Late afternoon cravings help!
Jaymie
Posts: 235 Member
Does anyone here get food cravings about 2-3pm? I find all things go well till I hit the late afternoon.
My breakfast is usually toast and avocado plus coffee. Mid morning usually a fruit sometimes with some yoghurt or hummus on the side. Lunch is usually protein (100g) plus veges and a piece of bread or roll. Come 3pm I’m exhausted and I’m heading towards the pantry!! Any ideas? I’m not a tall person 5’2 125pounds, so at the moment my goal is 1300 per day - but struggling. Sorry if I don’t reply straight away I’m in nz so we heading into the night now. But TIA for any ideas
My breakfast is usually toast and avocado plus coffee. Mid morning usually a fruit sometimes with some yoghurt or hummus on the side. Lunch is usually protein (100g) plus veges and a piece of bread or roll. Come 3pm I’m exhausted and I’m heading towards the pantry!! Any ideas? I’m not a tall person 5’2 125pounds, so at the moment my goal is 1300 per day - but struggling. Sorry if I don’t reply straight away I’m in nz so we heading into the night now. But TIA for any ideas
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Replies
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You're at a healthy weight, are you looking to lose weight? You don't have much to lose, so you have to be patient; if you set your goal to 0.5 pounds per week, you get 1500, and then the problem might resolve itself.
But additional questions: Are you at home at 3PM, or is it a pantry at work? What do you do about dinner if you have been or will be going over your calories?1 -
I can get sleepy or the munchies if I eat bread made from wheat flour at lunch. I'm fine with bread made from sprouted grains from brands such as Ezekial / Food for Life. If that's not available where you are or is not in your budget, try having something like rice with your protein for lunch.
Two other things to consider - I also crash/crave in the afternoon if I didn't get in any exercise at lunch or didn't get enough sleep the night before.3 -
kommodevaran wrote: »You're at a healthy weight, are you looking to lose weight? You don't have much to lose, so you have to be patient; if you set your goal to 0.5 pounds per week, you get 1500, and then the problem might resolve itself.
But additional questions: Are you at home at 3PM, or is it a pantry at work? What do you do about dinner if you have been or will be going over your calories?
I’m looking to lose another 5 pounds. I’m not in a rush but it’s not budging. I work part time so if I’m at home it’s the pantry if I’m at work I pop down to the cafe for a sweet drink etc. no dinner is not good. I cook for the family and I run out of time to make something different for myself. Or I just lose control if I’ve been hanging in since 3pm.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I can get sleepy or the munchies if I eat bread made from wheat flour at lunch. I'm fine with bread made from sprouted grains from brands such as Ezekial / Food for Life. If that's not available where you are or is not in your budget, try having something like rice with your protein for lunch.
Two other things to consider - I also crash/crave in the afternoon if I didn't get in any exercise at lunch or didn't get enough sleep the night before.
I might try the rice and meat combo as I mainly have bread at lunch.
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With so little to lose, it can seem like your weight isn't budging, but it is, if you're in a calorie deficit. So, do you stick to our allotment, or do you go over? If you set your calories to 1500, it will be easier, and you'll be fine until dinner, but if you insist on 1300, it definitely means that sweet drinks and sugary treats are out - you need all the nutrition you can get in order to not lose control.2
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Does anyone here get food cravings about 2-3pm? I find all things go well till I hit the late afternoon.
My breakfast is usually toast and avocado plus coffee. Mid morning usually a fruit sometimes with some yoghurt or hummus on the side. Lunch is usually protein (100g) plus veges and a piece of bread or roll. Come 3pm I’m exhausted and I’m heading towards the pantry!! Any ideas? I’m not a tall person 5’2 125pounds, so at the moment my goal is 1300 per day - but struggling. Sorry if I don’t reply straight away I’m in nz so we heading into the night now. But TIA for any ideas
Tired, or hungry or?2 -
Does anyone here get food cravings about 2-3pm? I find all things go well till I hit the late afternoon.
My breakfast is usually toast and avocado plus coffee. Mid morning usually a fruit sometimes with some yoghurt or hummus on the side. Lunch is usually protein (100g) plus veges and a piece of bread or roll. Come 3pm I’m exhausted and I’m heading towards the pantry!! Any ideas? I’m not a tall person 5’2 125pounds, so at the moment my goal is 1300 per day - but struggling. Sorry if I don’t reply straight away I’m in nz so we heading into the night now. But TIA for any ideas
Two suggestions - for a really low cal workaround, try hot tea! I have a delicious cinnamon apple herbal tea that smells great and tastes good and with a little honey, can help me manage cravings. A green tea might also help with the addition of a little caffeine to get you over the hump. The other suggestion is to keep around a nut and fruit mix and have a couple handfuls - you just have to be careful with those because it can be easy to overdo it if you aren't mindful. But they're healthy and have lots of good fats, fiber, and enough carbs to keep you going through an afternoon slump.
Good luck!1 -
My ideas, based on my experience:
- How much water are you drinking?
- Are you getting enough sleep? If not, you could be craving something to help you stay awake.
- Are you choosing fruits with a high glycemic index? You could try reducing high carbohydrate/high glycemic index foods such as grains (bread, etc) and fruits, and increasing proteins, fats and low carb vegetables.
My philosophy on all these things is that it's all an experiment, figuring out how *your* body reacts right now, so you have to be a bit of a detective.2 -
You eat 100g of protein at one meal (lunch)? I have no idea what that could be, but I would drop that to more like 30g and use the extra calories for fruits and veggies that fill you up.
My go-to afternoon snack is a large sweet potato with hummus and some nuts.1 -
If I don't have the calories available (or don't want to spend them) on a snack, then coffee or tea is my go-to. Either really knocks down my afternoon cravings, and can give you a little energy boost too.1
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I pre-log, scheduling in a mid-afternoon "snack", which is, essentially, another meal. I'd never make it all afternoon til dinner with nothing. This means my other meals are a little smaller, but if I manage enough exercise to give me more calories, I don't feel deprived.1
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Try drinking either more water throughout the day or a make a habit of having a tea around that time. Most of the time, i get bored in the middle of the afternoon and getting up for a snack is just a bad habit of mine. Getting up to make a peppermint tea is now my new habit and I love it. I started making peppermint because I find it doesn’t go well with food lol
If that’s bot your thing, prep some very low calories munching food like celery.1 -
Yes!! I hit that 3pm slump all the time. Maybe add a little more protein to your breakfast? The hummus is more of a fat nutrient than protein.
I like doing overnight oats that I can grab at 3pm. 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 scoop protein powder, 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk that I make the night before or that morning and throw in fridge. (I also add a tiny bit of Log Cabin sugar free maple syrup just because I like it and gives a little sweetness!)
I like having oats because it's a good carb and oats are slow digesting so tend to fill me up and hold me over. But logistically, oats are harder to cook up in the daytime or need to be heated up if I'm not near a stove or microwave! So I really love making the overnight oats because I can prep it quickly ahead of time, throw in a fridge at home or office, and have it cold for my 3pm snack. When you let it sit in the fridge, it all kind of melds together so it's almost like a yummy dessert pudding treat.1 -
Hi Jaymie, I'm in NZ too
One thing I have found is that reducing my carbs and sugar massively has totally gotten rid of that 3pm slump! I now have high, consistent energy all day and sleep much better too. The keto way of eating is a little too restrictive for me but LCHF is great. Take a look at the What The Fat website, I have bought both books and they are really informative and have great recipes. Also they are created by a NZ professor, dietician and chef Seriously the best way of eating I've ever tried. 3 -
You eat 100g of protein at one meal (lunch)? I have no idea what that could be, but I would drop that to more like 30g and use the extra calories for fruits and veggies that fill you up.
My go-to afternoon snack is a large sweet potato with hummus and some nuts.
Not a good idea, protein keeps you full for longer and 100g is not a lot - that's a standard serving size of chicken, fish or red meat etc for an adult. The sugars in fruit would cause her a quick energy increase then a slump later on, so better to have the protein and green fibrous veggies....
2 -
You eat 100g of protein at one meal (lunch)? I have no idea what that could be, but I would drop that to more like 30g and use the extra calories for fruits and veggies that fill you up.
My go-to afternoon snack is a large sweet potato with hummus and some nuts.
Not a good idea, protein keeps you full for longer and 100g is not a lot - that's a standard serving size of chicken, fish or red meat etc for an adult. The sugars in fruit would cause her a quick energy increase then a slump later on, so better to have the protein and green fibrous veggies....
100g of chicken is not a lot - but it is only 23g of protein.
100g of protein is 430g of chicken, which is a lot of chicken!5 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Does anyone here get food cravings about 2-3pm? I find all things go well till I hit the late afternoon.
My breakfast is usually toast and avocado plus coffee. Mid morning usually a fruit sometimes with some yoghurt or hummus on the side. Lunch is usually protein (100g) plus veges and a piece of bread or roll. Come 3pm I’m exhausted and I’m heading towards the pantry!! Any ideas? I’m not a tall person 5’2 125pounds, so at the moment my goal is 1300 per day - but struggling. Sorry if I don’t reply straight away I’m in nz so we heading into the night now. But TIA for any ideas
Tired, or hungry or?
I think I’m tired more than hungry but I seem to eat when I am tired. Stupid, I know it’s my weakness!
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TavistockToad wrote: »You eat 100g of protein at one meal (lunch)? I have no idea what that could be, but I would drop that to more like 30g and use the extra calories for fruits and veggies that fill you up.
My go-to afternoon snack is a large sweet potato with hummus and some nuts.
Not a good idea, protein keeps you full for longer and 100g is not a lot - that's a standard serving size of chicken, fish or red meat etc for an adult. The sugars in fruit would cause her a quick energy increase then a slump later on, so better to have the protein and green fibrous veggies....
100g of chicken is not a lot - but it is only 23g of protein.
100g of protein is 430g of chicken, which is a lot of chicken!
I mean to say 100g of chicken or fish etc - any “meat” type food. I find 50g of chicken too little to keep me full for long enough.0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Does anyone here get food cravings about 2-3pm? I find all things go well till I hit the late afternoon.
My breakfast is usually toast and avocado plus coffee. Mid morning usually a fruit sometimes with some yoghurt or hummus on the side. Lunch is usually protein (100g) plus veges and a piece of bread or roll. Come 3pm I’m exhausted and I’m heading towards the pantry!! Any ideas? I’m not a tall person 5’2 125pounds, so at the moment my goal is 1300 per day - but struggling. Sorry if I don’t reply straight away I’m in nz so we heading into the night now. But TIA for any ideas
Tired, or hungry or?
I think I’m tired more than hungry but I seem to eat when I am tired. Stupid, I know it’s my weakness!
have you cut caffeine out of your diet? are you not sleeping well?0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Does anyone here get food cravings about 2-3pm? I find all things go well till I hit the late afternoon.
My breakfast is usually toast and avocado plus coffee. Mid morning usually a fruit sometimes with some yoghurt or hummus on the side. Lunch is usually protein (100g) plus veges and a piece of bread or roll. Come 3pm I’m exhausted and I’m heading towards the pantry!! Any ideas? I’m not a tall person 5’2 125pounds, so at the moment my goal is 1300 per day - but struggling. Sorry if I don’t reply straight away I’m in nz so we heading into the night now. But TIA for any ideas
Tired, or hungry or?
I think I’m tired more than hungry but I seem to eat when I am tired. Stupid, I know it’s my weakness!
have you cut caffeine out of your diet? are you not sleeping well?
I try to keep caffeine to: coffee at breakfast, coffee after lunch. Sometimes a coffee at mid morning if I feel the breakfast one didn’t pick me up. So on average two a day.
I sleep about 7hrs per night. I get the random 5am wake up about once a week. No idea what that’s about. I just randomly wake early and can’t get back to sleep. But that’s about once a week. I have threatened myself by leaving my running gear out so if I get up at 5am I’m going jogging - that does work lol!!!1 -
Yes!! I hit that 3pm slump all the time. Maybe add a little more protein to your breakfast? The hummus is more of a fat nutrient than protein.
I like doing overnight oats that I can grab at 3pm. 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1 scoop protein powder, 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk that I make the night before or that morning and throw in fridge. (I also add a tiny bit of Log Cabin sugar free maple syrup just because I like it and gives a little sweetness!)
I like having oats because it's a good carb and oats are slow digesting so tend to fill me up and hold me over. But logistically, oats are harder to cook up in the daytime or need to be heated up if I'm not near a stove or microwave! So I really love making the overnight oats because I can prep it quickly ahead of time, throw in a fridge at home or office, and have it cold for my 3pm snack. When you let it sit in the fridge, it all kind of melds together so it's almost like a yummy dessert pudding treat.
The overnight oats with protein powder sounds delicious thank you1 -
kommodevaran wrote: »With so little to lose, it can seem like your weight isn't budging, but it is, if you're in a calorie deficit. So, do you stick to our allotment, or do you go over? If you set your calories to 1500, it will be easier, and you'll be fine until dinner, but if you insist on 1300, it definitely means that sweet drinks and sugary treats are out - you need all the nutrition you can get in order to not lose control.
I find I can stick to 1300 a day for about a week then the following week I really struggle and it’s usually 3pm I have a slump. I grab a naughty snack. Then dinner time I go over on my calories. When I do go over it’s about 1600-1800 for the day rather than 1300 (my goal). It’s the last few pounds I’m struggling with.
After having two c-sections I have this lower tummy bulge. I read somewhere - you can’t spot reduce your weight/flab, you just have to lose a lot of weight to get rid of the areas of flab - not sure how true this is. I have been doing some strength training (barbells and free weights etc) but I find I always go back to running.
Maybe I should change to 1500 per day - makes sense. Try that for a month then slowly take down to 1400 if the scales don’t move?0 -
Hi Jaymie, I'm in NZ too One thing I have found is that reducing my carbs and sugar massively has totally gotten rid of that 3pm slump! I now have high, consistent energy all day and sleep much better too. The keto way of eating is a little too restrictive for me but LCHF is great. Take a look at the What The Fat website, I have bought both books and they are really informative and have great recipes. Also they are created by a NZ professor, dietician and chef Seriously the best way of eating I've ever tried.
Sounds interesting I will have a look at the site!! Sugar is something I really want to cut back on0 -
Some really great ideas to curb this 3pm problem of mine. Thanks everyone 😃.
I will cycle through the different snack ideas as I tend to get bored if I stick to the same things1 -
You are experiencing the the delayed effect of undereating, and it's so normal, but also so avoidable.
You will lose on 1500, but only if you really eat 1500. You need a food scale and honesty and patience. But it's easier to not cheat and be patient when you don't feel cheated. To not feel cheated, you need to eat enough, and feel that you can eat whatever you want. It's when you are or feel restricted, that you feel the need for fast refueling, and start cheating - and undereating, combined with referring to the most desirable foods as "naughty", which gives them power - makes it very difficult to not overeat.
You mentioned mild issues with sleep. Can you take a nap at 3PM?1 -
kommodevaran wrote: »You are experiencing the the delayed effect of undereating, and it's so normal, but also so avoidable.
You will lose on 1500, but only if you really eat 1500. You need a food scale and honesty and patient. But it's easier to not cheat and be patient when you don't feel cheated. To not feel cheated, you need to eat enough, and feel that you can eat whatever you want. It's when you are or feel restricted, that you feel the need for fast refueling, and start cheating - and undereating, combined with referring to the most desirable foods as "naughty", which gives them power - makes it very difficult to not overeat.
You mentioned mild issues with sleep. Can you take a nap at 3PM?
Very sound advice Thank You. Yeh I do feel undernourished on 1300, so the second week my body rebel’s.
Unfortunately I can’t take 3pm naps (work and kids)0 -
Hi Jaymie, I'm in NZ too One thing I have found is that reducing my carbs and sugar massively has totally gotten rid of that 3pm slump! I now have high, consistent energy all day and sleep much better too. The keto way of eating is a little too restrictive for me but LCHF is great. Take a look at the What The Fat website, I have bought both books and they are really informative and have great recipes. Also they are created by a NZ professor, dietician and chef Seriously the best way of eating I've ever tried.
Sounds interesting I will have a look at the site!! Sugar is something I really want to cut back on
is there a medical reason you need to cut back on sugar?3 -
You eat 100g of protein at one meal (lunch)? I have no idea what that could be, but I would drop that to more like 30g and use the extra calories for fruits and veggies that fill you up.
My go-to afternoon snack is a large sweet potato with hummus and some nuts.
Not a good idea, protein keeps you full for longer and 100g is not a lot - that's a standard serving size of chicken, fish or red meat etc for an adult. The sugars in fruit would cause her a quick energy increase then a slump later on, so better to have the protein and green fibrous veggies....
Added sugars are too quickly ingested and no real digestion takes place. The energy release is too fast, so you spike then slump. The sugars already present in fruit don't cause this because you're chewing and digesting the whole fruit, so energy is released more slowly and evenly. A piece of fruit like a peach, two small satsumas or a plum, or veg like carrot sticks or cucumbers in the afternoon, with 20-30g cheese, and a cup of tea or a glass of no added sugar squash, might help.2 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Hi Jaymie, I'm in NZ too One thing I have found is that reducing my carbs and sugar massively has totally gotten rid of that 3pm slump! I now have high, consistent energy all day and sleep much better too. The keto way of eating is a little too restrictive for me but LCHF is great. Take a look at the What The Fat website, I have bought both books and they are really informative and have great recipes. Also they are created by a NZ professor, dietician and chef Seriously the best way of eating I've ever tried.
Sounds interesting I will have a look at the site!! Sugar is something I really want to cut back on
is there a medical reason you need to cut back on sugar?
No medical reason, I don’t mind the odd cake or slice now and then, but not everyday. Sugars can give me a crash not nice1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »Hi Jaymie, I'm in NZ too One thing I have found is that reducing my carbs and sugar massively has totally gotten rid of that 3pm slump! I now have high, consistent energy all day and sleep much better too. The keto way of eating is a little too restrictive for me but LCHF is great. Take a look at the What The Fat website, I have bought both books and they are really informative and have great recipes. Also they are created by a NZ professor, dietician and chef Seriously the best way of eating I've ever tried.
Sounds interesting I will have a look at the site!! Sugar is something I really want to cut back on
is there a medical reason you need to cut back on sugar?
No medical reason, I don’t mind the odd cake or slice now and then, but not everyday. Sugars can give me a crash not nice
i don't understand why people call cake 'sugar' when its really not just sugar...
but if you don't want to eat it every day, then don't.2
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