Why do I feel like a zombie?

Moolieloo

I need to know what could be causing my extreme exhaustion every afternoon that lasts til bedtime. My MFP goal is 1200 calories a day, which I stay pretty close to and I always eat my exercise calories. I am a vegetarian, so I can eat a lot of healthy food for that amount of calories. I'm not hungry; I eat 3 meals (200-300 cals) and 2 snacks (150-200 cals). My carb and protein levels are good and I take a multivitamin. I work out 5 days a week, but not excessively...3 days: short runs and 2 days: strength training. I feel like I'm doing everything right, but still I'm just sooooo tired that I find it hard to cook supper, do evening chores, etc. Just walking across the room takes everything I've got!

BTW, my job is not strenuous or physically demanding and this has only been a problem for the last week or so. I'm 5'10" and weigh 139. I've googled it and there are so many different things it could be, and I just wondered if I should try to up my calorie level or something...any ideas?

simplepuremaddness

Do you take iron? u may be lacking in that slightly.

BflSaberfan

1200 is awfully low for somone 5'10. I would up it to 1500 net

Tzavush

See a doc for bloodwork. low iron, b12, celiacs, all sorts of things. best ot get it checked out.

(if you see that your mucous membranes are light pink instead of dark pink then there is definitely an iron issue and it could be indicative of somethign more...best advice from a nurse see the doctor)

lindainak

My doc has me taking 5000 units of vitamins D for the same reason. Every day at about 3 p.m. I was needing a serious nap. Now I am sleepy at about 9 p.m. He says my vitamin D is still low but in a good range. Buy a small bottle of D3-5000 units and give them a try for at least 6 weeks.

husker_gal

1200 is awfully low for somone 5'10. I would up it to 1500 net

agreed. I am 5'7" and was just dragging at 1200 calories. I upped mine to 1500ish and haven't looked back. Good Luck

artvandalay

I had the same problem, had bloodwork done. I was seriously Vitamin D deficient. Doctor has me taking a higher supplement. I have been feeling better. Doctor told me it's very hard to get proper Vit D in winter/early spring, especially with wearing warm clothes and wearing SPF

Angiebug1969

I need to know what could be causing my extreme exhaustion every afternoon that lasts til bedtime. My MFP goal is 1200 calories a day,

I JUST went to my doctor week before last about this same topic!! I was keeping my calorie budget at 1250 daily from January through the first part of April... and I GAINED 2lbs!! I went to have my thyroid, cholesterol, etc checked & to find out what I was doing wrong... he told me to increase my calories!! He said that I needed at LEAST 300 more calories a day... immediately! So, I took his advice and increased my budget to around 1600 calories daily. (I've started to see my weight moving down again, finally!) Oh, and I'm more clear headed & not nearly as exhausted by 7pm!!

Kirsty_UK

Do you know why mfp set yout ot 1200 calories? I'm also 5'10" (or 5'9" depending on who's measuring!) and have mfp set to lose 1lb a week, and that gives me 1500 calories a day.

SouthernBell86

Yeah, look into your reports on your iron, calcium and vitamins to see how they have been doing. I think you may want to try upping your calories a little bit as well. It seems like you have less to lose and your body really does need a certain about of nutrients to function. It doesn't matter if you aren't feeling hungry, hunger isn't always the best indicator anyway. Why don't you try upping your calories by eating a few extra foods high in whatever you are low in, taking an iron supplement and seeing how you feel. If you still don't feel better you probably want to talk to your doctor.

(No chance you have mono...?)

Amy62575

See a doc for bloodwork. low iron, b12, celiacs, all sorts of things. best ot get it checked out.

(if you see that your mucous membranes are light pink instead of dark pink then there is definitely an iron issue and it could be indicative of somethign more...best advice from a nurse see the doctor)

I agree. You should see a doc asap because there are so many medical things to consider that may have little to do with your caloric intake.

Good luck.

Yatashie

It is very likely iron but if you find out that it isn't you might consider getting tested for Celiac disease. If you are eating vegetarian I would assume you eat a fair amount of carbs. I am gluten intolerant and if I get even a little bit of gluten I get super groggy and you can't get rid of it.

NoAdditives

I was vegetarian for 10 years, vegan for 2. I always had a hard time getting enough protein, but specifically had trouble getting the full range of amino acids. I also had trouble getting enough iron. Once I started eating meat again (when I got pregnant with my daughter) I stopped having both those problems.

Moolieloo

My doc has me taking 5000 units of vitamins D for the same reason. Every day at about 3 p.m. I was needing a serious nap. Now I am sleepy at about 9 p.m. He says my vitamin D is still low but in a good range. Buy a small bottle of D3-5000 units and give them a try for at least 6 weeks.

Okay, I'll try that and check my iron amounts in my daily multivitamin. I haven't been tracking my iron intake, but I will see if I can track that through MFP. Great ideas, everyone! Thank you!

georgiajuly

there are so many different things it could be

Exactly. It is probably time to see your doctor to explore the possibilities. Meanwhile, consider that you may well be too thin. Your BMI is only 19.9, so at that level you will need to carefully consider your muscle mass and body composition to determine whether your weight and goals are appropriate. Certainly, your calorie count is inappropriately low.
Good luck in figuring this out.

Moolieloo

Do you know why mfp set yout ot 1200 calories? I'm also 5'10" (or 5'9" depending on who's measuring!) and have mfp set to lose 1lb a week, and that gives me 1500 calories a day.

My job is quite sedentary, plus I have it set to lose 1.5 lbs a week. When I had it set to lose 1 lb a week, it had the goal at 1390. Maybe that would be more healthy.

Moolieloo

there are so many different things it could be

Exactly. It is probably time to see your doctor to explore the possibilities. Meanwhile, consider that you may well be too thin. Your BMI is only 19.9, so at that level you will need to carefully consider your muscle mass and body composition to determine whether your weight and goals are appropriate. Certainly, your calorie count is inappropriately low.
Good luck in figuring this out.

My frame is quite small and I feel that I look best with no excess fat at 130-135 lbs. Only in the last few years have I gone above that weight, so I decided to start watching what I eat and to make sure I'm eating healthy. I really don't care about my weight numbers so much as how I look and feel. I've only recently (3 months now) become a vegetarian and up til now I've never felt better!

kayemme

you also may want to try drinking green smoothies. they give an enormous amount of energy at the cost of about 150cals. i consistently shaved over 5 minutes off my bike commute to work this last week.

edit: of course, you may want to talk with your doctor like others suggested; just saying the green smoothies are a great, low-call / high energy dose of antioxidants.

edit edit: plus they give a "pipecleaner" effect to your backside.