Too Tired... Unmotivated... Late night cravings...

tonisha1821

I've been very very tired lately. I lost 25 pounds in about 2 months. No extreme dieting or exercising. Just sticking to a 1200 calorie diet and walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day and walking my dog at least 3 times a day (15 minute walk minimum). I did a work out DVD every once in a while, but generally stuck to clean eating, and no sugary drinks or treats. I don't know what happened. First, I hit a plateau for a few weeks. I upped my calorie burning from a 200 minimum to a 400 minimum and started losing at a steady pace again (.5 pounds a day). I gradually walked less and eventually ended up eating like crap again. I cook breakfast and lunch most days, but come dinner, I want something quick and I eat bad. On top of that, I wake up in the middle of the night hungry. It's odd because despite my decreased activity, my appetite has increased. I've gained the weight back that I'd lost and have been feeling pretty bad about it lately. But I know I am responsible for my own actions and won't blame these changes on stress or work or whatever. I guess I'm just looking to vent my frustrations and hopefully get some tips on how to get motivated again. I'm doing great as far as eating a healthy breakfast every morning. I do okay on lunches unless I wake up late. Most times, I'll just go the day without eating until I get home. On those days, I'll drink hot tea and hot water throughout the day to curb my hunger. I used to meal prep, but don't seem to have the energy these days. I know exercise is supposed to help you get energy, but even on the days/ weeks that I force myself to break a sweat, I still feel sluggish after the workout.

How can I get my energy up? How can get motivated again? How can I stop these late night cravings? I feel like if I resolve the energy issue, everything else will fall into place.

Amercado71

It could be a medical issue. I have hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's which can causes fatigue. So does iron deficiency. Maybe you should go to the doctor and have him/her check your iron and maybe thyroid and anything else they can recommend.

tonisha1821

Thanks, Amercado. I doubt it's a health condition, but I will definitely ask the doctor about that possibility when I go in for my wellness exam. Thank you for your insight.

lemonychild

its ok to gain weight ... but also remember that you have lost it as well... so both are possible. you have to make a choice again that you are read to lose weight. also 1200 is too low

tonisha1821

@lemonychild MFP set my calories at 1210 when I entered my goal weight. What caloric intake do you recommend?

mlinci

My guess is that you were aiming for a too aggressive weight loss which just wasn't sustainable on the long run. 25lbs in two months, or as you say later 0.5lbs per day is a really fast weight loss, appropriate only for a tiny minority of very tall and extremely obese people.
We shouldn't really be giving you more specific advice unless we know what your height and weight is, but it's extremely likely to be because you've set yourself an impossible (and likely unhealthy) regime to follow.

PS I am 5 foot 5, currently at about 180 lbs, and I am losing a bit over 1lb per week on 1,500 calories per day.

HerkMeOff2

1200 is tough, and not sustainable. The low energy is because you're not eating enough. Without knowing height and weight, you should be able to eat 1500-1600 and lose.

Are you eating your exercise calories back?

The rest quite honestly is just excuses, and I get it because I have done it for many years.
Do the work, and the results will pay off.

tonisha1821

I'm 5'0 and 243 pounds now. And no, I don't typically eat my exercise calories back. What do you think my caloric intake should be?

HerkMeOff2

tonisha1821 wrote: »

I'm 5'0 and 243 pounds now. And no, I don't typically eat my exercise calories back. What do you think my caloric intake should be?

You need to be eating more.

You can be eating anywhere between 1600-1800 and still lose.
Don't starve yourself, it's not sustainable.

tonisha1821

Would it be okay to eat 1600 and burn 400 so I still have the caloric deficit I need to lose the amount of weight I want?

MelodyandBarbells

tonisha1821 wrote: »

Would it be okay to eat 1600 and burn 400 so I still have the caloric deficit I need to lose the amount of weight I want?

Compared to 1200, that's a good start. You were actually getting lethargic on your old diet - very tell tale sign that you could use a bit more calories!

Wanted to comment on something you said - When you say you eat bad because you want something quick and easy, just make sure your overall diet is nutrient dense with lean protein, fruit and veg, healthy fats. You can still have some of the things that may be described as "bad" food, so long as they're part of an overall healthy diet. I'm not saying to go out and fill your diet with junk food, but just because you've eaten bad for one meal, you've not "fallen off" or anything. Just stay within your calorie goal as often as you can and you'll do just fine!

Oh, and I actually clicked into this because of the title - had late night snacks in it! Just last night I didn't mind eating a somewhat light dinner because I knew I could just have my late night snack later, which is cereal and coconut almond milk! Meal timing doesn't matter either. Eat when you want, just stay within your calorie goals.

lemonychild

TDEE has you at 2587 cals with 1-3 hrs a week of light exercise. that means your bodies total expenditure of calories with the 1-3 hours of light exercise is that amount. its an estimate but its pretty close. so to maintain your body weight with 1-3 hours of light exercise.. you can eat 2500 cals a day. you dont want to maintain you want to lose. so you should eat 500 cals less ... so 1900-2000 cals a day with 1-3 hrs (in your case 3 hrs) of light exercise a week.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

HerkMeOff2

tonisha1821 wrote: »

Would it be okay to eat 1600 and burn 400 so I still have the caloric deficit I need to lose the amount of weight I want?

You should be eating 1600, and eating back at least half of your calories burned

tonisha1821

Thanks for your input, everyone!