Weight Loss Information

Why Do Gastric Bypass Patients Get Sleepy After Eating?


Have you noticed since your WLS and return to regular eating a meal often causes you to become sleepy? Seriously sleepy. Drop your head in your plate sleepy.

This happens to me all the time. And there's a good reason for it. When we eat the body produces a rise in blood sugar and a surge in insulin production. This chemical activity sends tryptophan to the brain where it becomes serotonin that signals the body "Take a nap!" Here come the nods, the yawns and the blinking eyes. WLS patients are highly susceptible to post meal sleepiness because of the shortened route to the small intestine. From there the tryptophan has a fast ride to the brain shouting almost like Paul Revere "The Sleepies are coming! The Sleepies are coming!"

Now, I don't want any of you emailing my husband, but quite frequently I dramatically play the "I'm so sleepy" card and go to bed after dinner leaving him with the dishes and evening chores. (Feel free to try this at home!) In fact, he's in the kitchen now doing tonight's dishes!

This is fine for the evening meal, but what about a noonday meal? For example the business lunch. How can we socialize at our mid-day meal and not become a victim of the "Tryptophan Express" to Sleepytown?

A wise nutritional strategy for maintaining a sharp mental edge after lunch is to eat foods that give a gradual, steady release of food energy throughout the afternoon while placing only a light burden on the digestive system. Consider these strategies:

1. Emphasize healthy protein choices, like cold-water fish, beans and legumes, or a non-cream-based main dish soup or stew. Consume 60% of your volume from this group.

2. Choose a minimal serving of low-glycemic-index carbohydrates, like green salad, root vegetables in their skins, mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, asparagus, or artichoke. Consume only 20% of your food volume from this group.

3. Be sure your food choices contain healthy fats, such as cold-water fish, flaxseed oil, olive oil vinaigrette (the vinegar helps slow the release of food energy), nuts, seeds, or avocado

4. Absolutely avoid sugary, starchy, or fatty foods like soft drinks, non-whole-grain pasta, fried foods, and rich or creamy sauces and dressings

5. Skip dessert.

Rest assured, (pun intended) by making wise food choices we can be alert, responsive and LivingAfterWLS! Just say no to the Sleepies by making wholesome healthy food choices.

Kaye Bailey © 2005 - All Rights Reserved

Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of http://www.livingafterwls.com and http://www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com

LivingAfterWLS is a no-nonsense resource for people Living After Weight Loss Surgery. Our community is growing in numbers even as we are shrinking in pounds. Together we support one another in this lifestyle, that it turns out, is NOT the easy way out.

Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often. To subscribe to the LivingAfterWLS monthly newsletter "You Have Arrived" click on http://www.livingafterwls.com and enter your details in the subscription box.


MORE RESOURCES:

Gorilla Zoe "Don't Feed The Animals" Weight Loss Challenge!
SOHH, Jersey City - 4 hours ago
In preparation for the album, Gorilla Zoe has decided to take on a 12 week weight loss challenge perfectly titled "Don't Feed Da Animal" to lose 40 pounds ...


Weight loss super pill?
WBXH, LA - 17 minutes ago
By Phil Rainier - bio | email Is it a weight loss super pill? Scientists at Baton Rouge's Pennington Biomedical Research Center say it's possible. ...


Weight Loss Centers Settle Suit Alleging Bias Against Men
HR.BLR.com - 5 hours ago
An employer operating weight loss centers has agreed to pay $20 million to settle a US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) accusing the company ...


Examiner.com

Weight loss secrets revealed
Examiner.com - 9 hours ago
by Stephen Cabral, Boston Weight Loss Examiner 2009 will be here before we know it and the time to start looking and feeling your best is now. ...


Exercise may speed weight loss after gastric bypass
Reuters UK, UK - 3 hours ago
The procedure, which restricts the amount of food a person can eat, can spur substantial weight loss and help control obesity-related conditions like ...


Second Tri-State weight loss challenge to kick off
Huntington Herald Dispatch, WV - 2 hours ago
Millne’s first Tri-State Weight Loss Challenge recently finished up with more than 160 pounds and 230 inches lost by participants. ...


Fund weight loss
Calgary Herald,  Canada - 6 hours ago
... however, if the intent is to save health-care dollars, this money would be put to better use by covering fees for weight-loss programs. ...


Daily News: Weight-Loss Surgery Might Benefit Pregnancy
Nurse.com, VA - 11 hours ago
The researchers, who analyzed data from 75 previous studies, also reported women who have weight-loss surgery can improve their chances of getting pregnant ...


BlackNews.com (press release)

Is Randy Jackson The Next "Weight-Loss" Idol?
BlackNews.com (press release), OH - 1 hour ago
Beyond the obvious dangers that weight loss surgery pose to the overweight person, what kind of message is this sending to the greater public? ...


Oh Baby: OB GYN offers up weight loss secret
Sioux City Journal, IA - Dec 2, 2008
Cheat -- even a little -- and weight loss wouldn't happen. Try to cook daily "and you're probably going to fail." The secret: Make your meals ahead of time, ...

Weight-Loss - Google News

home | site map
© 2006