What to eat when you are tired

TRD66

I sometimes, like most people, get a bit tired in the afternoon, especially if I've had a poor night's sleep. I used to eat a bar of chocolate and a fizzy drink to wake me up a bit, but as that's about 300-400 calories, I'm looking for alternative. Any suggetions?

Sued0nim

have a short sleep or get out in the fresh air and have a short, brisk walk

JenniDaisy

Coffee obviously. But what would be better is taking a nap, or getting a better nights sleep.

Cassie_DE

Drink something like an espresso then immediately take a powernap if you can. In twenty minutes the caffeine'll hit and you'll be up and about so fast you won't believe it, lol. Take it from a college student.

eldamiano

More sleep?

TRD66

Can't take a nap, 'coz I'm at work (well I can, but then I won't be working for long) and similar for the walk. I also don't like coffee. I know....I'm not making this easy!

Any other suggestions??

Liftng4Lis

eat chocolate

Kari121869

Dark chocolate is ok for you - try to get sugarfree if you can - but if you can't the 'darker' the better... it's my 'go to' if I can't get outside and need a little 'pick me up' as I don't drink coffee.

ksolksol

Like you, afternoons are when I fade, even though I sleep enough. I keep controlled portion, reasonably healthy snacks at the office. If I need that sugar jolt, I tend to go with a piece or two of dried fruit. I've been trying more often than not to focus on protein, so I keep jerky and roasted edamame on hand, and those little Babybel cheeses in the fridge -- one of those with a couple of dates goes a long way. I also keep some extremely dark chocolate (I think the last I bought is 75% cocoa) because a little bit of that goes a long way.

One trick I've learned is to buy the little snack-sized ziplocs and make my own portion-controlled snack packs. If you know this is when you need a bite, just plan for it so that you can make a reasonable choice that fits with your overall food goals.

lemurcat12

Tea, diet soda, or just deal with it for a few days and try to sleep more.

For me eating because I was tired in the afternoon was mostly an emotional habit thing that went away when I stopped giving into it, and partly about a cycle of waking myself up with carbs and then crashing. When I changed my diet to be better balanced and just ignored the psychological cues for a few days, it went away. At most, if not caffeine, try munching on something like carrots or some berries or nuts. You'll get some energy without playing into any spike the blood sugar cycle you have going on.

Now when I get that feeling it's almost always because I've been under sleeping, so I don't address it with food.

xcalygrl

Coffee
Non-decaf tea (green, black, etc.)
A small serving of dark chocolate (22-80 calories)
A small snack (this is my go-to method, but I plan for these calories in my day every week day)

vamaena

I read somewhere a while back that apples are supposed to help keep you awake. Unfortunately I can't find that specific article but if you google "apples and alertness" you'll find plenty of articles on how they make a good caffeine replacement.

I usually get between 6-8 hours of sleep at night and come late afternoon I always feel drained and sleepy. I started to eat an apple and it usually perks me up a little. . It could be just a placebo effect but it if is as long as it works then I'll keep doing it. It's not like it's unhealthy. If I'm extra sleepy I also try to go for a short walk (usually from one end of my floor to the other since I'm at work) and I'll drink some water. That usually does the trick. The act of getting up and moving around.

Patttience

If you are trying to lose weight, i hardly think that eating chocolate is sound advice. If you have to eat , try fruit. If you are hungry, have a simple sandwich with something like sardines. If you think its got too many calories, eat less later on.

It is true that lack of sleep makes you hungry. So make sure you get yourself a better night's sleep. Go to bed earlier so that you feel better at work.

FatJockSing

Patttience wrote: »

If you are trying to lose weight, i hardly think that eating chocolate is sound advice.

If it fits your macros - and it works why is it NOT sound advice???? It may mean swapping some other food out to hit the numbers . . . but . . . "Good Food/Bad food is bad information!! Grrrrrrrrrr Pattttience indeed.

Snip8241

My lunch makes a difference. If it's not balanced and too heavy on carbs I crash at about two. I eat veggies, protein with carbs from cottage cheese. I drink a large iced coffee about three thirty. Do you drink caffeine in tea?
More sleep at night will help.

fitcrt

Maybe also look at what you are eating for lunch which may be making you feel tired & switch to a lunch that will make you feel energized - like a salad with protein.

Phrick

I've heard over and over that "an apple and a glass of water gives you the same energy boost as a cup of coffee." Now, I'm not saying it's gospel and I don't have studies and links to back it up, all I have is the trivia game card that I originally got it from and my own personal experience with it working... but it's a low calorie, portable, work-friendly option you can at least try and if it does work for you, bonus.

I did find this article which mentions mid-day fatigue, and the first two suggestions are to drink water and eat apples. For whatever it's worth, here's the link sheknows.com/beauty-and-style/articles/969311/all-natural-ways-to-boost-your-energy

jouttie

Prunes. They are sweet and tasty and the prompt laxative effect gets you sprinting to the loo, waking you up in the process

eldamiano

MrM27 wrote: »

Sleep more. Eat food. It's not that hard.

Instead of all of the long-worded alternative suggestions made on here, this. Simple and more effective.

askeates

I have the same issue... I will down a glass of water, take a brisk walk around the parking lot, and if I still want (not necessarily need) something to snack on then I will get either some honey roasted peanuts or fruit.