Feeling emotional at the end of the day?

AliceMadHatter89

I'm going into my third week of using this app. For the most part I've been feeling really good, having more energy and a better mood. The last couple of days I've noticed I've been feeling emotional and teary at the end of the day.

To start with I've kept my calorie goal a bit above recommended and make sure I don't go over or too much under...so I don't feel like undereating is the cause. I've also not cut out any groups of food or macros for now and am losing weight at a steady pace...not left feeling hungry at the end of the day either. I've been exercising most days.

I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if they found ways of working through it?

COGypsy

How's your sleep? Are you eating back exercise calories? What kind of exercise are you doing? What rate of loss did you choose? Is your calorie goal realistic?

There can be a "honeymoon" period when you first start cutting where even on low calories you feel great. Until you don't. Or sometimes we just feel a bit off and it's nothing to do with food at all, it's just coincidental timing.

AliceMadHatter89

COGypsy wrote: »

How's your sleep? Are you eating back exercise calories? What kind of exercise are you doing? What rate of loss did you choose? Is your calorie goal realistic?

Hmm...Actually my sleep hasn't been the best the last couple of nights. I've also been estimating my calories burned.

I use a wheelchair and have been doing push laps on the carpet...sometimes carrying a 4kg dumbell on my chair to make it harder. Other times I've been doing laps up a semi-steep ramp. To estimate calories burned I've logged it as "Stationary bike, very light effort"...I know it's more than "very light effort" but not sure it's as much as just "light effort". Also have been eating majority of the calories back, but not all.

Just entering my third week I've lost 3.5kg on 1750 calories a day (starting weight was 107.5kg), it's faster than the 0.5kg per week goal but I figured it's mostly water weight for now.

Have also been tracking my cycle so know that's not the cause of my emotions.

Thank you for your reply, you've given me some good things to think about and make note of!

COGypsy

AliceMadHatter89 wrote: »

COGypsy wrote: »

How's your sleep? Are you eating back exercise calories? What kind of exercise are you doing? What rate of loss did you choose? Is your calorie goal realistic?

Hmm...Actually my sleep hasn't been the best the last couple of nights. I've also been estimating my calories burned.

I use a wheelchair and have been doing push laps on the carpet...sometimes carrying a 4kg dumbell on my chair to make it harder. Other times I've been doing laps up a semi-steep ramp. To estimate calories burned I've logged it as "Stationary bike, very light effort"...I know it's more than "very light effort" but not sure it's as much as just "light effort". Also have been eating majority of the calories back, but not all.

Just entering my third week I've lost 3.5kg on 1750 calories a day (starting weight was 107.5kg), it's faster than the 0.5kg per week goal but I figured it's mostly water weight for now.

Have also been tracking my cycle so know that's not the cause of my emotions.

Thank you for your reply, you've given me some good things to think about and make note of!

It sounds like sleep could be a bigger contributor than the calories. It seems to correlate pretty closely. I know when my sleep is off, things just aren't right in my world. I get withdrawn, I get snappy, I get teary....and likely all in the same hour!

What's going on with your sleep? That's definitely where I'd start troubleshooting.

Lietchi

3.5 kilos in just over 2 weeks is very quick, even if part of it is water, considering you're only aiming for 0.5 per week. Your deficit might still be to aggressive, I would still consider upping your calories of the rate keeps up the next few days and/or you still feel emotional.

JaysFan82

Cutting out the bad food can feel like losing a friend. I LOVED grabbing a pizza at night and watching the game and it really sucked when I couldn't do that anymore. It becomes a comfort thing.

88olds

What are you thinking about? You’re trying to work through something, what? Don’t kick yourself for trying to cope.

Something that comes to mind that may or may not apply to you- I had an identity crisis when it started looking like my plan would get me to goal weight. If I wasn’t going to be the go along to get along fat guy always trying to lose weight, who was I? It took a lot of soul searching and adjusting. But really, don’t kick yourself over this. If you’re trying to make your life better you deserve to succeed. Good luck.

AnnPT77

AliceMadHatter89 wrote: »

COGypsy wrote: »

How's your sleep? Are you eating back exercise calories? What kind of exercise are you doing? What rate of loss did you choose? Is your calorie goal realistic?

Hmm...Actually my sleep hasn't been the best the last couple of nights. I've also been estimating my calories burned.

I use a wheelchair and have been doing push laps on the carpet...sometimes carrying a 4kg dumbell on my chair to make it harder. Other times I've been doing laps up a semi-steep ramp. To estimate calories burned I've logged it as "Stationary bike, very light effort"...I know it's more than "very light effort" but not sure it's as much as just "light effort". Also have been eating majority of the calories back, but not all.

Just entering my third week I've lost 3.5kg on 1750 calories a day (starting weight was 107.5kg), it's faster than the 0.5kg per week goal but I figured it's mostly water weight for now.

Have also been tracking my cycle so know that's not the cause of my emotions.

Thank you for your reply, you've given me some good things to think about and make note of!

Reinforcing this idea: When people talk about something happening most often late in the day - be it cravings, emotional changes, energy level issues, more - I'm very inclined to think that it has something to do with the fact that fatigue accumulates as the day goes on, and we get more distant from that overnight rest.

Why the fatigue reaches a point of causing negative symptoms can be about sleep quality/quantity; exercise quantity, frequency, intensity or type (especially doing a bit too much for current fitness level); cumulative physical or psychological stress levels (or sub-optimal stress management strategies); too-fast weight loss for current size or current physical/psychological resilience level; too little recovery/recharge in one's overall schedule; and more.

Fatigue can be subtle, but powerful. Figuring out the root cause9S) is a key part of finding remediation strategies.

Fuzzipeg

May I add, the difference between, very little effort and little effort is subjective. how does one assess that. Once on a course, I sat in a wheelchair and tried to move myself and I would say it took more than little effort. I know it takes more effort using your arms for propulsion than someone, standing up and walking uses, your motion is totally different. I have no idea what other activity options are available on that scale but please try to log your movement at a higher level to reflect the effort it actually takes from you, on carpet, up a ramp! Not forgetting your additional dumbbell. This is true effort. You are more active than you think. I'm assuming you are weighing everything?

I'm thinking water weight can make a difference but 3 kg, is in my view excessive, I know the thought of that weight gone can give you a mental lift, you were set to lose 0.5. In fact, losing in excess of 3kg in two full weeks screams at me, you are eating too little for the effort you use in daily living. Having eaten too little through a day can cause sleeplessness, because the brain still needs fuel through the night to fulfil all its recuperative processes to prepare you for your following day.

Do you have any idea of your daily dietary consumption pre weight loss programme it could be worthwhile exercise to consider and use a future date to have it all calculated for you. I'm convinced you are eating too little for you given your daily requirements.

kermitch

Well, I’m just on my phone so typing a proper answer is a bit challenging! But wishing you well in your journey and I hope you feel better soon. I understand fish is a good good to help mood, it’s the omega fats etc. salmon is great.