Tiredness and Overeating

Without putting yourself down or anything like that, just watch yourself for a few days to see when you are most likely to overeat or to snack on fattening foods.  Many folks discover a connection between feeling tired and reaching for munchies. People feel less tired after snacking because there is a definite energizing effect of high-carb foods. People also feel happier after snacking for short periods of time. That combination of factors makes overeating a significant risk in response to tiredness, especially if satiety cues are being ignored or not experienced normally.

Most people on typical day/night light cycles have about 90 minute periods of waxing and waning energy levels, with a particularly large downward swing around 4-5 pm. That’s a time period of high risk for overeating. That’s when you are most vulnerable to high energy snacks, namely, high carb snacks including sweets and candy, because that’s where you’ll get the most rapid return of energy.

But if weight or health issues are a concern, you have several alternatives:

1. Go for noncaloric pickups such as a cup of tea or a glass of water.

2. Use moderate exercise like a 5-10 minute brisk walk instead of food to feel more energy.

3. Try some 15-30 minute power naps around this period or a little earlier instead of eating.

4. Choose a snack higher in protein and fiber and lower in carbs if you truly need food even though you’re not far away from your evening meal.

If you are already significantly overweight, it is likely that you will feel more intense cycles of fatigue, that you will rely more on food to feel energy returning, that your ability to detect satiety will not work very well, and you will be less likely to think of moderate exercise as a way to feel more energy. So there is no question that the cards are stacked against you. It could be that these are some of the reasons why you haven’t succeeded in the past to get back to a normal weight and stay there.

Similarly, if you are battling depression as well as being overweight, being tired is an added risk for overeating. Maybe that’s because depressed mood and feeling fatigued share some common characteristics, or it could be that when people are tired, they are more prone to negative thoughts. Regardless, awareness of your energy cycles and especially of this late afternoon crash can help with both mood regulation as well as weight management.

Our healthy eating app, Willpwr+EE, is designed to tune up your ability to recognize physical and emotional states that are linked to overeating. By having that awareness and recognizing in detail  patterns of energy flux and associated urges to snack, you can make choices, such as moderate exercise for a few minutes instead of a high carb snack, that will help you develop healthier long term strategies.