Tired all the time.. :(

okay guys my diary is now open!! thanks @brillmer for telling me how! I definitely don't think I am pregnant !! :noway: , but I may see a doctor if the problem persists.. I do know that I didnt start feeling this way until i began this diet. Now that my diary is open maybe i can get a little more insight from you guys? thanks for responding!!

You are not eating enough.


First off, if that photo is you, you do not have 15 lbs to lose.

Secondly, if you did have 15 lbs to lose, you would need to be eating way closer to,your tdee than 1200 probably is. you probably put your rate of loss at 2 lbs per week, but that's unhealthy for people with little to lose because you lose muscle, not fat, and end up looking flabby. How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

yes this photo is me. The photo is from last summer when i was my ideal weight which was 140 pounds. I'm 5'8 and 155. I'm not dismorphic or anything, i want to lose the weight so i can have definition in my abs like i used to (used to have a 4 pack) now my hips, butt, thighs, and lower abs are not toned and slim like they used to be so thats why i'm trying to lose weight.

Also, what is TDEE? and you're right about me putting my rate of loss at 2lbs per week. I didn't know that i would be losing muscle!! I actually want to build muscle and lose fat. Should i adjust my rate of loss to one pound a week?

Aha, ok. FIrst of all, you should read this:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12/

It explains TDEE and other useful things.

You are very close to your goal weight, and that makes fat loss difficult and slow. You definitely should not aim to lose more than one pound a week, and even that will be non-linear (that is, expect stalls and whooshes). If you want to experience a "whoosh", reducing carbs will be the quickest way to do that. But as you are currently experiencing fatigue, that's not a good idea. So I would suggest being patient. Focus on ramping up your energy so you feel better; otherwise, your fat loss will not be sustainable.

okay guys my diary is now open!! thanks @brillmer for telling me how! I definitely don't think I am pregnant !! :noway: , but I may see a doctor if the problem persists.. I do know that I didnt start feeling this way until i began this diet. Now that my diary is open maybe i can get a little more insight from you guys? thanks for responding!!

You are not eating enough.


First off, if that photo is you, you do not have 15 lbs to lose.

Secondly, if you did have 15 lbs to lose, you would need to be eating way closer to,your tdee than 1200 probably is. you probably put your rate of loss at 2 lbs per week, but that's unhealthy for people with little to lose because you lose muscle, not fat, and end up looking flabby. How tall are you and how much do you weigh?

yes this photo is me. The photo is from last summer when i was my ideal weight which was 140 pounds. I'm 5'8 and 155. I'm not dismorphic or anything, i want to lose the weight so i can have definition in my abs like i used to (used to have a 4 pack) now my hips, butt, thighs, and lower abs are not toned and slim like they used to be so thats why i'm trying to lose weight.

Also, what is TDEE? and you're right about me putting my rate of loss at 2lbs per week. I didn't know that i would be losing muscle!! I actually want to build muscle and lose fat. Should i adjust my rate of loss to one pound a week?

I agree entirely with 1ConcreteGirl.

TDEE is total daily energy expenditure.

There are different ways to calculate how many calories you need to lose weight, maintain, or gain weight. TDEE is one of those ways. It takes into account your height, weight, age, and total activity (workouts included) into your calorie number.

Where as BMR (basal metabloc rate) does not take into account your workouts, so you have to add in extra calories for that / based on what you do for a living (people who sit at a desk will burn less calories throughout a day than people who are walking around or lifting stuff, as an example)

My recommendation would be as follows:

Less carbs and less sugar in your diet. Eat cleaner, healthier proteins and fats to fill you up. Just try getting more of your carbs from healthy choices, like vegetables and complex carbohydrates (sweet potatoes, oats, etc) instead of the added sugars.

At 5'8" and 155 pounds, working out 4 times a week you should be eating around 1700-1800 calories - and that's even with fatloss.

You do not have a lot of weight/fat to lose, so it can't be a speedy process. It will take time.. And 80%-90% of it will come directly from the foods/drinks you are putting into yourself.

On that note, UP YOUR WATER INTAKE. DRINK LOTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS OF WATER.

My 2 cents.

It would help to know your height and current weight, and you should figure out your current body fat percentage.

You can start with this:

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/

What is your current activity level, both exercise and routine?

About meal frequency: if you are eating all those frequent meals because you think that will boost your metabolism, you shouldn't bother. There is no good evidence for that, even though you often hear the advice. I function much better on fewer meals a day (just two, with maybe a snack in between). The total energy intake is what matters--not meal frequency.

yes i thought eating every two hours would boost my metabolism and now i feel like a moron. I used the calculator on the link you provided and my body fat percentage is 29.8

My work out routine consists of running (20-30 minutes depending on how much time i have)
and i've recently began lifting weights

(barbell squats, dead lifts, leg press, and weighted lunges)

Don't feel like a moron. That's very common misinformation. Many people have preached it for years and it was only proven recently that how often and when you eat really doesn't matter nearly as much as WHAT you are putting into your body, and the TOTAL AMOUNT (calories). I did it myself for a while (when I lost my first 30 pounds or so). The remainder has been just based off TDEE and proper logging of foods (and of course, self control and working out doesn't hurt )

Hi Lady!
I just read through your diary and here are my thoughts.
1- I agree that you need to cut the frozen lunches (I never feel full and always get headaches from these.)
2-instead of eating snack bars try bringing a half a can of tuna and some whole grain crackers. This is my go to afternoon snack. Its awesome for energy. I also eat almonds, yogurt and protein shakes throughout the day.
3-Protein is crazy! For years I never really ate enough. Now that I am lifting weights I eat my body weight in grams of protein a day even on days I don't lift. I have SO much more energy now and I never crave snacks (I used to crave chocolate and nutty bars so badly in the afternoons.)
4- This is always a touchy subject but I really think you should raise your calorie intake to just 300 below your TDEE. I was at 1250-1300 for years and never lost, always had a little cellulite, never could "tone" up. I was thin, but I did not like my body without clothes. I raise my calorie intake to 1600 and then to 1800 (slowly so I wouldn't shock my body) Now I eat 1800 a day and usually eat back most of my exercise calories so I eat about 2000-2200 on days I work out. Guess what?? I feel awesome, I am losing body fat and gaining muscle MUCH faster then I have before!! Its awesome :-)
5- I would start doing a mix of heavy lifting and High Intensity Interval Training if I were you. That combination along with Yoga and occasionally a good long bike ride is changing my body incredibly quickly. I am still a newb when it comes to lifting, but I am in love with it!! Muscles create that lean look in women. I regret my years of tiny weights and tons of reps and endless jogs! Such a waste of time!

By the way, you may try switching your instant oatmeal out for old fashion oats. Yes, they take 5 minutes to boil on the stove, but you stay full much longer. on days I eat oatmeal I add a half a scoop or whey protein to it. That will keep me full for hours! Bring boiled eggs too. Its easier if you boil a bunch and keep them in the fridge. Eat apples. Apples are really good for weight loss. A spinach salad with 4 oz of protein and some crunched up "Way better Snacks Black bean Chips" instead of croutons is also a really good lunch (try that 45 calorie yogurt dressing that Safeway has...it rocks!)

Umm...OH! One of my favorite things to do is buy white whole wheat flour (its nutritionally the same as red whole wheat) and make 100 percent whole wheat pizza crusts. I smear the crusts with a little olive oil and garlic. I fry turkey sausage and saute some onions and mushrooms. Then I bake the crusts with just the olive oil and garlic for about 4 minutes at 500F. Then I add a bunch oif spinach a little feta cheese, the sausage, mushrooms and onions. I sprinkle a little mozzarella on top just to bind everything together.

I bake them in the oven just long enough for that cheese to melt a little. Then I let them cool completely and seal them in my food saver and put them in the freezer.

Its a lot of work, but if you just take one day a month you can make a ton of different homemade frozen meals and then you have healthy options that will save you from the delivery guy :laugh:

Good luck! Feel free to friend me if you like! I love nutrition and studying about how it all works together to make you healthy and happy!

You're most likely either getting too much / too little sleep or stressed out. Try popping a B-12 in the morning and after lunch (check with your doctor if you take more than 2 a day)

They help perk me right up.

Recommendations that worked for me:

- Eating 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbs (this is different than the MFP default but you can change your personal settings)
- Getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night
- Working out in the AM
- Eating as little processed /boxed food as possible. Even if I do eat a frozen or boxed meal, I will add extra veggies or a salad.
- Drink green or black tea (if you don't want coffee but do want caffeine)
- Drink less alcohol

I am eating less and have more energy than I have in past years, and attribute it to these things.

You're young. Stop eating like a 65 year old woman, and you'll likely feel more alive. Really, you need more than 1200 calories. That is the minimum guideline and is really only suitable for people that are a combination of really short, inactive and/or quite old.

I had this happen when I decreased my caffeine and sugar intake. You go through a sort of withdrawal. The one thing that helped me the most was protein. Getting that protein the am was really helpful.