Afternoon Blood Sugar Crash

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Replies

  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
    I just looked at about a week of your diary. You seem to eat more calories at snack time rather than at meal time. And things like pretzels and graham crackers aren't the best choices. You do seem to get plenty of protein with your protein shake, and that is good, but you might want to try for bigger calorie meals (balanced carbs/protein/fat) and healthier but smaller snacks.

    Yeah, this hasn't been my best week in the world......

    I'm working on getting back on track. Fighting the "well, I worked out, so I can have it" mentality. Thank you though!
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
    I eat a snack of fruit or veg w/ a protein between each meal and that seems to help a lot the fruit ups your blood sugar a bit and the protein keeps me feeling full, I'm normally not hungry until after my workout and it's dinner time. Most of the time the snack is an apple/banana/carrots with string cheese/almonds/yogurt. I keep my lunch and breakfast pretty low cal so I can snack a little more often.

    I like this a lot. Thanks for the advice!
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
    forget the skittles and have an ounce of almonds and/or some lean protein. I'm not sure why you'd want to make your blood sugar spike just to crash again.

    I completely agree with you! I've had string cheese the past couple days to hold me over till Dinner, and it works, but it misses my sweet tooth. If that makes any sense.

    Try cocoa or cinnamon roast almonds. Not much sugar, but they taste sweet.

    Also great advice! I didn't know they made those! Thank you!
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
    my diary is open if you would like to peak. I usually have a wrap and pretzels and an apple. Last couple days have been left overs.

    Exactly what I did. You may want to try cutting out the pasta and other carbs midday - you dont need em. Replace with good fats and protein. The like honey graham crackers are all refined sugar and enriched flour. There's no reason to spike insulin with a carb/protein meal if youre sitting at work.

    The Gram Crackers are usually my dessert, I just changed my snack categories today. I was having the Joseph's wrap because I thought that was a better carb choice. No?
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
    I just looked at about a week of your diary. You seem to eat more calories at snack time rather than at meal time.
    Meal frequency/size doesn't matter as long as you reach your macros for the day.
  • lavieboheme1229
    lavieboheme1229 Posts: 448 Member
    Wow- after changing my meal names/times everything moving backwards got all sorts of messed up! Yikes!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    I just looked at about a week of your diary. You seem to eat more calories at snack time rather than at meal time.
    Meal frequency/size doesn't matter as long as you reach your macros for the day.

    You are right, except her question was about how to stave off a sugar crash in the afternoon. In that case, meal frequency and size could be an important factor. If your body is crashing and causing you to need to eat right now, then adjusting when and how much can be something to adjust so that you don't go over on calories.
  • Mama_Lyn
    Mama_Lyn Posts: 45 Member
    I have the same thing! Totally looking for ANYTHING to eat around 3:45-4:00pm and I eat dinner between 5-6pm. I have another hungry moment at around 9-10pm, but I refuse to eat after 7pm unless I had a late day.

    Thanks for the suggestions!
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
    You are right, except her question was about how to stave off a sugar crash in the afternoon. In that case, meal frequency and size could be an important factor. If your body is crashing and causing you to need to eat right now, then adjusting when and how much can be something to adjust so that you don't go over on calories.

    Well then you're speaking of post-prandial narcolepsy from a combination insulin surge due to a single event of high calorie intake along with lowered oxygen to the brain as blood goes rushing to work through the GI giving a false sense of hypoglycemia. You don't need to feed a sugar low, the body has hormones to fix that for you: glucagon, epinepherine, norepinepherine, cortisol... Only if you have a medical condition do you need to worry about this.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member


    Well then you're speaking of post-prandial narcolepsy from a combination insulin surge due to a single event of high calorie intake along with lowered oxygen to the brain as blood goes rushing to work through the GI giving a false sense of hypoglycemia. You don't need to feed a sugar low, the body has hormones to fix that for you: glucagon, epinepherine, norepinepherine, cortisol... Only if you have a medical condition do you need to worry about this.

    Well, I prefer to have sensible meals at certain times and healthy snacks, then I don't get that shaky and lightheaded feeling that makes me feel like I want to puke and pass out all at the same time.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Maybe try a little more protein at lunch?
  • Jester522
    Jester522 Posts: 392
    Well, I prefer to have sensible meals at certain times and healthy snacks, then I don't get that shaky and lightheaded feeling that makes me feel like I want to puke and pass out all at the same time.

    All I'm driving at is snack = meal theres no difference. If you want to have 6 meals of 400 calories or 3 and 3 of 600/300 it makes no difference.

    I never get this feeling - benefits of fasting for 20 hours a day.
  • LMYAGWSR
    LMYAGWSR Posts: 1
    I have yet to try this because I just found it today while looking up symptoms of sugar withdrawal (I have a big time sweet tooth and just started counting calories....thanks MFP!.....and am feeling the effects). Anyway, this was one suggestion I came across:
    "Drink lots of water. Sometimes people eat sugary foods when their bodies are actually craving liquid, so often, simply drinking a glass of water can stop a sugar craving. Indeed, individuals who are addicted to high levels of sugar may have difficulty identifying the difference between a sugar craving and thirst. Whenever you experience an intense bout of sugar cravings, try drinking a glass of water to curb the urge."
    From: http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Through-Sugar-Withdrawal
    Not sure if I believe it. I like the flavored coffee idea. A touch of crystal light powder or something similar in water can help too.
    Best wishes!
  • stephv38
    stephv38 Posts: 203 Member
    A nutritionist once recommended Artisana brand coconut butter for sugar cravings. The fat should begin to be burned as your energy source instead of sugar and it tastes like a treat- no sugar. This will help work your body off of sugar as its primary energy source. Try a tablespoon, before blood sugar dip.

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