By Judy Davie
**”It’s the same story every time I try to lose weight. Even weekends are easy compared to weekdays in the office. Almost every day at around 4.00pm my energy plummets and I make for the vending machine. Can you suggest anything I can do to overcome this?”
— Fiona**
There’s a clue in this. During weekends your attention is filled and you are less preoccupied with the thought of eating whereas at work you’re thinking far more about what you eat. Maybe it’s because you’re busy and activity is boosting your energy on the weekend, or you simply have more going on to keep you engaged.
It’s very common for people with sedentary occupations to experience energy slumps mid-morning and in particular around 4.00pm (I call it the 4.00pm slump). Some of these feelings I suspect are generated from boredom as well as physical inactivity.
When you consider the lifestyle of our ancestors it’s clear we were not designed to sit all day at a desk focusing on a computer screen, and while I’m not about to suggest you give up your job, a very effective way to manage energy troughs is to ensure you get up and move in the day. Take the stairs instead of the lift if you can and go for a walk during your lunch hour. Just do something to increase the blood circulation and distribute nutrients throughout the body. Nutrients from food provide energy to the muscles and brain, you just have to move to get them circulating.
On the subject of nutrients
It’s fairly safe to say that you’ll find nothing of any nutritional value from a vending machine other than high salt, high fat and high sugar items, all of which will carry a high energy value so let’s make a pact with yourself now that, as of today, the vending machine is out of bounds.
What you eat in the lead up to 4.00pm is another key to avoiding the vending machine
A substantial well balanced breakfast and lunch will put you in a much better position to ride through the afternoon without falling into the low blood glucose pit. A couple of rice crackers spread with vegemite and sliced tomato may be low in kilojoules but are unlikely to have an impact in sustaining energy and vitality throughout the day. Swap the rice cracker for an oatcake or slice of grainy bread, and the vegemite for peanut butter, avocado or low fat cheese and you’ll be satisfied for much longer.
A combination of low GI carbohydrate, some good fat, and some lean protein, in the ratio of approx 40%:20-30%:30-40% is the key to constructing meals to reduce the desire to snack on junk between meals.
Peaks and troughs in energy is the result of fluctuating blood sugar levels in the body influenced by the quality of carbohydrate we eat. Carbohydrate is necessary for energy and concentration and must therefore be included in the diet but it’s important to understand that some carbohydrate raises blood sugar levels quickly causing a “rush” soon to be followed by a rapid slump while other foods raise blood sugar levels slowly providing a slow steady energy stream that can be sustained over a long period of time. The measure of how quickly food raises blood sugar levels is called the “glycemic index”.
For a quick check on the GI of carbohydrates visit: www.glycemicindex.com
The analogy to saving money is one we can all understand — “the more money you invest, the greater the return”. In the case of food you have to eat more quality kilojoules at the start of the day to save more at the end. The net result is an overall kilojoule saving and weight loss.
The following recommended alternative foods may be higher in kilojoules than those they are replacing but they will “stick” in the system longer and reduce cravings for other foods.
Drink a maximum of 2 cups of coffee a day made with skimmed milk.
Drink water throughout the day (at room temperature). Warm water is good during the colder months.
Eat somewhere other than at your desk
Avoid soft drinks, including diet and energy drinks
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