I am grateful to share that I was recently featured in a Scary Mommy article titled Why Do I Get So Much More Tired After Eating Now? This article explores a question many women quietly ask themselves in midlife: “Why do I feel so tired after I eat now?”

I would like to thank Julie Sprankles and the Scary Mommy team for including my perspective in this important conversation about post-meal fatigue, midlife energy changes, hormones, and metabolic health.

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As a nurse practitioner, holistic nutrition weight loss coach, and founder of Ample Health & Wellness, this topic matters to me because so many women over 40 are dealing with fatigue, brain fog, cravings, sleep changes, weight gain, and energy crashes — yet they often blame themselves instead of understanding what may be happening inside the body.

Post-meal fatigue, sometimes called a “food coma” or postprandial sleepiness, can happen for several reasons. After we eat, the body shifts energy toward digestion. Depending on the size and balance of the meal, blood sugar may rise and fall, and that swing can leave some people feeling tired, foggy, or sluggish.

For women in midlife, this can feel even more noticeable because the body is changing. Hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause can affect insulin sensitivity, sleep quality, body composition, appetite, and energy regulation. In other words, the same meal that once felt fine may suddenly leave you feeling heavy, sleepy, or drained.

In the Scary Mommy article, I shared that carb-rich meals may increase the availability of tryptophan, an amino acid the body uses to make serotonin and melatonin. That does not mean carbohydrates are “bad,” but it does remind us that meal balance matters, especially when energy, cravings, and blood sugar are already feeling harder to manage.

This is one reason I often encourage women to include protein at meals. Protein can help support steadier energy, fullness, muscle health, and blood sugar balance. Pairing protein with fiber-rich foods, healthy fats, and realistic portions can make a meaningful difference in how a woman feels after eating.

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At Ample Health & Wellness, I teach women that weight loss and wellness after 40 are not just about calories. They are also about hormones, stress, sleep, metabolism, muscle, mindset, and sustainable habits. If you are feeling more tired after meals than you used to, it does not mean your body is broken. It may mean your body is asking for a different kind of support.

Some practical strategies that may help include:

• Adding protein to each meal
• Choosing fiber-rich carbohydrates more often
• Avoiding long gaps without eating, when possible
• Paying attention to oversized portions or very heavy meals
• Taking a short walk after eating
• Prioritizing sleep and stress management
• Talking with a healthcare professional if fatigue is severe, persistent, or paired with symptoms like dizziness, shakiness, palpitations, excessive thirst, or unexplained weight changes

This is the heart of my work: helping women understand their bodies instead of fighting against them.

I appreciate Scary Mommy for creating space for this real-life midlife conversation. Many women are juggling work, family, caregiving, hormones, stress, and changing bodies; and they deserve practical, reassuring information that helps them feel empowered, not ashamed.

At Ample Health & Wellness, my goal is to help women over 40 build sustainable habits that support energy, weight, metabolism, and whole-person wellness. Midlife may bring new challenges, but it can also be the season where we learn how to care for ourselves in a deeper and more intentional way.

About the Author: Dr. Kisha Pickford, DNP, is a board-certified nurse practitioner and holistic nutrition weight loss coach at Ample Health & Wellness. She helps women over 40 achieve sustainable weight loss and whole-body wellness through holistic, evidence-based coaching.