Why am I so tired? Very frustrating, please help!

petreebird

I noticed in your profile that you say your a vegetarian. I respect that, but you still need protein. Your daily protein intake is extremely low. I think I read you should get about 1 g of protein per pound of lean body mass. You're barely getting 50 g's. You might try increasing that.
Also, a couple weeks ago I felt the same way and went to the doctor's. My white count was elevated, but I didn't feel sick, just tired. Apparently my body was "sick" and trying to fight something off, hence the fatigue. A week later I was feeling much better and my white count was back to normal. You may just be fighting a bug or something too.

Feel better soon :flowerforyou: and remember, when your body says "stop, slow down, I need to rest", it's probably because it's true.

2cherryblossoms

It could be a particular food that you're eating that's causing the problem. Have you added anything that you never had before? That's happened to me before.

LaurenAOK

I noticed in your profile that you say your a vegetarian. I respect that, but you still need protein. Your daily protein intake is extremely low. I think I read you should get about 1 g of protein per pound of lean body mass. You're barely getting 50 g's. You might try increasing that.
Also, a couple weeks ago I felt the same way and went to the doctor's. My white count was elevated, but I didn't feel sick, just tired. Apparently my body was "sick" and trying to fight something off, hence the fatigue. A week later I was feeling much better and my white count was back to normal. You may just be fighting a bug or something too.

Feel better soon :flowerforyou: and remember, when your body says "stop, slow down, I need to rest", it's probably because it's true.

Thanks for the advice! Yeah, you're probably right about the protein. When I first went vegetarian I was really careful about it and made sure to get plenty of protein. More recently I have been slacking in that department and I know that's not good for me. I'll have to make a bigger effort there.

And interesting about the possible "sickness!" I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Hopefully that's all this is, because that would mean it should go away soon! :laugh:

thelovelyLIZ

It may be your monthly hormones, I always get exhausted the week of/week before my period.

I also take B-vitamin supplement for extra energy, it's wonderful. B-12 specifically is what does it, but it needs other B-vitamins to interact with, so I take a well rounded B vitamin.

jjblogs

Protein and iron....make sure you're getting enough. Honestly, try blackstrap molasses. Sounds weird, but a tablespoon will really help your iron level soar. Great stuff....works for me big time.

mochomito

are you getting enough protein? when the body isn't used to diet or excersise it gets tiered and out of wack. That happens to me too - i could go 14 hours with sleep and still be tiered. I don't want to tell you to have caffine or chocolate because that would defy the purpose of trying to be healthier - but maybe suggest eating a snack like baby carrots or something - drinking water and going to the gym before you get home - then that way with the excersise you feel energize because you body is moving and has to wake up.

sorry for my misspellings - i can't spell.

candyastra

Maybe you should see a doctor as well. If may be nothing but fatigue, but it may be something more serious. I was like that for a long, long time until I was finally diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I could literally sleep anywhere! It doesn't hurt to get checked!

lizard053

I'm having the same problem this week, but I also am getting over a nasty head cold. I go through phases of low energy like that all the time. But particularly in the late winter, it's just the time of year and the fact that we all push our bodies too hard during the winter days. You may want to see a doctor. It could be a vitamin deficiency. I have B-12 anemia, and need to get it through injections as I just plain can't get it from food. I also have D3 deficiency, due to not enough sunlight! Both can be tested for in bloodwork, and you want to be high-normal. I had a real bad bout just before I was diagnosed hypothyroid too. Again, blood work can eliminate that too. Though I still have the generic diagnosis of chronic fatigue on top of hypothyroid. I just tire out easily. It all started around when I was 23-24. So if it continues much longer, see your doctor. It could really make a huge difference in how you feel!

abhiforlife

The Iron intake is a good place to start. I just looked at the last few days and it seems like your iron intake rarely makes it to 100%, which is not a good sign.

Tracking nutrient intake is critical, that will naturally lead you to eating healthier foods that keep within calorie limits but hit 100% on all the tracked nutrients. Supplements should be the last resort to get the nutrients you need. Nutrients are absorbed best when eaten in their natural forms, especially iron, which needs Vit C to aid absorption.

jadedone

I agree about checking your iron. I also find that having a multivitamin helps with sleepiness. And a few more glasses of COLD water help me stay awake. Usually the afternoon sleepies pass quickly. It could also be a sign of low blood sugar, so have a small snack, a multivitamin and some water and see if your energy picks back up.

samhelen

I noticed in your profile that you say your a vegetarian. I respect that, but you still need protein. Your daily protein intake is extremely low. I think I read you should get about 1 g of protein per pound of lean body mass. You're barely getting 50 g's. You might try increasing that.
Also, a couple weeks ago I felt the same way and went to the doctor's. My white count was elevated, but I didn't feel sick, just tired. Apparently my body was "sick" and trying to fight something off, hence the fatigue. A week later I was feeling much better and my white count was back to normal. You may just be fighting a bug or something too.

Feel better soon :flowerforyou: and remember, when your body says "stop, slow down, I need to rest", it's probably because it's true.

Thanks for the advice! Yeah, you're probably right about the protein. When I first went vegetarian I was really careful about it and made sure to get plenty of protein. More recently I have been slacking in that department and I know that's not good for me. I'll have to make a bigger effort there.

And interesting about the possible "sickness!" I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Hopefully that's all this is, because that would mean it should go away soon! :laugh:

Boca products are very reasonable price-wise and a good source of lean vegetarian protein -- the burgers and the veggie crumbles are very versatile and easy to use -- I noticed that you have a penchant for pizza, if you like italian food you can take the veggie crumbles and put sauce together and freeze individual portions of spaghetti and sauce that you can pull out on the go and make a big green salad to go with. Like what some of the other people have said, looking at your food diary it could be a combination of 1)not enough calories, 2) not enough sleep, and 3)food selection. Good luck! I remember being tired in college in my 20s too and i was still getting taller until I hit about 21.

LaurenAOK

Yay for a lot of responses! I don't have time to respond to everyone, but I read everything and really took a lot of it to heart. Here's what I'm doing for now:

-Got a liquid B-complex to take every morning
-Picked up a multivitamin to take every morning (mostly for Iron)
-Decided to start drinking a protein shake every day - I used to only drink one after working out, but I need help reaching my protein golas
-Started "fresh" today with making healthier choices - as I mentioned I've been so busy that I've been getting fast food a lot more than I'd like, but my life has calmed down a bit and now there's no excuse for that. Today was a much better day food-wise and I'll make sure to keep it up!

Thanks again for all the help!

froeschli

Back when I was in school, 40 hours a week plus homework, I used our Wednesday afternoon off and Saturday just to sleep. It may not be just your body being tired. Your brain needs sleep even more.

But the lunches could have something to do with it too. Are you eating alot at lunchtime? Could you possibly split it into a mid morning snack and lunch?

As for lack of vitamins etc - try a daily multivitamin, that should cover your bases.

myogibbs

Have you ever tried eating a light snack before lunch or going to the gym before you eat lunch? If you eat a snack like greek yogurt and kashi, it should keep you during your workout and then you can eat when you get home. I think you will see an increase in your energy level if you can just get past this and work out for a couple of weeks. That said, you will probably feel exhausted that first week. There are several studies that show that physical exercise helps you mentally as well...so an added benefit to working out is the potential to improve in your school work. I would definitely check out your iron level and make sure you are eating right. Vitamin B helps me a lot before a workout. Most importantly though, listen to your body. If you are that tired, your body is trying to get your attention.