Pretty tired with this new regime...help pls:)

AlbaAngel25

Hey guys,

So, I have been really doing well with my working out (4-5 times a week) as well as eating healthier for the past 2 weeks. I notice though, second week in, that I have started to become very very tired mid day-ish/evening. Nothing has changed in my personal life/stress etc.... except for the fact that I have been working out in the evenings. I also have eliminated a lot of sugars and white bread/flour from my diet.

I'm trying to pinpoint what is causing me to feel this way, and the only thing i can come up with is, I am used to eating 2-3-4 slices of bread (or french bread) during the days, and now I am eating almost no bread and half a cup of rice in place of or sweet potatoes..... I used to also eat something sweet a day, whether it was twizzlers, or chocolate or ice cream.....Could the lack of those bad sugars and carbs have me feeling this way? if so, is this temporary?( you know, like how smokers quiet and have all the bad side effects from their bodies wanting the nicotine)...

I realize your not doctors lol but i figure i'd give it a shot and ask because maybe its more common than i think.

Any advice would be appreciated, thank you in advance:)

Edited to add: My caloric goal is 1200, and I eat back all my exercise calories!

AlbaAngel25

also to add, I walk outdoors for at least an hour a day if not 2, and in the evenings i hit up the gym and do 30 mins of elliptical/stairmaster and some weights.

AmyRhubarb

What is your daily calorie goal, do you meet it, and do you eat back exercise cals?

AlbaAngel25

I just know I over did it with the "bad" carbs so I kind of scared myself out of eating it. But I think your right, I need to supplement with more veggies and whole grains.

momblobnomore

If you have a low calorie goal and are not eating exercise calories, you may not be eating enough

DopeItUp

Generally, if you're doing a lot of exercise, getting good sleep but still find yourself dragging badly during the day, you're just not eating enough. Too big of a deficit will wear you down fast. You don't have your diary open so we can't see what you're eating, but if your carbs are too low you won't be able to support your exercise either. At least, that's what I've found. I try not to ever eat less than 100 carbs a day or my workouts become miserable. At the very least, I try to ensure I eat a bunch of carbs before my workout to ensure that my workout doesn't suck.


Just some guesses, but I'm probably on the right track. You have 26lbs to go, I would be aiming to lose 1lb/week at MOST. Maybe more like .75lb. If you have a larger deficit than that (500+ calories a day) then try upping calories a little. If your calories look good, try eating a little more carbs, especially prior to your workout. Add 100-200 calories of bread, rice, potatoes, whatever and see if that helps. Adjust as necessary.

Anastacia1119

How tall are you, what is your weight and how old are you? 1200 may not be enough for you especially with such a little amount to lose.

odddrums

This is interesting. I don't know if the lack of bread is doing anything but maybe your body is just getting used to it. I'd say give it another week or so and make sure you're eating enough. I usually snack on a banana, an apple, some carrots and a granola bar throughout the day between breakfast and lunch otherwise I can't function. Maybe switch up your snacks or try eating a bit more? Let me know if things change.

AlbaAngel25

thanks for all the input. I don't wear a HRM while walking, and some days i walk A LOT on top of gym time. So it could very well be that I am burning more cals than i think and am not eating enough back.

I'm 5'5 and I weigh 186 on my home scale and 182 and the docs....so, somewhere in there lol

I have to build a good healthy relationships with carbs, and that they are not all bad. I'm going to go through my diary over the last 2 weeks and see if I have made my carb targets for the day.

Anastacia1119

Unless you have a medical condition where you need to watch your carbs, don't worry about that. Carbs are not hindering your weight loss. Weight loss (again, unless you have an underlying medical condition) is purely calories in versus calories out. Based on your stats, I figured out your BMR and TDEE. According to those numbers, you should be taking in between 1800 and 1900 calories a day (that's with exercise- TDEE-20%).

AlbaAngel25

okay so i just glanced over the past two weeks, and my target carbs( set my mfp), is 165. I am always under that goal by 60 -90 a day, so clearly i need to add some more carbs there....I'll have to give it a try!

AlbaAngel25

Unless you have a medical condition where you need to watch your carbs, don't worry about that. Carbs are not hindering your weight loss. Weight loss (again, unless you have an underlying medical condition) is purely calories in versus calories out. Based on your stats, I figured out your BMR and TDEE. According to those numbers, you should be taking in between 1800 and 1900 calories a day (that's with exercise- TDEE-20%).

thank you so much for that information. I always see the TDEE scores ppl post and wasnt sure what it was about. I will up my cals and see if that helps me out!

Erikalynne18

When I started I was 165 and MFP set me as 1200 calories. I was determined so I ate those 1200 calories (plus exercise calories) and yes I lost a few pounds but boy was I exhausted!! I was tired, had dizzy spells, and headaches. I increased my calories until I got to 1700 (plus exercise) and it's worked a lot better for me now


edit- still losing weight too!

Erikalynne18

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

this one is pretty good for calculating your calories

SharonVines

I just did a 21 day detox which eliminated the sugars and bread and other things and after the first few days the mid-day tiredness was gone. In the support material for the detox it mentioned that sometimes people feel worse at the beginning because of the toxins coming out and leaving your body. Perhaps that is happening with you. If so, I think that drinking lots of water might help speed up the process. Hopefully you'll feel better in a few days.

Sharon

stephaniecaine82

Women NEED carbs! Just dont over do it! I try to get about 100 grams of carbs before my last meal of the day. Then my dinner will only have carbs from the veggies......so meat and veggies. But eat them during the day, it will help!

Akimajuktuq

okay so i just glanced over the past two weeks, and my target carbs( set my mfp), is 165. I am always under that goal by 60 -90 a day, so clearly i need to add some more carbs there....I'll have to give it a try!

No, you don't "need" to add more carbs. Even without metabolic illness (over weight is a metabolic illness!) 100 grams is more than plenty for just about anyone. However, if you did recently lower your carbs substantially and suddently, then yes you may feel tired but it's temporary. If your body is used to lots of sugar, it will take a while for it to adjust to less. (Less sugar IS better.)

Are you eating enough fat? MFP defaults are far too low for fat and far too high for carbs. And no, I'm not suggesting that everyone needs to eat very low carb, but the Standard American Diet carb level is too high as seen by all the illness and obesity and MFP defaults are set for people eating SAD.

usmc01462

Replace your bad carbs with good carbs..Oatmeal, sweet potato.. I prefer making shakes with fruits and veggies and carry that everywhere. I have cut out all carbs and have gone thru the same thing your going thru like you just had the life sucked out of you. if you need help I can help..