Staying awake troubles

nursingnerd2019

So I'm in my early 20s and I'm down 31lbs,
I'm 5 foot 7 and I currently weigh 180. And honestly 1-2 pound a week would be ideal. My gym said i should be safe around 165 as a good weight. My daily caloric intake on here is 1570 before any added exercise. I exercise typically 3-4 days a week. But lately right in the late afternoon every single day I get super tired and I crash for 2 hours. Then later on when I go to bed for the night I sleep anywhere between 7-9 hours. I just dont know how to fix this. I used to never take naps during my weight loss journey. I've tried caffeine and more vitamins but it still happens. Any advice would be super appreciated!

KickassAmazon76

There's not a lot of info to go on, but first things first... as always... If you're worried, go see a doc.

I would ask... How much are you eating, how much are you exercising, and are you fueling your body enough? What's your height / weight and desired rate of loss?

livingleanlivingclean

Getting tired at odd times could be a cortisol issue... Or a food issue. I would have energy slumps when I ate 6 small meals a day - some afternoons I'd have to make a huge effort to stay awake at work. I haven't had the same issues since eating fewer, bigger meals.

You can also get supplements to support your adrenal system and cortisol if that's the issue - how you take them depends on when you have issues...

(I'd say your problem is staying awake, not sleeping... Perhaps changing the thread title will help get more responses)

nursingnerd2019

KickassAmazon76 wrote: »

There's not a lot of info to go on, but first things first... as always... If you're worried, go see a doc.

I would ask... How much are you eating, how much are you exercising, and are you fueling your body enough? What's your height / weight and desired rate of loss?

I'm 5 foot 7 and I currently weigh 180. And honestly 1-2 pound a week would be ideal. My gym said i should be safe around 165 as a good weight. My daily caloric intake on here is 1570 before any added exercise

KickassAmazon76

nursingnerd2019 wrote: »

KickassAmazon76 wrote: »

There's not a lot of info to go on, but first things first... as always... If you're worried, go see a doc.

I would ask... How much are you eating, how much are you exercising, and are you fueling your body enough? What's your height / weight and desired rate of loss?

I'm 5 foot 7 and I currently weigh 180. And honestly 1-2 pound a week would be ideal. My gym said i should be safe around 165 as a good weight. My daily caloric intake on here is 1570 before any added exercise

Sorry it's late and I see you put that in your op (unless you added it after lol) Do you eat back your exercise cals?

nursingnerd2019

KickassAmazon76 wrote: »

nursingnerd2019 wrote: »

KickassAmazon76 wrote: »

There's not a lot of info to go on, but first things first... as always... If you're worried, go see a doc.

I would ask... How much are you eating, how much are you exercising, and are you fueling your body enough? What's your height / weight and desired rate of loss?

I'm 5 foot 7 and I currently weigh 180. And honestly 1-2 pound a week would be ideal. My gym said i should be safe around 165 as a good weight. My daily caloric intake on here is 1570 before any added exercise

Sorry it's late and I see you put that in your op (unless you added it after lol) Do you eat back your exercise cals?

Yea I do

KickassAmazon76

What kind of lunches are you having? What is your protein intake like?

I'm replying to keep bumping, hoping some other (much smarter) people hop on soon to offer other ideas. Haha

pinggolfer96

Dang I’m jealous. I can’t sleep at all when I’m dieting. All my brain thinks about is food!!!

Machka9

Try drinking a glass of cold water when you get tired.

Also getting up and moving a bit can help.

staraly

Maybe it's your carb and protein intake. If you have more or most of your carbs at lunchtime, it can make you sleepy. The process of breaking carbs down leads to a rise in serotonin levels which tells your body it's time to sleep.
If this sounds like your eating pattern, spread the carbs out more evenly or even have more of them in the evening to help recover your sleeping pattern. At the same time, makes sure you are having adequate protein at each meal so you maintain stable blood sugar levels. Sudden drops in blood sugar can also make you sleepy and are often the cause of afternoon sleepiness.

TeaBea

nursingnerd2019 wrote: »

KickassAmazon76 wrote: »

There's not a lot of info to go on, but first things first... as always... If you're worried, go see a doc.

I would ask... How much are you eating, how much are you exercising, and are you fueling your body enough? What's your height / weight and desired rate of loss?

I'm 5 foot 7 and I currently weigh 180. And honestly 1-2 pound a week would be ideal. My gym said i should be safe around 165 as a good weight. My daily caloric intake on here is 1570 before any added exercise

1 pound a week at MOST. Within 15 pounds of goal -1/2 pound a week is better. Shooting for too much of a deficit may be making you tired. With MFP's original calorie goal you are expected to eat back part of your exercise calories too.

callsitlikeiseeit

are you pregnant?

with both of my pregnancies the very first sign was INSANE tiredness.

whitpauly

I'm not pregnant and I have the same issue as op hoping someone comes along with suggestions,I've been to the doc,they did bloodwork and everything is a-ok but still can't stay awake

kimny72

Is lunch your biggest meal? What do you typically eat for lunch?

How often/long do you work out, and what do you do?

Cbean08

I've just come to accept that I'm a napper and I like to nap and I will regularly take naps whenever I can. I usually get sleepy around 2 or 3 pm and if I'm not working, I will sleep. If you can, why not get the extra rest? If I am working, I will plan something to do around this time so I'm not sitting at my desk. I'll take my lunch break, or go outside for a walk with a co-worker. It helps if I get away from work to reset and get ready for the remainder of the work day.

Dani9585

When did the napping start? When you started a calorie deficit? Eating back exercise calories? Logging properly? Have you been assessed for any mental health concerns? Any new medications?

lucerorojo

Also was going to add that the goal is too agressive with only 15 lbs to lose. She can eat more and lose at a slower rate. I'd fix that first.

xWintersKnightx

Not sure why you are tired, but for me, the bigger my breakfast the more blah I feel. Like today, I had a 3 egg wrap with boiled chicken and hot sauce. I could go back to bed already. On days when I only have a shake or some fruit, or skip breakfast altogether I dont get tired.

Ha...typing it out kind of makes the answer more obvious. Try looking more closely at what you eat and when you eat it.

mbaker566

making sure you are eating enough back.
when i first started working out, i had napping needs. as my body gets used to it, my sleeping needs balance out.

NovusDies

whitpauly wrote: »

I'm not pregnant and I have the same issue as op hoping someone comes along with suggestions,I've been to the doc,they did bloodwork and everything is a-ok but still can't stay awake

I think there have been a lot of good suggestions. To add to the getting up and walking around occasionally (or right after you yawn) I suggest when you do head for sunshine. Basking in sunshine for a few minutes can really make a difference. An oldie but goodie is splashing cold water on your face... really cold water.

I have insomnia which means I have to sometimes fight to be productive during sleepy days after sleepless nights.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

also with sleep its not about quantity its abopur quality so maybe your sleep is not as deep as it should be, or you are entering certain phases of sleep. do you have sleep apnea? do you snore? do you dream a lot? I know when I sleep for crap and I can get more than 8 hrs Im still tired and dragging butt all day. but If I get a night where my sleep quality is better I can get away with less sleep and have more energy.

I would also see a dr as many underlying causes can also cause fatigue and tiredness especially if its something new. for me I have always been a low energy person and usually want to nap by 3pm. but If I sleep well I dont feel like that.I do have some nights I cant sleep and the next day I cant function like I should be able to.

plythacur

I’m an afternoon slump person as well. For getting past it I’ve found that I need a good restful night of sleep, to get most of my caffeine in the late morning/early afternoon, and to eat lunches which don’t have much in the way of simple carbs but have a decent amount of protein. I also frequently work out during my lunch hour and that will keep me peppy all afternoon. I also have naturally low blood iron (an iron deficiency will definitely make you very fatigued) and need to supplement sometimes, but you would need to see a doctor and get a blood test for that.

gothchiq

Discuss with doctor, and I would ask this doctor to check my Vitamin B12 levels in addition to whatever other possibilities they wish to investigate. The time of day you're crashing is very familiar to me, let's say. If you are on any medications, see if they are ones that can deplete B vitamins in your body. A pharmacist should be able to answer that quickly.

Spaffdavidson

I would go to your doctor and get it checked out. I was feeling the same way and it ended up that my iron was very very low.

kshama2001

KickassAmazon76 wrote: »

What kind of lunches are you having? What is your protein intake like?

I'm replying to keep bumping, hoping some other (much smarter) people hop on soon to offer other ideas. Haha

I also want to know what @nursingnerd2019 has for lunch. For example, foods made from wheat flour (regular bread) make me sleepy, as do meals that have too much carbs in relationship to protein.

This reaction to flour is of course not universally true, but it's not exceedingly rare either.

I don't have this problem when I eat bread made from sprouted grains, for example from brands like Ezekial/Food for Life or Alvarado St Bakery. I can find Ezekial in the freezer section of all the local grocery stores.

Maxxitt

In addition to the thoughtful input above, be sure you are staying adequately hydrated, but not over-hydrated so that your electrolytes are messed up. Either over- or under-hydration can bring on the sleep.