Conference rocks::weight_control

    Have you tried something carbohydrate based, like a piece of bread,
    popcorn or pretzels?
    
    An apple contains sugar which will make you hungry shortly.  Complex
    carbs are processed more slowly and so less of a drop when they "wear
    off".
    
    Fortunately I haven't had this problem since I stopped eating sugar.
    
    Diana

Since I started adding a complex carb with my lunch, I make it through the 
afternoon without the "droop" (which used to send me to the candy machine). ;-)
I find that even a dinner roll with the salad will help to keep my energy up
during the rest of the day.  Likewise, pasta or rice based menu choices.

-jer

    I used to experience extreme drowsiness within an hour - sometimes 1/2 hr.
    - of eating lunch.  It didn't happen every day, only once a week or so.
    It was beyond being a little groggy - I felt like I had been drugged.
    At the time, I worked at a company where I had a real office and a door,
    and I would have to close my door and put my head on my desk for a while.
    Usually, the worst of it would pass in about 20 min. - then I would be
    groggy, but I could function.  I have hypoglycemia, but I don't think
    that was the problem - I thought it might be a food allergy.  I decided
    after a while that it correlated with eating a chicken salad sandwich for 
    lunch, but I could never figure out why, since I don't seem to have any
    reaction to the various ingredients of a c.s.s. when I eat them 
    separately.

    One thing I do differently now is to eat a small lunch - just enough to
    keep me going, like a vegetable and rice.  Or I only eat half of lunch,
    and save the rest.  Later in the afternoon, I eat the rest of lunch, or
    some other low-fat food.  This seems to keep my blood sugar, and my
    energy levels, on a more even keel.  I agree with a previous reply -
    fruit, particularly apples, just makes me hungrier.  My favorite fruit
    snack is a pink grapefruit.  It takes a long time to peel and eat it,
    and it even fills me up, not like apples.  Unsalted hard pretzels are
    good, too - they give you something to really bite down on, make a lot
    of noise, and they're so hard you can't eat them fast.

    re:.0
    
    Why not take a short nap at lunchtime?  That's what I do and I feel
    great for the entire afternoon.

That used to happen to me when I would first start a diet that was low in
fat/calories.  What I did was to get a cup of coffee & put alittle cream
(yes, I *know* thats bad!) in it.  I'm not sure if it the fat in the cream
on what, but this was all I needed to stay on the diet (black coffee wouldn't
work for me).   Maybe it was psycological just *knowing* I was indulging.

Oh well, FWIW...

Mary

    I find that if I've been eating sugar regularly, like having candy each
    day, or dessert each day, this happens to me in the afternoon, too.  If
    I cut out concentrated sweets, then after a day or two, I cease having
    these tiredness bouts.  But when I do start eating sugar regularly
    again, they come back.  And it's like what you describe -- I'm so tired
    I feel like I've been drugged!

    
    	Thanks for all of the great ideas/responses - keep them
    	coming. I'm going to actually start recording what I
    	have for lunch each day and note the level of energy
    	for the afternoon.
    
    	Re:1:  I've tried popcorn and pretzels with no effect
    
    	Re:3:  Funny but most days for lunch I get a chicken
               salad roll-up. I alternate with salads every
    	       so often and will have to pay more attention to
               my energy level
    
    	Re:4:  Don't I wish I could take a nap! I'm in a very
               open, very visible spot, and everyone takes notice
    	       of everything around here ....
    
    	Re:5:  I already use milk in my coffee. I can't deal with
    	       black either
    
    	Re:6:  I'm going to have to pay more attention to my
               concentrated sugars as well. Unfortunately what I
               often do to get out of this drugged feeling is
               get a cookie!
    
    
    	Again, thanks for all the ideas - I appreciate any/all
        input and feedback.
    
    				Heidi

    Yes you CAN take a nap.  Go to the nurse's office and rest there.  I
    used to do it often when I worked in MRO3 - and I hope to be able to
    do it when we move over to MRO4.  Can't do it where I am currently
    located as the nurse only shows up one half day a week.  You may have
    to bring in your own alarm clock though - unless the nurse wouldn't
    mind waking you up after 40-45 minutes.
    
    Good luck -
    
    

    re:.7
    
    So am I, but I take a nap at lunchtime when I need one.
    
    I usually wake up in 5-10 minutes and it's a world of difference.
    
    Optionally, you could go into the nurses's area and ask to lie down.
    We have a lady at work who did that quite a bit - she had her own room.
    :^)

    
    	Well folks I found out what the culprit is/was. I recently
    	had a routine physical and found out that my blood sugar
    	chemistry was off slightly - combined with a normally
    	slow metabolism the net results were low energy.
    
    	The carbohydrate suggestion (.1) at lunch did help a
    	bit - thanks Diana! Now I've got a few additional pointers
    	from the doc so we'll see what happens.
    
    	Again, I appreciate all the suggestions and feedback.
    
    		Heidi

    This is really interesting! I have always had a problem with getting
    REALLY tired and irritable when I start getting hungry. Ihave always
    craved breads and carbo-type things so thats what my diet is mainly.
    I notice that eating less food more often helps. I'll have to have my
    blood sugar checked.
    
    Hannah