Very Fatigued the last few days..concerned?

rickloving

I am setup on an 1800 calorie a day plan with a .5lb loss per week deficient (250 calories below my TDEE daily), I normally eat the majority of my exercise calories. The last few days I have been extra fatigued and ravenously hungry. I have skipped several workouts and on 2 occasions blown way over my daily calories (like by 700+ calories) hoping to recover or get rejuvenated.

So far, no luck, my workout his morning was pathetic, no energy or stamina…
What’s the experience of those who have been working out for a long time, do these cycles of energy and fatigue occur often or should I be concerned.

I do not feel sick, achy, or otherwise different than just being super tired. I fall asleep like I’m dead and struggle to get out of bed. Normally I wake before my alarm clock goes off and feel great in the AM….

phjorg1

how much do you exercise?

stephenson2012

Are you on any medications? I have been experiencing this also. Two new medications have fatigue as a side effect. My blood pressure has been low in the mornings. Also I am having allergy problems. Fatigue is a side effect. So some mornings it has been hard to crawl out of bed. This morning was rough and I was starving. I think that is my body reacting to everything that has gone on lately.

rickloving

No Meds, exercise 3-5 days a week mainly running and crossfit type workouts.

No significant changes to my lifestyle, eating habits, or workout routine. Just big changes to how I feel.

DavPul

sounds like you've severely underestimated your daily caloric needs

AmyRhubarb

^^ I'm wondering if you might need more food as well. I'm a 45 year old woman and I eat 1900+ cals a day. How about rest days - do you take those on a regular basis?

fitterpam

I know my fatigue is usually influenced by deficiencies - it can come on swiftly. Might want to head to the doctor for a blood panel, just in case it doesn't clear up in a few days. For me, iron, vitamin D, thyroid all influence my fatigue levels (it has been all of these uniquely and in conjuction at one point or another). Changes to exercise can impact your thyroid function definitely.

The neat thing about MFP is that I can review the minerals I've been up and down on over the last while. Maybe WHAT your eating has changed slightly and or something is causing you to react differently to what you've been doing all the time (like allergies).

For those suggesting food intake, did you look at his diary? Unless the logging isn't totally accurate (i.e. not logging exercise), I think it's about accurate just from how detailed it is. If it's 250 under TDEE (because you know what your TDEE is, I'll assume that you've looked into it and have done the calculations with your unique inputs), I think it's looking pretty clean. I don't know if that's necessarily the problem (most days seem to be around 2000-3000 cals.

Only recommendation I would say is to up the leafy greens. I did that about a month ago (eating something green and leafy with every meal) and my energy has skyrocketed.......

tracieangeletti

sounds like you've severely underestimated your daily caloric needs

I would have to agree with this. I'm a 5'1" female and I eat around 1800-1900 calories a day and am still losing weight slowly, but still losing. I also workout 5 days a week. I think if you upped your calories some within a few days or so you should start to feel better. Try it and see. Good luck!!

froeschli

not that i am very informed on the matter, but if you go the tdee-% route, then you wouldn't even eat back your exercise calories, rather maintain an even number of calories every day. i got various numbers from various calculators for my tdee, but they are all above 2200 calories daily (i run 4-5 times a week). so maybe try a few other calculators?
also, depending on how hot it is where you live just now, you might want to make sure you're properly hydrated and have enough electrolytes.

bokodasu

It does sound like either overtraining or coming down with something. I'm going to assume that you're right about eating the right amount of calories for the exercise you do, but gosh you eat a tiny amount of protein. It probably isn't your main problem but it certainly wouldn't hurt to up that.

Anyway, if it's overtraining then give yourself a total back-off week; eat at maintenance and don't do any strenuous exercise. If your energy comes back, that was it; eat more or take more rest days. If it doesn't, then it's not a bad idea to go to the doctor and get your bloodwork done.

ncmedic201

I get that way when I'm stressed.

Witchdoctor58

Please get a full check-up. Not every cause of fatigue is obvious; for example, a bleeding polyp could cause anemia. Your thyroid could be off. You could have mono. I hope you are fine, but you should rule out medical problems.

BrianSharpe

What's your height & weight? 1800 cal sounds very low......

rickloving

5'9" and 147 lbs, 43 years old and work at a desk 45-50 hours a week. I generally run on Tue/Thu, Sat or Sun (30 miles a week) . I do cross fit workouts on Mon, Wed, Fri. (30-45 min sessions).

My AMR was calculated at 2100 calories, with a goal of .5 lbs dropped per week (250 per day) leaving me with 1850 cals a day to eat without exercise.

Since I work out 4-5 times a week I am generally eating around 2400 cals a day and try to keep my Macros in line. I shoot for a 250+ calorie deficit a day to try and shed some excess belly fat.

As I think back, this past Sat I spent the day building a large swing set with my buddy out in the Sun and heat and Sunday I had my long run (training for USAF Marathon) with was my 21 mile run.
Between the heat and exertion from the weekend, I may have over done it a bit. I will try a giving it a rest and bumping up my calorie intake for a few and see how it goes.

lisamarie1780

I am setup on an 1800 calorie a day plan with a .5lb loss per week deficient (250 calories below my TDEE daily), I normally eat the majority of my exercise calories. The last few days I have been extra fatigued and ravenously hungry. I have skipped several workouts and on 2 occasions blown way over my daily calories (like by 700+ calories) hoping to recover or get rejuvenated.

So far, no luck, my workout his morning was pathetic, no energy or stamina…
What’s the experience of those who have been working out for a long time, do these cycles of energy and fatigue occur often or should I be concerned.

I do not feel sick, achy, or otherwise different than just being super tired. I fall asleep like I’m dead and struggle to get out of bed. Normally I wake before my alarm clock goes off and feel great in the AM….

from your picture it doesn't look like you need to be eating 250 calories lower than your TDEE.... you look strong, fit, slim... why are you eating at a deficit... maybe you should be eating at maintenance and not depriving your body of those extra calories ?

lisamarie1780

What's your height & weight? 1800 cal sounds very low......

exactly. I eat that and I am a woman and I don't work out for as long as you

rickloving

I carry the typical 40 year old male belly and love handles around my mid section. Its the only place I carry excess fat. since I started MFP a few months ago, I have lost about 90% of it and have a much flatter belly, but still a little bit of love handle bump and think back skin, so I know I have a few more lbs to lose.

I planned on swithching back up to maintenance calories and hitting the weights hard to try and bulk up more with lean muscle after I got rid of the excess fat.

I am a runner, cyclist, and triathlete and will be training for my first Ironman distance tri for the fall of 2014. I need to be in top form and fitness level going into next year.

lisamarie1780

I carry the typical 40 year old male belly and love handles around my mid section. Its the only place I carry excess fat. since I started MFP a few months ago, I have lost about 90% of it and have a much flatter belly, but still a little bit of love handle bump and think back skin, so I know I have a few more lbs to lose.

I planned on swithching back up to maintenance calories and hitting the weights hard to try and bulk up more with lean muscle after I got rid of the excess fat.

I am a runner, cyclist, and triathlete and will be training for my first Ironman distance tri for the fall of 2014. I need to be in top form and fitness level going into next year.

If you need to be on top form I would increase your calories to maintenance maybe, carry on with the running and press on with the weights....if you're an athlete you need the fuel. Before kids, I was a runner, a hurdler, sprinter and swimmer and I can guarantee I was eating way more than you and I was a young woman half your age. You are demanding a lot of your body, feed it or it will let you down