HELP! I have NO energy or motivation!

sarahew415

Hey everyone,

I need help. I have completely lost all of my motivation to work out or eat healthy. When I do eat healthy (4-5 times per week), I have noticed that I have absolutely no energy. I am eating between 1200-1400 calories a day and I never go under 1200. Am I not eating the right foods for energy or am I just lazy?!?!? Has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?

LolasEpicJourney

It will take time for your body to adjust. Your body has become accustomed to over eating and therefore THINKS it needs more food. Stick to healthy eating for 2-3 weeks and exercise regularly - you will be amazed.

absolament

Maybe you should ease into eating fewer calories and make sure they are highly nutritious natural (unprocessed) food. Don't worry about choosing non-fat food. Some fat in your diet will help you feel happier. Are you exercising at least 4 days a week? Helps to make sure you at least get in a good 30 minute brisk walk or something.

lisapickering

Are you getting enough protein? I don't usually so I've made a huge effort to choose items high in protein -- tuna, chicken, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chickpeas. I find I have more energy than I used to.

As for motivation to workout... you kinda have to find that yourself. Just think of what you want your body to look like!

dmaster555

It's pretty simple. Just don't lose weight then. Stay how you are. You want people on this site to beg you to lose weight?

liztorto

Make sure you are staying hydrated - drink lots of water or water based drinks (sugar free iced tea etc). Be sure to eat some carbs but healthy carbs like fruits or whole grains. Don't forget about your protein either. As for exercise, sometimes if you can forced yourself to do 10 minutes of exercise no matter what, you will get a little boost and might be able to push yourself further.

fairfieldbeach

Also make sure that you're eating frequently enough. They say you shouldn't go more than 4 hours without something to eat.

monniemon

i find that doing what u like and making it out of an execrise will help with the motivation part. I like to dance, so dance of all kinds is what i do,sometimes twice a day. I look forward to bellydance or zumbia or mj. I go between my wii, my kinect and the dvd with core rythms. everyone luvs a good dance. good luck and go shake that thing!

biznurse

Are you taking vitamins? Linda/RN

JNick77

Hey everyone,

I need help. I have completely lost all of my motivation to work out or eat healthy. When I do eat healthy (4-5 times per week), I have noticed that I have absolutely no energy. I am eating between 1200-1400 calories a day and I never go under 1200. Am I not eating the right foods for energy or am I just lazy?!?!? Has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?

You say you've lost, so you've been eating better and exercising for a while now? If so, how long and what kind of exercise? Have you verified that your calorie goals are correct?

ummommyme

You might want to up your protein and maybe lower a few carbs. It should help with the energy.

1FitMomof4Girls

Bump

songbyrdsweet

I take a nap after work. That's the only way I get through an entire day of research and working out and all the other daily stuff. Nothing wrong with a little nap!

vjh431

Slow down and ease into a new way of eating. Rome wasn't built in a day nor will a lifetime of changes. I eat a Protein/Veggie Paleo diet and it took me two weeks to start easing away from the things I use to eat. As for energy it's not just about calories. Vitamins, Minerals, Fluids, Salt, and Fats are all key to maintaining a good level of energy. Also it helps to exercise for 30minutes upon waking my exercise of preference is Yoga.

Rosetta02

I had that problem when I first started trying to lose and tone and it caused me to quit. Now I'm back and trying to make this count. To get energy, I broke up my meals. I drank coffee every morning and have a lite breakfast (normally a nutrigrain bar or a bowl of oatmeal) all total around 150 cal. At around 10a I would eat around 28 or 30 Natural Raw Almonds (gives a kick of energy and kills hunger). For lunch I eat around 500 cals and really you have more freedom then you think. A burger with lettuce and tomato (no mayo/mircle whip) isn't that bad (esp if it's homemade!) For dinner try some fish or lean meats, the cal's aren't too bad and the protein will help give you a boost. I have my cal set of 1300, some days I do go over but it's not that often and I have a ton of energy now. As for motivation, that has to be your personal journey. I got tired of looking at a gut sitting on my pants, so I decided to take control of my body and that was all the motivation I needed to get started. I asked for support from these AWESOME people on myfitnesspal to keep me going, and I also tried to switch up my exercises. Try Zumba. It's fun and you burn 500+ cal easy and you don't know your working out.

Good Luck and don't give up on yourself! Remember the "sweet isn't as sweet without the bitter"

veronicastelo

Try switching it up. Though I try to keep my food intake to around 1200 there are days that I go over to around 2000. I know that if I maintain around the 1200 mark I will see results quicker, but it will also do my head in and I would go crazy. I go through different phases with food. At the moment i'm eating Greek food but last week I was going crazy on tagines.
As for exercise, I think it's important to change what you're doing. I used to love running. I did cross-country. When I started taking my exercise seriously I ran a lot but it took the fun out of it so now I can't stand jogging. Instead I go to classes. It makes the time fly and i'm meeting people. I also hike once a fortnight. So when I do eat 2000cal I know I will make up for it by hiking for 6hours.
When it starts to feel like work, you won't be able to maintain it.
Hope this helps

wannabahotmom

Are you taking vitamins? Linda/RN

This is what I was thinking! I stopped taking my multivitamin and my vitamin D for a couple weeks and was so tired by 2pm that I literally couldn't keep my eyes open. Started taking them again and I'm feeling soooo much better!

ilbcnuz

I've found that taking my multi-vitamin at lunch time helped me get through the mid-afternnon slump. If I took it in the morning, I desperately wanted a nap after lunch. If I took it in the evening, I was up all night.

isabelk

Eat your exercise calories.

rgprn

Absolutely....probably everyone at one time or another. That is the very reason I got connected to MFP almost 2 weeks ago. I have a good friend that introduced me to this and she has lost 30+ pounds and looks amazing! I need it more for health reasons, lack of
energy and inability to get a good nights sleep.
Welcome aboard. Your at the right place.

fastbelly

Hey everyone,

I need help. I have completely lost all of my motivation to work out or eat healthy. When I do eat healthy (4-5 times per week), I have noticed that I have absolutely no energy. I am eating between 1200-1400 calories a day and I never go under 1200. Am I not eating the right foods for energy or am I just lazy?!?!? Has anyone else had this problem? What did you do?

First 1400 calories to start off with is too few calories. Especially if you're also exercising at the same time.
Eating ealthy doesn't mean you'll eat less, since I started on my plan I've never felt hungry and if I feel like having a treat here and there I have it with no guilt whatsoever.
When I got into this I made the choice of changing my life, that included changing my eating and exercise habits. I exercise now 5 times a week some days more intense others less but 5 days a week I'll exercise some. I also only eat meat maximum once a day, say if I have ham for breakfast I don't have any more meat during the day.

With this exercise plan and healthier eating I manage to be under my calorie goal the majority of the time and sometimes for as much as 800+ calories down whithout ever feeling hungry or deprived.

The change you have to operate is in your brain, you need to say this is what I want and I know the way to achieve it, you need to reprogram your brain to this. I'll let you in a little secret, if you do it long enough, even all the green stuff you don't like that much now, will taste great after a few weeks. While in the first couple of weeks I'd crave for the greasy stuff (pizza the most), today I wouldn't give up one of my salads for a Pizza, I'd honestly preffer the salad.

cachef1

I have had that problem. The motivation needs to come from within. I had to put myself first. That is even before care giving for my elderly Mom in my case. I realized that if I didn't, I could not provide the kind of support she needed. So putting yourself first is really not about being selfish. What you gain will extend to all those around you in whatever you do. Now that brings me down to the "doing" part. No I didn't have any energy or at least not what I once had and I didn't like it. Assuming you are eating right when you do eat in a healthy manner, it does take some time and your body has to adjust. Most of all I found I had to push myself. I started walking. It is easy and it is free. At first it was a pain to make it around our block, but I knew from experience that if I kept it up past the initial week for me, it would become easier. Within a month I as able to walk 5 miles in the morning and found I felt completely lacking if I didn't. At that point I joined a health club - that is in walking distance, no excuses not to go. Yes I was hesistant but once I got my feet wet, now I wouldn't miss that. It is not only good for me, but I find myself with others who are doing the same thing. My story won't exactly fit your needs but you get the jist of it. Realize that you are doing it for you and those whom you love. You are doing it to have more "life". And then realize that, particularly at first, you will have to make a conscious effort but it will become second nature.