exhausted all the time

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  • dannii92xx
    dannii92xx Posts: 18 Member
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    okay:

    I am 5"0

    I have saved the link to the nutrition source so I can read through the full site tomorrow rather than skim it :)

    Some days I am that tired I nap during the day sometimes for up to 2 hours even though I try to stick to 20 mins

    Im not sure what tests exactly when they take my blood but I am always told 'everything is normal not diabetic not anaemic no thyroid problems'- I have had this fatigue problem for a while and have had it brushed off by countless doctors as stress as I have a pretty hectic life, maybe I should visit another doctor with your list?
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    okay:

    I am 5"0

    I have saved the link to the nutrition source so I can read through the full site tomorrow rather than skim it :)

    Some days I am that tired I nap during the day sometimes for up to 2 hours even though I try to stick to 20 mins

    Im not sure what tests exactly when they take my blood but I am always told 'everything is normal not diabetic not anaemic no thyroid problems'- I have had this fatigue problem for a while and have had it brushed off by countless doctors as stress as I have a pretty hectic life, maybe I should visit another doctor with your list?

    I'd first just ask for a copy of the tests they did run, then you can compare the results -- see if they did any of these and then look at what the results mean. Sadly, many doctors are really behind on the thyroid tests, even some endocrinologists. There is a reason why they believe that 2/3 of thyroid conditions are undiagnosed and even more of that for the insulin resistance (over 40% of US adults have insulin resistance at diabetic or prediabetic levels).

    I was pretty much treated the same. I was 20-40 lbs overweight, and being as tall as I am, I didn't look that overweight by many people's standards. I never had to wear clothes in the plus sizes, and doctors just told me it was stress too. And I did have a pretty hectic lifestyle through my 20s and early 30s, so I chalked it up to stress too. It got worse in my early/mid thirties -- some weeks the fatigue would be so bad, I'd have to take a quick nap before driving home from work because I was afraid of falling asleep at the wheel. Or I'd just go to work, come home and sleep -- sometimes up to 14 hours, and STILL feel exhausted. Then, it would go away and I'd continue to ignore it until it showed up again (very typical pattern for the thyroid issue I have -- Hashimoto's thyroiditis).

    If you'd like to PM me, I'll talk to you in more detail about what I've learned along the way in my journey -- and wish I'd learned 11 years ago when I first suspected something was "off" and certainly not "fine".
  • kertlj
    kertlj Posts: 4
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    Hi! One thing that you said which I think is very important is that you were drinking 8 to 10 cups of tea a day.

    Did it occur to you that you might be suffering from caffeine withdrawal on top of everything else?

    A couple of years ago, before I started with MFP, I dropped caffeine out of my life. Much like you, I was running between coffee/tea and sugar, while being constantly fatigued. I managed to stay off the caffeine (limit to one coffee in the morning, the rest is decaf, no diet soft drinks either) and found that once I was pretty much caffeine free it was also easier to reduce the sugar in my diet.

    Some people have few symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, but I tend to be sluggish with a slight headache for about a month to 6 weeks. Now I have way more energy and my ability to walk away from sugar is greatly increased. I have more physical stamina too.

    It can take months for your body to balance out. My biggest "ahah" moment was watching the documentary Super Size Me, and finding out that it only took 3 weeks to mess up a perfect body chemistry, and 6 months to bring it back! Gave me a new perspective on binge eating over the holidays.

    Think about your caffeine. Black tea has a significant amount. I was drinking 2 cups of coffee and 3 cups of tea a day before I stopped. Not huge by some standards but enough to have a profound effect on me. Definitely was a sluggish month when I went cold turkey.

    Green tea has caffeine, but greatly reduced. Maybe it is a good alternative for a while.
  • dannii92xx
    dannii92xx Posts: 18 Member
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    Okay,

    I have taken what everyone has said in to account and have changed up todays eating. My diary is still open and I would love some opinions on todays intake. I haven't worked out today as I have felt really tired and slept for 2 hours this afternoon. I have also struggled with finding things that take up calories now I have cut out sugar and re-cut out caffeine.
  • JoeCampbell85
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    Might need to up your calories and avoid those sugary snacks. I relied on them for a long time but realized they were a crutch that, in reality, led to a constant state of fatigue. Stabilize your blood sugar and get healthier snacks and it'll slowly come around.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Okay,

    I have taken what everyone has said in to account and have changed up todays eating. My diary is still open and I would love some opinions on todays intake. I haven't worked out today as I have felt really tired and slept for 2 hours this afternoon. I have also struggled with finding things that take up calories now I have cut out sugar and re-cut out caffeine.

    Based on today's meal plan only, your calories seem way too low. 1,018 is really low. I'd suggest throwing in some more protein -- 50 g is pretty low. I'd double that at the very least -- a good guide is 0.7 g per 1 lb bodyweight (or 1 g per lb lean body mass if you know your LBM).

    If you're struggling to get protein in, doing shakes is a good idea. I personally like Optimum Nutritional's Gold Standard Whey. Two scoops is like 48 g of protein. And their flavors are pretty decent -- I personally like the vanilla ice cream and chocolate fudge. Add some milk or cream along with water/ice, and you can throw in frozen fruit or extracts for more flavor (like orange extract to the vanilla for a creamsicle flavor, or mint extract for chocolate mint or cinnamon to either).

    I also see that you have virtually no vegetables -- except what you might find in the soup. You might want to consider eating more vegetables or substituting some vegetables for fruit. Grilled asparagus salad is really easy to so -- grill up some asparagus spears after coating them in olive oil, salt and pepper, then cut them up, add some lemon juice and zest and some feta cheese. Great, simple salad or side dish. Roast some brussel sprouts or cauliflower. Saute some green beans with red onions and bacon -- super tasty.

    In the end, my guess is that this is about a big vitamin deficiency (like D or iron) or another medical condition (thyroid, adrenal fatigue, etc.). You just shouldn't be this fatigued due to diet -- especially as you've been getting a good deal of calories prior to today.
  • terces91
    terces91 Posts: 3
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    Try:

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    I use them both and strongly recommend.
  • dannii92xx
    dannii92xx Posts: 18 Member
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    Okay I'll look into getting shakes, from my understanding on what everyone has said upping my protein will give me more energy and I wont be left craving sugar? Have I got that right?

    And yes I really struggled yesterday to eat my 1200 calories let alone eat back anything I worked off purely because I was limited but I guess protein shakes will also make it easier as they will take up calories too? My wage somewhat limits me as I cant afford to top up what my mum buys at a weekly shop but my partner and I are applying for a mortgage next week so hopefully I will be able to fix these diet issues better once we have the house
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    According to your ticker, you want to lose 26 lbs. Set your goal to .5 lbs. per week—which is way more than 1,200 calories.

    Have you read the Sexypants post? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-Sexypants
  • dannii92xx
    dannii92xx Posts: 18 Member
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    Will I still lose what I want to lose if I do that though? And yes I had a quick read of the sexy pants post
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Will I still lose what I want to lose if I do that though? And yes I had a quick read of the sexy pants post
    The less you have to lose, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works. People who are 100+ lbs. overweight can lose 2 lbs. per week. You cannot.

    So set your deficit reasonably (.5 lbs. for every 25 lbs. you need to lose), and be patient. Think lifestyle change—not crash diet.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    forgot to put in:

    I used to drink around 8-10 cups of tea a day. no water no juice nothing. Just tea. Thats another drastic change I have made as, apart from the past 2 days all I really drink is water except when I am at work where I only drink 2 cups

    Caffeinated tea? If so, you're probably recovering from that. I have drastically reduced my caffeine and I can definitely feel the difference. I'm a lot more tired than usual. It should sort itself out eventually, though. Other than that, you have received plenty of other good advice!
  • dannii92xx
    dannii92xx Posts: 18 Member
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    Okay, when I change my goal down to .5lb/ 1lb loss a week it still gives me 1200 net calories so it doesn't make a difference, and the exercise goals that are set on it say I will only lose 1lb a week anyway I doubt the calories are a problem.

    I have tried to book into the doctors without success so I will try again Monday and I think you guys are right, Im suffering from caffeine withdrawal
  • shellypaints
    shellypaints Posts: 49 Member
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    How is your sleep? If you are waking up and not feeling rested, you might ask your Dr to test you for sleep apnea or refer you to a specialist. Even mild sleep apnea can be an issue and can cause you to gain weight.
  • bane0317
    bane0317 Posts: 60 Member
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    Did the doctor do a sleep study? Sleeping 10 hours and waking up tired could indicate sleep apnea.

    I second this reply. Do you know if you snore? I went for years being able to sleep at the drop of a hat or all day/night and still felt tired. I also snored HORRIBLY. My husband would hear me gasp for air during the night. Not everyone has such noticeable symptoms but can still have sleep apnea. A sleep study will tell you if you have any issues. Apnea deprives you of oxygen throughout you sleep and often leave you feeling more tired than when you went to bed. I found out that ~ 18 times an hour my oxygen was dipping below 85%. It can affect a lot of areas of your life. It is well worth exploring as something to rule out.
  • dannii92xx
    dannii92xx Posts: 18 Member
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    I hadn't thought about sleeping but at the moment I'm using guided meditation music to just shush my brain and I am not really sleeping well. I know I snore badly when I have hay fever which I do at the moment and some days it is quite bad, but I am also asthmatic so that doesn't help with the allergies either. I am really stressed out at the moment as I am waiting start university in september and I worry that I wont fit in/ dont want to be the fat chick at the back. I'll pop it on my list so on Monday if I can get an appointment I know what I need testing for. They have a triage service in and as I work I find it very hard to get appointments as you have to wait for them to call you back to book the appointment when they can and usually they cant do any of this because I am at work (what happening to just booking appointments when you called?)
  • MichelleV1990
    MichelleV1990 Posts: 806 Member
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    Did the doctor do a sleep study? Sleeping 10 hours and waking up tired could indicate sleep apnea.

    I agree! I just had a sleep study done. The results were shocking! During non REM sleep, I had 28 instances of sleep distress per hour, and during REM sleep, there were 93 per hour. During a 3 hour period, I stopped breathing 123 times! I'd definitely check into this!!!!