Exhausted

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smfrost89
smfrost89 Posts: 10 Member
in Motivation and Support
So I've been ritually working out (cardio and strength) for three weeks now 6 days a week. Weight loss is slow but steady. My issue is that I was hoping that once I started working out, I would have more energy throughout the day and that is definitely not the case. I do my workouts in the morning and the rest of the day is completely shot for me. All I want to do is sleep. Is this normal? Will this eventually go away? I want to continue but this exhaustion is making it hard to stay motivated. Anyone have any ideas or words of advice?

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  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    For me it's cyclical. It was a light "rest" week for me last week, this week I'm into high intensity **** and I'm completely spent. I'm actually posting this right now because I haven't gotten mentally ready enough to go to my workout that is due right now...

    It happens, you'll get through it. Do make sure you're getting enough recovery time, and that you are eating well.
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Three weeks should have been enough time to adapt to a reasonable calorie deficit and exercise schedule.

    Might want to open up your diary so we can see your calorie intake and exercise levels...I'd hate to throw the undereating or overtraining flag without seeing the details. And how much sleep do you get a night?
  • SusanL222
    SusanL222 Posts: 585 Member
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    Something that seems to have helped my energy level is an ultra B12 liquid vitamin.
  • smfrost89
    smfrost89 Posts: 10 Member
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    I try to take in 1,500 calories a day and burn about 300-400 calories so I'm right around 1,200 a day. Sometimes it's a little less on days where I'm just not as hungry. I get about 6-7 hours of sleep, I have two kids (3 and 6), and I'm trying to put myself through nursing school. My schedule is a bit hectic but that's why I wanted to start exercising in hopes that it would help give me that extra boost. =\
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    I try to take in 1,500 calories a day and burn about 300-400 calories so I'm right around 1,200 a day. Sometimes it's a little less on days where I'm just not as hungry. I get about 6-7 hours of sleep, I have two kids (3 and 6), and I'm trying to put myself through nursing school. My schedule is a bit hectic but that's why I wanted to start exercising in hopes that it would help give me that extra boost. =\

    Diagnosis: Motherhood (sorry...old joke)

    Were you feeling as run down *before* you started the current diet and exercise program? I'll assume not, and so the rest of the "advice" is kind of based on that assumption...

    (1) IMHO, 1200 net is pretty low for someone in school and with young kids. It's not like you were sedentary even before you added the exercise.
    (2) Depending on fitness level, only one recovery day a week might not be enough. Although a 300-400 calorie burn kind of implies maybe 45-60 minutes of cardio, which shouldn't be too awfully strenuous.
    (3) 6-7 hours of sleep is pretty borderline for someone your age. I average that, but I'm older than dirt and don't require quite as much sleep (and I still need 8+ hours on Saturday / Sunday to keep from feeling rundown going into the work week).

    That's three possible knobs to turn. Pick one, and see what happens -- either bump up your net, cut back exercise, or get more sleep. Personally, I'd vote for #3 first, but having raised a couple of ankle biters back in the day, I realize that's probably the hardest to change.

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