Overwhelming tiredness after eating????

[Mascaraohara]

Does anybody ever feel so tired that they can't function after eating? Does it mean anything?

For the last couple of weeks whenever I eat I feel so tired afterwards I can barely keep my eyes open. Not just after a big meal either, for lunch I had a ceser/pasta sald thing and a bag of crisps and now I feel so tired I can barely hold my head up let alone work. Anyone else ever feel like this? I feel a complete idiot posting this btw but it's getting ridiculous.

[foxinsocks]

is it just after lunch?

[supakids]

Bit of useless info. The muscle for the digestive system is the largest working muscle in the body, so no wonder when its done it stuff of breaking down the food we all feel pooped.

[Mascaraohara]

After evening meal too.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Does it make a difference how carby the meal is? I try to avoid white carbs, particularly at lunch, as they make me sleepy. Try having more protein, less carb? (Or less processed carb, anyway - fruit + veg are ok, just not potatoes, rice etc)

[madmarchhare]

Do you eat a lot of carbs? I try not to eat them at lunchtime as it has this effect on me too.

[FrayedKnot]

Yes I get it, usually when I eat a biggish meal after not having eaten anything for a while (e.g. after lunch if I've had breakfast but nothing since).

I also get shaky and feel sick if I go too long without eating. I posted a thread about it a few months ago and lots of MNers said they had it too.

It's to do with blood sugar levels.

I tend to graze all day and my mian meals are quite small and I find that helps.

It's also worse if I eat a lot of carbs.

[thirtysomething]

presume you've discounted pregnancy? I get this nearly every day, but only after lunch! Have put it down to not being an afternoon person! Do you get hungry again an hour later? I do and was wondering if i could be diabetic but that didn't seem to be the reason! Have never found the cause but have found that if I only eat protein and no carbs. I feel less tired - i.e just say cheese and salad or just fish/chicken whatever and veg and fruit. First discovered that when had boxed salad for lunch at work rather than sandwiches - made a big difference but don't know the scientific reason for it!

[NotQuiteCockney]

Oh, I know the reason for that, thirtysomething. White carbs (and sugar) cause a spike in blood sugar. Your body produces insulin to fix the sugar. So then you have little blood sugar, which makes you sleepy.

Brown carbs and protein, and high-fibre things cause a slower release of sugar into the blood, so they sustain you for longer, without the sleepy patch.

[Mascaraohara]

Wow! errm.. I probably do eat a lot of carbs, I always feel sick and shakey if I don't eat regularly but I put that down to low blood pressure. My shakiness increases with things like lack of food, a hangover etc

It has got to the point where I worry about eating lunch if I have a meeting afterwards.

I'm not pregnant no.

I don't always eat breakfast and if I do it's always white toast so FrayedKnot it sounds similar to what you describe. Perhaps I should try to eat less carbs?

[FrayedKnot]

Try something like porridge or muesli for breakfast, and eat a snack mid morning & afternoon, at least, with some protein in it, e.g. apple and a bit of cheese.

My whole life revolves around food and whetehr I will be able to eat something at the right time before I feel shaky. I also get really bad tempered and that side has been getting worse lately.

[NotQuiteCockney]

Hmm, I get the shakyness too. Someone on here said that can be a sign of coming diabetes? (I'm a future type 2 diabetic, so that wouldn't be a surprise.)

I wouldn't dare leave the house without breakfast - homemade muesli, with loads of seeds etc in it, with milk.

[thirtysomething]

unfortunately for you lot I'm reassured to find other people get this - most of my friends eat a couple of ryvita at lunch or skip it altogether and think I'm weird for having to eat at regular times! plus it makes dieting a nightmare and virtual impossibility - i tell the doctor this every time he insists I lose weight and then he whitters on about fruit as snacks but I find fruit in between meals makes me worse!

[NotQuiteCockney]

Well, dieting is still an option, you just need to take this into consideration.

[NotAnOtter]

pregnancy?

[Mascaraohara]

I'm also reassured actually.

I have tried museli (and the like) NQC, I have forced myself to eat it when trying to eat Low GI etc but I can't stand it. I must make more of an effort to get up early enough to have breakfast at home.

The more I think about it the more I think carbs might be the key. I had a cornish pasty at lunch on Sunday and almost had to go home for a nap.. unfortunately dd was having none of it!

[Aquamarine1029]

Not eating breakfast then eating a carb heavy lunch is a recipe for exhaustion. You need PROTEIN. Start eating a protein rich breakfast every day, like eggs or smoked salmon. Stay away from crisps and all that other convenience food. It is garbage and has zero nutritional benefit for your body.

[WindwardCircle]

I'm excatly the same, shakey cold sweats if I don't eat regularly and extremely tired after eating. Type 2 diabetes runs in my family and although I'm not diabetic (yet) I have a lot of the symptoms.

The answer is to reduce carbs, give up sugar as much as you can and cut right down on white carbs. Muslie with nuts in for breakfast if you can't cope with savoury breakfast first thing (I can't), and eat mostly veg and protein for main meals. It'll stop your blood sugar rollercoaster so you shouldn't get the shakes or the total wipe out after eating. Don't eat too much fruit either, and don't have smoothies, I find them far worse than cake or biscuits for disrupting my blood sugar.

[user1471452804]

It could be wheat intolerance - which I have, try to avoid eating anything with wheat in it and see if you feel better. Non wheat bread is not very nice, but not too bad toasted. Non wheat pasta is available from everywhere, the Co-op does a good one.

[BusterGonad]

They had a thing in the daily mail about it, it's pretty common!

[Chica1121]

I only. Have the problem when I eat Breakfast or lunch!!! If I go all day with out eating I feel great !! If. I eat dinner only I’m ok or if I skip. Good all together. Feel perfect !!! I can go for days with out eating and feel fantastic !!! Don’t get any kind of shakes at all !! Not sure what this could mean !!!

[HopingItsNot]

Gosh, thought this was only me. I feel like a zombie post lunch.. Literally struggling to keep my eyes open at work (and I work on my feet). It's bloody awful!