Julie

Jun 13 · Posted

The 3pm thing is killing me. Every single day, somewhere between half two and four, I just... fall off a cliff. Can't concentrate, want to eat everything in the kitchen, feel vaguely awful. It's been going on for months and I kept blaming bad sleep or stress or just getting older but I'm starting to think it's actually got something to do with what I'm eating earlier in the day. I've been a toast-and-coffee person for about thirty years. Works fine, doesn't it. Except apparently now it doesn't. I had eggs on Monday because I had a bit more time and the crash didn't happen, or at least it wasn't as bad. Probably a coincidence but I've been paying attention since then. Also trying to plan three proper dinners a week rather than just winging it every night and ending up having cereal at 8pm because I couldn't decide. That's a work in progress. My GP appointment is coming up and I want to ask about bloodwork because my weight has shifted quite a bit over the last two years, not dramatically but steadily, and I'd like to understand whether that's just life or whether something's actually changed hormonally. Does anyone know what to ask for specifically? I never quite know how to have that conversation without sounding like I've been googling too much (I have been googling too much). x

Jun 11 · Replied

Community post

Just popping back to say thank you, especially Lorna. I read all of these with a cup of tea and had a little cry, in a good way. This community is such a relief sometimes.

Jun 11 · Posted

56 and the 3pm thing has been going on so long I genuinely thought it was just... me. Just my personality. Just being a bit rubbish in the afternoons. But I've been paying attention this past fortnight and I'm starting to wonder if it's actually about what I eat in the morning, or more accurately what I don't eat. Most days I have toast. Sometimes just coffee and then toast at my desk at half nine. And then by three o'clock I'm sitting there feeling hollow and slightly furious and reaching for whatever biscuit is nearest. So last week I tried eggs two days running, proper breakfast before I left the house, and both afternoons were noticeably different. Not fixed, not bouncing around, just... less dire. I'm not reading too much into it yet because two days is nothing. But I'm curious. I'm also trying to meal plan properly for the first time in years. Just three dinners ahead, not the whole week, because the whole week always collapses by Wednesday. Three feels manageable. The other thing I want to do is write down when the crashes are worst so I've got something to actually show my GP. I've put on about half a stone since last year and I can't really explain it because nothing obvious changed, and I'd like to be able to talk about that properly rather than just going in and shrugging. Has anyone else tracked this kind of thing before an appointment? Did it actually help? x

Jun 10 · Posted

The 3pm wall. Every single day. I'm talking eyes glazing over, desperately hunting for biscuits, basically useless until about 4:30. I've had this for maybe two years now and I've only just started wondering if it's actually connected to what I'm eating earlier rather than just... being 56 and tired. Began paying attention this week. Monday I had my usual toast and marmite at half seven, crashed by half two. Tuesday I scrambled three eggs with spinach, didn't crash until nearly four which honestly felt like a miracle. Wednesday back to toast because I was rushing and yeah, 2:45 on the dot, nearly fell asleep in a meeting. I know that's not exactly rigorous science but something is going on. I've also been trying to sort out three proper dinners a week in advance, just so I'm not standing in the kitchen at 6pm completely depleted making terrible choices. It's helping a bit with the evenings but the afternoons are still the problem. I've got a GP appointment in a couple of weeks and I want to bring this up properly, not just say "I feel tired" and get sent away. Has anyone tracked their energy dips alongside meals in a way that was actually useful to show a doctor? I've been jotting times down but I'm not sure what else to note. x