Tired all the time!

sarahmoo12
sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I posted this in food and nutrition but this seems a better place maybe ??

Not sure if this is in the right place but I need help!
I need foods or suggestions to boost my energy levels, I don't really want to resort to energy drinks n caffeine pills !!
I'm exhausted! Like I go to bed at around 10 and struggle to get up for work (I start at 8 am) to be fair I normally wake up around 4.30 am - 5 am then fall back to sleep till the alarm goes off. I don't feel fresh and awake at that time thought that's why I don't get up.
I normally get very tired after I eat my lunch and would nap if I could, which I don't like it makes me feel gross when I wake, if I don't nap I struggle all day to stay awake and have actually fell asleep in work at my desk a couple of times!
Iv been to the doctors and had bloods done, since im veggie I figured it could be to do with that but nope! Bloods are fine all great B12, Iron ect and she was very impressed with my folic intake. My thyroid is fine so is my blood count and something else is grand that I cant remember the name of lol. Glad im fine but it doesn't help me with why im tired! My doctor told me "its just life" not impressed with that, like I could be driving and going to myself "if I fall asleep im going to die" and still need to pull over.
Sorry for the long rant its just soooo annoying and its effecting my relationship now. My partner thinks im lazy and complains when I go to bed early saying I do nothing but go to bed!
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I usually go to bed at 10, and am up by 6.30 to leave for work at 7.15... Go to bed earlier, see if more sleep helps?

    Do you eat a lot of carbs at lunch? How many cals do you net per day?
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Had a quick look at your dairy and a couple of things stuck out:

    1. You are often way under your daily caloire goal. Do you record everything?
    2. Low on protein - I know this is a common vegetarian issue, how are you with quorn or cottage cheese or egg whites?
    3. That croissant has carbs, trust me! But dont trust everything in teh database.
  • allshebe
    allshebe Posts: 423 Member
    Can your partner monitor you for "quality" of sleep, noting if you snore a lot or are frequently restless. Perhaps a "sleep study" would help (you get wired up and sleep one night in a lab while the techs monitor EEG, O2 levels and movement).
  • fionarama
    fionarama Posts: 788 Member
    I had a quick look at your diary. You eat mostly rubbish if you want to be vegetarian thats fine, but then learn how to eat vegetarian you can't omit a food group entirely like that without substituting it with good quality food. Also B6 in particular is good for energy .

    So eat better, take a multi vitamin daily. You haven't said how much you exercise. To be honest you sound like you're a lark more than a night owl - I like to be in bed by 10 too and wake naturally at dawn. Thats normal.

    I had problems with good quality sleep in the past too and a doctor suggested ear plugs, worked like a charm.
  • RobynLB83
    RobynLB83 Posts: 626 Member
    Sounds like depression / chronic fatigue. 1. If you don't have a regular exercise routine, get one. 2. drink **** loads of coffee and plenty of water. 3. I know your bloodwork is fine, but consider becoming a pescatarian (a low protein veg diet makes your blood sugar swing like crazy effecting mood and energy levels.
  • BattleTaxi
    BattleTaxi Posts: 752 Member
    Check your Iron levels. I know my iron is sometimes a little low if I don't take a multivitamin. And when TOM is around, I'm even more lethargic.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    Your not eating enough, I would be tired also if I ate so little!!

    Figure out your BMR and TDEE: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Good luck.
  • Iron_Duchess
    Iron_Duchess Posts: 429 Member
    Just start paying attention to how you react to certain foods. Increase your complex carbs and proteins. I love carbs and I will never take them out of my diet, but now I know that, if I want to function, I can’t pair certain carbs together. A meal that I can’t eat for lunch? Mashed potatoes, corn, chicken breast, and a piece of bread. It will put me to sleep to the point that I feel like I will faint. On the other hand I have no problem eating brown rice, beans, and chicken. Both meals have carbs and protein, but one has more complex carbs than the other. Again, pay attention to what foods are causing the fatigue, fuel your body with what it needs, and be intentional with your diet.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Sounds like either a sleep quality issue, or you should go ahead and get up when you first wake up. Sometimes trying to enjoy the little extra sleep after waking up will make you feel tired.

    Additionally, after lunch, take a walk. 10 minutes, 15 or 20. It will help. Back when I was in college and working at the same time, around noon I'd start to crash. I used to take a 30 minute nap for my lunch break and I would be so tired throughout the day. One day I started taking a walk instead and have found myself with extra energy instead of feeling tired.

    Additionally, it could be an issue with inadequate calorie consumption or nutrition.
  • Bonneylynne
    Bonneylynne Posts: 9
    Wow, you're not eating anything!!! You skip meals daily and you snack on stuff like ice cream & muffins! You literally have no water intake and you're way way too low on your calories!! Sounds to me like you need to eat healthier, take a multivitamin and get some h2o into you!!
  • syedsaad
    syedsaad Posts: 156 Member
    i was reading this .... and figured i have the same prob and i do all the things tht you guys said might cause it (except for too low calorie intake) .... u guys made me realize about a prob :D
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    Sorry!! I really should have said I kinda fell of the wagon trust me im eating way over what I should be I normally have 3 main meals and a few snacks. Usually special K or porridge with honey and cinnamon for breakfast, some sort of veggie burger with bean and mushy peas for lunch or like just beans toast and cheese, dinner is always pretty random it was normally carbs like pasta dishes or sunday dinner kinda stuff but a PT told me to eat my carbs at lunch so thats what iv started to do and try and eat salads and eggs with some type of quorn meat for dinner.
    I know I shouldn't be eating muffins and croissants but its not normally within my cals when eating healthy I havnt logged all my meals because feeling a bit shameful about them I will be sticking to logging now so if you want to follow me for the next while you can get an idea.
    Il look into B6 see where I can get it from, didn't know it was good for energy!
    My sleep is pretty decent apart from the waking early, I don't really snore unless iv a cold coming on. I will try and get up when I wake and see if that helps but like I said I still feel tired !
    Iv got Holland & Barrett's vegan multi vits I take 1 maybe every 3 days so I will up it to every day.
    I dont think it could be Iron or Protein I know im always low but surely that would have flagged up in my bloods, they know im veggie so I guess it would have been the first things they tested lol

    Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply x
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    Just start paying attention to how you react to certain foods. Increase your complex carbs and proteins. I love carbs and I will never take them out of my diet, but now I know that, if I want to function, I can’t pair certain carbs together. A meal that I can’t eat for lunch? Mashed potatoes, corn, chicken breast, and a piece of bread. It will put me to sleep to the point that I feel like I will faint. On the other hand I have no problem eating brown rice, beans, and chicken. Both meals have carbs and protein, but one has more complex carbs than the other. Again, pay attention to what foods are causing the fatigue, fuel your body with what it needs, and be intentional with your diet.

    Yea see im like that! I feel like im going to pass out maybe it is carbs. The longer iv been eating healthy the more food I find wont agree with me like I cant eat anything from McDs anymore and im pretty sure pizza is my newest cant eat, it runs right through me now. Sorry for the description lol
  • BEEUK
    BEEUK Posts: 113
    Up your iron! Easy way to do this is by adding Flaxseed to porridge or yoghurt. Spirulina is a great supplement too, although yucky on its own so needs adding to juice/yoghurt too.

    How much exercise do you do? Sedentary people generally have less ‘energy’. Up your cardio once you have your diet in hand.

    Also if you’re not logging everything it is hard for us to advise/try to help you. Even the ‘naughty’ stuff should go on there so a true reflection of what areas you need to work on can be seen.

    Good luck getting your zing back!
  • courtneylyn1
    courtneylyn1 Posts: 71 Member
    I didn't check your diary and I just glanced over some of the replies so if I am repeating something someone else has already said, forgive me! I went through a period of exhaustion for over a year. I knew something wasn't right, but after going to numerous Dr's who all said I was "normal" I was about to throw in the towel. I honestly blamed it on my thyroid(I have hashimoto's) because I was feeling relatively the same as when I was first diagnosed when I was 18. I practically slept through all of December of last year. Finally, I decided to switch my endocrinologist and at my first appt. my new Dr. checked my Vitamin D levels. I was very deficient. She immediately put me on 50,000 IUs for a couple of weeks and believe it or not, after my second dose I felt like heaven! It was such a great feeling to actually not wake up after 10 hours of sleep and not feel exhausted. Have you gotten your Vitamin D checked? It is something I recommend for everyone who is consistently sleepy(I was also very achy). I went for a whole year feeling awful before I found out that I could just fix it with some over the counter vitamin. I will NEVER stop my Vitamin D at this point!
  • BlackPup
    BlackPup Posts: 242 Member
    If you don't go in the sun much low vitamin d can make you tired.
  • cheriesteenkamp
    cheriesteenkamp Posts: 20
    I ALSO suffer from that.. doctor tested me.. im aneamic... so just get Autrin caps (at chemists) or what ever you have in your state,, any iron supplement
  • mp_deep
    mp_deep Posts: 85 Member
    Your diet is unbalanced. Lack the essential amino acids that are found primarily in red meat.
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    I live in Northern Ireland so as much as I would like to see the sun the sun doesn't like to see us lol
    I just thought since I had my blood tested all that would show up. Il try taking more iron and vit D.
    Yea im guna log it all from now on. I need too to try and get sorted its soooo annoying !
    My exercise is pretty patchy also so il try and get a routine and actually stick to it and maybe that will help.
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    Your diet is unbalanced. Lack the essential amino acids that are found primarily in red meat.

    Which ones are found in red meat ?
  • mp_deep
    mp_deep Posts: 85 Member
    Your diet is unbalanced. Lack the essential amino acids that are found primarily in red meat.

    Which ones are found in red meat ?

    Read this:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_amino_acid

    ......noted that the symptoms of nervousness, exhaustion, and dizziness.............
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    I wholeheartedly agree with upping your vit D.
    Also, my husband and I take sublingual vit B12-perhaps you should try that.
    Eating lots of all the varieties of veggies with some spices and olive oil gives us t
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    I wholeheartedly agree with upping your vit D.
    Also, my husband and I take sublingual vit B12-perhaps you should try that.
    Eating lots of all the varieties of veggies with some spices and olive oil gives us tons of energy!
    You really are what you eat so eat well!!!
    Eat veggies such as:
    Kale
    Broccoli
    Spinach
    Carrots
    Cauliflower
    Peppers
    Sweet potato
    Asparagus
    Swiss chard
    Dandelion leaves
    Just see what's available at your local farmers market and get these and eat lots everyday.
    They cook up fast and you can make a couple of batches a week.
    You can make a big pot of veggie/bean soup and seperate into individual servings and eat the whole week.
    I can't tell you what a difference this has made. Tremendous.
    I'm not a vegetarian but I eat tons more veggies than meat, poultry, fish etc.
    I do eat some kind of animal/fish protein most days too.
    I guess you eat beans, nuts and Greek yoghurt for protein?
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    @mp_deep - thanks will have a good read when I get home from work.

    Yea I eat nuts and yoghurt for snacks I would mostly eat beans in along with a main meal. Im going to start making more soups and broths, I bought Kale last night for the first time so going to have quorn cheese filled escalopes with kale, spinach, peppers, carrot and tomato for dinner :)
    Love every thing on your list iv never seen dandelion leaves for sale and havnt heard of swiss chard so will have a look out for them.

    Thanks again everyone !!!!
  • NonfatLattexo
    NonfatLattexo Posts: 13 Member
    Sarah, you sound just like me with the fatigue. I literally feel dizzy in the mornings and so tired I nearly throw up some days :( It's really horrible. Then I hardly get through the day. Bloodwork is normal as well. I do get treatment for depression, but I really think I'm depressed as a result of being so fatigued. How can you not be? There's so much more I want to accomplish that I am unable to. Ugh. I will try some of the things mentioned.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Sarah, you sound just like me with the fatigue. I literally feel dizzy in the mornings and so tired I nearly throw up some days :( It's really horrible. Then I hardly get through the day. Bloodwork is normal as well. I do get treatment for depression, but I really think I'm depressed as a result of being so fatigued. How can you not be? There's so much more I want to accomplish that I am unable to. Ugh. I will try some of the things mentioned.

    This sounds like the symptoms of early pregnancy - any chance??? I guess if you've had blood taken you've seen a doctor who would (surely) have thought of that......
  • sarahmoo12
    sarahmoo12 Posts: 756 Member
    Im not depressed and dont feel dizzy in the morning when I wake but would sometimes get dizzy mid day !?
    I am working 7 day weeks atm but im used to it and iv been tired for a long time now.
    Im def not preggers lol hoping for that 2014/15 :D
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    Im not depressed and dont feel dizzy in the morning when I wake but would sometimes get dizzy mid day !?
    I am working 7 day weeks atm but im used to it and iv been tired for a long time now.
    Im def not preggers lol hoping for that 2014/15 :D

    Sorry sarahmoo, I wasn't suggesting that YOU could be pregnant, it was the poster above me who I quoted (NonfatLattexo) who said they were desperately tired and nearly throwing up in the mornings.....
  • parteegirl01
    parteegirl01 Posts: 84
    I felt the same way. Went to the doc and they did a bunch of blood work, found nothing. Went back for further tests and they found that my vitamin D levels were VERY low. I now take 50000 IUs of D3 (better than the prescription D2) once a week. It took about 4 weeks to really start working. I am a huge vitamin D advocate. Your body needs it for almost EVERY function and most people are deficient. It even helped me lose weight for a while. This may not be your problem, but I hope this helps. You can buy D3 in 50000 IUs on amazon.com. I really hope you figure it out. Being exhausted all the time really sucks. Good luck.
  • warcraftWidow
    warcraftWidow Posts: 5 Member
    Your doctor may already have run iron and Vitamin D tests. I know it was part of my standard blood work done a few months ago.

    I'd check those results or get them done before loading up on Iron or D. You don't want too much of either although the amount in a standard multi shouldn't hurt.

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