetypical lunch consist of? You are probably eating too many carbs in ratio to protein and having a low blood sugar dip.

It is amazing how many people do not know what are carbs and that they are eating too many. You had really better get your cargbs straightened out, if it is that. Diabetes type 2 is one of the fastest growing, leading epidemics here in the U.S., so much so that it is no longer called, "Adult onset diabetes," because children are now getting it. The rate it is growing is only here in the U.S., not in the rest of the world, so it is directly related to how Americans eat. It is NOT genetic. It is preventable.

Well, the lull itself is totally natural. Your body has two periods each day when you feel the need to sleep and recharge- one at about 2 am, the other at about 2 pm. Although, it is a good idea to eat something with protein/fat to help keep your body awake.

BTW, I think the diabetes comment was a little off topic there.

 

[Imzadi]

Well, the lull itself is totally natural. Your body has two periods each day when you feel the need to sleep and recharge- one at about 2 am, the other at about 2 pm. Although, it is a good idea to eat something with protein/fat to help keep your body awake.

BTW, I think the diabetes comment was a little off topic there.

NOT if he's eating incorrectly. MOST Americans aren't. Go look up the statistics yourself. You'rte in Germany and have traveled around. You probably don't eat typical American fare.

More, it's amazing, whenever we've asked fellow DISers what they typically eat, when they have similar problems, or have hypoglycemia, they eat almost pure carbs. People really have no idea what a true carb is and how it processes to SUGAR in the body. I don't get this lull you are talking about.

 

[Nomi]

I agree with most of the other posters, a little bit of protein in the afternoon really helps. My favorite is a mix of nuts (hazelnuts are the best!) and chocolate chips or berries or whatever. I am overweight, and diabetes is an issue (even for people at a healthy weight), so I think the comment is a helpful one.

Also, make sure you are drinking enough water! You could be a little dehydrated, I sometimes feel that way if I haven't had enough water,

 

[Imzadi]

Also, make sure you are drinking enough water! You could be a little dehydrated, I sometimes feel that way if I haven't had enough water,

A great tip about the water. It really lubricates the body and aids digestion. It also helps with weight loss when the body is properly lubricated, so systems are operating to burn food properly.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I get that way as well, but I am hypoglycemic, so...

A Coke will usually make me feel a little better, but I could literally EAT every three hours!

Feel better, and eat smaller meals, but eat them more OFTEN!

 

[kwelch10377]

OP, what does a wholetypical lunch consist of? You are probably eating too many carbs in ratio to protein and having a low blood sugar dip.

It is amazing how many people do not know what are carbs and that they are eating too many. You had really better get your cargbs straightened out, if it is that. Diabetes type 2 is one of the fastest growing, leading epidemics here in the U.S., so much so that it is no longer called, "Adult onset diabetes," because children are now getting it. The rate it is growing is only here in the U.S., not in the rest of the world, so it is directly related to how Americans eat. It is NOT genetic. It is preventable.

I think it would be helpful for the OP to respond what their lunch is before telling them that they better get their carbs staightened out and that they are on the fast track to being diabetic.

 

[Christine]

I have to say, this does not happen to me. It used to and it used to happen when I either overate, underate, or had a "lunch dessert". I don't necessarily eat a protein at lunch but I just eat either leftover dinner food, or a Lean Cuisine and a piece of fruit or salad. I swear, I never get sleepy. If I eat a lot of bread (sandwich) and, as I said, dessert, I get that bit.

 

[Rora]

Feel better, and eat smaller meals, but eat them more OFTEN!

OP- I feel the same way you do and AKL Megs advice worked wonders for me when I tried it a couple of months ago. It's made a big difference.

Good luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

BTW, I think the diabetes comment was a little off topic there.

I don't really think so. The poster did say "if it is that", not just saying that it IS that.

DH used to eat really poorly, then he'd get sleepy, he'd have a Coke or two (that I did not know about, and since I'm the nutrition person in this house he knows I would have been extremely upset about), he'd wake up for awhile, then start passing out even worse. I'm talking...fell asleep on the phone with a customer type of passing out.....


Around a year later I watched him fall asleep after drinking perhaps 4 ounce of soda while he was driving, and this was after we'd noted that DS has a violent, agressive reaction to the sweetener in soda....so normal soda was taken off the table.

But the damage was done, and inside a year the way he was eating caused him to have a 400+ blood sugar reading.


He now has really good blood sugars, simply by watching his diet, and he can get them even better with exercise. I don't think diet would be so simple if he'd let it go longer than he did.

Anyway, you can create a real mess (even if it's basically reversable like DH's problems have shown to be) that can make you sick, if you keep a cycle of eating sugar (or in DH's case, even worse, HFCS which isn't *normal* sugar) to wake yourself up...

And it's always possible that the OP won't come back won't update etc etc...so the PP might as well get it out there up front!


last note....a friend of mine saw nutritionists regularly, back when she was on the liver transplant list. Diet was very important (still is), and the appointments were part of the program. She was reminded routinely that when our bodies need good solid food, with nice protein, for some unknown reason, we can "read" that as a sugar-craving. Your body wants energy, but we tend to feed that need with candy bars etc etc. That's why the suggestions of a handful of plain nuts make so much sense; they feed the true need, not just how we interpret it.

 

[Northstar]

My dad used to have bouts of weakness, to the point of fainting, after eating breakfast.

It turns out his blood sugar would crash if he ate any sugar in the morning. Didn't matter if it was fructose or sucrose, though he could tolerate a little lactose.

He was never diagnosed as diabetic, and they never could really figure out what was going on to cause the crashes. He could eat sugar at other meals. The solution was to modify his breakfast, including both the time of it and the contents.

It might be worth getting some tests done. You'd have to get the testing done at the right time of day, though. Dad's sugar tolerance tests came back normal until they tried testing at the time of day when he had problems.

 

[ckent]

Thanks for all the responses!

What I have for lunch varies. Today I had a couple PB&J sanwiches with some milk. Some days I"ll have pizza. Others I'll go to Boston Market, get chicken with corn and veggies. I don't eat fabulous, but not awful.

 

[Imzadi]

Thanks for all the responses!

What I have for lunch varies. Today I had a couple PB&J sanwiches with some milk. Some days I"ll have pizza. Others I'll go to Boston Market, get chicken with corn and veggies. I don't eat fabulous, but not awful.

Glad you came back to post OP, and my general PSA didn't scare you off. I'm not bashing you, just trying to help you pick healthier food choices so you don't have this problem.


PB&J sandwiches, believe it or not, is actually not a healthy sandwich (carbohydrate wise.) It is about 89% carbs to protein. Yes, there is a small amount of protein in the peanuts. But, most peanut butters, (unless you get the organic, no additive kind,) has added sugar or corn syrup. Then there are 2 slices of bread. (You had 4, for the two sandwiches.) If they were white bread, instead of whole grain, the carb count is really high. There would also be little to no fiber. (Fiber aids digestion and slows how quickly carbs burn in the body.) The jelly, even natural preserves, are pure sugar.

Milk, regardless of all the milk commercials, is high in lactose, which converts to a sugar in the body.

So, what you had today, was about 89% carbs in ratio to protein.

This is what I meant, that the majority of people eat more carbs that they realize. Again, not bashing.

Protein is a slower burning fuel, so you when you eat it in the proper food combinations, it will still be in your system, even as the carbs are burning away quicker. So you wouldn't get those blood sugar dips. Technically, there would be enough protein in your system until you have your next meal.

As others said, it is a good idea to eat smaller meals + a couple snacks, and eat more often. You want to eat before your blood sugar dips, so your energy stays up. When you have a healthy snack, it should help tide your blood sugar over, till you can have a full meal.


A quick analysis of your other lunch choices: pizza is high carbs too, to the ratio of cheese. Add some sausage, or chicken, for added protein, or add in an extra protein on the side. This way you can still have your pizza, just balance it with more protein.

"Boston Market, chicken with corn and veggies." I love Boston Market. The chicken is great to have, but when I go there, I have to be careful of which sides I get and how much I actually eat.

All vegetables are carbs. Some, like beans, do have protein. But for the most part, when you are paying attention to the carb count, the ratio of carbs to protein is again high.

Corn is a high sugar carb. So are the sweet potatoes. Plus they add the marshmallows on top. Potatoes are an extremely high carb/sugar vegetable.

The stuffing is carbs. The corn bread is carbs + fat.

When someone gets one of their normal dinners, which consists of a quarter chicken and 2-3 sides, again, that ratio of carbs to protein is high because of the amount of sides and the choices available. If you add in a sugary drink, even juice, the sugar ratio is over the top.

Suggestion: load up on more of the chicken, like get the half chicken or other meats at Boston Market,

and the steamed veggies and the Caesar salad. Skip the corn bread. If you must have the stuffing or mashed potatoes, eat less of them in ratio to the chicken.


When I get the sandwich, (any sandwich even cheeseburgers as McDonald's,) I end up pulling away most of the bread (carbs) as I eat it. Basically there is only enough there so I can actually hold the sandwich without getting my fingers all messy from the sauce or dressing.

At the end, the wrapper has a big pile of shredded bread on it. It looks like I'm about to feed the birds. It's amazing how much bread there is.

 

[Imzadi]

You might want to stash some high protein, healthy snacks at work, to tide you over so you do not get that mid-day weak feeling and until you get a chance to make a real meal.

I've posted this on other threads before. Some of them may not work for you to bring to work. Take what info works, discard the rest. It is to give you a better idea of what constitutes high protein versus high carb snacks.

These are what I eat for my healthy snacks.

Sliced turkey & lettuce rollups (no bread,) with a slight smear of mayo or mustard. Sometimes I add in a slice of cheese. I love Oscar Mayer's "Deli Fresh" shaved turkey slices just for this. These can also be wrapped around a crisp slice of apple. (This would be a good addition for when you are eating a couple slices of pizza and you need an extra side of protein. )

Celery sticks filled with low-fat cream cheese & topped with chopped walnuts, or filled with no-sugar peanut butter. Or filled with Laughing Cow Lite cheese. I cut one wedge up into small pats and they either go on 3 celery sticks, cucumber slices, or strips of bib lettuce.

A scoop of tuna or chicken salad, or egg salad in a lettuce cup. Also dip in whole grain crackers or pita triangles. (These are better choices that PB&J sandwiches.)

Wedges or cubes of cheese, or string cheese.

A handful of nuts.

Sugar free yogurts with nuts. (Greek-style yogurts supposedly have more protein.)

Deviled eggs.

Homemade, pre-baked chicken nuggets.

Turkey hot dogs (without the buns) sliced up like Vienna sausages or for dipping.

Can of refried beans (the stuff in burritos,) topped with low-fat shredded cheese and low-fat sour cream, scooped up with celery sticks or lettuce leaves.

Hummus has become my best friend. (See my tag! ) I have hummus scooped up in lettuce leaves rather than pita chips.

Individual mini pizzas made on whole grain pitas, (instead of pizza dough, to keep the ratio of carbs to protein down, and the whole grain fiber,) with jarred tomato sauce and loaded with low-fat shredded cheese, cooked meat & some veggies. These bake up quick in a toaster oven.

Nachos made with baked, stoneground whole wheat pita chips and smothered with chili and shredded low-fat cheese.


*** Make sure you drink enough water. It really does make a difference. Water lubricates the system and allows for better digestion and fat to burn more efficiently. It also flushes out the toxins & sugar. ***


I've learned there is a big, big difference between a "snack" and a "treat." Cookies, chips & sweets should be a small treat and not used to quell hunger pangs between meals.

Treats should be portioned out to a few sweets: 1-2 cookies, a few chips or pretzels.

I love a good half cup of sugar-free jello.

There are better tasting protein bars out now. Some are healthy because of the high fiber in the whole grains. Zone Perfect makes bars that taste just like a good chocolate bar but has a high percentage of protein. They are much better than cookies or real chocolate candy bars Zone Perfect also make fruit yogurt bars.

Balance Bars and Trader Joe's 40/30/30 bars are good too. They mostly have nutty flavors. You don't have to eat a whole bar for a treat.

Other sweet treats to have: No- sugar-added Fudgsicles, sugar-free Popsicles, sugar-free Jello, drink mixes lightly flavoring water, and hard candies and chewing gum.

 

[Heidict]

I used to get exactly like that. I would be driving home from work thinking that I was going to throw up and so tired.

Come to find out, I was pregnant.