How to beat mid day fatigue?

Mojisola

It's still a pretty rubbish diet, even if you have the salmon and veg in the evening.

For a week try eating 2000 a day - why have you chosen to eat 1430 calories? Get some good fats and protein and some complex carbs and fruit into your meals and you should feel much better.

Bronnie

Eggs are good, nourishing and sustaining. Try swapping the highly processed over-sweetened cereals for Weetabix or porridge or similar. Do you get enough iron rich foods too?

juliebunny

Vitamin B12 is good for energy, and Iron of course

Apparently 2.30pm is the classic time for midday slump. I just get through it each day, it soon passes. Take a walk to the tea room and back again, or pop out quickly if you can.

sweetcheeks33

why dont you buy decaf cofffee, i have switched to decaf tea and no matter what folks say there is NO taste difference just not the buzz so if you slowly change your coffee alternating for the first few cups and maybe stick to decaf in the afternoons??

Also i agreed with the you need to eat more chat im afraid 1400 calories isnt enough no wonder your knackered, you can eat more and still bea healthy its all about choices.

LadyMorticia

I assume the full blood count also included a test for anaemia? Also, are you getting enough vitamin C? It's all fair having enough iron in your diet but you need enough vitamin C for it to be absorbed properly (that's what my doctor told me anyway.:o).

Mojisola

LadyMorticia wrote: »

I assume the full blood count also included a test for anaemia? Also, are you getting enough vitamin C? It's all fair having enough iron in your diet but you need enough vitamin C for it to be absorbed properly (that's what my doctor told me anyway.:o).

Good point - this is really important.

It's also important not to take any iron supplements at the same time as levothyroxine as the iron affects absorption of thyroxine.

Murtle

Thanks for the food break down

Mojisola wrote: »

Only 1430 calories a day and most of them from high sugar and high carb food! It's not surprising you don't feel as well as you ought to.

I'd agree with this, your breakfast and lunch need to have longer lasting sugar releases.

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel wrote: »

That was one day though. Not had pasta for ages

Been having steamed veg and salmon most days - Or a prawn salad.

I would say the evening meal was the most balanced of the three.

I find sushi a good lunch time snack that doesn't leave me tired during the day. Brown bread and hummous?

What other lunch time meals could you have?

Jacket potato and beans puts me to sleep for the afternoon, in fact so does white pasta at lunch. It's ok in the evening, though we have now swapped to wholemeal.

I would also suggest more water just to support your body which sounds like it's quite tired in processing foods for you.

4nnabella

I recently started doing a boot camp fitness class thing twice a week and the guy that runs it is a nutritionist as well. He's very much in the 'no starchy carbs' mindset, and advocates eating smaller portions, more frequently, rather than three meals a day. Eating more frequently helps keep your blood sugar level rather than the peaks and troughs which cause the afternoon slump.

So, on a good day, I have a protein based breakfast, like 2 eggs, scrambled, or an omelette, with something green on the side (or in the omelette, if I have that) like a bit of salad or asparagus. On the meal plan I got it also suggests having meat or fish at breakfast too but I don't often have the time, unless I have some cooked chicken in the fridge from the day before or something.

Mid morning snack is a handful of mixed nuts and raisins.

Lunch is normally a big tub of salad with some sort of lean protein, like chicken, prawns, cold omelette, or lean ham.

Afternoon snack is either fruit (usually berries, anything with dark skins - blackberries, blueberries, strawberries etc as they have more antioxidants) or carrot/celery sticks.

Dinner is something like steak, chicken or fish with veg, ratatouille, or stir fry, (if we have stir fry then I might have a small amount of egg noodles but nothing wheat based, and no rice).

I try to drink 2-3 litres of water a day, but I do find this hard. I drink quite a lot of coffee when I'm at work, but I have to switch to decaff after lunch else I won't sleep!

I've been doing this for about two months now and I have noticed an improvement in my awakeness (and other things, I've lost half a stone and dropped a dress size ). When I had sandwiches for lunch, I would very often feel very drowsy mid afternoon but since cutting bread out (and other starchy carbs), I have found it has got easier. Although it is quite a difficult diet to stick to! I have fallen off my little wagon a few times, especially when it comes to chips but I try my best And I know it is working for me.

the_cat

Unless it was a one off you have a very unbalanced diet for breakfast and lunch!

High carbs, high sugar, no fruit or veg (bar a handful of raisins) no protein......... it is hardly surprising that you feel terrible by mid afternoon, your body is crying out for some proper nutrition as by then it is almost 24 hours since the last balanced meal

Try eating protein and some fruit/veg throughout the day along with your carbs and see if that improves things. Every meal needs to be balanced if you want to stop your blood sugars from spiking and crashing

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

Sorry not been about - so many things to reply to so sorry if i miss anyone.

I was annemic a whilse ago but they ran the test along with the blood and it showed up as fine.

I tend to eat less because im not overly active. When i was going to the gym 5 times a week I ate my 2000 but as im not mostly sat in office I didnt see point of eating loads - I dont get hungry so force myself to eat at set times.

Have had a slice of dry toast with a banana on top of it today for breakfast. We're off to Birmingham today so will grab some lunch before we leave but not sure what yet! Made some homemade banana bread to take with us (can you tell the bananas needed eating lol)

I agree with the decaff - it doesnt taste different - but as summers coming i tend to drink a lot of squash (robinsons sugar free one) and occ water.

I used to eat poached egg on toast for breakfast but the doctor said that i shouldnt be eating too many(?) so stopped.

Better shoot off - LO wants her snack