I know it's pretty dumb, but ...

purpleposies

I feel constantly tired/exhausted in my very core. If left to my own devices I would sleep up to 10 hours a day. I do take Vitamin B and Iron supplements, but between my job (I'm an Assistant Manager right now at a fast food restaurant, so I'm on my feet and pretty constantly moving up to 9 hours a day, five days a week at least) and my toddler, I'm just plain friggin' tired. I have tried energy drinks in the past (like, 7 years ago when I was in college) and they never worked for me, but a friend bought me a Monster at work once and the thing is amazing. I feel energetic and motivated. I KNOW they're not healthy for you, but I'm kind of thinking of using them to help me get motivated to work out and keep up my energy throughout work, working out, and taking care of my son ... at least up until the point where working out and eating properly, etc., I would start to see an increase in my own natural energy reserves, so to speak. I'm about 150 lb overweight ... nothing to sneeze at. I just feel like even though they're unhealthy, if for now they help me get motivated and get moving, then in the end it's not such a bad thing.

Any comments or thoughtful advice? =\

aquariumche

Monster contains caffeine and people are easily addicted to it, so I think this is bad idea especially on daily basis.
(I minimized my coffee consumption and since then I'm much more sensitive to caffeine).

Do you know why are you tired?
Do you get enough sleep and water?
What do you eat?

I figured out for myself that some types of foods (rich in simple carbs like chocolate) make me more tired than eating balanced meals in the long run. Additionally if I exercise in the morning (even for 5 minutes) I feel better the whole day.
Try those first.

P.S.: If you like Beastie Boys, don't drink Monster products

psuLemon

How many calories do you eat? Also, change out the monster with fresh fruits. If you need a drink, one like cytomax (orange flavor) has caffeine and is loaded with electrolites. Btw, try to get off the iron supplement to see if it helps. I know when my wife took a one a day she had too much iron and had the same affects of being lethargic and tired.

cjtorraco

just a suggestion...Have your thyroid levels checked. An inactive thyroid or an overactive thyroid both can cause extreme fatigue! Also, skip the monster drinks, i think they are loaded with caffiene and when that wears off, you will feel it in the lack of energy!

Lesa_Sass

Have you had your thyroid checked? I was the same way until my dr put me on synthroid then my whole world changed. Then she tested me and found that I was still low and doubled my dose, then OMG it changed even more. Now my problem is I have trouble falling asleep at night.

Another thing is adding low glycemic foods to your diet and eating every 3 hours, but eating fresh, good whole foods.

Logging your foods could help us help you as well

riotshows

Never drink your carbs. I am not familiar with monster drinks, so can't comment on that. But drinking carbs is the quickest route to
weight gain. If you can fruit should never be taken as juice. Take the whole fruit..fibre and all. An eight ounce of orange juice has
8 oranges in it.

TammyW18

I see u said u were taking vitamin B, vitamin D3 might help aswell

aakaakaak

Monster is a can of caffeine and sugar. You should know that if you're plugging them into your food diary. Now, scroll down on your food diary and look at the "8 cups of water" section. Are you drinking enough water? Water is the lubrication our body needs to move properly. It'll help you feel less tired overall.

Yes, I know drinking the same boring water is annoying. Make it a ritual. After you do your morning bathroom ritual, or before, drink a huge glass of water. Make it cold water. Right before you go to bed at night, drink a glass of water and keep a bottle on your nightstand. You'll end up snacking less and having more energy. Yes, you'll probably pee a bit more, but you're supposed to.

Also, try to lay off the salt and carbs. They tend to bloat and send you into sleepytime mode.

Last note: When I used to work at McDonald's I used to drag after work. If you can get some real legit sunshine that can help loads. If your pic is how you look now you're not getting much sunshine (I could use this advice too).

I hope this helps.

emnk5308

Monster is yummy They have absolute zero and lo-carb that I drink It really isn't all that bad for you in moderation.. Try having coffee I drink coffee every morning.. except the lazy days where I go get a Monster ;D

beckajw

You are pretty active. Are you sure you're eating enough?

If yes, you should realize that sometimes we (people in general), just get tired and run down. Especially with an active job and a toddler. It's okay to wake yourself up with a coffee or an energy drink once in a while, but not something you want to become dependent on.

As for taking vitamin b, it is possible that you are not able to absorb it properly. You may want to have your levels checked. Some people have to have injections, because pills don't work.

As others have said, thyroid can make you tired too.

basslinewild

Monster is ok occasionally, but not something you should drink often. But when you do, Monster Rehab with rojo tea is one of the better ones, about ten calories per serving. They also have a blue low cal one, I can't drink that one though. It makes me sick to my stomach.

MD1978

Just a healthier suggestion: I drink Iced Tea (unsweetened) for an afternoon pick-me-up. It has some caffine but also antioxidants and zero (or close to zero) calories.

1holegrouper

Absolutely get some labs done at the Dr. I would also see about getting a glucose intolerance test to see how you react to sugars. After you have cleared through these screens I would then take a serious look at nutrition. Do you eat dairy, gluten, sugar, artificial sweetners, excessive starches?, etc..If so, how much? Some of us can get by with eating or drinking these things in various amounts but some of us are sensitive and intolerant to any. Food is the most powerful drug there is and it sounds to me like you may be suffering from unwanted side effects of it.

stephanieb72

If you snore while sleeping and wake up just as tired (along with other symptoms, of course) you may have sleep apnea. I felt like you describe, for years. I gained quite a bit of weight from just being too tired to do anything. The heavier you are the more chances of having it. I could be way off but the diagnosis for ME was life changing!

purpleposies

Sorry, didn't mean to post and run. Thank you SO much for all the responses.

Thyroid: every doctor I've ever been to has checked my thyroid and there has never been anything that has popped up as wrong or alarming. Is this something that can change? If so, perhaps it's time to get a re-check.

I'm also not talking about drinking several Monsters a day or anything ... I know they're full of crap (i.e. the caffeine and sugar), it was more of a "just for now" thing.

I actually didn't know that it was possible to have difficulty absorbing Vitamin B ... I use the sublingual tablets because I was told that they absorb better, but I should check my levels to be sure in case I do need the injections!

I also have PCOS and bipolar disorder, so I struggle with those medical and mental issues, too. I have been trying to drink more water, and have just had to pee so much (LOL, sorry for the TMI!) which sucks at work a lot because we're very busy. But I try to get in at least 64 oz every day. I was just so surprised by the energy kick I got off the drink that I was like ... WOW, maybe I could use this to my advantage.

Food wise, I need to keep track of what I'm eating, I have a hard time motivating myself to enter every single thing, every single day. It sound stupid, because in the grand scheme of things, it would be effective and helpful. But I hate to see myself doing poorly and get discouraged, etc. (if we're going to be honest here ... and I might as well because not being honest isn't going to get me anywhere). At work I get free food so I tend to eat there a lot because I don't have a lot of money for groceries (especially healthy ones), but I try to choose healthier options (like salads, etc.) at work, though I'm not going to sit there and say that I don't ever slip (it happens more often than I care to think about ... I'm a stress eater at times).

Man ... I need to make a lot of changes.

WendyTerry420

Monster contains caffeine and people are easily addicted to it, so I think this is bad idea especially on daily basis.
(I minimized my coffee consumption and since then I'm much more sensitive to caffeine).

Do you know why are you tired?
Do you get enough sleep and water?
What do you eat?

I figured out for myself that some types of foods (rich in simple carbs like chocolate) make me more tired than eating balanced meals in the long run. Additionally if I exercise in the morning (even for 5 minutes) I feel better the whole day.
Try those first.

P.S.: If you like Beastie Boys, don't drink Monster products

What's wrong with daily caffeine? I don't do sugary drinks, but I sure have two cups of black coffee every day. Yum!

aakaakaak

Sorry, didn't mean to post and run. Thank you SO much for all the responses.

Thyroid: every doctor I've ever been to has checked my thyroid and there has never been anything that has popped up as wrong or alarming. Is this something that can change? If so, perhaps it's time to get a re-check.

I'm also not talking about drinking several Monsters a day or anything ... I know they're full of crap (i.e. the caffeine and sugar), it was more of a "just for now" thing.

I actually didn't know that it was possible to have difficulty absorbing Vitamin B ... I use the sublingual tablets because I was told that they absorb better, but I should check my levels to be sure in case I do need the injections!

I also have PCOS and bipolar disorder, so I struggle with those medical and mental issues, too. I have been trying to drink more water, and have just had to pee so much (LOL, sorry for the TMI!) which sucks at work a lot because we're very busy. But I try to get in at least 64 oz every day. I was just so surprised by the energy kick I got off the drink that I was like ... WOW, maybe I could use this to my advantage.

Food wise, I need to keep track of what I'm eating, I have a hard time motivating myself to enter every single thing, every single day. It sound stupid, because in the grand scheme of things, it would be effective and helpful. But I hate to see myself doing poorly and get discouraged, etc. (if we're going to be honest here ... and I might as well because not being honest isn't going to get me anywhere). At work I get free food so I tend to eat there a lot because I don't have a lot of money for groceries (especially healthy ones), but I try to choose healthier options (like salads, etc.) at work, though I'm not going to sit there and say that I don't ever slip (it happens more often than I care to think about ... I'm a stress eater at times).

Man ... I need to make a lot of changes.

The two biggest killers with your work food are the buns and the fries. If you can avoid those you're golden. On your meal breaks, if you can, eat them outside instead of the break room. The sunshine may help.

happycauseIride

Have you had your thyroid checked? I was the same way until my dr put me on synthroid then my whole world changed. Then she tested me and found that I was still low and doubled my dose, then OMG it changed even more. Now my problem is I have trouble falling asleep at night.

Another thing is adding low glycemic foods to your diet and eating every 3 hours, but eating fresh, good whole foods.

Logging your foods could help us help you as well

^^^ This. Same situation for me. Could never get enough sleep before. Been on thyroid meds for 6 years now. Have to make adjustments from time to time, but I feel better.

Lesa_Sass

AAHH, if you are on meds for your bipolar disorder, this can be it. I suggest speaking to your dr about this and see if your meds can be adjusted.

Another thing, yes, log everything. Not logging makes it easier to "slip" and have something bad here and there, before you know it, that stuff adds up. My suggestion would be to lock your food diary for a few weeks so you will not have the notion to lie or cheat on it. Do this for you, so you can see what you are eating. I do not know how many friends I have turned on to MFP that thought they were not eating that bad until they started logging.

Now, in saying that, take a pic now, only eat healthy foods at work, document your success with food logs and pictures, then contact corporate to make you their healthy eating spokes person. Hey, its worth a try right.? If Jared can do it, so can you. :bigsmile:

TheRealParisLove

I used to feel that way when I was eating high carb, low protein. Since you haven't been tracking your foods, it is hard to tell what a typical day for you would be like.

For now, just practice logging you meals. If you have a smart phone, download the app and log when you are out of the house. If you don't have great data connectivity in your area, write down everything in a notebook and record it when you get in front of a computer.

I used to have the same kind of fatigue issues. Changing my diet changed everything. I used to sleep 9-10 hours a night and still needed an afternoon nap. These days, I'm up and ready for the world after 7 hours.

I won't ever return to my old eating patterns, there is just too much to be done!

needamulligan

YES! How well your thyroid works can change. Keep checking your thyroid. Also, see how you feel if you limit your carbs and up your protein bit by bit. I tend to feel really tired when I limit my calories. Until my body is convinced that I'm not starving it wants to shut down and sleep! If you don't feel like you have more energy in about a week or two see a doctor. You could be anemic, have a thyroid deficiency, have a vitamin deficiency or you could be diabetic.