Why do I feel so tired all the time ~40 lbs lost?

AshlynnHH

I just feel tired to the point I don’t have enough energy to last me all day. After the first 6 or so hours I feel lethargic. I haven’t change my diet or calorie intake and taken my iron pills like I’m supposed to.

VintageFeline

What is your calorie intake?

MegaMooseEsq

Congratulations on losing 40 pounds! Maybe it’s time to take a break from dieting for a couple of weeks. Extended time at a deficit can do wacky stuff to your hormones, not to mention it can be psychologically draining. Look for the diet breaks and refeed thread in this forum for lots of great info.

AshlynnHH

I’m on a 1,700 diet.

MegaMooseEsq

Here’s that thread I mentioned: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks

AnotherPlate

How many calories are you eating? What does your diet consist of? Do you work out and if so what do you do? How much sleep do you get?

Edit: Just saw 1,700.

AnotherPlate

AshlynnHH wrote: »

I’m on a 1,700 diet.

This isn't the best approach to viewing your nutrition. From the above sentence, the context in which diet is used implies you're participating in something that'll eventually come to an end. I would like to impress upon you to view your new way of eating as a lifestyle change and no something to "get off". With that being said, the easier it is for you to adhere to your nutrition, the easier it'll be to sustain.

Lifestyle change over dieting.

LivingtheLeanDream

Sounds like you aren't fuelling your body enough, 1700 might not be enough for you.

kshama2001

AshlynnHH wrote: »

I just feel tired to the point I don’t have enough energy to last me all day. After the first 6 or so hours I feel lethargic. I haven’t change my diet or calorie intake and taken my iron pills like I’m supposed to.

Iron pills because you're anemic? I had to experiment with about 5 forms of iron before I found one that raised both my iron AND energy levels. Currently taking iron bisglycinate.

Lots of other things can cause fatigue. For example, if you are bigger and/or active, 1700 calories might not be enough for you. Also, certain foods, notoriously wheat flour, make me tired.

mitch16

Have you checked in with your doctor lately? There are lots of things that can cause fatigue--anemia, thyroid, etc... And if you have already been diagnosed as being anemic but haven't been taking your supplements then you might have your easy answer...

pinuplove

Agree with doctor and bloodwork to rule any medical causes out, and also diet break (great read, that thread!) Vit D helped me, as does appropriate levels of iron. I've also recently put together that I'm sensitive to lower carb intake (sensitive meaning I want to sleep all day). Bumped carbs up to 150g/day and feel much better.

But there could be any number of causes for fatigue, from medically serious to simple and easy to fix. Eliminate as many as possible and work from there.

MsMaeFlowers

Are you sleeping enough? I had no idea how little sleep I got (when thinking I was getting plenty) until I got my fitbit and started tracking my sleep. You can use a phone app to do the same thing.

bribucks

Check your vitamin D levels!

I live in the cold, dark, and cloudy Midwest and discovered that my vitamin D levels were dangerously low ... seriously have never had so little energy!!

In addition to getting a blood panel, let’s look at your food a bit. You said you are consuming 1,700 calories - what are your stats (height, weight, age)? How fast are you trying to lose (1 lb/week? 2?)?

Depending on your stats, 1700 might not be enough for you.

Let’s look at your food choices. Are you getting adequate protein? Vegetables? Carbs? (A lot of people treat carbs like the devil, but complex carbs are necessary for energy.)

Additionally, you can think about these other things: How many hours of sleep are you getting each night? Do you sleep through the night, or are you restless? Have you started or stopped any medications? Any mental health issues that could be contributing to this?

faithrainbow1

I recently started a low dose thyroid medication, and my energy is way up. Get checked!

dangerousdumpling

I get very tired on a low calorie diet. I recently increased mine and I'm feeling much better. Give yourself a week on maintenance calories and see how you feel. If your energy comes back then you've found the culprit. When you cut your calories again go with a smaller calorie deficit. If you don't feel better see your doctor.