Exhausted!!

Daresie · March 2013

So I began here at MFP at the beginning of January. My plan was/is to lose somewhere around 30 pounds. I started - like many people - by slashing calories and starting to exercise. I was nearly starving at the 1200-1300 calories MFP suggested for me. After spending many hours reading here, just finished New Rules of Lifting for Women, I have increased my calories and will be starting weight lifting soon - I hope.

I started with the treadmill. It was easy on my knees and provided me with a great cardio workout. Recently I "graduated" to the elliptical, which I really enjoy. I started with about 30 minutes of exercise, now I do 60 minutes 4-5 times a week. I noticed right away I was sleeping way better. But I never got that "wow - I have so much more energy!" that most people say they feel. In fact, it is just the opposite. In the last 2 weeks, I have seldom ever felt more tired. Last night for the first time I couldn't even do a full hour - didn't even have the energy to get my heart rate up to a normal workout rate - around 140-ish, for me.

Our internet has been wonky the last couple of weeks, so I haven't been able to log either calories or exercise, but I am eating around 1600 calories a day. Typically have raisin bran and milk for breakfast, a salmon burger with fruit and veggies or salad or leftovers for lunch, then chicken/veggies or pasta or soup or whatever I am making for the family for dinner. I have at least a couple of snacks in the afternoon/evening so I have plenty to eat.

I have lost about 14 pounds so far and seem to be plateauing at the moment. I have wanted to start some weight lifting, but I am so exhausted I can barely get through a day. Today I had to lie down twice, once for a nap and once just to rest. I don't feel sick or weak - I'm just extrememly tired.

Any thoughts on 10 weeks of exercise, gradually building up the intensity and duration, leading to complete exhaustion? Maybe it isn't even related, but the time is certainly the same. Thanks for any thoughts on what my body may be trying to tell me!!

matt2442 · March 2013

I dont see anything about how much you sleep at night...maybe if youre tired, you should sleep

jackiewalton · March 2013

Hiya, Well done on all your exercise etc. Just a thought ... but are you eating enough?? Maybe stick a few more carbs in to give you some energy because you are burning off a lot more now than when you started in January. I expect that if you have taken your measurements then you will be losing inches. I am also trying to lose weight but if you don't eat enough then you don't have enough energy and you won't burn off as much. My daughter is studying Bachelor of Dance and the amount of calories she has to eat just to keep her going each day is crazy. She is trying to put on weight and not succeeding because she is burning everything off.

Good luck!

Jackie

Markguns · March 2013

Take a couple of days off and get some sleep, you may have over trained yourself.

palebottom · March 2013

Have you drastically changed your diet? I don't just mean calories but what you eat as well. Your exhaustion could be from a lack of iron. I would suggest getting a multi-vitamin with iron it or an iron supplement that is gentle on the stomach (iron by itself can be hard on the stomach). Give it a week and see if your energy improves. I am anemic and when my iron is particularly low I am exhausted all the time and not even coffee will keep me going. Iron pills have helped.

sophcath123 · March 2013

Maybe you are overdoing it with the Cardio? That is alot of exercise with one piece of equipment and could be the reason you are plateauing at the moment. You may also not be eating enough or the right foods before you work-out. Try having your main carbs earlier on before you go to the gym (not sure what time you go) and a good protein source after to replenish your muscles.
Adding the weight training will probably make a huge difference too and give you new energy.

I like to do 15 minutes on the elliptical to get my knees nice and loose, then go directly to the treadmill for a 15 minute run and then the recumbant bike for 15 minutes (you also get to sit down

It still gives you all the cardio you need but switching it up keeps you from getting bored and uses different muscle groups as well. Doing a bit less Cardio will give you more energy for weight training and then you'll really see the pounds fly off

Good Luck!

Daresie · March 2013

Thank you all for taking the time to read and reply!!

Sleep... as the mother of 4 (3 at home) I NEVER get enough sleep!! :-) But usually 6-7 hours a night. A related problem is Restless Leg Syndrome. Oddly enough, my near-daily exercise seems to make it worse, but the fact that I then sleep so soundly seems to off-set it. Weird, I know!! Last night I got closer to 7.5, and I do feel better today (tho w/o exercising my RLS kept waking me up, so not as full of a sleep.)

I am slightly anemic even tho I eat a lot of iron-rich foods. I can't tolerate Iron supplements nor vitamins with added iron. So it is always a juggling act to try to keep it at a tolerable level. It is low enough I can't donate blood, but not so low that my doc is too concerned. It may have dipped a bit recently and that could contribute to my problem.

My mother-in-law says I need vitamin B, so to keep her happy, I am going to give it a try. I have never been a big believer in supplements, but I suppose it won't hurt to try.

Perhaps this is all nothing more than the fact that I am getting older and may no longer be able to go with less sleep especially with added exercise. I was just so-hoping to find that boost of energy that so many people say they get when they start eating right and exercising more. (my basic diet has always been mostly good, just the extra snacking that has packed on my pounds!!)

Now that we seem to have internet working again, I can start logging my food and exercise and hopefully keep better track of how I am doing. And I hope to have my friend go with me a time or two to help me learn the weights. It is a bit overwhelming to go in there alone - not really knowing what I'm supposed to do with them.

Again, thank you all for your suggestions and support. Appreciate it so much!!

savithny · March 2013

i just went to a really good presentation by a sleep researcher from the local university. He's been researching sleep for 40 years and had result after result after result about the absolute importance of getting enough good sleep.

His findings include that getting 6 or less hours of sleep result in muscle fatigue and greatly decreased lung capacity (VOmax, etc), as well as lowered athletic performance. Also higher cortisol levels, higher insulin and lower leptin. A quote "After two weeks of limiting college students to 6 hours of sleep, their metabolic profile was indistinguishable from senior citizens."

danika2point0 · March 2013

Hi! I actually searched the topics for 'exhaustion' cause I feel the same way right now. Absolutely wrecked. I was full of energy the past month or so but the past couple days, I feel exhausted - not weak, not sick. I am going to take a couple days off exercising and see if that helps...Good luck and feel free to add me if you want to exchange ideas! x

Daresie · March 2013

Ouch. I rarely get more than 6 to 6.5 hours a night. While I am often tired, this feeling of exhaustion is new to me. I did take off several days of exercising and worked more time for sleep. I am feeling better, so I really think it was a combination of my usual lack of sleep and then adding in so much exercise on a body not accustomed to it that was doing me in. I have also reduced my cardio and am beginning lifting weights. Now if I can only find that delicate balance that is so elusive for me: sleep, exercise, RLS, intermittent insomnia. Life is fun!!

1ConcreteGirl · March 2013

What is your height, current weight, and goal weight?

geekyjock76 · March 2013

The whole "Wow, I have so much energy" feeling people get is from an increase in muscle mitochondria. The more muscle you gain, the more little "furnaces" you have, the more energy output.

karensdream · March 2013

Just wanted to throw out there....Have you been tested for sleep apnea? That is often a source of fatigue. Even if you are getting 6-7 hrs of sleep per night, if you are waking up frequently (you may not even be aware that you are doing it), you never get into a good REM sleep. You may want to have it checked out. I know that when I was diagnosed with it and finally got my sleep machine, what a difference it made both in my sleep and energy levels.

FaerieCae · March 2013

Ive heard that some yoga before sleep can help with RLS, maybe give it a try.

Otterluv · March 2013

Reading through, it sounds like your gross calories is around 1600? Then you are using the elliptical for 60 minutes, 4-5 days a week. Your burn would probably be anywhere from 450-750 calories. That means that if your gross is 1600, your net is pretty dang low. That could definitely cause exhaustion.

Feel free to correct me if 1600 is your net calories and not gross.

Thunderfan66 · March 2013

It is interesting reading about sleep...maybe this is my problem too. I am struggling to lose weight and I usually sleep 5-6 hours a night and it is always broken sleep....I get up at least twice to go to the toilet or get a drink during the night. I always feel tired and by Thursday/Friday I feel exhausted, yet this doesn't help me sleep better!

Exhausted!!

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