5-6 p.m. nosedive: Biorhythm? Blood sugar? Thyroid?

[MichelleAkers]

Okay, y'all are making me THINK -- this is a Good Thing! -- and question stuff I've always taken as "just the way it is."

For as long as I can remember I've completely lost energy -- to the point of fighting to stay awake -- from say 5 to 6 p.m. Pretty much always the same time of day, no matter what shift I was working (or sleeping). And it continues even though I'm eating very little in the way of carbs (like <30 g/day).

Reading stuff on this board, as well as PPLP etc., made me suddenly pay attention to the fact that I also become ravenously hungry -- regardless of what and how much I eat -- at that same time of day. (And STAY ravenous, even if I load up on protein and/or fat -- it really doesn't even seem to matter. Nor does the food wake me up/give me energy. And eating more protein/fat earlier in the afternoon also seems to have little or no effect. It's like it's totally driven by the clock, nothing else.)

Has anyone else noticed a similar pattern? Clues?

-- Michelle

[Frank Hagan]

I used to have a blood sugar drop around 4 - 5 pm every day, and fought to stay awake driving home. I ended up eating snacks to stay awake for the commute (easy way to gain a bunch of weight). But my afternoon fatigue went away after three or four weeks on PP, IIRC. I rarely have a problem now.

Its hard for me to pinpoint why it improved for me; I'm sleeping better, feel better, and getting more sleep overall, so that could be a large part of it. I find that when I'm tired from lack of sleep I want to eat even though I know I'm not REALLY hungry.

[Mitra]

I used to have an afternoon "crash" but it always improved when I ate - although it took a "proper meal," not just a few nuts or something. It stopped when I stopped having lots of carbs at lunchtime, though. The two factors that help are not having too many carbs at lunch, and eating more frequently. But it does seem to be that time of day that's the time at risk. Having a late lunch or breakfast doesn't bother me in the same way as having a delayed evening meal, and carbs at lunch will seem to wipe me out more than at other times - I think carbs in the evening cause more immediate fluid retention, disrupt sleep etc, but the particular crashing effect only seems to happen in the late afternoon. If I get sleepy after lunch, that's usually earlier, say around 3-ish, but tired, cranky, depressed, emotionally fragile etc is more of a risk around 6-7.

[Karole]

I have episodes of being ravenous and weak too, tho it isn't at any set time of day. I can eat something and it just doesn't subside unless like Janet I eat a full meal. I hate that feeling and I really hate it when I eat and it still doesn't go away.

[Belfrybat]

This happens to me if I let my blood sugar drop too low, but a small snack will revive me and help me last until supper. It's not a true hypo as bgs. is usually in the upper 70's/ low 80's. But I usually will eat something with fast acting sugar -- 1/2 small apple, plum, peach, etc. with a bit of protein. Then I'm good to go and hunger and the low feeling ceases. Not sure this is the same thing you are talking about.

[maxlharris]

Given the admission in the other thread that you are eating Atkins Bars...

If you are eating regular meals with your protein minimum and keeping carbs <10g, you should not really get hungry on this program (I forgot, assuming you are getting adequate dietary fat). Not daily. Not if you are generally healthy aside from the weight.

Have you looked into journaling your food? A week of that might provide you some sharp insight.

[deirdra]

Having Diet Coke earlier in the day causes me crashes, but tea or coffee don't, so I'm wondering if it is the artificial sweetener or citric acid that causes it.

[laughingW]

There is info on circadian rhythms in "Lights Out." How regular or irregular is your sleep?

I can get crashes like that, at that time of day, if I haven't had enough sleep, protein, fat, and carbs earlier. I do best at the upper limits of PP carbs.

And, what relation does it have with your exercise? I found that a hard strength training session could set me up for those crashes 1-2 days later. Something about food needs and repair, I was thinking.

[maxlharris]

Diedra: Could be the sweetness of the Diet Coke triggering an insulin release, causing a crash, rather than any sinister effect of citric acid (of which is there not very much in Diet Coke) or the Aspartame.

[deirdra]

Diedra: Could be the sweetness of the Diet Coke triggering an insulin release, causing a crashGood point. I rarely make sweet things but when I do I use stevia in half the amount of sugar-equivalent in the recipe. And I've always found Splenda-sweetened things to be cloyingly sweet, so Diet Coke is about the only full-sweetness stuff I consume (and rarely now). This would also explain why I seem to feel more hungry the day after a Diet Coke if it is screwing up my insulin levels in an otherwise vLC WOE.