So friggin tired..

TXRanchGirl

I am in a slump..I used to wake up energized and ready to attack my video..and lately, I am simply exhausted. Granted, I have been busy outside working..but its terriably frustrating for me. my husband says I dont need to go 6 days a week..that 2-3 are OK..but I find myself very antsy on my food for the day if I dont get a workout in.

My diary is open..could this be nutrition related? I have low potassium..which is why I eat a bananna every morning.

Im also up in weight..but considering the past few days have included some not so wonderful foods..Ill acept it may be temporary.

mamahannick

Are you getting enough sleep? Drinking enough water each day? Do you take any kind of multivitamin with iron and B-vitamins?

All of the above have helped my energy levels. Also you might just need a break to completely rest your body for a few days.

thepetiterunner

When I started feeling really fatigued, my nutritionist looked at my diet and discovered I wasn't getting enough potassium and iron. Maybe upping those or taking a supplement could help. Since I've increased both of those and started taking a B-12 supplement, I haven't felt nearly as run down.

chaemd

Are you getting enough sleep? Drinking enough water each day? Do you take any kind of multivitamin with iron and B-vitamins?

All of the above have helped my energy levels. Also you might just need a break to completely rest your body for a few days.

All very good points. Also, stress can drain you. Something that plagues those of us fighting the weight-loss battle - stressing about our stresses, which keeps us from sleeping well and getting what we need out of our workouts. Finally, it might not hurt to see a doctor and get a physical. I would first take MamaHannick's advice and if that doesn't work, go see the doctor.

asiantaye

Hi, I have this issue from time to time. I get upset at myself when I do. Im no expert , but when I get to feeling like this. I get some type of detox tea.(Yogi or Celestrial seasonings are the two I use). I increase my greens(kale, spinach ect) and green tea. I will take a day off from working out. it normally helps me when I got back to working out the next day. You are not alone. I have the same issue.

bluffnmuffn318

Ugghh that's how I feel today. Potassium will help if your not getting enough

TXRanchGirl

thanks
I do not take a multi vitamin..and its something Ive considered. Any suggestions? preferably gummies..I have a HARD time swallowing the big pills. I was choking down a womens one a day for awhile, but I just cant do those pills anymore

I do do alot..and I may not be getting enough sleep..my hubby sleeps in til 6:15, while I am up at 4:45. he goes to be after 11PM and I usually will sit up with him.

I do drink about 8 bottles of water a day..I just forget to log it..:)

verptwerp

Could you be pregnant ?? Sorry, first thing I think of .......

You say you work outside, so give yourself some slack ...... try to get plenty of rest ......

Feel better soon :drinker:

SKME2013

You should give your body a rest from exercise! I know how you feel...I work out six days a week and I really have to force myself to do a rest day. I have read that you should have at least (!) one rest day a week and every couple of weeks you should take up to a whole week of. Not sure I can ever do the last thing though...

Also enough water and sleep are important!

Lastly, perhaps make yourself a vegetable smoothie in the morning to get all your micro nutrients in your body. If you use spinach, it will take care of your iron levels. Add some protein powder, fruits (preferably a handful of berries), almond milk (vanilla), a spoon of peanut butter, chia seeds and flax seeds and you have everything your body needs.

And...did I say rest

Best of luck
Stef.

stealthq

thanks
I do not take a multi vitamin..and its something Ive considered. Any suggestions? preferably gummies..I have a HARD time swallowing the big pills. I was choking down a womens one a day for awhile, but I just cant do those pills anymore

I do do alot..and I may not be getting enough sleep..my hubby sleeps in til 6:15, while I am up at 4:45. he goes to be after 11PM and I usually will sit up with him.

I do drink about 8 bottles of water a day..I just forget to log it..:)

For the gummies, they're mostly pretty similar as far as reported content. Gummies have a more limited range of vitamins and minerals because there are so many that they can't make taste decent. I'd go with a company that follows GMP and is certified. I just bought some NatureMade multis for this reason, but there are plenty of other options. SmartyPants makes a gummy that additionally includes fiber and Omega-3s, if that interests you. I'd already bought other Omega-3 caplets or I'd have tried those.

If you want to try a more comprehensive vitamin, do some research on liquid vitamins. I thought about trying those, but the gummies are so convenient and actually taste good that I hate to switch at this point

TXRanchGirl

I work inside..but then at home, go and work outside taking care of critters,ect,ect.

Id love to give smoothies a try..Im just scared, if that makes sense, of accurate logging. I usually have a protein shake mid morning and a bananna. my husband says Im cutting out to many carbs..carbs are my waterloo..simply whites dont interact well with me...I was going to try a bananna smoothies this morning, but got scared with the accurate logging thing.

Chris_Pierce

COFFEE.
















I'm sorry for not being more helpful.

auddii

You're maintaining on 1400 calories a day and workout 6 times a week? How did you calculate your calories? They seem pretty low, which could easily explain why you are feeling fatigued. Also, check for symptoms of overtraining as well.

Chris_Pierce

Actually. Yes coffee. Or if you can't drink a pot in the morning before your workout, then you should work out in the afternoon.



Also, Bananas are not really all that high in potassium. 8 a day will get you there, but that's too much for me personally.

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-potassium.php

jjplato

You're pretty low on carbs, and the carbs you're getting seem to be high-glycemic (even bananas and Grape Nuts are fairly high in GI score: http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm). My guess is your fatigue is from low blood sugar during the day.

Carbs don't have to be your Waterloo. Try getting some more lower-glycemic index carbs like beans, apples, brown rice, regular oatmeal, and vegetables, and try to include them in every meal, if you can. They will be absorbed more slowly and you won't have blood-sugar swings.

If you're going to do low-carb, then my suggestion is to do it all the way (following a program like Atkins). You need to get your body to make the metabolic shift to ketosis so that your body uses fat more efficiently for energy, but you won't go into ketosis while you're eating some of the stuff you have in your diary. You'll just be stuck in low-energy limbo.

Good luck!

TavistockToad

You're maintaining on 1400 calories a day and workout 6 times a week? How did you calculate your calories? They seem pretty low, which could easily explain why you are feeling fatigued. Also, check for symptoms of overtraining as well.

Agreed

CJ_Holmes

SLEEP! I'm going to get a little sleep-evangelical here, but sleep is so often overlooked.You are almost certainly not getting enough sleep if you are going to bed at 11 and getting up before 5.

It's really, really hard for most people to prioritize sleep and make the time, but sleep is a big contributor to healing, immunity, hormonal balance, mental function, energy, mood... pretty much everything. Do some reading on the benefits of sleep and really consider if it's worth shorting yourself. You're tired. Tired people are usually not enjoying life that much.

Don't skrimp on sleep to work out every day. Find a way to rearrange your schedule. Cut something out.

I've been trying to prioritize sleep this year, and I really notice a difference in my energy and appetite. I manage to get in about 7.5 hours every night, feel better with 8.5, and I feel even better if I also sleep in on the weekends and get 9 hours. It used to feel like a waste of time, but I eat less and enjoy everything so much more when I'm rested.

Moggsey17

just throwing this out there: have you checked to make sure you don't have hypothyroidism?

Chris_Pierce

Yep. Sleep is huge. Coffee is not a replacement. It's okay though, sometimes you just have to make due with the sleep you get. I only got 4 hours last night due to a sick little girl

MichelleB69

SLEEP! I'm going to get a little sleep-evangelical here, but sleep is so often overlooked.You are almost certainly not getting enough sleep if you are going to bed at 11 and getting up before 5.

It's really, really hard for most people to prioritize sleep and make the time, but sleep is a big contributor to healing, immunity, hormonal balance, mental function, energy, mood... pretty much everything. Do some reading on the benefits of sleep and really consider if it's worth shorting yourself. You're tired. Tired people are usually not enjoying life that much.

Don't skrimp on sleep to work out every day. Find a way to rearrange your schedule. Cut something out.

I've been trying to prioritize sleep this year, and I really notice a difference in my energy and appetite. I manage to get in about 7.5 hours every night, feel better with 8.5, and I feel even better if I also sleep in on the weekends and get 9 hours. It used to feel like a waste of time, but I eat less and enjoy everything so much more when I'm rested.

^^^THIS^^^

MinnieInMaine

I also noticed your carb intake is low and that's our primary source of energy so that might be the problem. You can incorporate increasing your potassium at the same time by eating foods like sweet potatoes, spinach, etc.

You also tend to come in under your calorie goal every day, sometimes by a couple hundred calories. If you're not eating enough, you're not getting enough nutrition and that's definitely going to lead to making you tired. Especially since you're being more active these days. Either log your outdoor activities as exercise or increase your activity level to at least lightly active so your calorie goal reflects your current needs and try hard to meet that goal as often as you can. There's already a deficit included in that number - no need to come in under. Hell, you could even come in over by 100-200 now and then and still lose.

You also may need to try to drink a bit more water with your increase in activity.

If none of that helps, you may want to think about having your doc do a comprehensive blood test to check your iron levels, etc.

TXRanchGirl

COFFEE.

I dont accuratley log my coffee..but let me tell you I do drink to much..probably more then I should..:(.















I'm sorry for not being more helpful.

TXRanchGirl

Thanks alll!

-I am not pregnant..got my tubes tied.:)
-I do not know if I could be Hypo-thyroid..please forgive my ignorance..is that under or over active? I feel like a dweeb asking..Weight is an issue in both sides of my family and my uncle does have a thyroid condition (UNDER active)
-I drink to much coffee..I dont log it all..but I drink quite abit in the AM.
-I may be overtraining..I only do 30 minutes or do a day..its usually a Jillian Michaels video. I can feel soreness at times in my legs and my arms..sometimes even my pecks. I just switched back to level 3 of 30DS after not doing it since the fall and it is making me sweat like a pig.
-Im calculating my calories thru MFP..but I am at sedentary..Perhaps I will try and up to lightly active and see if its better. I had a big obession with 1200 for awhile and now feel OK when I get 1300-1400..but that still comes in under. Admitedly, its been an internal struggle to come to grips with the # and understanding I need to MEET that goal, not come in under it...
-AM working out is really the best right now. at times, Im outside til 8:30 or so and by the time I come in, Im to tired to do anything.
-the work I do outside varies...some days its shoveling poop and raking pens..other days its just walking while I feed. and some days its fixing fence. I just dont know how to log it all..

auddii

Thanks alll!

-I am not pregnant..got my tubes tied.:)
-I do not know if I could be Hypo-thyroid..please forgive my ignorance..is that under or over active? I feel like a dweeb asking..Weight is an issue in both sides of my family and my uncle does have a thyroid condition (UNDER active)
-I drink to much coffee..I dont log it all..but I drink quite abit in the AM.
-I may be overtraining..I only do 30 minutes or do a day..its usually a Jillian Michaels video. I can feel soreness at times in my legs and my arms..sometimes even my pecks. I just switched back to level 3 of 30DS after not doing it since the fall and it is making me sweat like a pig.
-Im calculating my calories thru MFP..but I am at sedentary..Perhaps I will try and up to lightly active and see if its better. I had a big obession with 1200 for awhile and now feel OK when I get 1300-1400..but that still comes in under. Admitedly, its been an internal struggle to come to grips with the # and understanding I need to MEET that goal, not come in under it...
-AM working out is really the best right now. at times, Im outside til 8:30 or so and by the time I come in, Im to tired to do anything.
-the work I do outside varies...some days its shoveling poop and raking pens..other days its just walking while I feed. and some days its fixing fence. I just dont know how to log it all..

With all the work you do, you are not sedentary. In addition, you should be eating back your exercise calories (at least a majority of them). I would imagine you are undereating for your current level of activity.

TXRanchGirl

OK, I upped my activity to lightly active...it bumped my daily goal to 1600-something..

auddii

OK, I upped my activity to lightly active...it bumped my daily goal to 1600-something..

That sounds better. Keep in mind you might see an initial spike in the scale due to the increase, but give it 4-6 weeks, then reassess your weight and energy levels. Reevaluating your sleep habits might help as well.

I don't know much about overtraining, but I'm sure there are plenty of articles online about it. If it sounds like you are overtraining, dial it back a little. If you don't; eating more may be enough to solve your problems and you can keep going at it six days a week.

carliekitty

I feel like that about every 10 days or so, i just increase my calories for one day. I like to eat either a piece of cake or something like that and i feel so much better. Just an fyi i do eat enough veggies, fruit, and etc so i know its not that. I just think when you work out hard maybe your body just needs a few extra calories from time to time.

gypsyeyesforyou

I was actually thinking the same thing (HYPOTHYROIDISM). that means your thyroid gland is underactive. and it can wreak havoc in every aspect of your body and life! but, one of the main symptoms is having no energy! i suggest that if you are on facebook, go like the page "thyroid sexy" and go to the FAQs. ask your doctor to test your TSH, free t3, and free t4. and KNOW where the "optimal" ranges are BEFORE you go! just b/c the numbers are "in range" does not mean they are optimal! mostly, people feel better when the TSH is around 1, the free t3 should be in the upper 25% range as well as the free t4. it may not be thyroid, but hypothryoidism is VERY common and your symptoms make me think that you could be.

mommyrunning

Coffee or caffeine in general can create a cycle of fatigue where your body depends on the caffeine and needs more and more. I used to be addicated to redbull and experienced fatigue and feeling grumpy if I wasn't constantly drinking it. If you can cut back or stop that might help. You will probably feel like garbage at first while your body adjusts but in the end you're likely to feel better. As others mentioned getting more sleep is big. Last have you considered a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea? Here's an article on sleep apnea. A simple sleep study can tell you if you have a sleep issue. Good luck.

http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_apnea.htm

SKME2013

I work inside..but then at home, go and work outside taking care of critters,ect,ect.

Id love to give smoothies a try..Im just scared, if that makes sense, of accurate logging. I usually have a protein shake mid morning and a bananna. my husband says Im cutting out to many carbs..carbs are my waterloo..simply whites dont interact well with me...I was going to try a bananna smoothies this morning, but got scared with the accurate logging thing.

There is no need to be scared of smoothie logging. Build your own receipe and just put all the ingredients in your receipe. Or alternatively just log carefully what you put into your smoothie. I do this nearly every morning and it gives me about 1.2l of smoothie that lasts me for the day until dinner. Some of my smoothies have more calories than others, particularly if I put flax seeds and chia seeds into it, but as said, no need for lunch.

Stef.

Moggsey17

underactive thyroid, which is my issue, is generally what causes fatigue. that may not be your problem at all, but a simple blood test can rule it out.