Currently crashing and a little shaky

CarbingTemptation

Hi there,

I was hoping someone can advise me a little. So today I've had a chicken and sweetcorn (sandwich filler so includes mayo) sandwich in white bread. I'm aware my choices aren't great. I've had that and some grapes and about 3 hours on I feel a bit weak, tad shaky and mostly like I want to gorge my face.

I'm not concerned that there's something seriously wrong, when I get too hungry sometimes I can feel weak and shaky. But I know it's down to my food choices. Rather than eat my dinner super early and then need another meal this evening, what would you recommend to keep me going?

Or should I have my dinner early and then something like oats late in the evening as a supper?

I'm not incredibly healthy, I'm only just beginning to make small changes so suggestions of drastic immediate change aren't likely to work for me right now.

Pipsg1rl

you should talk to your physician.

urloved33

How about a smoothie to fill the hole. I get shaky when I have worked out really hard or am hungry too.

CarbingTemptation

Pipsg1rl wrote: »

you should talk to your physician.

It's not a serious problem, it's fairly rare, but I know that when I eat poorly and then get really hungry it happens. It's a normal response, particularly for someone as anxiety prone as me.

blktngldhrt

Pipsg1rl wrote: »

you should talk to your physician.

this.

are you eating enough? do you have a medical condition?

i get this way when my blood glucose is low..but the symptoms could be a variety of things.

jgnatca

I get like this when my blood glucose is low, too. I have a snack that includes a carb and a protein, about 100-150 calories. See if that helps you feel better.

CarbingTemptation

Thanks, I'm mainly trying to stop myself just binging because I already have poor self control :P

oedipa_maas

This exactly describes me when my blood sugar crashes. I find that I need to eat high protein *and* high fat to prevent them. I also need to make sure I eat things like whole grain instead of white bread, because I digest the latter way too fast and it spikes my blood sugar then sends it into a crash. There's a lot of info out there about preventing blood sugar crashes.

CarbingTemptation

oedipa_maas wrote: »

This exactly describes me when my blood sugar crashes. I find that I need to eat high protein *and* high fat to prevent them. I also need to make sure I eat things like whole grain instead of white bread, because I digest the latter way too fast and it spikes my blood sugar then sends it into a crash. There's a lot of info out there about preventing blood sugar crashes.

I'll have to seriously consider that because I've never paid too much attention to the types of food I eat but I do eat a lot of carbs and a lot of sugar, so I'm not doing myself any favours.

Iamnotasenior

I have this too. It's low blood sugar. Try to stay away from white bread, sugar, white rice, etc. as this causes spikes in your blood sugar and then the "crash" is that much worse. When you feel shaky, eat some protein, a piece of cheese, a handful of nuts, a slice of turkey, etc. and you should feel better. Replace that white bread with whole wheat bread. More fiber and protein will help you have fewer of these episodes and help you feel full longer.

lemurcat12

Do you just feel like you need to eat, not really sick?

I'd try to maybe have a snack that includes protein, like a greek yogurt, or fat and protein, like some nuts. Keeping track of when you feel hungry is a good thing to do, as you can start switching around your meals to help with that.

Are you eating a reasonable number of calories?

Athijade

How many calories are you eating in general? Your diary is closed so we really have 0 information to help you with.

CarbingTemptation

Just hungry from it, it's nothing new but since I'm trying to begin making healthier changes I want to see what a sensible approach to it is because previously I'd get something carby/sugary which obviously isn't a good idea.

Right now I normally eat about 2000 calories, sometimes over by less than a hundred. I really have just started trying to change and I'm restricting myself, but I'm making poor choices and rather than do what I'd normally do which is to just eat more I was hoping to get healthier advice.

I've had some chicken and a tiny bit of cheese and I feel much better. Thanks to everyone who pointed out how to counteract it, I will focus more on maintaining my blood sugar as that might be feeding my bad habits too.

kpw818

I get this too occasionally (more when I wasn't eating enough + strength training). I lost a ton of weight not eating enough over the summer and weight training 4 days a week. I'm back up now and building muscle, but I still get shaky days if I'm not careful.

I have a problem with low eating days paired with high eating days. I can't really fluctuate that much, so I'm trying to be more even over all. Maybe try dividing exercise calories over your whole week (this is what I'm doing, essentially) and see if that even intake helps with blood sugar.

jgnatca

This is how I was trained to balance out a meal:

It's the proportion that matters.

Have pre-portioned snacks ready to go in case of a crash. If I were you I'd carry a protein bar around in case of emergency.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/mid-day-snacks-722504

I think pre-portioning will be your way out from bingeing. Please eat when you feel shaky.

dopeysmelly

Like others have said, it sounds like blood sugar. For me the secret has been to make sure I focus on getting my protein and fat, get most of my carbs as veggies rather than bread etc., eat snacks on days I work out and don't go too long without eating (I can't miss meals - it really doesn't work for me). I also found that oats are a no-no for me, even the steel cut ones which take a lot of cooking and even if they're mixed with protein (like greek yogurt). If I eat them I can guarantee 3 hours later I'll get the shakes, so I avoid them (and breakfast cereals in general).

jgnatca

See, and oatmeal is just fine for me. Rice, not so much. Experience is the best teacher.

dopeysmelly

jgnatca wrote: »

See, and oatmeal is just fine for me. Rice, not so much. Experience is the best teacher.

^Absolutely this. I found writing a little note on my iphone helped me identify what was setting me off.

mom2nicknat

This absolutely will happen to me as well if my meals are not balanced properly. For example, if I just had a bowl of oatmeal or cereal for breakfast, I would get shaky and sick feeling an hour or two later. Now I make sure if I have oatmeal I add some nuts or eggs on the side. Definitely make sure you incorporate a protein with every meal and eat frequently. Now that I know what works, it doesn't happen to me anymore. I eat 6 meals a day now to avoid that.

dawnmcneil10

Making small changes will have big impact so I think that you're willing to do that is great. Something to help is to look at are the diaries of friends, make sure you have a variety of friends, some in maintenance, some that have lost weight all ready and some that are starting out. You'll find some great ideas here and you'll find a good round support system.

Here are a couple of suggestions for subtle changes....
Chicken, corn, mayo on white bread sandwich instead try putting chicken, corn, black beans, shredded cheese and plain greek yogurt into a whole grain wrap. The addition of cheese, yogurt and beans will give you more protein and a decent amount of fiber. The plain greek yogurt will taste more like sour cream than mayo but it's worth giving it a shot especially in a wrap.

I found that smaller portions more often throughout the day helped me a lot. I would say I eat every 2-3 hours, snacks like greek yogurt with fruit and granola, celery with PB, grapes or apples and string cheese, veggies and yogurt based dip.

CarbingTemptation

dawnmcneil10 wrote: »

Making small changes will have big impact so I think that you're willing to do that is great. Something to help is to look at are the diaries of friends, make sure you have a variety of friends, some in maintenance, some that have lost weight all ready and some that are starting out. You'll find some great ideas here and you'll find a good round support system.

Here are a couple of suggestions for subtle changes....
Chicken, corn, mayo on white bread sandwich instead try putting chicken, corn, black beans, shredded cheese and plain greek yogurt into a whole grain wrap. The addition of cheese, yogurt and beans will give you more protein and a decent amount of fiber. The plain greek yogurt will taste more like sour cream than mayo but it's worth giving it a shot especially in a wrap.

I found that smaller portions more often throughout the day helped me a lot. I would say I eat every 2-3 hours, snacks like greek yogurt with fruit and granola, celery with PB, grapes or apples and string cheese, veggies and yogurt based dip.

Thanks! That's super helpful.
I'm staying at my family home right now and it's so much harder because they eat differently and getting my food in and then not giving into the abundance of carbs is so much harder.

I do prefer eating more frequently but I worry it just ends in me eating more because I had a bad fortnight before I decided enough was enough. A lot of social events meant I was dining out most nights a week and stuffing myself, so I only feel satisfied when I'm super stuffed.

Giving into vegetables isn't so bad because at least there's nutrition to them. I need to figure out portions (not my strong point) and buckle up my willpower.

jhilt828

For the mornings, consider oatmeal, you can add a handful of your favorite fruit. Oatmeal keeps me so full, to the point that if I have too much in the mornings I cannot eat luch. Use your measuring cups to prepare your servings, buy an extra one and keep it in the container if you have to.

And don't be afraid to snack, just snack on clean food. Almonds are a great source of protien and are an appetite surpressant. Through a handful into a zip lock bag and keep it handy for mid day cravings. In addition, drink a bottle of watter. If you need a little flavor, get a bottle of Mio.

Lunch you can do a salad of any kind, try for dark greens. Recently I tried hollowing out the inside of a tomato and filled it with tuna salad... it was amazing. If your a sandwich person, switch your mayo with mustard. Eat as much mustard as your heart desires, but ditch the mayo. Switch out yellow cheese with white cheeses and toss the white bread. Wheat or Multigrain bread is your friend, and in my opinion MUCH tastier.

For dinner you want to incorporate dark greens as much as possible. Steamed veggies are always quick and easy, add a piece of grilled chicken, a dash of salt and pepper, and depending on the veggie a sprinkle of Parma sion cheese. Yumm! Need carbs? Place your chicken on a bed of brown rice...never white.

After dinner if you need a little something, a protien shake is great. Maybe an apple or a granola bar along with a large class of water. In fact if you try to drink a large water before every meal it will help with the cravings.

dopeysmelly

jhilt828 wrote: »

Switch out yellow cheese with white cheeses

Umm. Why? Cheese is cheese. And "clean food"? Not sure about that as useful advice for someone dealing with blood sugar issues..

OP, you'll find what works for you with trial and error, but I think the general idea is that fat and protein help with blood sugar control.

You might find that pre-logging will reassure you that you can eat more often and not go over on calories, and it can also be helpful to see the balance of carbs and protein/fat in MFP while you're planning. After a while, you'll get the hang of it.

CarbingTemptation

dopeysmelly wrote: »

jhilt828 wrote: »

Switch out yellow cheese with white cheeses

Umm. Why? Cheese is cheese. And "clean food"? Not sure about that as useful advice for someone dealing with blood sugar issues..

OP, you'll find what works for you with trial and error, but I think the general idea is that fat and protein help with blood sugar control.

You might find that pre-logging will reassure you that you can eat more often and not go over on calories, and it can also be helpful to see the balance of carbs and protein/fat in MFP while you're planning. After a while, you'll get the hang of it.

Thanks, both of you. I don't just take everything I'm told as gospel, I'm a scientist so I like to look into things too. But on the whole I have never really found out a lot about these simple things.

I'm not into the whole 'clean' food thing, it can start drifting into pseudoscience for me a bit. But nutrition is definitely a greater consideration to make.

I always knew carbs were 'bad' and protein was 'good' but I know that's not how it works, balancing protein and fat against carbs is actually looking like a really sensible idea - even if only to push me to eat a greater variety and not just go for the obvious carb choice.

lmr0528

It sounds like you're not eating enough. I know that I need to have 1-2 small snacks in between all 3 meals a day, or else I find myself getting shaky and kind of spacey.

jgnatca

dopeysmelly wrote: »

jgnatca wrote: »

See, and oatmeal is just fine for me. Rice, not so much. Experience is the best teacher.

^Absolutely this. I found writing a little note on my iphone helped me identify what was setting me off.

Yeah, that's what I did when I figured out hubby was allergic to some pain relievers. It helps when he's having an asthma attack and befuddled I can't remember if it is Tylenol or Ibuprofen he can't have.

PAV8888

Looking for a relatively low calorie/long lasting snack that will tide you over?

Plain "greek" yogurt (usually 16+g protein and 100 cal per 175g which is approximately 3/4 cup) with an apple cut in it, or two apples, or an apple and some original bran cereal, depending on hunger level and available calories.

If you can't tolerate plain yogurt yet, you can usually get mini flavoured yogurts at under 50cal per 100g. You can mix one in to sweeten/flavour the plain.

I'm general it sounds like you had a high carb (+not so great fats) meal with high glycemic index items that didn't last you too long. An expensive meal in terms of calories for bang ratio!

or you may be earing at a larger deficit than you should be,

or you may have a medical condition you should check on,

or both : -)