Lethargic on Workout Days

hughess25
hughess25 Posts: 4
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
My issue is that either immediately after work outs OR a few hours later, I am feeling drained! Also sometimes I feel light headed. I am pushing the water daily (especially on work out days) and my diary says I'm at times going over my protein....what gives?

What is going on with my body and how can I combat this? I've recently implemented getting my protein shake (in the AM) prior to my AM workouts to see if that helps...but its not.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Replies

  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    You may not be eating enough. What are your calories set to? are you eating back a good proportion of your exercise calories? Open your diary and we can advise better :flowerforyou:
  • hughess25
    hughess25 Posts: 4
    My daily goal is 1490 with a weight loss goal of 1lb a week and 60 minutes of exercise at least 4 times a week. When I work out my goal is to hit at least 350 at the gym or 200 for a home work out. Usually fall between 230-500 cal with my burns.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Are you eating back exercise calories? How many grams of carbs are you getting? How are you determining your calories burned? That looks low for 60 minutes.
  • hughess25
    hughess25 Posts: 4
    What do you mean "eating back exercise calories"? When I work out those cals burn go back into my pot of cals I have to eat for the day. I try not to eat all them back and have some to spare to increase my weight loss time.

    Well I do a lot of low impact stuff AND I'm just now getting back into working out consistently regularly. Lol. I have to force myself but at least I'm being consistent.

    On a good work out, a 60 min burn is between 400-500 cal. I've been watching my carb intake but I try to follow what myfitnesspal has set for me.

    carb include brown rice, multi grain tortilla chips, high fiber snack bars, etc.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    What do you mean "eating back exercise calories"? When I work out those cals burn go back into my pot of cals I have to eat for the day. I try not to eat all them back and have some to spare to increase my weight loss time.

    Well I do a lot of low impact stuff AND I'm just now getting back into working out consistently regularly. Lol. I have to force myself but at least I'm being consistent.

    On a good work out, a 60 min burn is between 400-500 cal. I've been watching my carb intake but I try to follow what myfitnesspal has set for me.

    carb include brown rice, multi grain tortilla chips, high fiber snack bars, etc.

    And that is what is causing your energy issue. You already have your calorie goal set low at 1490. Then you are burning another 400-500. That drops your net calories to 1090 to 990. The absolute minimum net calories a woman not under a doctors supervision should be consuming is 1200. You are not getting enough nutrition. Thus, your energy problem. Eat the calorie that "go back into my pot of cals". How you are approaching this could stall your weight loss if you continue this over a period of time. Google adaptive thermogenesis. And it could adversly effect your health in other ways in addition to the energy level issue you are having.
  • hughess25
    hughess25 Posts: 4
    I guess I am confused on the purpose of this site then. I have my caloric intake set to look a lb a week. My goal for workouts was set for 60 minutes/day for at least 4 days. Myfitnesspal did this.

    So you are saying that I need to reset it to loose less than a lb a week to earn my calories? This way if I burn 400 cal my net cals are not below 1200? I need 10lbs off like last month.

    Thanks and I will try this to see if it works.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,572 Member
    She's right - you aren't eating enough and need to eat back your calories.

    When you set up your weight loss goals, you promise what you're going to work out, but that isn't taken into account when MFP calculates your calorie goals.

    When you work out, log your exercise like you log your food. That will add calories to those you're allowed every day. It reflects the fact that when you work your body more, you need to eat more to keep the same calorie deficit.

    For example, I'll walk this evening and probably get an extra 165 calories added in for me to eat today. If I eat those extra 165 calories, I'll still be on track for losing the pound a week I am hoping for.
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
    I would advise you to experiment more with WHAT you are eating. You are right that if you don't eat back exercise calories, you will speed up your weight loss. This is a slippery slope though because if you go too low on calories, you will have bad cravings which might lead to binging. It's not sustainable over time. I'm going to guess that your lethargy is more of a nutrient problem than how much your are eating because 1490 isn't that low really, unless you are super tall or very active in your job. But assuming you work a desk job and your 4x/week workouts are the extent of your vigorous activity, 1490 sounds reasonable. Instead of the high fiber snack bars and multi-grain tortilla chips, try swapping for veggies and hummus, nuts, homemade trail mix with things like raisins, dried fruit, nuts, pumpkin seeds and make a few dark chocolate chips, a banana with peanut butter, etc. Basically try to go for less processed snacks if possible. I have found that those fiber bars and stuff aren't satisfying and really aren't that good for you when you break down the label. There are a lot of foods that are marketed as health foods but are nothing more than junk. Instead of brown rice and chicken for dinner, you could have chicken and a big salad with fresh greens, onion, tomato, carrots, and whatever other veggies you like. Choose a full-fat dressing and just use a little bit, you'll save yourself again from eating as much processed foods. Add some avocados to your soups, sandwiches and salads while they are still in season. It's very delicious on many things. Good luck to you and keep reading up on nutrition.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Nope, that's not what I'm saying. You are mixing up net calories.

    You set your goals to lose 1 lb per week. That is if you do no exercise. When you exercise, you burn more calories, say 500. Eat those back and you are right at your goal of losing 1 lb per week. The calorie deficit is already figured into your goal. You put in what you were going to do to workout but that was not factored into the equation for calories. That's why when you log exercise it gives you more calories. It's attempting to give you a net of 1490 calories after exercise. That is your goal.

    If you want to count in your exercise up front, this site will not work that great for doing this but you can. Take 1490 x 7 = 10430 calories per week plus 500 x 4 = 2000 calories. That's 12430 / 7 = 1776 per day.

    The probelm with your energy is occuring because you are trying to not eat your exercise calories. You need to eat them. To not do do will not help you lose weight quicker. It will affect your energy levels and potentially cause your weight loss to stall due to adaptive thermogenesis. It will also cause a good % of the weight you lose to be lean muscle tissue and not fat.

    So either eat them back or up them eat a level but increased amout. You never want to net under 1200 unless under a doctors supervision. It's no surprise you are having energy level problems. You body is telling you that you are not putting enought energy in!
  • beansprouts
    beansprouts Posts: 410 Member
    My daily goal is 1490 with a weight loss goal of 1lb a week and 60 minutes of exercise at least 4 times a week. When I work out my goal is to hit at least 350 at the gym or 200 for a home work out. Usually fall between 230-500 cal with my burns.

    You have been doing this since January? How much weight have you lost?
  • Birdie
    Birdie Posts: 256 Member
    I feel the same way. I could do an excerise video and then literally hit the floor and fall asleep. When I go out walking I don't go too far because I am afraid I won't make it back. I am so jealous of people who say they get energy from working out or even a runnners high. :frown:
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