So tired!

It sounds like your body is reacting to the sudden change in your habits. When I started watching my calories I was sleepy, cranky and achy for a few days but my body soon adjusted and yours will too. I kept coffee since I already drank it black and I switched to unsweet tea from my usual sweet tea at dinner.

Don't make a habit of coming in too far under your calories though. Your body needs those calories to function properly and to repair and rebuild after exercise. If you don't give it enough fuel you run the risk of injury as well as continued tiredness. Congrats on starting your journey, good luck!

I know it is very confusing at first. I think you need to throw out the whole "right and wrong" foods mentality... that seems to be tripping you up. It is definitely a learning curve and a process that won't happen overnight... I am still working out the kinks in what foods to adapt or change and I've been on this journey since August 7. There were MANY days in the beginning month or so where I was over in some category or another... but thanks to keeping the diary- I was able to analyze that data and see "wow, those pickles on my sandwich were loaded with sodium" or "Geez- I could have saved a couple of hundred calories if I chose the whole grain pasta and subbed ground white turkey for ground beef and accomplished the same taste."

My advice would be to not change too much at one time or it becomes overwhelming. Also- I think following a "diet" or a plan with food restrictions is setting yourself (or myself b/c this is my experience only) for resentment and reason to binge on foods you have been restricting. However, everyone is different and that may be a way to get you started into making healthier choices.

I would also suggest buying some measuring spoons, measuring cups (all of this available at the dollar tree for a buck) and a small food scale for weighing food. If you want chips- eat them- but make sure you are recording accurate information. If you want ice cream- eat it- but make sure you record, record, record. I have found that I can have a few of my old faves in moderation... i.e. instead of having a candy bar I may have 1 or 2 snack sized ones and record and I only do that about once a month... and when I do taste it and look at the numbers- it is soooo not worth it b/c I now know how much I can eat (healthy foods) for those calories and fat...

But again I reiterate... it took me MONTHS to figure it all out and I allowed myself that time to do it. It pales in comparison to the rest of your LIFE. Sometimes the scales were very mean to me and I saw my numbers go up by as much as 5 pounds overnight... but I was able to analyze my food diaries and find the culprit... I "weighted" it out and within a few days that weight was gone and then some.

Be faithful to your food diary- be honest with your entries and portion sizes- allow yourself time and room (failures) to learn- keep going even when the scales are not in your favor (time is going to pass either way- you can "weight it out" and keep going and WILL break through and lose or give up and be right where you are at or heavier).

I am right here with you girl- almost 29 years of unhealthy eating and no knowledge of the "right" way to eat, manage portions, exercise, and fuel my body.

The best part of this site is we are all here trying to figure it out and that is the most important thing! We can support and motivate each other.

If you are coming in too far under your calories- you will be tired. Drink water like it is going out of style, try some fiber filled foods, peanut butter and almonds can add calories and good fat in a pinch, don't wait until the end of the day to realize that you are way under calories and need to eat b/c that food will just sit in your tummy and you won't see the loss you expect on the scale b/c you have the weight of the actual food still sitting in your belly...

Ok my post is now entirely toooooo long! Sorry! If you want- you can message me what your diary has looked like and I can offer suggestions or help- you can also let me know what kind of food you have in the pantry or fridge and I can help you come up with some ideas...

Remember- it is a learning curve! Allow yourself time to experiment and learn.

PS- If you look at my signature- the month between 10/07 and 11/07 I only lost 4.4 lbs. You are doing fantastic in your loss so far! Keep on keeping on! I analyzed my food diary, saw that I was eating too many processed foods again (although I was still within goals) and was not getting exercise like I should... thanks to my food and exercise diary I was able to figure it out. I've kicked up the exercise- cut out the fast food that I was slowly allowing back into my life ("just a little bit won't hurt" but it turns out as I flipped through my journal that "little" bit was about 3 visits a week). I expect to see my numbers start dropping again and I already see a change in the actual look of my body from the exercise. My daughter told me today that my "Granny Panties" were too saggy and big and I needed to "Junior Granny Panties." Hahahaha!