constant dips in energy? why? help appreciated!

riviere1
riviere1 Posts: 33
in Health and Weight Loss
hello

i started mfp a few weeks back now and ive been trying to lose

i started out low at 1200 and today increased my intake to 1400 because i felt hungry at 1200!

i exercise approximately two-three times a week, for around 30-40 minutes each sesh (burn about 300 cals per sesh)

i dont always eat back calories

but i do eat the right foods and i have cheat days (around 1700) and yet in the middle of the day i ALWAYS, without fail get a huge energy dip where i feel like i need to go to sleep, or just do as little as possible!
i always feel zoned out come 3 oclock, and ive had to resort to mid-afternoon naps, which at 19, isnt exactly convenient!

increasing calories seems as obvious solution BUT even on days where i will eat higher calorie amounts (1700-1800) i still get a huge dip in energy and it happens everyday!

does anyone have any suggestions to increase energy levels or avoid the energy dip?

feel free to look at my diary :)

any suggestions are hugely appreciated, and thankyou for reading :)

Replies

  • reh1089
    reh1089 Posts: 21
    I have the exact same problem. Within an hour of eating I'm tired and lethargic or sleepy. I eat healthy foods and balanced meals like 90% of the time. I drink a lot of coffee or diet soda to combat the exhaustion!
  • riviere1
    riviere1 Posts: 33
    i would if i liked coffee! hehe
    it is so frustrating though, especially when we eat healthily :/
  • mpenner61
    mpenner61 Posts: 13
    I have experienced this as well and always right around 3 PM. Two things have helped me.

    First, I keep some nuts and grapefruit at my desk and eat a snack when I start to feel tired. Second, on days that I eat a lunch with lots of fiber (whole grain bread, brown rice) I this does not happen nearly as much.
  • angelz_love
    angelz_love Posts: 36 Member
    I used to have the same porblem ( it's only every once in a great while that i do now) and i t h i n k it was becasue i wasn't eating well rounded enough. I was watching my calories but eating a ton of carbs in the am which gave me a spike in energy followed but a dip. It doesn't happen as much now as I am more careful about eating everything in moderation including carbs and protien ( I am not perfect yet i still have a long ways to go). I would keep a square of dark chocolate in my purse just in case ( 25-50 cal) or I'd eat 6 almonds to get me thriugh the dip. Sometimes I'd leave a little butterscotch candy to pick me up but eventually i stopped doing that cause I cut my sugar.
  • KatLifter
    KatLifter Posts: 1,314 Member
    Your diary is cloased so we can't look at it.

    I'd look at the types of carbs you're eating. Refined carbs spike your blood sugar and can cause crashes a lot more than complex carbs like veggies, brown rice, quinoa, beans, etc.
  • RandiLandCHANGED
    RandiLandCHANGED Posts: 630 Member
    Vitamin B and fish oil help a lot with my energy.
  • sam308lbs
    sam308lbs Posts: 1,936 Member
    Open your diary first!
  • riviere1
    riviere1 Posts: 33
    oh yes woops haha silly me!

    ive changed it to public now :)

    i dont eat really any refined foods e.g white bread, white pasta and i eat wholegrains, protein etc so i just dont understand it!
  • riviere1
    riviere1 Posts: 33
    ive never thought about vitamins helping, do you take vitamin b supplements or just food rich in vitamin B?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Are you getting enough protein? If you eat a lot of carbs and not enough protein, that can cause that crash.
  • riviere1
    riviere1 Posts: 33
    sorry opened it now to the public!

    i'd changed my profile settings instead haha dumb moment
  • boston6
    boston6 Posts: 158 Member
    Do you skip dinner every night?
  • riviere1
    riviere1 Posts: 33
    no i never skip dinner, i just posted it in the wrong section yesterday

    normal regular meals, three square meals plus snacks
  • baileyt1
    baileyt1 Posts: 49 Member
    It may have something to do with what your eating at certain times. With the gylcemic index a high glycemic food will make your blood sugar plummit thus making you very tired. There are many food you wouldn't know are high glycemic, even healthy foods like a banana. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you with this, I make meal plans for people all the time. I may be able to give you some suggestions if youd like.
  • cnelson1974
    cnelson1974 Posts: 235 Member
    Your diary is cloased so we can't look at it.

    I'd look at the types of carbs you're eating. Refined carbs spike your blood sugar and can cause crashes a lot more than complex carbs like veggies, brown rice, quinoa, beans, etc.

    Well said, kat!
  • JessWolf1002
    JessWolf1002 Posts: 82 Member
    I see in your profile picture that you have a cigarette in your hand... are you a smoker? Even though nicotine is a stimulant, smoking reduces the flow of oxygen through the lung tissue and blood stream. If you smoke, you are likely to become fatigued easily.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Have you seen a doctor and explained your problem? I don't know your health history but you could have something going on that you're not even aware of (vitamin deficiencies, diabetes, etc).

    Assuming you rule that out, try eating a more balanced diet. You're getting the vast majority of your calories from carbs alone. In doing so you can tend to spike your energy levels up and down all day. Dietary fat and protein will digest much slower and give you more of a steady output of energy. Right now it looks like you're eating roughly 2/3 of your intake from carbs and the rest is split between fat and protein. Maybe shoot for something like only 35-40% carbs and then split the remainder between fat and protein. I do 35/30/35, c/f/p for example. Never had any issues with energy spikes or drops, ever.

    Can't hurt. At worst it will only help satiety and diet adherence.

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