Tired every day but getting decent sleep?

MeganReid1991
MeganReid1991 Posts: 170 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I’ve been on my weight loss journey sense June. I’ve lost 21 pounds. I’m recently trying to amp up my weight loss and lose another 20 pounds. I’ve been eating healthier and really trying to get at least 8 hours of sleep.
I am seriously exhausted everyday.. I feel like my head is in a fog and I’m needing three cups of coffee a day just to get though. I know that coffee is not the answer because it’s only making the problem worse.
Im wondering if maybe I’m lacking certain vitamins, or not enough calories..
Anyone else experience something similar and found a solution
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Replies

  • meisia316
    meisia316 Posts: 2 Member
    Hi there! It might be hormonal - I just started taking estrogen supplements and it has increased my quality of sleep significantly. I'm sleeping like a baby now. It could be melatonin or something else as well - worth a shot! Good luck
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    How many calories are you eating? Are you eating exercise calories? Have you taken a diet break since you started?
  • ajwcyclist2016
    ajwcyclist2016 Posts: 161 Member
    My guess is under nutrioned also could be short of certain minerals like iron.
  • MeganReid1991
    MeganReid1991 Posts: 170 Member
    I took a diet break in oct for about a month.
    I currently eat anywhere from 1200-1400 calories a day. I have been staying closer to 1200 because I was really trying to amp up my weight loss.
    I only work out twice a week and I don’t eat those back.
    I really don’t want to take a break because I just took one in oct.. and I haven’t lost a lot sense oct.
    I will book a appointment with my doctor.
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    Is this way different from your baseline energy level??
  • MeganReid1991
    MeganReid1991 Posts: 170 Member
    Yes, while it’s normal that I may have 1 or 2 days out of the week I feel tired or sluggish it’s definitely not normal for me to feel this tired every day of the week. Or to this extreme.
    Most weeks I only have 1 cup of coffee in the morning and occasionally a cup in the afternoon but never do I feel like I need 3 or 4 cups just to get though the day
  • MeganReid1991
    MeganReid1991 Posts: 170 Member
    I don’t feel like my calories are super low.. and I’m finding it incredibly hard to work out. I can barely just do my job as a mom currently like this
  • melissafeagins
    melissafeagins Posts: 1,421 Member
    Been there. Done that. I drink the coffee because I like it, but everything else was me until my autoimmune disease was diagnosed and controlled. (Although symptoms have been returning and we are looking for an additional disease.)

    Definitely do see your doctor. Add iron to your diet or take an OTC supplement with a glass of orange juice. Vitamin C helps the iron absorb. Replace the morning coffee with this and don't seat the calories. If iron is the problem, this is the fastest solution.
  • swatson99
    swatson99 Posts: 53 Member
    While you're at the Dr ask them to check your thyroid levels. I was tired all the time because my TSH was high meaning my thyroid wasnt producing enough hormone. I'm still tired now on medication but it's better than it was previously. I used to literally be like narcoleptic.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    MeganReid1991 wrote: »
    Yes, while it’s normal that I may have 1 or 2 days out of the week I feel tired or sluggish it’s definitely not normal for me to feel this tired every day of the week. Or to this extreme.
    Most weeks I only have 1 cup of coffee in the morning and occasionally a cup in the afternoon but never do I feel like I need 3 or 4 cups just to get though the day

    Sounds like me when my iron levels get too low and I slip into anemia. Glad you are going to the doctor. Specifically ask that your iron be tested.
    MeganReid1991 wrote: »
    I don’t feel like my calories are super low.. and I’m finding it incredibly hard to work out. I can barely just do my job as a mom currently like this

    Since 1200 calories isn't enough for most women, do eat more while you get this sorted with your doctor. With only 20 pounds to lose, set your weekly weight loss goal for a half pound per week.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    Good that you're making an appointment to see your primary care provider. +1 on the suggestion that you specifically ask your provider to run a lab test for anemia. I only figured out after discovering a bleeding ulcer that the tiredness I had been experiencing for months was due to anemia. And outside of feeling tired (which I chalked up to aging issues) I had no symptoms. Also, as others have said, your deficit may be too steep.
  • MeganReid1991
    MeganReid1991 Posts: 170 Member
    Today was the last day of my monthly cycle could that be making it worse if my iron is low?
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Depending on your stats, 1200 is likely too low for you. It is generally an appropriate calorie goal for short, sedentary, and/or older women, especially if they don’t have much weight to lose.

    In addition, you’re using MFP incorrectly if you do not eat back any exercise calories. If you only eat 1200 but burn 300 in exercise, then you’ve only taken in net 900 calories that day.

    If you only have 20 pounds to lose, set MFP for a pound per week or even a half pound per week loss, and start eating at least half your exercise calories back.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    MeganReid1991 wrote: »
    Today was the last day of my monthly cycle could that be making it worse if my iron is low?

    You don't lose iron for use in the rest of your body when you shed your uterine lining of blood; you lose iron for use in the rest of your body while you are building up the uterine lining in the weeks before your period.

    I'm joining the calls for seeing your doctor and eating a couple hundred more calories a day in the meantime. Wouldn't it be ironic to have a car accident or take a spill down the stairs because your brain was in a fog because you were trying to eat "healthy"?

    Also, did you change anything else when you cut your calories more, like going low carb? Some people reportedly experience a "fog-like" feeling in the first couple of weeks of cutting carbs.
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    Get TSH lab work to get a first impression of your thyroid function.
  • itzcath
    itzcath Posts: 94 Member
    Excessive daytime sleepiness can be caused by sleep apnea. Might be worthwhile to do a take home sleep study. I hope you find out what is causing the fatigue :smiley:
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    edited December 2018
    Get a proper thyroid panel including fT3 and fT4, but also ferritin, Vitamin B12 and folate, and Vitamin D tested.
  • jo_nz
    jo_nz Posts: 548 Member
    I also recommend seeing your doctor.

    A few months ago I was feeling so exhausted and was also getting more migraines...so I went to the doctor.
    The doctor just picked up on a few various symptoms and comments and put them together. Turns out I was sleeping really badly - I truly had no idea how bad.
  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 978 Member
    edited December 2018
    How long has this been going on? Also, what are your stats, how tall are you, how much do you weigh, what is your goal weight, and what rate of loss are you aiming for?

    Couple of things:
    - You are not eating very many calories and it could just be you're not eating enough calories. The reason we take diet breaks is because it helps us refocus and see how everything is going. If you have a break and find that it's got better, well then you've found your answer. It's because you're not eating enough.
    - In a similar vein: As you're not eating very many calories it may be that your diet is deficient in something, not getting enough iron (for example) can make you feel tired, and switching up your diet can sort that out.
    - Oh, and eat back your exercise calories. I see you said you didn't, which mean if you're only eating 1200kcals a day, you are definitely underfeeding yourself. Those calories are meant to be eaten back!
    - Are you drinking plenty of fluids? Dehydration can make you feel tired
    - Have you recently changed the amount of caffeine you consume. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms are real. As is caffeine dependence. If you want to change your caffeine consumption, do it slowly.
    - Could you be suffering from SAD? Fatigue can be a symptom and if this has come on only in the last month or so, it could be the effect of the changing seasons. Getting some sunlight during the day, such as going for a short walk at lunchtime, can really help.


    If none of this seems to apply to you, then go see a doctor. But seriously, increase your calories first, as it'll probably be the first thing your doctor suggests. And eat back those exercise calories!


    Remember that when you are tired all the time, often your NEAT decreases (as your body tries to conserve energy). Meaning that over a normal day you burn less calories living. That might be partially contributing to your decreased loss rate. These are subconscious things, so you've probably not noticed them however they massively add up. Sorting out your fatigue will probably help with your weight loss.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    MeganReid1991 wrote: »
    Today was the last day of my monthly cycle could that be making it worse if my iron is low?

    Do you have normal periods, or "can't leave the house, get woken up throughout the night" periods?
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    MeganReid1991 wrote: »
    I took a diet break in oct for about a month.
    I currently eat anywhere from 1200-1400 calories a day. I have been staying closer to 1200 because I was really trying to amp up my weight loss.
    I only work out twice a week and I don’t eat those back.
    I really don’t want to take a break because I just took one in oct.. and I haven’t lost a lot sense oct.
    I will book a appointment with my doctor.

    I would increase your calories a bit until you see a doctor. Maybe go to maintenance until you get checked out. If everything is fine then maybe have a smaller deficit and slower loss.

    When I was exhausted no matter how much sleep I got or how much I ate it turned out to be a thyroid problem.
  • thisPGHlife
    thisPGHlife Posts: 440 Member
    As others have mentioned before, seeing your doctor and raising your calories are both solid ideas. It may be fatigue from not enough for our your thyroid. It may also be an issue with low iron or low b vitamins. You can't know until you see your doctor.

    Some things your can do to help until then:
    Obviously, eat more calories. I agree that half a pound per week is a great rate of loss. If you only have 20 pounds to lose, 1 pound a week is your maximum that you want to lose per week.

    Are you a meat eater? If so, maybe add an extra steak a week. I don't officially have low iron at the moment because my test came back good. I do have a history with low iron though and that level of fatigue sounds oh so familiar. I'm not saying that it is the problem for you and you should definitely see your doctor. However, you may want to try having some liver. I usually make a chicken liver patè that is really tasty with carries. That usually helps when I'm getting a little low. If you want a recipe, feel free to pm me.

    Again, I am not a doctor and you should still see yours, but maybe have an extra serving of red meat with your extra calories.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    Joining the chorus of blood test time. If everything there comes back OK, consider increasing calories for a while. I recently tested low in ferritin (but not quite anemic), which meant my diet was lacking in iron and my body was stealing from its stores to keep me (barely) afloat, so make sure they check for that in addition to the usual iron levels. Also, as already suggested, Vit D and B12. A full panel just to cover your bases.
  • MeganReid1991
    MeganReid1991 Posts: 170 Member
    I don’t eat 1200 daily that’s just the least amount I eat. Most days are 1400. Also the days I work out I definitely don’t eat 1200 calories I eat 1400.
    I’m a stay at home mom but I’m not very active to I find I don’t need a lot of calories.
    Already made a doctor appointment.
    I will say I went to bed super early last night and I do feel a bit better today.

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