Afternoon Energy - I feel like dying

Hi everyone, I am someone who is for sure a morning person. I get up early and come into the office a little early. Energy wise, I feel great....until about 2pm. Once 2pm hits, I start losing energy and quickly hit rock bottom by 3. Not even coffee or monster will help, and i feel almost useless.

I only drink 2 cups of coffee a day - one in the morning and one at 2:30pm to try and help, but inevitably fail.

By the time i get home i need to take a nap. I nap for an hour then workout.

What have you all done to get through those low energy luls?

11 Comments
 
  • Drinking a glass of cold water helps temporarily

  • Some people work out during lunch time and are energized in the early afternoon

  • Try to eat light at lunch

  • Get better sleep at night

 

monster energy is awful for you. you crash like an hour later. same with all the other sugar based energy drinks.

-stay hydrated -what's your diet like? more than likely this is a huge contributing factor -to point above...are you skipping meals? or alternatively, are you taking down cheesesteaks for lunch? that shit will put you right to sleep. -exercise regularly. doesnt have to be crazy. could just be a brisk walk

 

I usually do the zero sugar monsters but i see your point either way. Still obviously bad for me.

My diet is really good actually, especially on weekdays. I tend to skip breakfast with no hunger before lunch, then i eat a salad or something light. Maybe i am not consuming enough calories?

I exercise 4-5 times a week, doing HIIT cardio and Plyo workouts.

 

if you work out 4-5x per week, then you may not be getting enough calories since you're only eating a salad then presumably a normal dinner at night. that's probably less than 2k calories a day.

how's your sleep schedule?

anyway, ton of variables go into this (i.e. stress, some folks battling depression, etc) and i'm def not an expert. just some things to evaluate.

 

To echo td12's comments, your calorie intake seems low compared to your training activity. I would consider a light breakfast (protein, a bit of complex carbs) to start the day. Does not have to be much, but give it a try to e.g. a week and see if there is any difference.

Also avoid energy drinks in general.

 
Most Helpful
"TooMuchLeverage"Hi everyone, I am someone who is for sure a morning person. I get up early and come into the office a little early. Energy wise, I feel great....until about 2pm. Once 2pm hits, I start losing energy and quickly hit rock bottom by 3. Not even coffee or monster will help, and i feel almost useless.

I only drink 2 cups of coffee a day - one in the morning and one at 2:30pm to try and help, but inevitably fail.

By the time i get home i need to take a nap. I nap for an hour then workout.

What have you all done to get through those low energy luls?

Only 2 cups a day? You gotta pump those numbers up. Those are rookie numbers.

Seriously though, the things I've found that are helpful are:

  • Drink more caffeine. Coffee is better than energy drinks, IMO. Some people do Yerba tea. I keep it simple.

  • Likewise, drink more water. Coffee dehydrates you. You need to maintain a proper caffeine/hydration balance. If I get super dehydrated, I get super tired and foggy.

  • Eat less. Big meals kill me. I do a protein shake for breakfast and try to do a very small lunch - like a greek yogurt or something. Being hungry keeps me awake. I can eat at home. If I do have a lunch out, you better believe it ends with caffeine.

  • This may not work for you, but change your day up. Get out of the office, go for a walk, do something other than stare at your screen all day. The variety and moving around helps. I'm in real estate, so if I'm nodding off, that means it's a great day for a site visit.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

it's sleep deprivation. I've been watching this guy on youtube, Matthew walker, some sleep expert doctor, who is gaining a lot of popularity, check him out - he'll motivate you to sleep more.

I used to think it was carbs that gave me a lull in the afternoon, like if I had bread for lunch, until I started eating salads, but that just delayed the dip until about 4pm. when I get a good 8 hours I dont need coffee or anything, I can stay focused all day.

 

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