Help with controlling sugar slumps mid afternoon

lisabobczuk

I really hope someone can shed some light on my predicament.
I set my day up rather well, according to what I think is right!
My problem is, I get really jittery and feel I need sugar come 2pm onwards.
It's really jeopardising my goals and I'm finding it upsetting.
I just hope someone can shed light on why this is happening and how to stop it
Thankyou

cathipa

Are you eating enough prior to 2pm? If so what about eating some fruit to satisfy that sweet craving?

lisabobczuk

I've been having brown toast for breakfast or protein shake
For lunch I had brown pasta with mange tout and a feta sauce plus a yoghurt.

TeaBea

My mid-afternoon snack is a piece of fruit and a cup of chai tea with milk. Sugar and caffeine.

lisabobczuk

I'll give that chai tea a go
Any reason why you drink that particular one? Please

TeaBea

lisabobczuk wrote: »

I'll give that chai tea a go
Any reason why you drink that particular one? Please

Nope - most of the day I drink herbal. My wake up is caffeine, but I can't do that all day long anymore.

Daddy78230

I would guess your going through a blood sugar roller coaster ride from your lunch. You get a high from your high carb lunch within an hour and the crash about 2 hours later. At that time you crave seeets to help normalize blood glucose, but it often leads to another blood sugar roller coaster ride.

lisabobczuk

This is exactly what's happening to me!
I get jelly legs and get that overbearing need for sugar, but I'm not hungry at all!

Daddy78230

Perhaps cutting out some of the carbs and adding more protein and/or healthy fats during your lunch will help offset the sugar highs and lows. Taking a brisk walk after lunch always helps to burn off excess blood glucose.

kshama2001

lisabobczuk wrote: »

I've been having brown toast for breakfast or protein shake
For lunch I had brown pasta with mange tout and a feta sauce plus a yoghurt.

Wheat flour products make me sleepy. When I have sandwiches made from sprouted wheat or a lunch that is wheat free, and get a little cardio at lunch such as going for a walk, I don't have the afternoon slump.

I also shoot for my meals and snacks to contain at least 20% and ideally 30% protein (except for my bedtime snack.)

lisabobczuk

So basically I'm just eating to many carbs and my body is on a roller coaster.
I really appreciate your input and help
Thankyou

Lizzy622

You can replace your pasta with a noodle made from vegetables like zucchini or carrots. I get very sleepy also when I eat too many carbohydrates for lunch.

lisabobczuk

Now that's a really good idea! Didn't think of that! I'll get one of those spiralizer things to do my veg with
I do find I get really sleepy and then wake up feeling awful

kenyonhaff

lisabobczuk wrote: »

Now that's a really good idea! Didn't think of that! I'll get one of those spiralizer things to do my veg with
I do find I get really sleepy and then wake up feeling awful

Give that a try... but I found high-protein lunches kept me going where a salad may not. Or use high protein pasta.

Iamnotasenior

Try this. Set up each meal on an imaginary (or real) plate. Half your plate should be vegetables and/or fresh fruit, one quarter of the plate should be protein and one quarter of the plate can be grains (rice, bread, pasta, etc.) or high carbohydrate vegetables (potatoes, corn, beets, squash, etc.). You don't have to eat all of this at one sitting, but having a picture in your head of how to balance your meals helps if you for instance, have a meal with no protein, then your afternoon snack should be high in protein, if you skip vegetables at one meal, make it up later with a small salad, or an apple, etc. See the link here for a picture http://veggieteens.typepad.com/.a/6a00e554829e2d88340163029c068c970d-pi

pinuplove

Give a higher protein and higher fat lunch a whirl. I find a spoonful of peanut butter does wonders for me when I'm flagging in the afternoon, but it is a bit dear, calorically speaking. Worth it though

lisabobczuk

I've taken a snap shot of the plate and will go back to it when planning my meals. That's a really good idea! Thank you for that!
I can see where I'm going wrong reading all your posts!
Looking back, I do eat a lot of carbs.
It's no wonder I'm struggling.

lifting_momlife

Daddy78230 wrote: »

Perhaps cutting out some of the carbs and adding more protein and/or healthy fats during your lunch will help offset the sugar highs and lows. Taking a brisk walk after lunch always helps to burn off excess blood glucose.

i was also going to recommend maybe upping protein and cutting carbs back some.